SteadiHub
2014Operating forum

Finding and verifying the center of gravity when balancing a Steadicam with a weight plate underneath the camera

12 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

What the thread found

  • The center of gravity can be found by placing the camera and weight plate assembly on a rod laid across a table edge, then identifying the balance point in one axis, rotating the rod 90 degrees and finding the balance point in the perpendicular axis, with the crossing point of these two marks indicating the center of gravity.
  • The dovetail plate should be positioned so its mounting point aligns with the identified center of gravity.
  • After initial balancing, the camera should maintain equilibrium when rotated 180 degrees while still mounted on the docking pin; if it becomes unbalanced when rotated, this indicates gimbal misalignment rather than a balancing issue.
  • Poor gimbal construction or bearing misalignment in lower-quality stabilizers can make achieving proper balance impossible regardless of weight plate adjustments.
  • Gimbal bearings that are off-center or bearing seats that are not level prevent successful balancing and may be correctable only if adjustment screws are accessible.

Depends on

  • The gimbal construction quality fundamentally limits balancing success; faulty or misaligned gimbal bearings cannot be overcome through weight adjustments alone.
  • One participant's experience was with a Chinese-manufactured knockoff model of unclear specifications.
  • Detailed repair procedures for off-center gimbal posts were not fully specified in the thread.

Parts

Dovetail Plate

Same gear or parts

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