2009Steadi-Newbies forum
Building and sourcing weight cages for Steadicam practice
17 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Weight cages can be purchased from specialized vendors or constructed by local machinists and metal shops at significantly lower cost than commercial products.
- A functional practice weight cage can be made from steel plates obtained from an industrial metal supply, drilled according to the user's balance requirements, for around fifteen dollars.
- Removable risers on a homemade weight cage allow it to function as stackable weight plates and accommodate cameras with unusual shapes.
- Adding a quick release shoe to the base of a weight cage simplifies camera mounting and removal.
- Steel plate configurations can be arranged in various ways, such as parallel to the camera body or extending outward like antennae, depending on desired weight distribution and practice goals.
- Commercial weight cages were reported to cost nearly one thousand dollars at the time of this discussion.
Depends on
- Prices and availability of commercial products from this discussion period may not reflect current market conditions.
- No sources successfully provided complete contact information or current links for all mentioned vendors.
- The specific design choices and weights mentioned were tailored to individual user preferences and camera models.