2004Operating forum
Mounting a remote stabilized camera head on a steadicam arm as a telescopic boom system for low-to-high angle shots while walking
22 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- A remote camera head with electronic stabilization for pitch and roll can maintain horizon level regardless of the boom angle or operator body movement
- Combining a steadicam arm with a telescopic boom and remote head allows shots from ground level to several meters high while the operator walks
- Electronic gyroscopic stabilization on a remote head addresses the horizon wobble problem that occurs with body-mounted pole camera systems when the operator moves
- Polecam and similar French boom systems lack effective horizon stabilization because their long cantilever design and reliance on gravity-based gimbals cannot compensate for operator movement
- The proposed system would weigh between 17 and 33 kilograms depending on camera choice, making it heavier than comparable body-mounted alternatives
- Mounting a polecam on a steadicam arm has been tested and found difficult to control due to multiple interacting variables in the system
Depends on
- The system is only practical for lightweight cameras between 1 and 5 kilograms, not full-size cinema cameras
- The design cannot provide rolling motion or Dutch angle capabilities
- Operating the system requires training in both joystick control and steadicam technique
- Attempts to combine polecam with steadicam arms by experienced operators found the combination problematic and uncontrollable
- The prototype had not been completed or tested on actual location work at the time of discussion