Camera Stabilizer

in the camera industry, you pay for what you get... if you wanna cheap out you're going to get a cheap product.
 
if you want, i'll have plans up for a really ridiculous diy glidecam, probably will cost about 100. you need to be able to view inventor files, i think they have a viewer for it so you can just look at the docs for free. its kinda overkill though its got an xy table and stuff. you need a (drill press would be nice for straight holes) and a bandsaw would be great too, but basically you need to be able to cut long straight lines (6 inch max) and drill some straight holes.
 
Flycams are hit or miss. I got a Flycam Nano a while back for a small camcorder, and the first one wouldn't stay balanced when you rotated it. The ebay seller shipped me a new one that was slightly different (bearings and some other small parts) for free, and problems were fixed.

I did a search to see how much the DSLR version would cost, and came across this version instead: http://www.thecinecity.com/eshop/product.php?productid=35 (more of a Merlin Steadicam design, so there should be less stress on your wrist). $99, you pay for what you get (probably problematic bearings or a very difficult thing to balance).

If you plan on upgrading at some point down the road, really consider if having a cheap stabilizer for your shots between now and when you get a better one will be worth the $99+S&H.

The Flycam Nano DSLR one (like a glidecam) is $190 (I know, above your price range), but will likely be better. How much better? Good enough? It's hard to say.

If you have the time, resources, and are interested in DIY work then try to make yourself one. Designing one takes things a little further, so I'd suggest sticking with an already existing design that you can find online. It's rare that you'll get a finished product that will be better than one you can buy for the time you spent working on it (say your time is worth $16/hr, do you think you could build a better one in less than 10 hours? You might as well buy one if not, unless you go DIY for other reasons)
 
i go diy on like everything i can, sheerly for the fun of it. i like having my own well designed things where i know how and why everything works because it's of my own design. i'm currently modeling a sweet glidecam on inventor if anyones interested, i'll probably end up making a thread about it (i'm kind of proud...) with a zip containing all my files and some instructions. next up: a bombproof slider (maybe a timelapse dolly, we'll see) then a crane probably. oh and i'll also have a mcmaster-carr order list with every last bit you should need to build it
 
Yea I'd like to see that. I was going to design and build my own last spring, but I just didn't have the time.

Maybe save them as STL or STEP files so that people can check them out in Pro/E, Solidworks, or any other non-Inventor CAD program?
 
you can get the viewer for free but yeah i'll do that. is there anything sketchup can open? i know a lot of people have that, but i can't freaking stand it for some reason. i should have it done in a few days depending on how much free time i've got, i finished the parts for the xy table including all the misc. fasteners and stuff tonight.
 
If you're buying something for $160, you might as well throw that money in the trash, because whatever you purchase will end up there soon.

Everyone is telling you to save more money. You can do that, or ignore us and learn the hard way like we all did when we were younger. Your call!
 
a glidecam is no harder, if not easier to use (due to the fact that it will work properly) and its really pretty simple... bottom balences out top, gimbal to isolate your hand movements. balance, hold by handle, make fine adjustments by keeping a couple fingers on the shaft. just get a glidecam.
 
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