Hi there Im interested to know if any one has used the Slingshot with the M10 or M15 and how you found using it ? Did it take out any of the vertical translation issues ? Im using it for a long job soon and wanted to make sure its the right tool for the job. I like the fact that you can operate at all the ranges e.g. on the ground or arms length which some other systems don't allow as easily but I'm based in the uk and there are very few over here at the mo to have a look at. Any advice gratefully received best M
I used one with an M10 while working on tour with Shane Hurlbut, he's the reason we even got one because he had used one before and loved it. I ran around a hotel with it and the whole time I was thinking "there is no way this is smooth" because the arms that hang over you just shake like crazy but when I saw playback it was awesome. It definitely removes the vertical translation issues, and you can do some cool things with it. I've never used an easyrig with a serene arms so I unfortunately can't tell you if it's better than using that or not
Jeremy thanks very much for that it's great to know how you found it. I think I'm getting hold of one for testing on Wednesday and looking forward to it. I have to say I'm less interested in the serene mainly because it doesn't appear to be able to work at the range of movement the slingshot can, so therefore limits what you can do. Thanks again M
I should also state that we never used the Movi top bar that you can get with the slingshot just due to the nature of our show, we just pulled the straps down and around the handles and used it that way
Hi Mark. I was just at Walters shop yesterday, and gave the slingshot a thorough run through. Before this, I had intended to use the EZrig adaptor(I have a Klassen vest), or a ProLine arm attached to the vests back mount arm, with an adaptor for low shots. The slingshot is really versatile, sets up easy, stows compactly, and provides dynamic movement capabilities that (I believe)exceed the ez rig/serene combo. This argument is based on observation of the Serene, as I've not actually tried it. When tensioned minimally(just to take some weight) the gimbal had a nice organic feel, and could easily get knees to eye level without much effort. The pendulum effect was pretty much eliminated during operation, in comparison to an EZrig setup; was this what you meant by "vertical translation issues"?? Jacking the rear posts to full extension was interesting, but proved to be an undesirable angle for coverage, IMHO. You can go from ground level to overhead easily with the extensions. The gimbal is easy to hand off (with practice), and it's not uncommon to put your wrists in the straps and hold the gimbal(though you look like a puppet…) for some advanced shots. Normally, I would say that 4-5 minutes is my limit handheld. You can wear the slingshot rig all day, and will likely need to change batteries more than rest your arms. Adding and reducing tension is simple with the twist of the ratcheting knob, and arm height is just a simple push pin lock out. As with all of Walters gear, machining and finishing is superb. If you speak with him, please give my regards. Hope this helps. Patrick PS; he has a gorgeous set of Wheels available for controlling Movi/Ronin gimbals, with either a spectrum or futaba interface. Definitely check them out if you're going into long format production.
Hi Patrick, I own a Klassen Slingshot and having read some of your posts, I'm hoping you could tell me your thought about whether some sort of vertical dampener like the Serene mounted above a Movi could work to provide _vertical_motion stabilization while walking and running with a Movi-stabilized camera (again I mean one suspended from a Slingshot.). I believe that Ray Dumas who operates for/with Walter Klassen feels that a gifted Slingshot operator can take care of this by adjusting his walking running method, but it seems to me it would be far easier if the hardware could do much of the heavy lifting. Thanks for any thoughts you might have about this. Thanks! Robert Jaffe r1234j@gmail.com