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What's the number-one thing that separates a professional video production and an amateurish one? Apart from basic image and sound quality, what is the first thing you'll notice about a particular shot if it's simply not right? Unintended movement and shakiness. It's a pet peeve of mine, and, perhaps like you, I've edited around my fair share of bad handheld footage and pans or dolly shots that are just too damn rapid. But what can you do? If you are a serious video- or filmmaker, Sachtler has a solution called the Artemis DV Pro. With this new camera stabilizing system (and some practice), your shots will capture that smooth-motion, "money shot" feel that's the hallmark of good network television and major studio films.
Some history
Video image stabilization has always been important - that's why the tripod was invented. Video equipment manufacturers have tried to address the issue with both electronic and optical image stabilization, both resulting in varying degrees of success. And the quest for jitter- and vibration-free footage is sort of funny (if expensive) when one looks at the popularity of shaky handheld footage such as that found on today's reality TV shows and in news footage. More than 30 years ago, cinematographer Garrett Brown invented the first Steadicam for the Hollywood film industry. It's been used so much that it's become a generic verb: to Steadicam a shot.
Steadicams, Glidecams, and other similar products have one goal: Keep the shot steady while the camera and the camera operator move in a variety of ways, including running, climbing stairs, and shooting from horses, cars, or helicopters. While a video shooter with the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet Combat Camera Group 25 years ago, I was one of the first shooters in that branch of service to be trained with the Steadicam for shooting from a helicopter. Since that time, the technology has matured, and a lot of products have since tried to match the specs and results of the original. Few have. The main difference between a professional unit and a wannabe product is the arms. The more expensive stabilizers have two articulating arms and an adjustable, reinforced operator's vest with a hard frame.
A new contender
Having used several different stabilizers, I...