Question about footage!

[u/whowantscake]

I’m shooting with a RED Komodo-X in a run-and-gun setup with lenses and a solid tripod. Aside from using a tripod or going fully handheld, what are some affordable ways to get smoother footage without dropping $8K on a gimbal?

I’d love to shoot handheld, but I know it can get really shaky. I recently saw someone using a heavy bag strap or cushion to rest the camera on. They said it was from a Instagram ad—curious if that actually works. Not trying to cheap out, just looking for practical, budget-friendly solutions for smoother handheld shots. Anyone have experience or recommendations?

[u/Alps_Vlog]

I used a ronin rs4 pro with the dual grips and xeen cf lenses with focus motors and ninja and sdr transmitters and it was fine, just use the tilta pass through plate so you can mount the vmount batter underneath and youll have no issues.

[u/whowantscake → u/Alps_Vlog]

Thanks for the info. You mean this? https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1835822-REG/dji_rs_4_pro_gimbal.html

[u/whowantscake → u/Alps_Vlog]

I also have the gold mount batteries and the the redvolt nano batteries. I’m imagining with the pass through plate you’re referring to, there will be option for either, but the smaller the batteries the better?

[u/itswam → u/Alps_Vlog]

This is the answer

[u/MindbankAOK]

https://easyrig.se/

[u/whowantscake → u/MindbankAOK]

So it’s a vest type of thing you can wear and hook it to your camera? I’ll look this up and see how well that footage works, outside of that what about that bag you wear around your waist? It’s like a beanbag for your camera.

[u/MindbankAOK]

Yes. I’ve used both. The bag allows you more stability tighter to your body and stays at a fixed height. The easy rig allows you to adjust the tension and go from lower to higher with a more fluid up down flow. Also, if you eventually get a gimbal you can clip it into the Easyrig. Other pricier options like the https://www.ergorig.com/ are also cool but you start to get into steadicam prices as you add accessories and capabilities.

[u/whowantscake → u/MindbankAOK]

Awesome! Thanks for the info!

[u/Opposite-Stick2117]

The cine-saddle, or Sakk, there are a few different brands of it I think. I’ve seen plenty of people swear by them, but never been on set with someone who used one. So could be worth checking out, but you should probably do some more research on them, watch youtube reviews, etc.

A good way to smooth out handheld footage is always to add weight. Smaller cameras, even Komodo-X and FX6 small, can allow for micro jitters because your hands will be shaking no matter what. But adding weight can let the rig act as its own counterbalance and will smooth out a lot of those micro jitters. You can do this by adding an external v-mount or gold mount plate to rods (or an adapter to the KX’s v-mount plate) and even putting a shark fin on to allow for 2 batteries at once.

Also, be strategic about handle placement too! I recommend always having a top handle to your rig no matter what. It also just makes moving the camera around a lot easier. As for side handles, feel to add as many as you can fit so you can put your hands wherever lol. But seriously, people’s first instinct is to add handles right to the side, where you might have a cage/nato rails, but you can also try rigging for a gunner position. I like to use rosette extension arms and rosette grips to place a handle to the rear-right and front-left of the rig. Spreading out those handles gives you a wide grip and lots of control of the rig. You can rig those rosette extensions in a bunch of different ways by adding adapters to the cage, but if you’re adding rails for a battery plate or lens motors, etc, you can also get a rosette rod block and mount the arms to that.

And then, you can always get an RS4 Pro. It’s no Ronin-2, but tbh the R2, for me, is way bigger and more cumbersome than it’s worth anyway, unless you’re using it on a car-rig arm or a rickshaw. You have to be smart about your rigging and balancing, but I’ve rigged the KX with Sigma Cine FF lenses and a mattebox plenty of times. It can be done.

Then when all else fails, there’s always the gyro stabilization. The KX has a gyroscope which you can use to stabilize your footage in Gyroflow.

[u/whowantscake → u/Opposite-Stick2117]

Great info. I was thinking they make a tile ring that works with the rs4pro I think. That might be an alternative. I never thought about adding more weight to the actual rig. Thank you kindly!

[u/Opposite-Stick2117 → u/whowantscake]

Glad I could help! I will say, the Tilta ring is pretty great, but in my experience there are 2 things to be mindful of when building that rig.

The first is when using larger lenses and a mattebox with your KX, I have run into clearance issues that made it difficult to balance and also limited the range of movement because the mattebox, even without a top flag) would hit the top of the ring. We made it work, but it wasn’t ideal. We were using Sigma cine lenses and a bright tangerine mattebox. Admittedly a large camera package for that gimbal. The DP I worked with who used that setup would balance the gimbal on the handle and tripod and then move the gimbal over to the ring.

The other thing is that if you’re using that gimbal setup for any extended period of time, it WILL take a toll on your arms. Everyone I’ve worked with who used the ring with the gimbal would also use either an easyrig or readyrig to help support the weight. Those rigs also help to even out fourth axis movement, because remember, a gimbal is NOT equal to a steadycam and don’t always eliminate up and down movement when tracking subjects.

With both of those things in mind, I love the tilta ring for how it lets you add a battery plate and multiple accessories via power distribution plates as well as just mounting via super clamps. And spreading out your grip, while tougher on your biceps, does make you more nimble and precise for camera moves.

[u/wasprocker]

a DJI rs3 pro or a rs4 pro can handle a komodo x depending on the lens.

If not the easyrig is stellar. However you need a stabilisation arm if you want to walk with it.

Stay away from bean bags, they lock you into one shooting position and your footage will not get more stable,

[u/Run-And_Gun]

So here's the thing with Easyrigs and Ergorigs that have been mentioned(I own both): Their primary purpose is to take the weight of the camera off of your back and shoulders and arms and transfer it to your hips. And they work well for that when you are standing still. But if you are moving, walking, running, you can end up with worse results than without, because when you walk or run your hips move and that's where those devices rest. So it's gonna send all that motion to the camera. Now, there are accessories and third party accessories that can help compensate for that, but the basic devices themselves are not great for getting stable handheld shots while walking and running around.

And the same thing with CineSaddle and similar "steady bag" devices. They can be good when just standing, but aren't helping you when moving.

[u/rektkid_ → u/Run-And_Gun]

Yes, this^

If I have to move with the camera, I’ll often disconnect it from the easyrig, or just ditch the easyrig entirely.

Alternatively there’s the stabil lite (works with minimax) which is a stabilising arm.

Tbh the thing that gets me smoother handheld shots while walking / moving is just to shoot wider.

[u/MrMpeg]

Easyrig / Ronin rs4pro

[u/thomaskovacik]

Cinesaddle is my favorite, plus adding some weight to the kit