Video Camera Stabilisation

In this filmmaking class, Karl and Ben introduce you to different methods of camera stabilisation to help you enhance the quality of your videos.

You’ll cover everything from in-camera stabilisation settings to tripods, gimbals and sliders.

You’ll even see Karl getting put through his paces as the boys head out on location to test out various stabilisation tools, with fascinating results.

In this class:

  • Camera stabilisation for filmmaking and videography
  • Image stabilisation settings
  • Tripods and fluid heads
  • How gimbals work
  • Camera stabilisation when filming on location
  • Filming with manual and electronic sliders

Questions? Please post them in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. I enjoyed this, thanks! A quick question: I know you’ve another class on lenses for filmmaking where you talk about autofocus vs manual lens pulling but in these sequences running along beach, walking along pontoon, circling around a stationary subject etc, was Ben using manual or auto focus? And does he have any guidance on when to use which? Thanks!

    1. Hi James, yes as the camera is on a gimbal manual focus is pretty much impossible if you are changing distance to your subject which I was doing in a couple of these shots (unless you have a focus pull that connects to the gimbal) so I was mostly using auto focus, I had it set to eye tracking auto focus wide so when Karls head/face was in the shot I knew it would lock on to that, for some of the shots where I stayed parallel to Karl I used manual focus especially if his head wasn’t in it like the legs running along the pebbles to avoid the focus trying to shift to the fore or background. The same with the pontoon, I had that in manual focus and just pre focused to an approximate distance in front of me that seemed appropriate and then as I walked the same distance in front of me would stay sharp. In the real estate video as there was no subject and nothing was moving except the camera I would move into roughly the centre of the shot/movement I was doing and pre manual focus at that spot and then carry out shot/movement (trying to stay at a reasonable aperture to keep the majority of the rooms sharp), if you are revealing from behind a wall or similar then manual focus is a must as you don’t want the foreground you are revealing from behind to be sharp or shift as more of the room is visible.

      So it changes depending on different scenarios, hope this helps, Ben

  2. garystasiuk

    It would be good to list some of the equipment featured off on the side like you have done in other classes.. things you have used .. I’m interested in getting a glider and I’m facing a cost versus quality decision without any hands on experience with them. Thinking of renting perhaps to get some experience.

    1. garystasiuk

      Whoops.. I intended a say slider.. I’ve been looking at Neewer brands although I’m concerned that the brands you can easily purchase on amazon.. depending on slider length, can be about $300-500 Can.. Those Rhino sliders are quite a bit more.. ranging upwards of $1500. Just concerned about bang for buck and not being let down by the motor or the smoothness of the slide rails.

    1. Hi Scott, thank you. The steadicam is usually reserved for bigger heavier cameras used in live broadcast or cinema films and is a little beyond what we’d expect photographers venturing into film-making to use. The models we’ve shown here handle the type of camera that is usually the first type of entry or transition for stills to moving images. I’ll keep it in mind though as I know someone who has one so maybe we can add it in the future. Thanks for watching this class though, all the best Karl.

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