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On SmashWordsIndie Equipment Review: Steadicam on a budget – the Atlas Camera Support System
Welcome to the DOJO!
It has been far too long since I’ve posted a good product review and today I’m going to fix that with a doozy. Like every other low budget, indie or guerrilla filmmaker out there, one of the things I wish for every day of my life is a good, low budget option to a steadicam. Lacking that, I’m always looking for a way to make my handheld shots smoother and more manageable.
Unfortunately, up until now there really hasn’t been much out on the market. Options are either crappy hand made, no-gimbal “Poor man’s steadicam” units, horribly made knock-offs from India or paying an obscene amount of money for a true steadicam set-up. For me, none of those options were really options at all. Because of that, it always seemed like an affordable camera stabilizer was always going to be out of my reach as a low budget, guerrilla filmmaker.
Luckily, I’ve got some of the best readers on the Internet and I had my eyes opened to one of the most fantastic pieces of indie filmmaking equipment out there. The unit I’m talking about is a little thing called the Atlas Camera Support System (also known as the Atlas Camera Stabilizer and formerly the Indie Steadicam). Created by Michael Knowles (no relation to Harry), an indie filmmaker in his own right, the Atlas Camera Support is billed an affordable camera stabilizer that gives you the ability to shoot hand held for longer periods of time and get smoother shots.
As a low budget, guerrilla filmmaker myself, hearing that got me very interested. Seeing shots of the Atlas Camera Support in action quickly made me realize that the system was also a potentially fantastic alternative to the old-school steadicams. Needless to say, the thought of a steadicam style unit being available at a cost under $375 got me incredibly excited.
The Atlas Camera Support is made up of a body harnass, a flexible rod, an adjustable strap which attaches to the top of your camera and a weighted handle that screws in to the bottom.
Now, when you first see a picture of the Atlas Camera Stabilizer in action, you’re probably going to have the same reaction I did: what in the hell is that thing? It looks a little strange. However, all thoughts of looking silly on set completely vanished the first time I strapped in and took this steadicam-alternative for a test drive. After only a few minutes of practice I was able to achieve some of the smoothest handheld camera shots I’ve ever seen. It’s very intuitive and if you do the steadicam duck-walk you’ll quickly be getting shots that rival footage taken on a full steadicam rig.
That is the key to remember: as with any piece of equipment, getting the ultra smooth steadicam shots take practice and take the same sort of skills you need to operate a full steadicam unit. Just strapping the Atlas Camera Support System on and hoping for the best will still get you some decent shots, but the true power of the system comes with practice, proper posture and proper “smooth” walking. Once you get that down you will be absolutely amazed at the footage you can get with this indie, guerrilla steadicam alternative.
If you’re on a budget, or just can’t bring yourself to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a standard steadicam, then you absolutely have to check out the Atlas Camera Support System — heck, Mr. Knowles even gives you a 30 day money back guarantee to test the system out at no risk.
Check back in the next week for a full video review of the Atlas Camera Stabilizer. I loved the unit so much we’ll actually be using it on my next film, The Hog!
Until Next time, Keep Shooting!
Mat Nastos, the Film Sensei
http://www.filmsensei.com
Related posts:
- Hardware Review: Indian Camera Shoulder Support from Cine City
- Top 10 Essential Equipment for Indie Filmmakers: Part I – the Camera
- Top 10 Essential Equipment for Indie Filmmakers: Part II – Audio
- Indie Film Distribution — Caachi Answers the Call from Low Budget Films in Need of a Distributor
- A Cine City/ Indian Film Equipment Follow-Up
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Hi Matt thank you for this site Im loved your stuff on you tube and especially your reviews I am in Western Australia and laways love to get my hands on some good budget filmaking equipment. T thank you for your review on the Atlas steadicam system looks llike a good system however I was surprised that when talking about the steadicam rigs out there you made this comment
“Options are either crappy hand made, no-gimbal “Poor man’s steadicam” units, horribly made knock-offs from India or paying an obscene amount of money for a true steadicam set-up. For me, none of those options were really options at all. ”
I have purc hesd a flycam 500 steadicam vest and arm which is t cinecities entry level system and think that it is ewell engineered and works great giving supersteday shots also at a good price i also have a steadicam pro system which I made myself which is an upmarket version of the poor mans sterdicam also no gimbal but a better system and a three way pan & tilt head cost me about $120. AU to make both give fantastic smooth footage which certainly no worse but most likely better than the stuff I have seen from the Atlas system at the very least it is on par. you gave such good reviews in the past about the cinecity gear that i’ am surprised to hear you say that. But the atlas system looks great as well and certainly will be easy on the back. Good value for the price feel free to give me some feedback Mate!
April 14th, 2009 at 12:09 am
oops I typed furiously before and appologize for the attrociuous spelling
April 14th, 2009 at 12:10 am
I am considering getting this rig but the one thing that bothers me is that there are very few independent reviews of the unit. For instance, both of the videos that you have posted come from the manufacturer and while interesting they naturally aren’t unbiased.
Do you know any independent reviewers that have actually used this?
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
Steve:
Thanks for the comment. I’ve got one of the Atlas Camera Supports here in my studio and will be posting some test footage I shot with it, along with a video review of the unit. I’ve actually had the review done for quite some time, but my own schedule has kept me from posting it. I hope to finally have it up in the next week or two. Check back for it then and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of shots you can get with the Atlas.
-Mat N.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Ingolf:
I missed your comments! I’ve had good and bad experiences with the Indian Flycam units. The problem I’ve seen with them (in my limited experience of dealing with 3 different units) is their quality control process. Some of the units are great (although still at that $1000+ price point) and some come through with some horrible manufacturing defects. I haven’t had a chance to check out the Cinecity sub-$500 steadicam unit yet (the comfort arm? I forget the exact name), but I’ve heard similar things about manufacturing problems there as well.
For me, the Atlas is one of the best steadicam options for any indie/guerrilla filmmakers out there looking for something affordable and reliable. For the price you get some amazingly smooth handheld shots and, with a little bit of practice, you can even get some slick faux-steadicam shots too.
-M
June 10th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Just curious, how much did Atlas pay you for writing this review? Yes it is obvious that this is more of an info commercial than an unbias genuine review of a product. Doesn’t say much for Atlas or their product when they have to resort to this kind of approach.
Just for the record, after viewing the video, I wasn’t impressed with what I saw. The footage was still shakey. The unit itself looks no less clumsy than the “poor man’s steadicam” and from what I saw here doesn’t work any better either.
Oh yea, I know you’re not going to publish this, but just know that I frequent a lot of video related forums, so if the topic of Atlas camera stabilizers come up, I won’t hesitate to express my opinion. Not that it takes a brain surgeon to see for themselves anyway.
Have a nice day
For a hundred or 2 more dollars, you’re better off getting the Flopod from VariZoom, as this system uses a gimble (which is needed) to stabilize the camera.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:24 am
John:
I just saw your comment come up for my site and wanted to make sure to respond right away! In regards to the Atlas system, I definitely wasn’t paid or even solicited for my review. To be honest, I would have been incredibly excited if I had been! At this point I’m not sure my site is worth having someone pay for a review.
I actually really like the system when it comes to using heavy camera rigs handheld (like my XHA1, extended batter, wide angle lens, rails, mic, etc). With a bit of practice (and I’ve had a ton now, after shooting some local wrestling shows, a couple of concerts and a pair of short videos), you can get some pretty darn smooth handheld shots. With a lot of practice, shots are better than any handheld steadicam rig out there (and definitely better than the India faux-steadicam units).
The two issues I had with it are the fact that it’s a bit silly looking (which isn’t that bad) and that it doesn’t work as well with lighter cameras. When I tried it with my HV20, even with rails and a 35mm adapter, it was a bit bouncy for my taste. The heavier the camera set-up, the better the Atlas will work for you.
In regards to the Flowpod, that’s actually my favorite design for a handheld steadicam unit. For short shots it’s fantastic. For those quick shots (quick tracking where you aren’t hoisting the unit for more than a minute or two at a time), it exceeds the Atlas for sure. Where I think the Atlas wins out is for when you’re having to do handheld shots for longer periods of time or have a heavier camera. I also wish the Flowpod was a bit cheaper since it is targeting low budget filmmakers (like me) who tend to be hard up for cash!
Anyway, those are my own opinions on the matter and it’s always good to hear someone else’s, even if they don’t agree. If you’re in the LA area and want to try out the system, send me a note and you’re more than welcome to drop by and give it a run through.
Take care!
-Mat N.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:34 pm