ARE GLIDECAMS STILL RELEVANT WITH GIMBALS AROUND?

Filmmakers had their industries completely revolutionised with gimbal technology becoming so available and affordable. Gimbals are without a doubt fantastic camera stabilisation tools that help you get the smoothest cinematic shot, but have they completely replaced the need for more traditional methods such as the humble Glidecam?

Gimbals offer an easy and simple solution to getting the smoothest stabilised shot at the time of filming with many camera payload options and further tweaks with the help of different settings and mobile apps to help you set up the type of shot you want.

However, they are not perfect. Gimbals usually offer a very robotic look to the image and are not good for fast-paced shots such as a whip-pan where the Glidecam most definitely can. Furthermore, you can fit whatever camera you want on the Glidecam as long as you are physically able to carry it whereas a gimbal limits you on size and weight.

Conclusion: both systems are fantastic but each is better in certain filming scenarios.

Take a look at the video below by the YouTube channel: Parker Walbeck on Glidecam vs Zhiyun Crane 2...