User Manual

20
5) OPERATING THE GLIDECAM GOLD SLED
Given that you now have the Glidecam VEST, ARM and SLED correctly setup and on your body, you can
now begin to learn how to shoot smooth shots with the system.
The GOLD SLED can be used equally well by either left handed, or right handed operators. When you
operate the Glidecam GOLD SLED you will need to use your RIGHT HAND to hold onto the curved
GIMBAL HANDLE, and your LEFT HAND to hold onto the area just below the GIMBAL TUBE on the
CENTRAL SUPPORT POST. For reference we shall call the HAND that holds onto the curved GIMBAL
HANDLE the HOLDING HAND, and we shall call the HAND that holds onto the CENTRAL SUPPORT
POST just below the GIMBAL TUBE the GUIDING HAND.
When your RIGHT HAND is on the GIMBAL HANDLE it is being used to control the position of the
SUPPORT ARM in front of your body. It is your right HOLDING HAND that moves the SUPPORT
ARM up or down, in and out, or side to side.
When your LEFT HAND is on the CENTER POST it is being used to control the orientation of the
CAMERA by controlling the position of the SLED. It is your left GUIDING HAND that moves the
SLED in a way which causes the CAMERA to TILT, PAN, or ROLL.
Your left GUIDING HAND should lightly hold or touch the CENTER POST just below the CENTRAL
BEARING on the GIMBAL TUBE. The reason for this is to have your GUIDING HAND positioned as
close to the CENTER of GRAVITY of the SLED as possible. If you were to GUIDE the SLED with your
LEFT HAND say 6" below the GIMBAL TUBE then it would be very difficult to not cause the SLED to
inadvertently TILT, PAN or ROLL.
NOTE: Make sure that your GUIDING HAND and/or wrist do not touch the GIMBAL's MAIN
BEARING ASSEMBLY and/or YOKE during shooting, for doing so can cause unstable shooting.
And again, always make sure that your GUIDING HAND holds lightly onto the CENTER POST and that
you do not grab the CENTER POST in a way that would cause the SLED to not float freely. In other
words do not try to hold up any of the SLED's weight by holding tightly onto the CENTER POST.
Obviously it is all right to apply enough pressure to the CENTER POST to cause the SLED to TILT, PAN
or ROLL.
When shooting you will be using your GUIDING HAND to gently or rapidly guide the CAMERA in the
direction you wish to shoot. It is the GUIDING HAND that controls the PANNING, TILTING and
ROLLING of the SLED. You can guide or hold the SLED so as to shoot upside-down (given you balance
the SLED for this), sideways, low near the ground, overhead or angled as in a Dutch shot.
You should also realize that the quality and smoothness of your TILTS, PANS and ROLLS will depend
on how well you learn to control the CENTER POST and SUPPORT ARM. Again, since the SLED is in
essence floating freely, slight twitches of the GUIDING HAND can cause twitches in your shots. With
heavier cameras this is not so much of a problem, and it is not a problem with lighter cameras after you
get use to shooting with the SLED.
The GLIDECAM GOLD SLED is designed to work best only when the CAMERA OPERATOR is using
their HOLDING HAND and their GUIDING HAND to hold and control the ARM and SLED. If you try
to operate the SUPPORT ARM with just your HOLDING HAND, the camera may drift or pan away from