How to shot steady video walking?

Steverd

Steverd

I've Got It
What are your tips for shooting smooth hand held video while walking?
I must walk "like a duck" because my walking videos sway left to right, back and forth.

I've read:
1. No zoom, shoot wide open
2. walk slow
3. Duck walk or Charlie Chaplin walk (don't think my knees are up to that)

Any tips on holding the camera? Two Hands? Close to the body? etc?

Thank you
 
A device known as a "gimbal" or "steadicam" would solve the problem. They stabilise the wobbles at source by absorbing them.

I found this video which might help:

 
How many minutes did you spend on the duck walk until realising that the operator didn,t shoot himself? :p Yeah popular answers from gurus youtube filmakers.

Filming your self means that you extend your arm from the body. Game over and good luck with software stabilizers e.g. warp stabilizer or mercalli one.

The only solution is a small sized camera or mobile phone that is supported by a cheaper electronic gimbal or a simpler mechanical which yes can be fixed in post most of the times.

:)

Edit: Crown named the non electronic right
steadycam. Sorry for the error.
 
A gimbal is the best solution probably. But I have found that even a low cost selfie stick can help stabilize things to some degree. Lets you hold the camera a lot lower down at least so it's easier to walk smoothly and get the camera more centered without showing an obvious arm extended and holding it.
 
Thank you, I do have a two Zhiyun gimbels, they are awesome.
I guess I should give the background for this video I am making.

I have the new Panasonic HC-WXF1K camcorder and making review videos of this camera.
I want to show the camera's stability while walking without any gimbels.
Even though the Stability in this camera was improved over the 981/991, I think
the way I walk is cause a ton of left/right SWAY in my footage.

So far it's an amazing camcorder.
Steve
 
Now I'm confused. You want to show the stability of this camera but if the footage is not stable then you want to force it to be stable. You do not want to use any stabilizers to force it to be stable but it must be stable in order to demonstrate to the viewers that it shoots stable footage on its own? Um....

I think most people who buy a thousandish dollar camera expect to use a stabilizer with it when they need to.
 
Steverd said:
the way I walk
Click to expand...

Have you seen the Matrix movie? There is a line from Morpheous: "is that air you think you breath?" :P Well in our case it is air that we breath and affects chest movement for a start. Breath control. Elbows stuck to body sides. Two points. Camera touches stomach. Third point of steady contact. And a tip that i never follow. Exercise. Feet and arms and body are not a car to start the engine that lubricate all parts! :)
 
CaptainNeedy said:
Now I'm confused. You want to show the stability of this camera but if the footage is not stable then you want to force it to be stable. You do not want to use any stabilizers to force it to be stable but it must be stable in order to demonstrate to the viewers that it shoots stable footage on its own? Um....

I think most people who buy a thousandish dollar camera expect to use a stabilizer with it when they need to.
Click to expand...

Great point - Thanks
I also feel that there is more "sway" because of my walk, Maybe I'll get my wife to film walking down the street.
 
That sounds like a good option.

As a viewer I would find it perfectly acceptable if you said I find the footage I get to be [ very stable | reasonably stable | acceptably stable ] even if you were displaying b-roll at the time or just showing a product shot of the camera.
 
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