Digital Video - February 2009 - (Page 8)

IN REVIEW ANTON/BAUER STASIS FLEX The Stasis Flex support was intuitive to use right out of the box HANDHELD FLEXIBILITY THE STASIS FLEX IS A NOVEL APPROACH TO CAMERA SUPPORT. BY CHUCK GLOMAN A nton/Bauer’s new camera stabilization device, the Stasis Flex, uses your shoulder for support to reduce shakiness and fight fatigue during long handheld shots. Resembling a snake with a flat tail and a level head that happens to support a camcorder, the Stasis Flex ($299) accepts Anton/Bauer Gold Mount brick batteries in the rear to help with weight distribution. A chest pad, adjusted with a supplied Allen wrench, plants itself firmly against you. The Stasis Flex can support camcorders up to 14 lb. The Flex arm has numerous “knuckles” that remain loose until the locking lever on the top is pulled to make the shape rigid. Mount the camera to the plate, release the locking lever, and while supporting the camera, adjust the arm until the camera is at the correct height. Then lock the arm into place — that’s all there is to it. My first user was a young woman in our university’s summer SCORE ANTON/BAUER STATIS FLEX PROS: No training required; it works “out of the box.” Combines well with the EgripZ rig. CONS: Uncomfortable for female operators. BOTTOM LINE: A simple solution to an enduring dilemma. MSRP: $299 CONTACT: www.antonbauer.com program. She found the Stasis Flex very uncomfortable because the way the chest pad dug into her. The manual does mention that you can cut the Stasis Flex arm with a hacksaw and reattach the pad — but it’s not going to grow back for other users. Other women had the same complaint with the Stasis Flex and would have preferred the chest strap in the middle, but that would have been awkward for balance. None of my male students had a problem with the chest pad, but they are, of course, built differently. For the next week, my male students used the Stasis Flex with very little adjustment or variation between them. When I finally got a chance to use the Stasis Flex, I enjoyed having the strain removed from my forearm when wearing it for three hours. Unlike most stabilization devices, you do not need a “get acclimated” period. Right out of the box you can wear it for extended periods of time without sore muscles. If you decide to invest in the Stasis Flex, you should also seriously consider picking up an EgripZ, the company’s low-cost camcorder stabilizer. Not only does it give you another option for “steering” the camcorder, but it can be installed under the front of the Stasis Flex, so you can take the entire apparatus and transfer it to a tripod after your shot. Otherwise, you’ll have to detach the camcorder, which can be awkward, then take off the Stasis Flex for storage. DV Chuck Gloman is the program director of the TV/Film department at DeSales University. Contact him at chuck.gloman@desales.edu. www.dv.com 8 dv February 2009 http://www.antonbauer.com http://www.dv.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - February 2009

Digital Video - February 2009 Contents Stasis Flex Black Diamond Essentials Instant Expert Close-Up: Larry Blamire They Like to Rock the Party Close-Up: Gregg Kita Click to Play DV101 Production Diary

Digital Video - February 2009

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