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HD-2000 Handheld Stabilizer for Cameras from 2 to 6 lbs
Brand | Glidecam |
Compatible Devices | Camera |
Item Weight | 1.1 Kilograms |
Maximum Weight Recommendation | 2.7 Kilograms |
About this item
- Designed for compact cameras weighing from 2 to 6 lbs (0.9-2.7 kg)
- Fine adjustable dynamic camera mounting platform
- Adjustable convergence, precision, three-axis gimbal
- Adjustable dynamic balance and inertial-control base platform
- Comes with manual, counter weight plates and mounting hardware
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Must be over 18 years of age. Only sell in the U.S.A.
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This Item Glidecam HD-2000 Handheld Stabilizer for Cameras from 2 to 6 lbs | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | — | $234.00$234.00 | -15% $469.00$469.00 Typical: $549.00 | $29.90$29.90 | $149.00$149.00 | -6% $149.00$149.00 List: $159.00 |
Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Monday, Apr 1 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Light weight | — | — | 4.1 | 4.7 | — | 3.9 |
Stability | — | — | 3.3 | 4.6 | — | 4.2 |
Sold By | — | Proaim USA | Amazon.com | SmallRig | Adorama | Amazon.com |
compatible devices | Camera | Camera | Camera | Camera, Monitor | Camera | Cellphone |
max. recommended weight | 2.7 kilograms | 15 pounds | 3 kilograms | 10 kilograms | 12 pounds | 289 grams |
weight | 1.1 kilograms | 5.5 kilograms | 1.5 kilograms | 124 grams | 1.25 pounds | 0.46 kilograms |
Product guides and documents
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Product Dimensions | 5 x 9 x 17 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 2.42 pounds |
ASIN | B0020LB0MO |
Item model number | HD-2000 |
Customer Reviews |
3.8 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #860 in Video Camera Supports & Stabilizers #2,124 in Professional Video Stabilizers |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 2, 2001 |
Manufacturer | Glidecam |
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Product Description
Hand-Held Stabilizer
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the quality, value, ease of flying, smoothness and ease of use of the camera support. For example, they mention it's machined under high quality, makes the motion feel even smoother and it'll produce butter smooth shots. That said, some complain about the ease of using it, saying it takes some getting used to and has a learning curve. Opinions are mixed on the balance and adjustability.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the camera support. They mention that the build is great, it's machined under high quality, and it holds up quite well. The product itself is great and one of the best steady-cam type products they have used. The handle is absolutely amazing and it has really paid off in the quality video they are producing with it. Almost 100% of it is solid metal and it'd be relatively quick to calibrate.
"...Construction*This thing is pure quality. Nearly 100% of it is solid metal, and I appreciate that it is made in the USA unlike nearly..." Read more
"...To be clear, the system can handle it just fine, it's just about being able to hold it up for long periods of time...." Read more
"...This thing is very well put together, the DNA was close to the same quality, but the Glidecam just feels so much better in your hand, can't quite..." Read more
"It works well, the problem is that the instructions are no helpful, so plan on using third party sources to teach you how to use it." Read more
Customers like the value of the camera support. They mention it's worth the price, a great investment, and not a cheap product.
"...For me, it was absolutely worth it. This thing is amazing...." Read more
"...That product was priced nicely, and did a great job after many hours of messing with it to get good balance using my T2i and Sigma 10-20mm lens...." Read more
"...+Price is more than cheap if you know how much the film camera stabilizers areConstruction*..." Read more
"...Many stabilizers lack the extending portion out of it. This is worth every penny...." Read more
Customers find the camera support easy to fly. They say it balances quickly, and the smooth action makes the motion feel even smoother. They also say the gimbal is perfect, and there is no friction at all. Customers also mention that the steady flow for DSLR is great.
"...out your shots quite a lot and the name is appropriate - it glides right along...." Read more
"...PROs- It does improve video steadyness- it's relatively quick to calibrateCONs you can overcome-..." Read more
"...set-up (balancing) takes a while, but once you have it down, it goes pretty quickly...." Read more
"...The way this stabilizer is built is what makes it easier to fly compared to others. I'll point out a few...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the smoothness of the camera support. They mention that it makes videos look smooth, produces butter smooth shots, and records very smooth videos. Some say that the solid build and the smooth recording make the product a great choice for those looking for a smooth camera support to use while filming.
"...It really does smooth out your shots quite a lot and the name is appropriate - it glides right along...." Read more
"...time to balance it properly, the Glidecam HD-2000 is capable of producing butter smooth shots while walking, running, going up and down stares,..." Read more
"...I was able to film a car show and my footage looked so professional. It takes more then just stabilizer it self to have smooth footage...." Read more
"...The images are amazingly smooth once you practice, and patience is key for balancing it, and getting those amazing shots." Read more
Customers find the process of using the camera support to be not intuitive. They say it takes some getting used to and has a learning curve. Customers also say that it takes a lot of practice and time to balance. They mention that the instructions are not helpful.
"...Setup*Initial setup does take a bit of time...." Read more
"...have mentioned it, but don't overlook it - there's a pretty serious learning curve...." Read more
"...It will make training with it much easier and more fun!..." Read more
"It works well, the problem is that the instructions are no helpful, so plan on using third party sources to teach you how to use it." Read more
Customers are mixed about the balance of the camera support. Some mention that it's not that hard to balance, it'll be perfectly balanced in a few minutes, and that the weights make fine tuning the balance incredibly easy. Others say that it takes some effort to get it balanced and ready to fly, and it requires much practice.
"...When using it, I never feel any wobbliness or lose bolts or any other weirdness. You can simply feel the quality just holding it...." Read more
"...This made it impossible to have perfect balance in that particular position...." Read more
"...The images are amazingly smooth once you practice, and patience is key for balancing it, and getting those amazing shots." Read more
"...Balancing it is not that hard if you watch the videos on the glidecam site...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the adjustability of the camera support. Some appreciate the adjusting knobs which allow them to easily move the top plate. They also say the ability to micro-adjust is exactly what you need to fly. However, others say that the telescoping post was difficult to adjust up and down and that it can be a bit hard to adjust the rod length over and over again.
"...I'll point out a few. Top plate, the fine adjustments are easy to turn and even slightest move will help stabilizing the glidecam...." Read more
"...My only complaint is that it can be a bit hard to adjust the rod length over and over again–the knob could be a bit wider so you have more leverage...." Read more
"...I really appreciated the adjusting knobs which allow you to easily move the top plate during stabilizing without having to completely unscrew it...." Read more
"...'s constructed well, using quality parts and the balance and ability to micro-adjust is exactly what you need to fly your camera...." Read more
Customers find the weight of the camera support to be too heavy to use without additional support. They say the weight gets stressful on their wrists after long takes or long periods of use. They also say the rig is bulkier and harder to control smoothly with overweighting.
"...is better than underweighting, but it was much harder to control smoothly with overweighting, even though I was already noticing a massive..." Read more
"...That said, though it's not exactly heavy, the weight is stressful on your wrist after long takes or long shooting days, so anyone who isn't used to..." Read more
"...assistant is female and fairly atheletic, she told me it was too heavy for her to hold for more than 30 seconds or so...." Read more
"...CONS:-You have to readjust weight if you add or take parts off your rig, such as changing lenses, adding or removing an eternal mic, etc...." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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*Setup*
Initial setup does take a bit of time. If you don't know what you're doing and need to follow along with the instructions, it might take about 15 minutes to put together, not including balance fine-tuning. But the bulk of the time you will spend will be in balancing it. You mainly just need to screw together a few metal parts, and mount the "quick release" plate to your camera. Not too bad.
*Balancing*
This is the tricky part that you'll really need to practice on. The first time I balanced it, I just put all 10 weights (5 on each end) on the Glidecam and started playing with it, I was too excited to properly balance it. I suppose overweighting is better than underweighting, but it was much harder to control smoothly with overweighting, even though I was already noticing a massive improvement of my wide-angle motion shots. I then went back to properly re-balance it. I actually ended up needing 2 weights (1 on each end) to get that perfect floaty feel.
Once you are in the ball park of how much weight you need, the easiest way to fine-tune it is to adjust the length of the vertical bar. Even the tiniest adjustments will cause very noticeable changes in control. If you just lengthen the bar by a few millimeters, it gives lowers the center of gravity ever so slightly, which is what I needed to do to get my vertical balancing perfect. You will also need to play with the knobs on the top mounting section. There is a metal plate in there you can move forward/back/left/right to perfect the balance. I'm using a Canon 5D Mk II and a 60D. Both of them needed to be adjusted to the left a bit since their center of gravity leans right (due to heavier components like the battery and off-center lens mounts on that side). With heavier lenses like my 24-70 f/2.8L, I also need to pull back the positioning on the plate, since those will put so much weight in the front.
In any case, I highly recommend watching a few balancing videos on youtube and get a few different perspectives on the ways to balance your Glidecam. If you can't get the balancing down, you'll never realize this product's full potential.
*Construction*
This thing is pure quality. Nearly 100% of it is solid metal, and I appreciate that it is made in the USA unlike nearly everything else I've ever bought from amazon. When using it, I never feel any wobbliness or lose bolts or any other weirdness. You can simply feel the quality just holding it.
*Use*
Of course, balancing is the most important part, but assuming you are done with that, let's talk about actually using this. First of all, you'll want to go around your home or a park or something and just practice. A lot. You'll look silly but it's the only way to get down the technique. I had my wife help me as the subject, and I tried a lot of scenes. Such as, following behind her while walking, leading her while walking backwards, circling around her while trying to keep her smoothly centered in the frame at all times, etc. I'm still not amazing, but just from practicing this type of stuff for about a week I am much better. You'll need to learn how to effectively aim your shot while gliding. You can't simply use a 2nd hand to hold the vertical bar, as that will defeat the purpose of it and reintroduce shaking and wobbling you are trying to get rid of. I just use very gentle taps and twists to guide the shot, and let gravity and inertia do the rest. It's a lot harder than it sounds, but with practice, it starts to become second nature. I also recommend to try to keep your eye on the subject and general positioning of your lens and camera. If you try to keep your eyes glued to your camera's LCD screen the whole time, it actually makes it harder to keep the shot perfectly in frame.
*Glidecam HD-1000 vs. HD-2000 vs. HD-4000*
If you are deciding between different kinds or stabilizers, let me first assure you that you can't go wrong with these Glidecams. There are other, cheaper brands that do similar things, and if you're just a hobbyist with no intention of going big with your hobby in your lifetime, they may be the better option. But someday I'm hoping I can make cool enough videos to get some attention, for which I really feel like the real thing is worth the extra cash for. As far as the different models of Glidecams, it's pretty simple. I initially was leaning to the 4000 thinking it must be better because it costs more. But as I researched them, I pretty much realized they are all the same thing but with different intended sizes and weights of supported cameras. You don't get any extra features or bells & whistles with a 4000 than a 2000 or 1000. And based on the weight of my DSLR cameras and lenses, the 2000 seemed like a perfect middle ground. I would say nearly any size DSLR and a variety of lenses would pair well with the HD-2000. If you have a small DSLR and kit lens, like a T5i and an 18-55mm lens, you could probably even do fine with the HD-1000, though the 2000 would give you more room to grow. Certainly anything smaller like a typical consumer camcorder or point-and-shoot camera would do just fine with the 1000. Larger or commercial/professional cameras/camcorders may require a 4000. But for my 5D and variety of lenses, the 2000 was perfect.
*Summary*
If you are going for the best, this is it. You just need to decide if the cost is worth it to you, since the cheaper brands are still decent. For me, it was absolutely worth it. This thing is amazing. The first time I tripped over something while filming, then played back the video, is where I felt most vindicated in my purchase. I tripped over an 12" concrete wall and slipped over the other side before regaining my footing. Playing back the video, it barely even registered. It looked more like a brief, slight panning acceleration than an "I wasn't paying attention" trip. I usually try to balance out my positive reviews with at least a couple cons, but I am struggling to find any for this. Really the only negative is the cost. So you can at least trust that if it's within your budget, you will not be disappointed.
Once you get used to the way it moves, it's really very useful. It really does smooth out your shots quite a lot and the name is appropriate - it glides right along. That said, though it's not exactly heavy, the weight is stressful on your wrist after long takes or long shooting days, so anyone who isn't used to it may need the arm brace attachment. I'm currently looking into a sled/vest system so I can use this with slightly heavier cameras; anything bigger than a DSLR and you're asking for trouble. To be clear, the system can handle it just fine, it's just about being able to hold it up for long periods of time.
If you're shooting exclusively on a DSLR and never a larger video camera, I would really recommend getting the HD-1000 (the smaller version of this). There's no reason to get a bigger one "just in case" and it'll save you a little wrist strain.
Awesome gimbal. I originally got the Glide Gear DNA 5050 and it would not balance, as soon as the gimbal was in motion it started slowly leaning to the side no matter how much I balanced it. So I ended up ordering the Glidecam HD-2000. I shoot real estate marketing videos, real estate virtual video tours, events, and model introduction videos. I got tired of hauling around a huge video tripod, sliders, dollies, etc. for smooth video. This one device replaced pretty much everything but my camera.
I am currently using a Canon Rebel 6ts for video and 5DM3 for photography, so I got the HD-2000 vs. the HD-4000. The only other camera I'm eyeing for video right now is the Sony A7S which is around the same weight as the Rebel so I think the HD-2000 is all I'll ever need.
Balancing
Everyone has seen the YouTube videos on how hard these are to balance, but I disagree. It took me less than 5 minutes to figure out the proper weight for a 3s drop time, then another 10 minutes to mount my adapter plate and balance my camera. Now that everything is dialed in, since I never change lenses or cameras, I can balance my camera in less than 2 minutes after arriving on site.
A timesaving feature of the adapter plates that I use is they have a level built into them. so I just use the level bubble to quickly balance the camera, and I use the electronic level in the camera to finish up the fine tuning.
Construction
This thing is very well put together, the DNA was close to the same quality, but the Glidecam just feels so much better in your hand, can't quite explain it. Overall it is very light, sturdy, and I foresee years of use out of it.
Camera Mount
I strongly recommend you get some kind of adapter plate to mount your camera. I use the excellent Andoer rapid connect plates Andoer Rapid Connect Adapter Clamp with Quick Release Plate for Manfrotto Tripod Head for all of my gear. They let me quickly go from Glidecam to slider to Tripod, to... etc. So I mounted my mount to the top plate of the Glidecam and the adapter plate is on the bottom of all of my cameras.
Useability
This is the part that turns most people off. It takes a lot of practice to become proficient with a Glidecam. But once you have mastered it, you can throw away almost every other video related stability piece of hardware you have. The biggest downside that I see is that this is very hard on your wrists and arms. When I was learning to use the Glidecam I always practiced with both hands, so I am equally proficient with either hand. To me everyone should do this so that you can evenly utilize both arms and hands; relieving the strain and letting you shoot longer.
Another thing that will really help is to simply use a lighter camera. The Rebel weighs far less than my 5DM3 with the battery grip, which is exactly why I'm using it instead. The new mirrorless cameras are even lighter, the Sony A7S is a phenomenal camera for a fraction of the weight of a typical full frame DSLR.
Glidecam HD-2000 vs DJI Ronin-MX
I also have the DJI Ronin-MX and it is literally gathering dust. I should have listened to all of the YouTube videos where they compared Glidecams to the DJI Ronin. After you master the Glidecam the DJI Ronin just can't beat it. For real estate a lot of time you are in manual focus, using a shallow DOF due to dim lighting and it's very important to refocus the camera for every clip. This is impossible with the Ronin since you have to go back to the stand sit it down, turn it off so that you can fiddle with the camera then turn it back on. With the Glidecam you just grab the center pole, switch to AF, focus, then switch back to MF. Two seconds vs 5 minutes.
Also the Ronin needs batteries which do last forever, but that's one more thing you need to charge. Last but not least, I can setup the Glidecam in under 5 minutes as long as I don't switch cameras or lenses. It takes longer than that just to assemble the DJI Ronin on site. Another downside to the Ronin is that it's bulkier. A lot of times I need to squeeze into tight places, or hold doors open with one hand while filming with the other; very difficult to do with the Ronin.
The Ronin is awesome when it comes to stability, and has a lot of potential, but for the work I do, the Glidecams beat it hands down.
Top reviews from other countries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SETpjqn_Dnc
Los mecanismos del Glidecam absorven al 100% los temblores, quedando una imagen impecable.
Construcción robusta, fácil de montar y manejar. Lo laborioso es encontrar el punto de equilibrio para la estabilización. Viendo unos cuantos tutoriales y con horas de práctica, se consiguen resultados espectaculares.
Para mi, una perfecta inversión.