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Chapman Vibration Isolator
Published : 2nd September 2004
Does anyone have any hands on experience with the Chapman "Vibration
Isolator"? Some folks want to use it with a camera car as well
as with a hood mount. It doesn't look like it was designed for that
purpose.
Real experience preferred.
Brian Heller
IA 600 DP
>Does anyone have any hands
on experience with the Chapman >"Vibration Isolator"?
Brian,
I have extensive experience using the Chapman "Vibration Isolator"
You are correct, using it on a camera car or as a hood mount is
not what is designed for. It is best served on a dolly with a Gear
Head. With a light touch to the hand wheels so that you do not transfer
your bodies vibration (use of a fluid head tends to transmit the
unwanted vibration), and the use of a western dolly with the tires
deflated, one can obtain remarkably smooth shots. You can also use
it on a fisher or Chapman dolly without track provided that the
floor is relatively smooth. We have also used it with remote heads
on crane arms to help smooth out aggressive crane shots.
Hood mounts should be rigged steadfast by the grips so as to move
as little as possible (read not at all), so use of a vibration isolator
is exactly what you do not want to do. For shots employing a camera
car (car to car), I like to use Gyros mounted on the Matte Box rods,
set up on the vertical and horizontal axis'. This helps prevent
any sudden jarring movement that will be apparent when you have
two elements moving in different directions at the same time. The
gyros are available from Clairmont.
Paul Varrieur
Another trick with the vibration isolator on rough terrain is not
to use the eyepiece but to operate from a monitor. It makes it easier
to "float" the head and is alot easier on the eye socket.
Mike Southon BSC
I remember filming with a similar problem long before video assists
were invented. I had to film a Formula 1 racing car driven by Sterling
Moss from the back of an equally fast sports car.
I used an Arri II on a 10 inch Moy geared head and fitted a Mitchell
finder on either side of the camera. I looked through which ever
finder I was going past at the time!
Sincerely
David Samuelson
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