This revolutionary concept essentially allows you to adjust the force needed to tilt your PRO-Ring/Gimbal or handheld camera mount when used with a ReadyRig GS.
We use high quality bearings to allow the spindle to rotate freely as you tilt.
So as a Steadicam operator the last thing I want to do is actually hold any gimbal for any period of time. Unless there is a transfer happening I am always using some kind of support system…..a Steadicam arm….or these days my favorite of everything I have tried…..the ReadyRig.
I have been using the ready rig for awhile now and was struggling to overcome the fact the any gimbal is extremely bottom heavy when operated from traditional handlebars with short grips. Places a big strain on your wrists.
Thats when I told myself it was time to come up with a better way of operating because the ReadyRig deserved it and it was the one aspect that was lacking. So as a Steadicam operator I came up with the same system we use on our Steadicam gimbals.
If you slide the gimbal up the rig becomes more bottom heavy….slide it down the post and you get closer to CG and it becomes more neutral. So i created a sliding “spindle” mount for the ready rig. Using high quality bearings….we made these adjustable spools that slide on the side bars.
Just like a Steadicam post….slide the spindle mounts up! and you get more bottom heavy and the ring requires more effort to tilt…..slide them down closer to CG and the ring becomes more neutral and less and less effort to tilt…..
The end result is that I feel now it changes the way you will operate a gimbal, it feels a lot more….closer to what a Steadicam feels like to operate. Finger tip control is now possible. You can finesse your frame even with long lenses….you really have to try it to believe it.
Along with the similar boom and range you have with the ReadyRig this feels very familiar….very Steadicam like.
JIB MODE
Easily go from low to high
With the addition of longer tubes on your ring and loosening of the clamps, you can transform it and create low to high moves much like a “jib” !! This really expands what you can do with your Ronin.
Basically like I point out in the video the secret is that when you loosen the gimbal mount clamps, the delrin bushings act like a bearing and allow the gimbal mount to rotate and stay level as you change the angle of the side tubes….this allows you to use the pivot point of our “spindle” mounts to pivot on the bearings and turn your ring into a mini-jib.
If you use longer tubes 16″ (in the first part of the video or the 30″ you can achieve a impressive boom range…ground level to 12′ high! In one smooth move. naturally since you no longer have control of the tilt you can use the thumb controller to control your tilt or let a remote operator frame while you move.
This opens up a whole new range of possibilities!
The ReadyRig breaks down into a backpack, the ring also breaks down into the same backpack. So now I can travel with this system and allow me to get these amazing moves and capabilities in a very small travel friendly footprint.
Hand-Held Mode
There was one last mode that I needed to address. I needed to be able to do handheld with the Ready Rig.
I quickly came up with a handheld mount, that is adjustable and goes in between the 2 tubes of the ring….you can mount you camera directly to it, you can mount a Ronford baker touch and go mount, and arri dovetail….many options…..I like the touch n go mount.
The same basic idea works here with the spindle mounts and the ready rig. Since you can adjust the position of the spindle…..you can tilt even a 30lbs Sony F65 with one finger. If you dont want it that sensitive you can always just slide the spindles up and make the payload more bottom heavy.
So you can do gimbal shots….and if you need handheld “kinetic” “shaky cam” you can still do it without breaking your back. Personally I will never do another handheld shot without my ReadyRig/ PRO-Ring combo.
The system allows you to use the PRO Ring do do handheld with your almost any studio setup. To enable fast whip pans and dynamic operating. When used in conjunction with the ReadyRig GS in this mode it takes all the effort off your arms and also give you full finesse and fingertip control of your camera to either make it shakey, dynamic or smooth it out.
