12
Balancing Review
Proper system balance can only be achieved once your camera is set up with appropriate
accessories ready for shooting. This means batteries, lenses, media cards, LCD viewfinder/
monitor, quick release plate, on-cam lights, and all the gear you will use for your recording
session.
Remove top plate of FLYCAM and line up your camera so that its center of gravity is as close
to the center of the plate as possible (basically hold the camera in your hand until it feels
balanced both left and right as well as forward and back).
Find hole in the plate that is as close to threaded tripod mount on your camera as possible
(while you are still holding your camera's center of gravity to the center of the plate).
Attach your camera (or quick release mount if you have one). Tighten it down so it won't
accidentally rotate.
Re-attach top plate to the FLYCAM . Center it, but don't worry about getting it absolutely
perfect yet.
Remove most of the weights from Base Platform, but leave one on each side.
Insert the center post as far as it will go and tighten so it won't slide out.
Hold the handle normally and turn the FLYCAM so that it is horizontal to the ground. Let go
of the stalk while keeping a firm grip on the handle and count how long it takes to return to
vertical again. You should be able to count a good, "One-one thousand, two-one thousand",
before it rights itself. With only two little weights it might take considerably longer.
Add one pair of weights at a time and repeat the "horizontal to vertical" test until it falls at
the correct rate. It will probably not be perfect.
You'll get one that's too slow and then you'll add a pair and it will fall too fast. When that
happens, take off the last pair of weights that you added.
Tighten down the weights so they don't slide around.
