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I found that particular model (SK2) that was in your BH link, and it is a bit more intriguing than I first thought. It's got a three axis gimbal, so I'll have to change my tune and call this "low end industrial" instead of high end prosumer. Maybe that's just semantics, anyway.

Uh, try $50,000* for the real pro stuff.

What you linked is "prosumer". Extremely pricey prosumer, with many advantages over cheaper solutions and home made kit, but not what I'd call fully professional. (Yes, you can probably do professional work with it, if you know how to use it.)

* They don't even quote prices on the Steadicam site, but if you dig a little, you'll see that it costs $2900 to attend a training workshop for their pro rigs. I remember Steadicam rigs costing $70,000 fifteen years ago, so my $50,000 estimate might be off $20,000 in either direction.

...but this http://steadicam.com/ is a real steadicam (please to note the 'i')...Invented by Garrett Brown and first used on "Bound for Glory" in 1975, but made famous chasing a little-known boxer up the steps of teh Philadelphia Museum of Art 2 years later. And it don't cost $10K...more like $60k (before the extry $40k you can spend on silly accessories...like remote focus control & motors & extra brackets & wireless video & cases for alla yer stuff & other impliments of destruction). What was made here is a crude version of the former SteadicamJR (jay-ar), which is actually closer to some of the other knock-offs that are out there. It isn't a 'true' steadicam since there is no isolation from your body, which is the whole point of the steadicam! Now, if they were able to build one with a 3-axis gimbal and an articulating, springed arm, THEN I'd be impressed

I saw a documentary about Garrett Brown, and it showed his various prototype stages. The original one looked exactly like this - a length of pipe. The second one was more like a pantograph to try to keep the camera level. Then he added the seperate handle connected to the upright portion wih a gimbal. The rest of the development was on the counter-balance arm and the vest. All of this was necessary because Brown was building these for 35mm film cameras.

If you're looking to improve this design, the things I'd look at are: a gimbal, so allow the operator to hold the unit more comfortably and lightly, and avoid transferring hand motion to the camera; a sliding mount at the top, to allow the camera's balance to be shifted forward and back to tilt up or down.

The Steadycam JR Lite is a great one to look at. It was designed by the great Frogdesign studio (the NeXT cube). The camera sits on top of a slide, and right on top of the gimbal and handle. The arm is divided into two parts at a 90 degree angle, connected to the slide at 45 degrees. And the whole thing folds up. It's a wonderfully slick design - and obscenely overpriced.

With the exception of the Steadicam JR, most Steadicams have a body harness. That makes them much more stable than using you hand.

This is really more similiar to a lower end Glidecam stabilizer (even this is floating).

There are also some rather cheap alternatives out there to make a camcorder smoother.

Granted this is significantly cheaper to make than these products, but from my experience anything that is handheld doesn't work as well as the bodyrigs. Personally, I'd rather just do it by hand alone.

You also might want to check out a relatively cheap jib too.

With the exception of the Steadicam JR, most Steadicams have a body harness. That makes them much more stable than using you hand.

This is really more similiar to a lower end Glidecam stabilizer (even this is floating).

There are also some rather cheap alternatives out there to make a camcorder smoother.

Granted this is significantly cheaper to make than these products, but from my experience anything that is handheld doesn't work as well as the bodyrigs. Personally, I'd rather just do it by hand alone.

You also might want to check out a relatively cheap jib too.

Cripes, it's a T-shaped pipe arrangement with a weight. Steadicam it ain't.

The only problem I have now is that the client whose site I just passed a transaction through isn't in the office to take that $60,000 charge off of my credit card... and I don't really have need of a Steadicam Ultra Cine rig. Anyone shooting a movie and need a new one? ;-)

Happy New Year, All!