Gyro Stabilizing Systems Currently Available

TYPE 'A' (Fully Servoed Electronic Stabilization Heads)

• High bandwidth
• Open architecture
• Steerable roll 'Dutch'
• Fully servoed - electronic gyroscopic technology

These systems are of a high bandwidth design and rely on complex electronic sensors, actuators and motors to correct the base motion from affecting the camera. They will remove almost all of the angular disturbances from the shot. All of the (A) systems utilize electronic control servo loops, are extremely fast acting (high bandwidth) and very adaptable to various camera/lens payloads. These systems can be used extensively on camera car, crane, or suspended cable systems as well as aerial helicopter work. These systems can stabilize almost any camera and lens combination imaginable as they are open architecture i.e., the camera is not part of the system. The A systems are stabilizing platforms only. They will stabilize any film or video camera provided the center of gravity of the camera can be positioned inline with the inner gimbal axis. This is a very nice feature as any standard production camera or lens can be utilized to the delight of the DP or visual effects dept. These systems have a steerable roll feature where the roll axis can actually dutch while still stabilizing or can just keep the horizon level.

*The Gyron F.S.(Stab-C) can accept any camera with sizes up to IMAX style (M.S.M.) for ground and airborne applications. **Currently the Wescam XR and the Mini-C are used for ground based applications only.

TYPE 'A-1' (Helicopter Ball Mounts)

• High bandwidth
• Closed architecture; limited camera selection
• Horizon leveling - roll 'dutch' not steerable
• Electro-mechanical gyroscopic technology

These systems are all remote controlled gyroscopic assisted stabilizing platforms. They utilize a series of spinning fly wheels and electronics to dampen the angular disturbances. They are mostly used for helicopter work but can also be used for camera car, crane, or suspended cable systems. The A-1 systems do not have steerability of the roll (dutch) axis, only horizon leveling. These systems as well as the (A), will eliminate almost all of the angular disturbances. The drawback is that the (A-1) systems are closed architecture systems. The DP can only utilize the offered one or two cameras and lens combinations, normally a Mitchell R35 camera and a 10:1 zoom lens.

Spacecam can also fit an IMAX camera in place of the Mitchell camera wescam spacecam Wescam 35mm

TYPE 'B' (Electronically Stabilized Heads)

• Low bandwidth
• Open architecture
• Servoed electronic gyroscopic technology

These systems are of a low bandwidth design and rely on sensors, actuators and motors to correct the base motion from getting to the camera. They will remove a good percentage of the low frequency angular disturbances from the shot, but the high frequency jitter and shake will still get through to the lens. All of these systems are currently used for ground based applications. All of the (B) systems utilize electronic control servo loops, and are adaptable to various camera/lens payloads as most are based on the typical remote head design. The camera is not integrated into the stabilization system, as in the (A-1) category. (

(*) Roll/tilt compensated: When these heads perform a dutch or roll movement and the operator decides to do a tilt move, the tilt movement of the picture in the operator's monitor will NOT be a diagonal move, i.e. a 45 dutch setting will NOT give a listing of 45 for the" horizontals" as the head performs a tilting action. The Nettmann line of systems automatically compensate for this phenomena by electronic methods. The result is a perfect vertical move within a" dutched" picture.

TYPE 'C' (Helicopter side door mounts)

• Passive Stabilization (High inherent inertia)
• Open architecture

Stabilization qualities enhanced by placement of Kenyon gyros onto mount Helicopter mounts are based on the principle of a balanced beam that has its gimbal point (center of gravity) behind the operator's head. The gimbal point is the exact balance point of the roll, pitch and yaw. At the front of the balanced beam is the camera and camera control. At the back of the beam are the counterweights and batteries. The camera has an additional pan and tilt axis (yaw and pitch axis). These are balanced in their own right about the sub camera tilt axis of the balanced beam. This balanced beam in itself has a certain amount of inertia and will resist minimal angular disturbances coming up the gimbal mounting frame. However, in order to achieve a further degree of stabilization, Kenyon gyro modules are added. The Kenyon gyro module is an off-the-shelf motorized flywheel in a cage with one degree of freedom. When the spinning masses (flywheels) within the Kenyon gyro housing, are activated, they add an increased inertia (synthetic) to the overall system which improves the mount's ability to absorb the base angular disturbances from reaching the camera.

These helicopter mounts with or without Kenyon gyros, can work quite well if: the weather conditions are perfect; the helicopter has the minimum of low frequency vibration (blades have been 'tracked' correctly); and you have a" qualified movie pilot" in control of the ship. An operator can achieve good stability for medium focal length lenses with short duration shots at the longer end of the lens.

The drawbacks of (C) systems are that the operator's physical strength is needed to position the camera while they are hanging out the side door of the helicopter. It is hard for the operator to maneuver the camera's line of site when they are following a subject. The Kenyon gyros will resist their camera positioning as the gyro will consider it part of the angular base motion. Because of this interaction, the helicopter pilot must undertake most of the camera positioning; the operator will just point the camera at the subject, relying on the pilot for keeping the subject in frame.

TYPE 'C-1' (Horizontally balanced gimbal rings)

• Passive Stabilization (Low inherent inertia)
• Open architecture

Stabilization qualities enhanced by additional gravity seeking pendulous mass These types of systems use a pendulous swinging mass assisted by motors to reduce angular disturbances. Originally designed to remove the extremely low frequency angular disturbances of the ocean's rolling motion, they are now being used to stabilize cameras and remote heads in certain applications.

TYPE 'D' (Horizon Lock Only systems)

• Single axis stabilization
• Closed architecture; limited camera selection.

These systems are simple three axis camera positioners with only the roll axis horizon stabilized. When the horizon compensation is turned on, the system will only hold the horizon in frame. This helps maintain the horizon when the head is mounted on a crane or vehicle. No other axis is gyro stabilized thereby allowing the full range of base motions to get to the camera and lens.