Benjamin Treplin• Cinematography

Steadicam ® is a brand name of camera stabilizing mounts for motion picture cameras that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement, allowing for a smooth shot even when moving quickly over an uneven surface. Steadicam is now a registered trademark of Tiffen.
Steadicam ® - A brief history In 1973 the Steadicam was invented by Garrett Brown (www.garrettbrown.com). His invention was very quickly adopted by the film industry and pioneered in such films as "Bound Of Glory", "Rocky", "Marathon Man" and "The Shining" all operated by the inventor himself. Garrett Brown loved moving the camera. He wanted to be able to move the camera with the ease and freedom handheld operating offers, but with the precision of a dolly. Moving a camera back then required the use of heavy dollys (which had the size of a car), cranes or camera cars. He was unhappy with shaky nature of handheld camera and so he tried to isolate the camera from the cameramen and that went into the Steadicam. From that moment on, the Steadicam changed the way cameras would move and since then, the Steadicam has become standard tool used by thousands of operators worldwide.

After many years, the MK-V AR V2 has finally been upgraded to the ΩR or Omega Revolution. With new electronics/software and sensor technology, it's superior in resolution and far more reliable than the previous version. The MK-V AR Omega Revolution System is the perfect addition to a regular Steadicam. Basically it's a roll cage, the camera sits in, mounted on top of a Steadicam rig. The AR's electronic and software driven system actively stabilises the roll cage and with it the camera roll axis. The MK-V AR Omega Revolution rig can perform smooth tracking shots just like a regular Steadicam. In addition, the AR gives the operator the ability to switch from high-mode to low-mode and vis versa in less than a second, whilst maintaining a perfectly level horizon during the shot. As the Steadicam rigs center post no longer needs to be kept vertical the camera can now move in 'mid-mode' over and under objects like tables, counters or through window frames. The AR combines the flexibility of a Steadicam with the boom range of a jib arm, taking body mounted camera stabilisation to a new level. Framing a shot between ground level and 2,5 meters is a matter of seconds. The MK-V AR Omega Revolution System's patented and registered design is fully modular and lightweight. The design is made from the latest electronics, custom composites and alloys to give fast and precise response, excellent rigidity and support with very little weight. The MK-V AR Omega Revolution is an extremely solid build piece of equipment. The AR roll cage can also be utilised as a stand-alone unit in combination with regular camera support like fluid/geared heads and remote heads (stabilised 3rd axis) or even hand held. In combination with a remote control it is possible to rotate the camera to any angle without losing the benefits of the active stabilisation. The cage can spin the camera with up to 360 deg. per second. Although the MK-V AR Omega Revolution System has been designed to work with a great number of cameras - ranging from small HD to 35mm film and digital cameras - the lighter the camera setup, the greater the reach that can be achieved with the rigs center post extended.