Glidecam HD4000 vs. 4000Pro vs. Proaim Flycam 5000 review

Here’s a little head to head to head review on Glidecam’s older 4000Pro and the newer HD4000.  For fun I’m tossing in a comparison to the Proaim’s Glidecam knockoff, the Flycam5000, which I had in my hands for a week.

First, a warning to people new to stabilizers:  Steadicams/Glidecams are HARD to use.  It’s not a magic bullet for shaky footage.  Operators spend years perfecting technique, as most of the stability comes from your ability to move the sled smoothly.  If you plan on renting one from anywhere, get it at least a few days ahead of time and be prepared for some frustration.  I’ve had people return them after 2 hours, who just gave up just trying to get it balanced.

Now, the head to head to head.  I’ve had the HD4000 in my rental house for over a year and the 4000Pro for 3.  I use them paired with SmoothShooter vest/arms which I’ll review later.

HD4000 on right.  4000Pro on the left has a boo-boo.

Glidecam 4000Pro

Why am I reviewing a stabilizer that’s no longer in production?  Because there are still a lot of them floating around.

THE GOOD

It’s cheap.  Even though it’s no longer made, you can still find new ones from sellers for $300-$400.  At least as of today, Adorama has a bunch in stock for $375.

It’s smooth.  Functionally it’s very similar to the newer HD4000.  Camera goes on top, add weight, balance, rock it.  The gimbal (the doohickey between the handle and the sled that absorbs the movement), even on my years old one, is still surprisingly smooth.  Blindfolded, I’d be hard pressed to tell the old 4000Pro from the new model.  For a budget priced (compared to Steadicam) tool, this is a good sign.

THE BAD

It’s a nightmare to balance.  First, the camera plate adjustments are sloppy.  Unscrew and slide into place by hand.  Screw back together and realize you’ve unbalanced it.  Repeat.  Repeat.  Throw at wall.  Just too much tolerance, too much slop.  It’s not a precision tool by any means.

Next, the weights at the bottom are pure home built quality, little more than fat washers that lock down with a thumbscrew.  If you aren’t careful, these can come loose and throw your balance off, creating headache after headache.

The clamp piece that connects the top tube to bottom tube is made of plastic.  Mine recently broke (or was broken by a client during a shoot, see photo above for their repair job) and I’m still waiting for a replacement.  This is obviously an issue as they upgraded it to a metal one on the HD4000. 

Much improved (but dirty) HD4000 foot at front.

Glidecam HD4000

The price tag on these is floating around $550.  Add another $80 for a quick release plate.  Now the question, is it worth $200+ more than the 4000Pro?

THE GOOD

Glidecam probably got lots of hate mail from people trying to balance the 4000Pro and did a lot to make it a little more livable.  The most noticeable physical change is the foot plate weights.  Instead of the screw down washers, they’ve got custom angled weight plates that screw and lock in multiple positions.  It’s a much, much better system.  Once it’s dialed in, it’s going nowhere.  The width of the foot plate is also adjustable.

Balancing the sled is also improved.  Now after unlocking it, you adjust it by a screw mechanism on the X and Y axis.  Still time consuming, but much less likely to go out of balance while locking it down, it is a huge improvement.

Old on left, new on right.  Quick releases not included.

And of course, the clamp between top and bottom tubes is metal.

Flycam5000

Proaim has a dozen models of Flycam, ripping off various other companies.  The one I had was the Flycam5000, an almost identical clone of the 4000Pro.  While I don’t know much about the rest of their stabilizers, knowing what I know about Proaim, my impressions of the 5000 will probably be true of all their models.

I think they even copied the font.

In a nutshell, everything that is bad about the Glidecam 4000Pro, is bad about the Flycam.  The top and bottom plates are difficult to balance and keep balanced.  Build quality is even lower than the Glidecam, with the usual Proaim thread stripping issues.

In addition, no top weight plates (important!) are included and the bottom weights are barely enough to balance a light camera.  The upside is that it included a quick release plate, so saves you $80.

Where things really get bad is the gimbal.  While Proaim captured the look, they failed completely on the function.  On any normal Glidecam, a hand movement left, right, up or down, would have no effect on the sled.  Rotate left or right and it will stay planted forward, unaffected by your movement.  The Flycam does rotate, but enough of the force is translated through the bearings that the sled will move with your movement.

This doesn’t make the Flycam useless, it just makes it bad.  In the right hands, it can still achieve some results.  Given that the 4000Pro is only $100-$200 more (many are still available new) why would you kneecap yourself in the most critical part of the stabilizer?

CONCLUSION

Simple, if you have the money, get the HD4000, it’s an extremely good value.  The money spent is frustration saved.  If you can’t swing it, get a 4000 Pro.  Skip the Proaim Flycam at anything over $50.