Glide Gear AXJ-100 Action Jib
Stabilization System
Handheld Jib for Small Cameras with Camera Stabilizer
Manual and Instructional Booklet
Glide Gear AXJ-100
Table of Contents
Overview .......................................................................................................................
Expanded View of Parts ............................................................................................
Assembly ......................................................................................................................
Tips, Tricks and Techniques ....................................................................................
Tips ...........................................................................................................................
Tricks ........................................................................................................................
Techniques ..............................................................................................................
And then there was a jib ...........................................................................................
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Overview
Congratulations on your purchase of the Glide Gear AXJ-100 Action Jib
Stabilization System. With this system you will be able to do smooth
and action-lled shots that won’t have you reaching for your headache
pills. The system is designed for cameras weighting up to 2 lb and includes a small camera adapter for most compact cameras, GoPro, and
most smart phones.
The engineers at Glide Gear designed the system so that you get unparalleled dynamic stabilizer and jib shots. It combines the Glide Gear Action Jib with the SYL-1000 camera stabilizer that works great for cameras up to 2 lb in weight. You will be able to take silky smooth video while
walking, running, climbing stairs, roller skating, biking, even dancing!
The Action Jib is made of lightweight, precision CNC-machined 6061
anodized aluminum (aircraft grade) with light tolerances. It is coated
with a sleek black powder coating to resist scratching and tted with
stainless hardware so it is designed to last for a lifetime without cor-
rosion or damage. The Action Jib is a one-size-ts-all unit with a fully
adjustable strap, forearm support for better control, and a handle with
adjustable length of a range of 3 to 5 feet so you can do seles as well
as take a video of others taking a daring leap into the unknown. All you
have to do is slide on the handle of your Action Jib on to your arm and
you are ready to start shooting and ying.
The Action Jib is also ambidextrous allowing you to mount it to either
arm for stabilized guidance. The system is easy to set up quickly with
just a little practice (mostly for the camera stabilizing unit) and it packs
back up into a compact bag for easy portability ready for any shoot
destination.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Jib length from 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters)
Camera support up to 2 lb or 0.91 kg
Adapters for GoPro and Smartphones
Ambidextrous design
Portable and handheld
Adjustable support strap and handle
Include SYL-1000 camera stabilizer
Carry case
Jib weight: 1.9 lb (0.86 kg)
System Weight: 6 lbs (2.7 kg)
Limited Lifetime Warranty
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Expanded View of Parts
The Glide Gear Action Jib System includes the following out of the box:
1. SYL-1000 Camera Stabilizer
2. Weight platform for the SYL-1000
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3. Forearm support
4. Rubber sleeve for SYL-1000
5. Large screw
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6. Jib arm (in two parts)
Part 1
Part 2
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7. Small camera adapter
8. GoPro adapter
9. Smartphone adapter
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10. Screws and bolts
11. Shoulder harness (connects to the forearm support, optional)
12. Foam-supported carrying case
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Assembly
The Glide Gear AXJ-100 Action Jib Stabilization System comes in two major
parts: the SYL-1000 camera stabilizer to keep your motion shots silky smooth
and the Action Jib itself to increase your reach and exibility. Using the SYL-
1000 will take some time to master, mostly because you will have to make sure
that it is perfectly balanced. Once you have gotten the hang of how to balance
your cameras, you’ll be able to do it without even thinking about it.
Below are the step-by-step instructions for assembling your Action Jib System
right out of the box.
1. Take the SYL-1000 and unfasten
the yellow screw from the end of the
curve.
2. Attach the weight platform.
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3. Attach compact camera/smartphone/GoPro to the correct adapter,
unless you are using a DSLR cam-
era, in which case you won’t need to
use any adapter.
4. Attach the small camera adapter
to the stabilizer platform before attaching the smartphone/GoPro
secure both
adaptors rmly
adapter, but not if you are using a
DSLR camera, in which case attach
it directly to the camera platform.
You can slide the camera up to 2
inches from the middle. Screw eve-
rything on rmly.
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5. Balance the stabilizer. For more
detailed information on how this
can be done (and some great tips
on how to make the most of your
stabilizer!), download the SYL-1000
Camera Stabilizer manual.
6. Attach forearm support to jib arm part with the handle (Part 1) by threading
two screws (included) through the holes in both the support and the jib arm.
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7. Fix forearm support with the provided holes on the jib arm part (Part 1) and
attaching it rmly with the provided bolts.
8. Attach the two parts of the jib together. Fix the jib length to the desired
length (3 to 5 feet range) by tightening the attached clamp.
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9. Attach stabilizer to
jib arm using the large
screw.
10. Attach rubber
sleeve to stabilizer
joint which will limit
the panning of the
camera allowing you
to stay in frame more
easily when you’re on
the move.
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11. Go do some practice shots!
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Tips, Tricks and Techniques
The main purpose of a jib crane for
video cameras is to extend the reach
of the videographer for a wider range
of shots and to reduce the jiggle and
jangle that characterizes a handheld
camera when the shot is not stationary. It makes for a more dynamic and
interesting shot if you use the right
techniques.
Using a tripod does almost the same
thing for panning and tilting shots,
but again the range is limited to the
angle capacity of the tripod, even with
a uid head.
The standard full-sized jib crane is rather bulky and not designed to be mo-
bile. It does have a long reach (up to 28 feet) but in many cases you won’t
need that kind of extension, such as for weddings and similar events. This
is where the portable jibs come in. They have a shorter reach but are easy to
carry around and assemble. They are generally adequate for many situations
short of a full feature lm, especially when supplemented by dollies, tracks
and other video camera accessories. They are also a cost-eective alternative
to the standard professional jib crane.
A portable jib can either be handheld or xed to a tripod. In either case the
shots are a lot more uid and smooth. However, the jib is a tool. In the hands
of a practiced videographer, it can help produce professional-grade shots. In
the hands of an eager beaver amateur, however, you can still induce a migraine in your viewers.
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A tripod-supported jib can be controlled from the rear (where the counterweights
are), the middle (where the jib is attached to the tripod), and the front (where the
camera is). If the jib is properly assembled, all it takes is a light hand on any part
of the jib to move the arm as you want. A handheld crane is supported with a
vest and harness or by a forearm support and always from the rear, and takes
a little more control which can be minimized by using a camera stabilizer such
as the SYL-1000.
The thing to remember when operating a jib crane of any type is to make calculated movements. The jib minimizes the jiggle but not when you move carelessly.
TIPS
1. Get to know your equipment thoroughly. If you are serious about improving
your videography skills, you need to become technically procient in the uses
and capabilities of your tools. The video camera, no matter how advanced, is
only as good as its support system, so take the time to practice using it with the
jib on and o a tripod, with and without a dolly and track, steady and in motion.
2. Start with simple moves. It can be tempting to get ambitious when you have
a new toy, and there’s no harm in going crazy with it. But if you want to seriously
understand what you can do, you have to start with the basics such as tilt and
pan shots. This will give you a chance to develop muscle memory you will be
able to use when you try more complex moves.
3. Avoid jerking the jib in any direction. This may be next to impossible when
moving while shooting such as with a handheld jib, but it pays to make the ef-
fort. The nal product will benet by keeping jerky movements to a minimum.
4. Avoid moving the camera too fast. Even if the movement is smooth and uid,
zipping from one scene to another can still make you dizzy. In some instances
this can work but not when it happens in succession and inappropriately. For example, if you want to create the impression of speed, you can use this technique
but not all the time. Use it sparingly.
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5. Check your footage constantly. When you are rst starting out with a jib,
you are pretty much guessing about the eect you are creating. You don’t really
know what the footage looks like until you sit down and watch it. Practice with
dierent techniques and check it constantly. Eventually, you will be able to intuit
what technique will produce the results you want.
If you have a segment planned, it would be best to do a run-through before you
do the actual footage if it is possible. You will be able to gure out where you will
problems and what angles or techniques would work very well with what you are
trying to do with the video segment.
TRICKS
Sometimes a little sleight of hand makes it seem like magic…
1. Keep your shot wide. A too tight shot will wobble a little no matter how good
your equipment is or how well you are as an operator. Shoot wide and increase
the drama.
2. Use foreground. To make a high shoot look impressive, you need a reference
point. Find foreground for your shot so that your shot from height will seem
huge.
3. Emphasize mystery. You can heighten anticipation by starting a shot with
something close that appears to be hiding something interesting i.e. wall and
then slowly revealing what is just beyond it by moving the jib up. Rather like a
game of peek-a-boo, and with the audience as your baby.
4. Sun ares. You can get a really dramatic shot by using the sun to signify
movement and dazzle the eye. Sunspots or a solar are will change as you shift
angles, or as you move forward or back. The best time of day to do this is at sunrise and sunset, but even full daylight will work if you get the angles just right.
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5. Maximize your height. Sometimes all you have to do is to fully extend both
your tripod and jib as high as it will go and x your camera. This will work well if
you’re shooting over a crowd which has a lot of movement into an area where
the real action is taking place, such as a football game. You can use a wireless
monitor and remote control to zoom in and out to pick out interesting moments.
6. Use trajectory for more interesting shots. How you place your tripod relative to where the camera is pointing will result in completely dierent eects
with the same jib movement. For example, when the tripod is at a perpendicular
angle to the camera, moving the jib up will make your camera go into a half-arc
whilst if the tripod is parallel to where the camera is facing, the motion is straight
up. Use this trick in various scenarios and see what you get.
7. Hedge your shots. Unless you are in a controlled environment such as a stu-
dio, you will rarely be able to duplicate a scene exactly in case you have to go
back for a re-take. Just to make sure you got the best possible shot, do several
takes using dierent techniques and angles. Do this for every shot that you
think is complicated. There will come a time that you won’t need more than two
or three to get the perfect shot, but until then maximize your storage capability
and the patience of your subjects and crew.
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TECHNIQUES
1. Tilt shots
Anyone with a video camera can make tilt shots; it only takes a basic up and
down movement. Because it is such a simple technique, it is often overused and
badly done. A well-executed tilt shot will pay back in spades in action and interest if the shot is appropriately coordinated with the action, expression, whatever.
Try practicing with tilt shots using a jib on a tripod with the panning axis of the
uid head locked so that you can only tilt up and down. Do it at varying speeds
until you develop a feel for the shot. You will want to determine the speed of your
tilt up and down so that it feels natural and to develop an instinct for when to
stop so that your shot is perfectly framed without making an amateurish back
track.
When the jib is handheld, you will nd that the eectiveness of your support
system (forearm support or vest and arm) will depend on your posture and balance. You are essentially taking the place of the tripod, which makes it even
more important for you to practice your shots. The same goes for panning shots.
2. Pan shots
The pan shot is like the tilt shot, except that it goes side to side instead of up and
down. Practicing this shot requires you to lock the tilt axis instead so that you
get a pure pan without any tilting. Panning shots are used to give a panoramic
view, so it should look smooth and feel condent. In fact, both tilt and pan shots
should not distract the viewer from the scene and be practically unnoticeable.
3. Zoom shots
Despite its popular connotation, zoom does not mean actually mean “to move
fast”; it means “to move in close.” Etymologically, zoom refers to a sound associated with moving fast, and became a popular term with aviators. In photography,
zoom shots are made to simulate movement towards or away from an object.
It is essentially a dramatic shot capable of conveying a wide range of emotions
from nostalgia to fear. It can also engender shock value for climactic shots.
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Zoom shots require a camera that can execute it smoothly, a feature that isn’t
always available in small video cameras. Before planning a zoom shot, experiment with your intended camera to see how well it executes the move. Once
you’ve done that, take practice shots until you achieve smooth footage.
Don’t be discouraged if your shots looks corny; it is experience that will let you
ne tune your technique so keep at it until you see a result you can live with.
4. Combination shots
All that practice will pay o when you start trying combination shots. This
means the ability to pan, tilt and zoom in one uid motion on or o the tripod.
With a jib connected to a camera stabilizer, you can even take execute these
techniques while on the move such as walking, running, biking, skateboarding,
or riding in a car.
With a tripod with a uid head, you can use the jib to tilt the camera without
tilting the jib by controlling it from the rear by releasing the pan and tilt axes. It
can be a bit tricky but with practice you can do it and get fantastic movement.
To do this most eectively, you should release the tension completely on the
tripod head but make sure that you have complete control over the jib arm or
your camera will eat concrete, grass, or oor!
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And then there was a jib…
So there you have it, the Glide Gear AXJ-100 Action Jib System with Camera Stabilizer for Small Cameras fully assembled and ready for use! You will
need to take time to get familiar with the equipment so that assembly, disassembly, and use become as natural as walking (or running, skateboarding, riding, skiing, dancing…whatever!). Once you do get the hang of it, you
and your small camera (or smartphone) can do everything the professionals can! Good luck and enjoy your Glide Gear Action Jib System!
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Manufactured by Koncept Innovators Inc.
Glidegear Products
10838 Kings Road
Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
PH: 843.945.4031
FAX: 843.390.5334
www.glidegear.net
U.S. and Foreign patents applied for and pending.
Glidegear Products • 10838 Kings Road • Myrtle Beach, SC 29572
Manufactured by Koncept Innovators Inc.
Telephone: 843.945.4031 • Fax: 843.390.5334
www.glidegear.net
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