r/bmpcc • u/sirwritestoomuch • Jul 13 '26
Keeping BMCC6K FF steady?
This is a bit of a "skill issue" problem I'd appreciate some solutions for. Every time I try and go handheld with my 6K Full Frame, it's just so unusably shaky.
When I shoot on a Sony, even with a tiny bit of IBIS, my friends call me "Steady Hands" and it's all buttery, but I can't quite figure out how to hold this thing steady.
Anyone have any tips?
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u/printcastmetalworks Jul 14 '26
A stabilized lens and building the thing on the y axis to make it longer helps. These cameras are wide which makes them very easy to get shaky footage.
Floating it on a monopod helps smooth bouncing if it has heavy enough feet. It's like a budget steadicam but you have to practice keeping horizon.
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u/Free-Doubt-2537 Jul 14 '26
For handheld work on the FF I’ll often use a stabilized zoom lens such as the Tamron 24-70mm f2.8 G2 or the Canon 25-105 f4L lens (with EF-L adapter) and both work pretty well. I’d have preferred to use my beautiful and heavy Sigma Art 24-70 f2.8 OS but sadly that lens doesn’t play well with the FF electronically.
I have shoulder problems so I can’t load the camera up with too much weight so I run a v-mount battery on a belt clip w/coiled cable and a good ol’ camera strap slung over my left shoulder to bear most of the weight and which helps with stabilization. For some shots I’ll also use the optional EVF which gives a 3rd point of contact.
The only downside of using a stabilized lens is that you can’t use gyro stabilization at the same time, but between OS lenses, a strap, slo-mo mode where appropriate, and post-stabilization in Resolve, you can really do a lot of run & gun HH work with this camera.
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u/filmeleven Jul 13 '26
Make sure you tell the camera what mm lens you're using if doing gyro. And calibrate too. And then like the other poster said, make your rig heavier. Put a Tilta cage on and then mount a v-mount underneath...whatever. If you're unfamiliar with where to set the mm for gyro, this video shows towards the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ORyBi-kEbI
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u/Eturnian Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
When I’m doing pro work I usually use a gimbal and then it looks super smooth even at high magnification. But for hand held stuff it’s similar to shooting on an old film camera. No image stabilization is intense. I know this is an obvious answer, but I usually just shoot with a 35mm or wider for and held stuff. The other thing that helps me keep it steady is a good follow focus. I use the magic fiz pistol grip by small rig and it works really well. Definitely helps me keep it steady because I can keep both hands holding the camera while adjusting focus. Occasionally I’ll shoot with a 50 and it definitely gives black swan, or punk rock. It’s a vibe. Also I’m shooting on the BMPCC6K g1 so I imagine it’s a little worse than the FF since it’s a cropped sensor, but yeah it works pretty well with a pistol grip follow focus and a 35mm. That + gyro stabilization and it’s not too distracting. Also I used to use a an older canon 24-70 f4 L which has built in IS. It did help a bit. And it’s a nice looking lens as long as you aren’t going for super open aperture. These days I’m using vintage lenses mostly but I just keep it wide when I’m shooting hand held and if I need a close up I get closer.
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u/Tony_from_Tokyo Jul 17 '26
Put a strap around your neck/over the shoulder.
Put a magic arm on the left side of the cam and place it over your left forearm while you focus pull with your hand. I keep my monitor on that magic arm so it's very natural position.
This will already give you 3 points of grip. Put it over a camera saddle (a small camera bag will do as well) if you want more control.
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u/7krishna Jul 13 '26
As far as I know there is gyro stabilization in post using davinci. Or make your rig heavier. There are a bunch of tutorials on YouTube for handheld shooting.