Flycam FLCM-5000-Q User manual

Instruction Manual
5000 Handheld Video
Stabilizer (FLCM-5000-Q)

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At Flycam, our goal is to ensure 100% Customer Sasfacon in all that we do.
We back our sales with a 1 year warranty from the date of purchase and work hard
to resolve any problems in the unlikely event one should arise.
With our commitment to connuous improvement and your Feedback, building on
our reputaon of providing aordable, quality products is
PRIORITY #1.
Subject Page
Foreword 3
Introducon 4
Safety Hints 5-6
Assembling 6-11
Balancing 11-15
Warranty 16
Table of Contents

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Dear Client,
On behalf of all the people that work so hard to provide you with the most
up-to-date, exible and cost-ecient producon gear, we would like to welcome
you into the Flycam family.
By purchasing your 5000 Handheld Video Stabilizer , you have just joined a host of
designers, engineers, machinists, assembly, customer service and oce sta that
take great pride in all that they do. Our mantra of connuous improvement has
been the guiding principle of how we conduct our business since day one.
Once you have the opportunity to experience your new 5000 Handheld Video
Stabilizer , we hope you will agree that we cra quality products at a compeve
price. Products designed to meet and exceed the standards of today’s real
producon world.
Standards set by our valued clients and standards we strive to maintain.
With Best Wishes,
Flycam Team
Welcome To Flycam!

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Central Post
Base Plaorm with 16
weight discs
Handle
Introducon
Flycam 5000 is a precise camera stabilizer which helps you in geng the stable and
smooth gliding movements with absolutely zero shakes. It allows you to make fast
moves while following quick acons. Thus it is easy to operate and best for travel
shoong, events, and video producons.
Please inspect the contents of your shipped package to ensure you have received
everything that is listed below.
What’s In The Box
Head Plate Boom Plate
Mid Plate
Head Assembly (These three individual pieces are shipped as one assembled unit)

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Table Clamp
Quick release
Quick release
adapter Lever to remove /
aach the quick release
Unico Quick Release Adapter
V-shape Adapter (to aach
Camera to Head Plate)
Note: A locking pin located at the front prevents camera rotaon.
Storage Bag
Safety Hints
ATTENTION: PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE USING TO PREVENT SERIOUS DAMAGE TO
THE GEAR!
BE HIGHLY VIGILANT OF SURROUNDINGS
Check the area you will be shoong in, before shoong. Make sure your path is
clear. Look for obstacles and note anything you might run into or trip over. Extra
care is also necessary when tackling stairs and other kinds of uneven ground.
ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR
If you intend to shoot while moving fast or while traversing uneven terrain, do not
hesitate to wear protecve gear as knee or elbow pads, or a helmet.
DO NOT SHOOT IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS
Avoid situaons where one commonly falls like skis, skates or running in muddy
elds.

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ADULT SUPERVISION IS RECOMMENDED
Minors using this product should have adult supervision.
FOLLOWING THESE GUIDELINES WILL PROVIDE BETTER SHOTS AND TROUBLE-FREE
OPERATION.
SHOULD YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS
AVAILABLE ‘ONLINE’ BY CONTACTING YOUR SALES REPRESENTATIVE
 Loosen allen bolts at the boom of Camera Plate, align its holes with the top of Central Post &
re-ghten them securing the plate to post.
NOTE: The adjustment knob should only be
ghtened by hand. Do not over-ghten it as
it could cause thread stripping.
Assembling
 A threaded stud is located in the center of Base Plaorm for aaching Central Post. Securely
ghten the adjustment knob on telescoping clamp by rotang it clockwise.

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 Remove Head Plate by unscrewing the
four side knobs to mount Quick Release
Adapter.
 Then aach Head Plate to stabilizer with appropriate fore & a posioning and ghten all
four side knobs, as shown. Further ne tuning will probably be required.
 Loosen allen bolt at the boom of Quick Release Adapter and aach it to Head Plate.

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 Open the lever and remove Quick Release Plate from Adapter. Then aach it with your
camera with the help of screw driver.
 Insert your camera setup with Quick
Release Plate into the Adapter and
ghten the lever back.
 Remove Head plate from 3-piece Head
Assembly in order to aach it to your
camera. You will note a number of
mounng holes that can be used to
adapt various cameras.
NOTE: If you wish to bypass Quick Release Plate, the camera can be directly aached to Head
Plate by following this assembly sequence:

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 Keep the camera in center of Head Plate
and secure it properly.Do not over
ghten this adjustment as it can break
the threaded insert.
H ea d Pl a t e X a dj u st m en t
 The many slots located on Head Plate and Boom Plate allows you to easily adjust X & Y
Axis for perfect balance.Place the assembly in line with the center of stabilizer post and
ghten the side adjusters, as shown. Further ne tuning will probably be required.
H ea d Pl a t e Y a dj us t m en t

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Connuing the assembly and balance requirements to make your Flycam Handheld Video
Stabilizer fully funconal you will note that the base plaorm has a provision to mount the
balance weights in their cups via a slot found on both sides of the post.
The purpose of the counter weight system is to match the low end of the stabilizer to the weight
of the camera and accessories at the high/top end with the gimbaled handle as the pivot point in
between.
The heavier the camera and accessories, the more weights are required to achieve proper
balance. Generally as you add weight to one side of the central post, an equal amount has to be
added to the other side to maintain horizontal balance.
However if you are using an oset conguraon such as a ip out viewnder or o center
accessories, extra weights might be needed on the opposite side of the post to counter act and
maintain proper balance.
Total weight xed to the base plaorm should be equal to the weight of your camera plus the
head and any accessories.
Adding Weights & Posioning for Proper Balance
Horizontal adjustment on base plaorm is made by loosening the retaining screws and
moving counterweight plates closer to or farther away from post and then re-ghtening. You
will probably need to adjust and re-adjust the horizontal posion to achieve opmum
performance.
NOTE: When adding weight in cups, use the supplied foam spacers as silencers to prevent metal
to metal washer noise.

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Vercal Adjustment of telescopic central
post is made by loosening the control
located at the base, raising or lowering
the post to desired locaon and then
reghtening the vercal control. Do not
over-ghten this control.
Balancing your Flycam Stabilizer
Before beginning the balancing process check the following:
 Camera is securely aached to Head Plate
 Lens cap is removed and secured
 Telescoping Clamp is ghtened
 Weight discs are added successfully
 All screws are ghtened securely
 Baery, all accessories and cables are secured
Balancing the Horizontal Axis
When your Flycam Stabilizer is properly assembled, you can start the test and setup of horizontal
balance. Horizontal Balance allows the camera to remain level, during operaon, with the Central
Post in a vercal posion unless o-axis framing is desired.
When tesng for horizontal balance start from a at and level surface like table. This will allow
the stabilizer to hang freely as you hold it. If your stabilizer is correctly balanced on its horizontal
axis, then it will be both leveled & upright, with Central Post in a perfect vercal posion.
NOTE: If you do not have enough weight on Base Plaorm the enre Flycam could ip upside
down. If this movement starts to happen, be ready to catch the sled before a complete 180°
occurs. This type of unwanted movement requires more weight to be added to the base with
addional weight discs.
Another way to accomplish Horizontal Balance is to move the center of gravity of camera by
re-mounng the camera to a dierent area of the Head and Mid Plate, either front-to-back or
side-to-side.

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If the stabilizer be front heavy, loosen the screws on the sides of Head Plate and gently slide Head
Plate back unl opmum balance is achieved. Tilng to the back means the load is tail heavy
requiring the plate to be adjusted forward on the head.
If the stabilizer leans towards right, then loosen the screws on the boom of Boom Plate and
gently slide the Mid Plate towards le. If it leans to le, then adjust the Mid Plate towards right. A
bit at a me unl balance is achieved.
NOTE: Always secure the screws and all parts aer any adjustments are made.
Balancing the Vercal Axis
The sled should be ed up to the docking adapter of your stand or similar, so that you can start
the fore & a balancing adjustments by centering the camcorder over Central Post. To do this-
 Loosen the side screws of Head Plate and the boom screws of Boom Plate. Look at the
stabilizer from side. If the camcorder lens is pped up or down, move the camcorder forward
or backward unl the center of balance is situated over Central Post.
 Then, look at the stabilizer from front. If the post is not vercal, adjust the boom plate unl
Central Post is vercal.
 You can also adjust the weight cups closer to & farther away from the sled as per
requirement, ll the post is straight up and down.
NOTE: The stability of Flycam Stabilizer depends on it being slightly boom heavy. If it is top
heavy, it will lt more. If it is too boom heavy, it will be sluggish and hard to aim.
Slightly Boom Heavy, it will be both Stable and Easier to Control.
Check the Vercal Balance by using this Drop Time Test.

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 Make sure that everything is ght.
 Grasp Central Post near the base and move it from vercal to horizontal.
 Hold it there. Be sure that it will not hit the stand when you drop it. Keep your free hand to
catch the central post when it drops.
 Count how many seconds it takes to fall to vercal. Try using a stopwatch.
 If the drop me is less than 2 seconds, it is too boom heavy. You need to move the boom
mass closer to post.
 If the drop me is more than 2 seconds, it is top heavy.
A Drop Time of 2-2.5 seconds is preferred.
NOTE: Recheck the balance by looking at sled. If necessary, use side screws and boom plate
screws to make required adjustments.
Balancing Review
Proper system balance can only be achieved once your camera is set up with appropriate
accessories ready for shoong. This means baeries, lenses, media cards, LCD
viewnder/ monitor, quick release plate, on-cam lights, and all the gear you will use for your
recording session.
 Remove top plate of stabilizer and line-up your camera so that its center of gravity is as close
to the center of plate as possible (basically hold the camera in your hand unl it feels
balanced both le and right as well as forward and backward).
 Find hole in the plate that is as close to threaded tripod mount on your camera as possible
(while you are sll holding your camera's center of gravity to the center of plate). Aach your
camera (or quick release, if you have one). Tighten it down so it won't accidentally rotate.
 Re-aach top plate to the stabilizer. Center it, but don't worry about geng it absolutely
perfect.
 Remove most of the weights from Base Plaorm, but leave one on each side.
 Insert the central post as far as it can go and ghten so it won't slide out.
 Hold the handle normally and turn stabilizer so that it is horizontal to the ground. Let go of
the stalk while keeping a rm grip on handle and count how long it takes to return to vercal
again. You should be able to count a good, ‘One-one thousand, two-one thousand’, before it
rights itself. With only two lile weights it might take considerably longer.
 Add one pair of weights at a me and repeat ‘horizontal to vercal’ test, unl it falls at the
correct rate. It will probably not be perfect.

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 You'll get one movement that's too slow and then you'll add a pair and it will fall too fast.
When that happens, take o the last pair of weights that you added.
 Tighten down the weights so they don't slide around.
 To get the perfect count, slightly lower Central Post that aaches the Base Plaorm with the
weights, unl you get the ‘one-one thousand, two one thousand’ count to vercal posion.
 Fine-tune the le-right, forward-backward balance. You will have to go back and forth
between the two direcons to get the balance just right. Loosen the screw sets that allow the
sled to move le and right. Adjust the top plate so that it is centered and ghten down the
screws.
 Repeat for forward-backward balancing.
 Check to see if your camera is sing level. If not, repeat the necessary steps unl it does.
 Pracce walking movements ensuring your body moon is not transmied to your hands and
then to stabilizer and camera.
Holding your Flycam Stabilizer
When handling your Flycam 5000 Stabilizer, one hand holds onto the handle while other is used
to gently guide the camera in direcon you wish to shoot and frame shot. For normal shoong,
hold the handle in middle.
For normal shoong, hold the handle in middle.
For shots that require framing the camera up, down or sideways, hold the handle rmly at
boom.
This will allow the yoke part of gimbal to rotate without hing your hand or knuckles.
Maintenance
Bearing Maintenance: The main bearing on stabilizer is aached to Central Post about two
inches from top. It is of metal construcon and parally enclosed by bearing assembly. If aer a
period of me your bearings don’t turn smoothly, lubricate with a minimum quanty of light
lubricang oil. It can also be used on the Yoke and Handle Bearings. Be sure to keep oil away
from your camera, & clean up any over spill.
Cleaning: Do not use solvents or harsh cleaners of any kind on your stabilizer. If the unit
becomes dirty, use a damp so cloth or sponge with mild detergent to gently clean external
parts.
Storage: Should you need to store your Flycam 5000 stabilizer for a long period of me, then
place the unit upright in a dry or low-to-normal humidity area whenever possible. If you are
unable to nd this kind of environment then we suggest you store the unit in an airght plasc
bag. Standing the unit upright is preferred as it alleviates stress on the system.

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Pracce Makes You Perfect - Walking the Line
Pracce this simple exercise to master your Flycam Handheld stabilizer with professional results.
 Using masking or gaers tape, create a cross mark
on a at and even wall. The mark becomes your
framing center. On the oor leading up to the cross
mark, lay a straight tape line of about 20 feet.
Pracce walking the line, while keeping the cross
mark center framed and in-focus.With a bit of
eort, dramac uid like movements will become
your second nature and provide producon value to
all your setups.
NOTE: If you wish to use Table Clamp, then follow this:
NOTE: Flycam 5000 Stabilizer doesn’t work under water, nor is it waterproof. Avoid direct
exposure to rain, water spray or any harsh environment. The bearings are not sand proof. Avoid
geng dirt or sand in them.
 Aach Clamp onto the table, ghten provided knob to secure, then aach handle onto the
Clamp. It helps achieving balance in just seconds and saves your professional me.

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YOUR FLYCAM 5000 HANDHELD VIDEO STABILIZER
ALL DRESSED UP AND READY TO GO!
(SHOWN WITH OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES)
WARRANTY
We oer a one year warranty for our products from the date of purchase.
We will repair or replace your product, free of charge, in the event of a defect in materials or
crasmanship obtained during normal use or handling based on the user manual. Please note
that we will not cover any shipping costs for returning the product to us. If any VAT or import
dues are applied to the return, we will also charge these costs to the customer.
The warranty does not include, by the way of example, damage caused by products that we do
not supply or from mishandling in transit, accident, misuse, neglect, lack of care of the product ,
or service by anyone other than our company.
We are not liable for incidental or consequenal damages resulng from the use of the unit or
occurring due to any breach of this warranty.
Replacement parts of the product will be provided at nominal cost (covering the cost price of the
replacement parts only) to the customers aer the Warranty Period has expired. We will cover
the complete cost of sending replacement parts within the warranty period. Aer that, Nominal
cost of the product & Actual shipping cost will be charged.
Do not send the unit to us without rst geng a response and geng the approval to send back
the item.
In case of any kind of dissasfacon, we urge you to Contact us immediately and we shall do our
Best to help you out. For any other assistance you can reach us via email.
For any other assistance you can reach us via email.