Flycam FLCM-RK User manual

Instruction Manual
Redking Video Camera
Stabilizer (FLCM-RK)

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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.
Table of Contents
Subject Page
Foreword 3
Introducon 4
Safety Hints 5
Assembling 6-7
Warranty 15

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Welcome To Flycam!
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 Redking Video Camera 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 Redking Video Camera
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

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Flycam introduces its professional and rugged Redking handheld video stabilizer;
designed for lm and video cameras. Redking works so well that it allows you to
shoot incredibly smooth and graceful shots even while going to extremes like
running up and down stairs or traveling over rugged terrain. And when it comes to
normal shoong, like walking or moving the camera slowly around someone, the
results are equally magical. All you need is your imaginaon, and you are ready to
portray it with our state-of-art handheld camera stabilizer.
Camera Balance Plaorm
Foam Handle Grip
Dynamic Base Plaorm
Dovetail Quick Release Plate
Counter Weight
No-Tools Telescopic
Central Post
Precision Three Axis
Gimbal
No-Tools Posional,
Knurled Gimbal Handle
Horizontal Axis Adjustment
Knob
Please inspect the contents of your shipped package to ensure you have received all
that is pictured and listed below.
Introducon
What’s In The Box
Storage Bag

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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.
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.

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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.
NOTE: The adjustment knob should only be ghtened by hand. Do not over-ghten it as it could
cause thread stripping.
 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.
 Aach the quick release plate to the camera base. Slide the release lever to insert the
camera set up into quick release adapter. Return the lever to its original locked posion.

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 Horizontal adjustment on the base plaorm is made by loosening the retaining screws and
moving the mounted cups closer to or further away from the stalk and then reghtening.
You will probably need to adjust and re adjust the horizontal posion to achieve opmum
performance.
 Secure the counter weight plate by
using the black thumb nuts to prevent
weight movement.
NOTE: Remember to leave at least 1” of the telescoping post showing below the telescoping
clamp.
 The easiest way to correctly align the
parts is loosen the screw on the top
part of telescoping clamp, using allen
wrench, unl you can rotate the parts
so they are correctly aligned. Then
simply re-ghten the screw.

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 All the parts of your Redking Stabilizer
will be correctly aligned, as shown.
Balancing the Horizontal Axis—Stac Balancing
Fine tune side-to-side or fore/a balance with the knobs on camera plaorm. Hold the sled
absolutely vercal as you adjust. Turn the adjustment knobs with your other hand (or use the
stage motor transmier) unl you feel no pressure on your operang hand and the sled will be in
stac balance.
 Now that your Flycam Redking Camera
Stabilizer is setup and assembled
properly, you can test and setup the
horizontal balance of the system. If the
Stabilizer is horizontally balanced
correctly, then camera will remain level
and central post will remain vercal
during operaon, unless you
intenonally posion stabilizer otherwise
or release any pan, lt or roll pressure on
central post.
When tesng for correct horizontal balance you need to make sure that you pick up your
Stabilizer from a at surface (for e.g. a table) and that you let the Stabilizer hang freely as you
hold it.
Note: If you do not have enough counter weight on the base plaorm at this me, the enre Sta-
bilizer will ip completely upside down. If this happens add more counter weight below unl dur-
ing this test the Stabilizer remains up.

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 If Stabilizer lts to the front, then you will
have to turn Adjustment Knob counter
clockwise. If it sll lts to front, then
move dovetail quick release plate more
towards back by turning knob. If
Stabilizer lts to the back, then move
dovetail quick release plate towards front
by turning the knob clockwise. Always
secure dovetail quick release plate lock
aer any adjustments. If you cannot get
the front to back axis balanced with this
method, then try re-mounng your
camera to a dierent posion on dovetail
quick release plate.
Balancing the Vercal Axis – Dynamic Balancing
Dynamic balance is extremely important for precise operaon. For each arrangement of camera,
monitor posion, post length, accessories, etc., there are many possibilies for stacally
balancing the Steadycam. However, for each arrangement, there is only one combinaon that
also balances the sled dynamically.
Dynamic balance can easily be achieved by trial and error method.
In all cases, when a sled is in dynamic balance, the camera’s center of gravity will be towards rear
of the center line of central post. This rule gives you some point to begin balancing the
Steadycam.
Now that your Stabilizer is horizontally balanced, its vercal axis can be tested and properly
balanced. If the Stabilizer is vercally balanced correctly, then camera will remain level and cen-
tral post will remain vercal during operaon, unless you intenonally posion stabilizer other-
wise. If it is not balanced properly, then it will swing about and pendulums when you walk, run,
or turn.

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Slightly boom heavy, it will be both stable and easier to control.
Check the vercal balance by using this drop me test.
 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.
Holding Your FLYCAM stabilizer
When handling your Redking Video Camera Stabilizer one hand holds onto the handle while the
other is used to gently guide the camera in the direcon you wish to shoot and frame the shot.
For normal shoong, hold the handle in the middle.
 For shots that require framing the camera up, down or sideways, hold the handle rmly at
the boom.

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NOTE: Make sure that your “GUIDING HAND”
and “HOLDING HAND” do not touch either
the bearing assembly or the “YOKE” during
shoong. For unconvenonal shots, like ones
that require aiming the camera either
straight up or down, or sideways, hold onto
the Stabilizer on the lower part of the
post, or down near the weight. This will
allow your “GUIDING HAND” to have a
greater degree of control over the Stabilizer
while shoong errac shots.
Low-Mode Operaon
When operang Redking Stabilizer in Low-Mode, you will not be able to put your eye right up to
the eyecup on viewnder. For doing so will cause the unit to be restricted in its ability to stabilize
and eliminate camera shake. You can either use camera’s built-in LCD Monitor or aach an exter-
nal LCD Monitor (Not Included) directly to the base plaorm of stabilizer. A 1/4”-20 monitor
mounng hole is located at both the front and back edges of Base Plaorm.
NOTE: You can also aach an external LCD Monitor (Not Included) to the accessory shoe on top
of your Camcorder. We believe that beer results are obtained when you aach monitor to
Flycam Redking Stabilizer’s base, because this way you have to look slightly down to see the
monitor and so, your feet are more visible to your peripheral vision. This makes negoang obsta-
cles with the Stabilizer safer.

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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 FLYCAM and line up your camera so that its center of gravity is as close
to the center of the plate as possible (basically hold the camera in your hand unl it feels
balanced both le and right as well as forward and back).
 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 the plate).
Aach your camera (or quick release mount if you have one). Tighten it down so it won't
accidentally rotate.
 Re-aach top plate to the FLYCAM . Center it, but don't worry about geng it absolutely
perfect yet.
 Remove most of the weights from Base Plaorm, but leave one on each side.
 Insert the center post as far as it will go and ghten so it won't slide out.
 Hold the handle normally and turn the FLYCAM so that it is horizontal to the ground. Let go
of the stalk while keeping a rm grip on the 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 the "horizontal to vercal" test unl it falls at
the correct rate. It will probably not be perfect.
 You'll get one 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.

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 To get count perfect, slightly lower the center post that aaches the Base Plaorm with
the weights unl you get the "one-one thousand, two one thousand" count to the 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 like you would a re slowly and alternang side to side.
 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 the FLYCAM and camera.
Maintenance
Bearing Maintenance
The main Bearing on your Flycam Handheld Stabilizer is aached to the Central Post about two
inches from the top. It is of metal construcon and parally enclosed by the Bearing assembly.
If aer a period of me your bearings don’t turn smoothly, lubricate with a minimum of light
machine oil. Light lubricang oil 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 Flycam Hand held stabilizer. If the unit
becomes dirty, use a damp so cloth or sponge and a mild detergent to gently clean external
parts.
Storage
Should you need to store your Flycam Hand held 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 container or
bag. Standing the unit upright is preferred as it alleviates stress on the system.
NOTE: Flycam Redking Video Camera 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.

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Pracce makes perfect - Walking the line
Pracce this simple exercise to master your Flycam Redking 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 second nature and provide producon
value to all your set ups.
YOUR FLYCAM REDKING VIDEO CAMERA STABILIZER
ALL DRESSED UP AND READY TO GO!
(SHOWN WITH OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES)

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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.