GLIDECAM CENTURION MANUAL Set-up and Operations Guide Glidecam Industries, Inc. 23 Joseph Street, Kingston, MA 02364 Customer Service Line 1-781-585-7900 Manufactured in the U.S.A. COPYRIGHT 2016 GLIDECAM INDUSTRIES,Inc.
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION # PAGE # 1. Introduction 3 2. Disclaimer and Warnings 4 3. Specifications 5 4. Glidecam CENTURION Assembly 7 5. Glidecam CENTURION Batteries 9 6. Glidecam CENTURION Tilt Balance 10 7. Glidecam CENTURION Roll Balance 12 8. Glidecam CENTURION Yaw (PAN) Balance 13 9. Glidecam CENTURION Power On 14 10. Glidecam CENTURION Mode Switch and Joystick 15 11. Glidecam CENTURION Custom Grip Positions 16 12. Glidecam CENTURION Software 18 13.
#1 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase of a Glidecam CENTURION. Glidecam is the industry leader in camera stabilization. We have been in business for over 20 years and strive to innovate and bring the best camera systems to the market. The Glidecam CENTURION is a culmination of all the best technologies with additional advancement on all the camera gimbals on the market today. The technology, craftsmanship, research and development put into this gimbal make it the best gimbal on the market today.
#2 DISCLAIMERS AND WARNINGS By using this product, you hereby agree to this disclaimer and signify that you have read it in full. You agree that you are responsible for your own conduct and any content created while using this product, and for any consequence thereof. By not following the manual properly or in the correct order, you understand the warranty will be voided.
#3 SPECIFICATIONS Performance 1-5 lbs ±0.02° Pan Axis Control: 360°/s Tilt Axis Control: 360°/s Roll Axis Control: 360°/s Load Weight (Reference Value) Angular Vibration Range Rotation Range Motor Type Processing Electrical and Mechanical 3 x Brushless with AS5600 (I2C) Encoders 32-bit processor System Requirements Desktop/laptop: Windows (32- or 64-bit): 8, 7, XP SP3 Mac OS X: 10.9 or above Software Download: Obtained on Glidecam CENTURION page on Glidecam.
HANDLEBAR GRIP GRIP JOYSTICK YAW MOTOR PC USB CORD BATTERY CHARGERS CAMERA PLATE LITHIUM BATTERIES ROLL MOTOR 15MM SELF LOCKING SCREWS USB CHARGER CORDS PITCH MOTOR CAMERA MOUNTING SCREW 20MM SELF LOCKING SCREWS **NOTE**: The Glidecam CENTURION also has many accessories like the Glidecam CENTURION BALANCE STAND. Please visit Glidecam.com for Glidecam CENTURION accessories.
#4 GLIDECAM CENTURION ASSEMBLY Insert the handle posts into the handle lock. Figure 1 Insert the self locking screws (15mm) into the handle lock to secure the handle posts in place. NOTE: The Glidecam CENTURION includes two different kinds of screws. The longer screw (20mm) is for the grip and the shorter screw (15mm) is for securing the handle posts in place. Figure 2 Insert both ends of the grip bar to the central stem.
Position the grips in the most comfortable operation position. Usually perpendicular to battery grip. Position the double grips parallel to the battery grip if you are balancing your gimbal in an inverted position. Figure 4 Insert and secure the self locking screws (20mm) onto both grips. **NOTE**: The Glidecam CENTURION includes two different kinds of screws. The longer screw (20mm) is for the grip and the shorter screw (15mm) is for securing the handle posts in place.
#5 GLIDECAM CENTURION BATTERIES The batteries are 26350 3.7v. Only use the supplied charger and connect to an outlet via the USB cable. Charge all batteries fully (Charge times vary, but are around 3hrs). Battery life varies depending on how aggressively the gimbal is used ranging from 3-8hrs. The encoders increase the battery life and don’t send power to the motors unless it’s needed. Store batteries 2/3rds charged at room temperature. If batteries are not stored properly their life is greatly reduced.
#6 GLIDECAM CENTURION TILT BALANCE Your camera setup must be properly balanced for all 3 axis to achieve the best performance from the gimbal. Accurate balance is especially critical for shots where extreme angles or movements are performed, such as car shots, running, biking, aerials, etc. Without properly following the balance instructions, your gimbal may not perform at all, or with poor accuracy, and with decreased battery performance.
Place the camera on camera tray and attach with ¼’’ screw. Pick appropriate slot that will accept your cameras size and weight. If your camera doesn’t fit properly, move the camera to a different slot. Figure 14 Adjust the fore and aft camera position, so that the camera sits level with the lens pointing straight out. Figure 15 Adjust the vertical bar by pointing the camera lens either straight up or down. Loosen the knob to slide the bar up and down until the camera is no longer top or bottom heavy.
#7 GLIDECAM CENTURION ROLL BALANCE The roll balance is adjusted in two different ways. First: Roughly balance the roll axis by choosing the appropriate slot on the camera plate. Heavy cameras should be placed closer to the pitch motor, while lighter cameras should use the furthest slot from the pitch motor. Second: Fine tune the roll balance by loosening the knob under the roll motor and sliding the bar left or right. Slide the bar to a position where the roll axis Figure 17 maintains a level horizon.
#8 GLIDECAM CENTURION YAW (PAN) BALANCE Yaw balance is critical for moving the gimbal to extreme angles. Adjust by loosening the knob on the side of the Yaw motor. Figure 18 Tilt the handlebars to determine if it is front or back heavy. Figure 19 Move the yaw arm forward or backwards to find the center of gravity. The yaw is balanced when you can tilt the handlebars and the camera will not rotate.
#9 GLIDECAM CENTURION POWER ON Once all three axis have been properly balanced, double check all screws and knobs are securely tightened. Your gimbal is ready to be powered on. Locate the circular power switch located right above the yaw motor and below the single battery grip. Figure 21 Before pushing the power button in, make sure your gimbal is completely still. The IMU sensor calibrates at startup and the gimbal must be at rest for about 5 seconds after the Power Button is pushed.
#10 GLIDECAM CENTURION MODE SWITCH AND JOYSTICK The joystick on top of the handle will manually control the pitch and yaw axis by toggling forward, backwards, left and right. The joystick will move exponentially faster as you push it further from the center position. Do not rotate any axis more than 360 degrees with the joystick. Figure 23 If you want the camera to move a different direction or speed than how the joystick moves it, the function can be inverted or customized in the software.
#11 GLIDECAM CENTURION CUSTOM GRIP POSITIONS The gimbal can be operated with several grip positions. You can also invert the gimbal with the single grip or double grips. Power the gimbal off. Figure 24 Hold the pitch motor or camera in place and invert the rest of the gimbal 180 degrees around it. (Always remember to keep the pitch motor on the right hand side when looking at the camera lens.) Figure 25 Keep the gimbal stable and power back on.
Glidecam CENTURION shown in SINGLE GRIP MODE. Figure 27 Glidecam CENTURION shown mounted on a tripod. Figure 28 Glidecam CENTURION shown mounted on a tripod. Figure 29 Glidecam CENTURION shown in vertical mode.
#12 GLIDECAM CENTURION SOFTWARE SETUP The Glidecam CENTURION works right out of the box. No setup or calibration necessary. However if you want to make adjustments to the Glidecam CENTURION this has been provided to you. The Glidecam CENTURION comes shipped with a USB drive with the appropriate software and drivers required to make adjustments. Copy the contents and install the drivers if necessary.
#13 GLIDECAM CENTURION SOFTWARE DEFAULT SETTINGS It is important to always save your profile so you can restore to your original settings. However if you have lost your settings we have provided a default set of settings below. Certain options are unique to your Glidecam CENTURION and are marked “CUSTOM” below. These can be configured by choosing “AUTO” to automatically configure them to your values (Figure 33). In Figure 39 the custom values are configured by choosing “CALIB. EL. FIELD”.
Figure 35 Figure 36 Glidecam CENTURION software RC settings. Glidecam CENTURION software RC settings continued. Figure 37 Figure 38 Glidecam CENTURION software filter settings. Glidecam CENTURION software follow settings.
Figure 39 Figure 40 Glidecam CENTURION software encoders settings. Glidecam settings. **NOTE** Choose “CALIB. EL. FIELD” to get the custom calibration values for your Glidecam CENTURION. **NOTE** Software version 2.56 and earlier require the user to manually move each axis during calibration. On newer versions, the gimbal automatically moves each axis and calibrates on it’s own.
#14 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM SOLUTION Adjusting the balance is hard to move. Try loosening the 4 screws around the knob for easier movement. Make sure to tighten all loose screws to increase strength and minimize vibration. Joystick direction is not going the direction I want. You can invert the joystick movement in the RC tab of the software. You can also customize the speed. Weak motors or no power to motors. Check your batteries and make sure they are fully charged.
#15 OTHER CAMERA ATTACHMENT METHODS Creating a gasket: If when attaching your camera to the CAMERA PLATE you find that the bottom of your camera isn’t flat enough to allow for a good solid attachment, try making and adding a paper/cloth or rubber gasket to the CAMERA PLATE. (Try using a piece of a rubber dish washing glove.) Simply cut the material to the size of the top of the CAMERA PLATE and then create a hole in it to allow the CAMERA MOUNTING BOLT to fit through it, and into the base of your Camcorder.
#18 WARRANTY For 1 year (90 days for batteries) from the date of shipment, we will repair or replace your Glidecam CENTURION, free of charge, in the event of a defect in materials or workmanship (the shipment date appears on your purchase receipt) which occurs during normal use in accordance with the Glidecam CENTURION’s instruction manual. Shipping, packing, and insurance costs to and from the factory are your responsibility.
GLIDECAM INDUSTRIES, INC. For more information about GLIDECAM products and training please visit GLIDECAM on the web. www.Glidecam.com or Follow us on Facebook.com/Glidecam Twitter.com/Glidecam Instagram.com/Glidecam GLIDECAM INDUSTRIES, INC. 23 Joseph Street Kingston, MA 02364 Phone: 1-781-585-7900 Phone: 1-800-600-2011 Fax: 1-781-585-7903 Website: www.Glidecam.
