What does isolation of the camera accomplish?
Most hand-held shots suffer from a distinct jerkiness. This is because the camera is subject to all of the movements of the operator — including the undesired shocks and bounces that accompany each footstep. In the human body, the muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments absorb a large portion of these shocks; what the body does not absorb, the muscles of the eyes and the image processing of the brain corrects for, turning a bumpy ride into a smooth flight. . These undesired shocks of walking consist of two elements: 1) quick movement of the entire camera by a small amount, and 2) rotation of the camera itself (tilt, pan, and roll). Successful isolation will significantly reduce the size of both types of movement — and the Steadicam is designed and manufactured for successful isolation.
