Shoulder Mount
 

Hey,

I see these pros walking around with cameras on these expensive shoulder mounts, and I look at my little GL2 and how wobbly my pictures are sometimes, and I wonder, there's gotta be some shoulder mount that works for this camera! Do you know what's the best thing to use? Or should I invest in the super-expensive Steadicam things?

What has worked for you?

Wendy,
Before you even start thinking about spending money on a shoulder-mount, you should analyze why exactly your pictures are so shakey. It's not difficult to get reasonably steady pictures from your camera. It's got a good shape for holding. Do you use the eye-piece - which is the best way to achieve steadiness - or do you tend to use the LCD screen? That's not the best way. It's fine for some awkward shots sometimes, but by using the eye-piece, you can hold the camera tight against you and achieve very good results.
Practise!

Robin

And ofcourse there are things like:

- tripod / monopod
- dolly
- steadicam
- crane

and all sort of support systems.

Keep in mind that weight also has something to do with it. But,
yeah, *when* the pro's are shooting handheld a shoulder rest
will definitely help, as will the extra weight of those camera's.

For what it's worth, the steadicams are cool for neat and cool shots however I've gotten the exact same results by using a monopod fully collapsed and just paying attention to my movements. Not to mention that you don't have to waste tons of time balancing the steadicam device (whichever you look at).

I will back what has already been stated, don't use the LCD, aside from additional battery drain, you really need to learn to hold the camera on your eye and cradle your body with the camera. Your body will help to isolate the movements of the camera in your hands. I have a weak wrist due to a sports injury and I've been able to keep my cams solid on focus and shake free with little effort using this technique.

One thing to keep in mind, the tighter the shot the more chance you have to record video with shakes, even with the optical image stabilizer turned on. Oh and make sure that it is, helps a ton during free hand movement.

Finally I'll share one device that I've used which really helps with fatigue, especially for me due to my wrist, the

From BHPhotovideo.com:
Davis & Sanford DACSSQ
SSCOMPACT Compact Steady Stick - for Small Camcorders

This device is belt worn and uses your waist coupled with a hinged device that mounts to the camera to give you a solid support for shooting. It also has a grip that you can place at a lateral to your body which you can use with your left hand to hold the camera in place or move it to the back of the camera mount and use it as a shoulder rest (the way I use mine) this added stability might be exactly what you're looking for.

Miguel

There are many different products, but the two that have impressed me are the Mighty Wondercam Mini Rover and the Marzpak. These all have been done rto death on this forum so run a search for each and to save time limit it to this forum.

Neither of these are shoulder mounts. All shoulder mounts do is make your gear look good. The weight is still to far forward and these two will bring the weight close to your body and lock the camera to your chest (Mini Rover) . the marzpak will allow you to carry some pretty extreme loads and relocate the weight to your hips. The camera will also be under tensions and any sudden movement will be damped.

Do the search

Wendy, take a look at the "Mighty Wondercam" at http://www.videosmith.com/
This shoulder support offers a number of adjustment points that will help you place the camera in the optimum operating position for your body frame. The model with the ab support is very useful, and allows you to go hands-free to change tapes, or make adjustments to the camera.

This type of device is useful for holding the camera steady over a period of time, such as during an interview. It is best used at wide to medium focal lengths. As has been mentioned, any long lens work is best accomplished on a tripod. This sort of device is not designed for moving and shooting, although you will have better results than simply hand-holding.

After you review the Mighty Wondercam info, you can go to B&H for a good price.

Wayne Orr, SOC