I've been working on my handheld technique for a while now and just can't seem to get it down, especially with the bulky WD-H72 wide-angle on the front.

I video product videos and installations for a truck accessory retailer and I really want to be able to have movement in the videos. I want it to look professional, like on TV where the host can walk around anywhere and the camera smoothly follows. So I decided to build a shoulder mount.

Here's my blog post describing it, along with a sample video I shot using it.

http://exposureroom.com/members/WillMahoney.aspx/tutorials/post/32

What do you think? Anyone got any suggestions? What have you built?

I like it. Not so sure about trying to turn around in a crowd though ;)

footage looked blurry...was IS on?

footage looked blurry...was IS on?

Oh, yeah. The footage is totally dark and you can see the auto focus hunting a few times to find the correct setting. I was just trying to focus on holding the camera steady and framing the shot correctly, so the camera was on full-auto. For real shooting I try to keep it all in "M."

Do you recommend IS on or off when using the shoulder rig? I know that it's on for handheld and off for tripod work. I think that shoulder is in-between...

Do you recommend IS on or off when using the shoulder rig? I know that it's on for handheld and off for tripod work. I think that shoulder is in-between...

Yes, image stabilization should definitely be ON when using your camera on your shoulder.

my 2c: keep the weight closer in and lower down, add more shape to the shoulder piece