Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

I want your top three steadicam / stabilizer suggestions that you can just pull out and get that shot with ...

Something that doesn't take long to set up.

Takes a minimal amount of space in the accessory bag.

Is there anything in the market ??? v light and pocket sized ???

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

1- Nebula Lite 4000
2- Steadicam Solo (no motors and monopod included)
3- DJI Ronin M

..... it depends on the camera used, off course...

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

You think we all got 3 steadicams? :)

Ronin like stabilisers won't take up minimal space so you are left with Nebula 4000 alike stabilisers, there are allready several competitors available for sales and the most impressive one I have seen based on demo's alone is the Ministurdyflight 3 Axis Gimbal. I had contact with the manufacturer and the only thing that did worry me is that there is no clear form of warranty, he said incase of malfunction, which was highly unlikely he said, they will replace a broken part and charge only the cost for that part during the warranty period, only the first 10 days after purchase they will solve any problem without extra charge. He said that any part of such a gimbal is susceptible of wear and tear and could need replacement, just like the tires of a car. I personally believe that during warranty it should not cost a cent to have a malfunctioning unit repaired, I could live with the sendingcosts to the supplier but that is it. The main advantage of this unit is that the supplier prebalances it for you depending on the camera lens you plan to use so it's ready out of the box to use, disadvantage is they only can do that for a few camera/lens combo's.

Second favourite for me is the blackbird stabilizer but it won't fit easily in a small bag.

as third a feiyu g4/gorpo 4 black combo which fit's in your pocket, in the right circumstances 2.7k at 50fps looks awesome, but lack of real exposure control can ruin some shots.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Noa...I would either get the Ronin-M or the Helix Jr.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Those are not exactly pocketsized or fit in an accessory bag....

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

That depends on the size of your bag. Lol! Actually both break dowN very easily and can be set up in under 5 minutes. The Helix Jr is especially small. I don't know of anything smaller that will actually serve any significant role in achieving a truly streaky shot.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Thank you for the suggestions.

I'm particularly interested in the Feiyu G4 and Nebula ... those are the right size and seem ideal for use during a first dance and any outdoor shoot.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

I've taken a chance and ordered the ministurdyflight. I've been on the fence with these recent new type of stabilisers. On the one hand, good hand held opportunities vs reliability. Never took to my glidecam so never gave it the time it needed, so this new small stabilisers did tempt me till posts here spoke off issues with the Nebula, my first choice.

No idea when it'll turn up, but I'm planning to practise with it straight away and test it on some Weddings before the season is out. Bit of a risk if the thing breaks down but we'll see. Nothing ventured....

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

There are no user experiences to be found back online about that ministurdyflight so I think it will be very interesting to hear what you think of it.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Noa, I only saw its announcement on 4K Shooter earlier this week, so I guess it's a very new release. I've broken my policy of waiting for user feedback before buying. Still it's only £600 (he says eyes rolling).

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

:) Best of luck with it Steve, you'll keep us informed,

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Received it? I see that the first user reviews are starting to appear, one reaction I read on bmcuser (found here: MiniSturdyFlight Gimbal) said that the build quality is not that exceptional and there needs to be attached a sensor cable to the hotshoe of teh camera and that cable is hanging loose, not that this would be an issue but it might get caught behind something. The batterypack is also positioned on the back and has a bit sloppy attachment. Eventhough the gimbal was prebalanced at the supplier this user did experience some microvibrations while walking which you can clearly see in his first test videos but get improved by making some adjustments with the help of the supplier. That loose cable and battery on the back is not shown on the suppliers site which I do find a bit misleading.

Eventhough the demo videos on the suppliers site are amongst the best I have seen so far I feel it's a bit too expensive compared to the competition, what bothers me the most is that you only get a 10 day full warranty and after that pay for replacement of parts only but not working hours, I"m not sure though how long this service will last, I guess a year? Since you have to pay the sendingcosts anyway to the supplier which is not cheap either there actually is no warranty because for me warranty means that at least the first year you get any malfunctioning part fixed for free.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

At 45 seconds in, I shot this with the Z-one and gopro 3+. Very first time using both. Hope it helps in your decision.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

I think you should also mention that you used a stabilizer plugin as well, I find the plugins are only good for stationary handheld shots to filter out microvibrations but once you start moving the camera around such a plugin distorts the entire image.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Yes, alot of "warp" going on with that shot.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Received it and returning it for a replacement as there appears to be a problem with my one. Although pre calibrated, when switched on, the camera is at an angle both horizontally and vertically; not by much, but enough to mean I had to hold the handle at an angle to keep it level. Some micro vibrations too. I'll try the replacement before making judgement. The issues mentioned in that forum link you gave me are on the nail. The cable to the hot shoe isn't a problem re snagging, not from the admittedly limited use I have had of it.

How durable it is and whether it becomes a purchase I regret remains to be seen. However sometimes you have to take the plunge. If it fails to perform to expectations, then I'll just return. If it does work, I'll keep it and should there be faults further down the line; tough luck on me.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

It makes me wonder how much care they take in pre calibrating it, they only have a limited amount of camera/lens options they use to do that precalibration but I would expect if they use the same body/lens combo as you have it should be perfectly balanced when it arrives.

I did have that same issue you had with my feiyu g3 though which is also balanced for a gopro, the g4 replacement I got later did not have that problem.

I really want to get a stabilizer for my gh4, will use it at my weddings but mainly want to get it for my personal projects, the stuff I plan on doing after I stop doing weddings. I would prefer to buy it in a local store so I don't have any hassles returning it in case it malfunctions and that I get my 2 year warranty. It's only a matter to wait until a local dealer takes a 3 axis stabilizer in stock.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

To be honest Noa, I agree that buying in store with warranty is the better course of action. It is a hassle to get this thing back. It seems likely this will be a purchase I'll regret indie course, but we'll see. I may yet be surprised.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

If you look at the demo videos on the suppliers site you should be surprised :) They look very good which was what got my attention in the first place. I will be interested to see how it turns out with your stabilizer.

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Steve, I'm curious to know how you got on with the Sturdy Cam... The thread is a little stale so I don't know if you'll see this...

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Hi Jasper,

The answer is very well. Sure it doesn't perform miracles. Some skill of steadicam use is required. So far, I find it is easy to setup as long as you have a flat service to stand it on as you power up. Sometimes it can lean to the side if you set it up on an uneven surface or wobble too much as it powers on. In such cases, I switch off and then hold it on a flat surface to hand and then switch back on. Takes about 20-30 seconds to balance. I've had it pre-calibrated for my camera and lens. So far, I've yet to rebalance it for another lens or adjust the software, but both are possible.

In use, I find walking forward requires good walking on my part, otherwise you get a little bobbing; less so if I walk backwards or to the side. Turning left or right and up and down are dictated by the moving of the handle and this takes some skill to get motion that looks natural rather than forced.

Good points: I can adjust focus manually as I fly as long I do it carefully. Similarly I can start record and operate the focus switch and not have it affect the balance as long I'm not rough with this. My LCD screen is flipped out and therefore visible and adjustable to point up or down depending on where my eye line is. This alone puts it above other handheld gimbals that restrict LCD screen use.

Negative points: You need to attach a cable to the hotshoe of your camera. This cable is quite long and therefore has to be wrapped around the unit to ensure its not left dangling to be caught on something. You also have to remember to remove it when you take off the camera. It seems obvious, but early on in my rush to remove the camera, I forgot the cable was still attached.
Its not weather proof. The electrics are within metal box with clear gaps, both either side and on the edges. You can see into the internal electronics.

That said, it's durable as until recently I had it stored and carried in a cloth bag. I've used it repeatedly in anger, rushing to set it up and not being careful with it and it has survived my not so delicate touch. I've now got a proper case for it; this has now allowed me to add the metal tube and base plate that came with it and which will allow me to place the gimbal and provide flat support as I switch on the unit.

I've been meaning to provide here some samples, but collating footage from various gigs is a bit too time consuming for my schedule at the moment. So have to settle for this promo video below. I brought the gimbal in for some reshoots in September after filming the bulk in July, but sprinkled in with other shots there are a few gimbal shots - at the beginning, 1:23 and 1:35 and 2:49. None have been treated except grading, so no post stabilisation. I'd only had the gimbal a few weeks when I used it for this.

Take a Tour ? Horsebridge Station

Re: Top 3 Portable Steadicam/Stabilizers
 

Steve

Thanks very much for that. A very thorough reply! I'm glad to hear it is quite robust. I work in Spain and although rain is not really an issue dust is, so it's a bit worrying that the internal electronics are visible.

I am also thinking about keeping it simple and getting the DJI Osmo ... As we have so much light here I could use it for a large part of the day. But, of course, I would prefer to have a better camera mounted on it.

I think I will drop the MiniSturdy guys an email to see if they can calibrate it for my Canon EOSM.

Thanks for the video link. Lovely to see England with the roses blooming! What a great venue.