Video Folk: Tell me about cheap Stabilisers for Video Cameras

So having spent last night editing together my first (poor) attempt at a video (see the Ski/Snowboard thread) it is apparent that using any kind of zoom from a handheld video camera results in unusably shaky footage.

No image stabilisation in the camera and while software did an okay job of cleaning some of it up, it crops and reduces quality quite a bit.

So, is it worth spending £60 on something like this:

http://www.b-hague.co.uk/hague_mini_motion_cam_steadicam_type_camcorder_stabilizer.htm

Looks a little cumbersome, but seems to do an okay job from the YouTube samples. I’m not entirely clear how you make it turn/tilt when you actually want it too though.

Or would a little £10 tripod in the pocket be more use. I’m guessing less effective but I’m certainly more likely to carry it.

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=111805

Or do I just need to fit a suitable mounting thread to the head of this chicken?

I’m sorry, but:

😀

I have a small screw gate style ‘tripod’ which I carry in my pocket, I clamp it to a mountain board.

Hmmm.. not sure I’ve got room in my snowboard trousers for a mountain board. 😀

You can diy something like that for not much – google diy steadicam.

They can produce okay results, like proper steadicams there is a skill to using them, particularly while moving.

Thanks joe. Yeah I did have a look, but the decent DIY one looked to cost around £40 in raw material and looked fairly shonky (more so if I built it!)

The Hague one is only £20 more and considerably less hassle – so I’d probably just buy that instead of making one.

Just can’t decide if I’ll actually be faffed with carrying something that size.

Your problem is using the zoom.. The further in you zoom the worse the wobble. One of those glidecam/Hauge things won’t stop the wobble, they will be rocking around giving you a rough seas effect. If you want to zoom and have a steady shot you need a tripod, or you might get away with a monopod.

The Hauge thing will be good if you’re close to the action on your snowboard or something but don’t zoom!

Thanks MartynS. I’ve got a tripod for my SLR but don’t fancy carrying about on my snowboard.

The little Steadepod thing looks interesting, basically just a bit of wire down from the camera to the ground so you can pull up on it for stability. Can’t do any harm I suppose.

The little Steadepod thing looks interesting, basically just a bit of wire down from the camera to the ground so you can pull up on it for stability. Can’t do any harm I suppose.

Just go to B&Q, get a bolt that screws into the base of your camera and use a bit of string which you tread on?

Yep true, very easy to make something similar myself:
http://www.instructables.com/id/String-Tripod/

But the retractable “dog lead” bit is a good idea.
Keeps it neat in pocket/bag.