Opteka SteadyVid SV-HD Camera Stabilizer with Quick Release for Digital SLR and Video Cameras up to 6lbs

Like all stabilizers, the initial setup may require Prozac and a stiff gin and tonic. Expect to spend a bit of time to get everything balanced out correctly. I use a Nikon D7100, D800 and a Panasonic HC-X920. The 920 required me to remove all weights, and the other cameras required much more weight to balance well. (When loaded up, these things can become heavy!) This stabilizer has all of the necessary adjustments for balance - and are very well executed. (I would like it if the gimbal could be adjusted up and down a few inches, however.) The handle is a bit challenging for those who tend to stabilize at low angles. The gimbal is fluid and moves well. The finish is nice and the unit is nicely portable. Now, for the ugly reality - you have to practice with any stabilizer - this one included! From walking to moving, stabilizers are not vibration reduction or digital image stabilization devices. They make your motions more fluid, but require you to balance, practice and have patience to do their job. There were none of these features found in the shipping box! The good news is once you get all of these, this unit will reward you nicely. Overall, this quality unit is a good value - a photographic hat trick that should meet your expectations nicely!

This stabilizer is not bad. It works for the most part. However there are a few minor issues that, even at this price point, can be solved by using another product. Pros: Balancing: this is my first such stabilizer, and after a few tutorials and a few tries I found balancing it was really not too hard. So points for that! Construction: feels solid, and if not for the few issues below I'd have no issue. Cons: - The sliding plates are not terribly hard to use, but a screw-type adjustment would be great. The Neweer unit is only a few bucks more than this but has the screw-type adjustments, which should be much easier than the loosen-tap-tighten-check method used for the Opteka. I haven't received that one yet but will write a review - The little plastic collar that holds the screw used for extending/retracting the weight platform does not inspire confidence. Technically it works but it looks out of place on an otherwise well constructed (mostly) unit. Generally feels sloppy and not like it will last too long. Opteka must agree since they included a spare. - The grip slips around on the handle, and this is pretty annoying. It's also not the most comfortable to hold. Easy enough to solve with a different grip and/or some superglue, but eh... - The biggest problem by far for a product like this: the bearings. The bearings are OK for the main pivot (if you were to spin the camera around while holding the handle stationary) but I can't really make one walk around it without inducing some moderate spin. That's no big thing really, but the two pivots on either side of the "yoke" - that Y-shaped piece (look like silver buttons on either side of the main pivot) are evidently not on bearings, and are too tight. They cause an otherwise well balanced platform to tilt quite severely with even small movements on these pivots. This is a no-go for any shots where you are moving the camera up/down. Even while walking around trying to hold it steady, there will invariably be some movement and it will cause the camera to get a-swingin'. For instance if I start with the camera around eye level and then lower the stabilizer, by the time I'm at hip level the camera has tilted forward about 30 degrees. This isn't a balance issue, it's the stiff pivots. I could loosen them, lube them, maybe even put proper bearings in there. For now I'm returning this one and going for the Neewer with easier adjustability up top. Hopefully the pivots are better on that one...

This is a well built product, it works great once you get working properly. It took me some time to get it balanced. With practice I'm sure I can improve the handling of this stabilizer for more professional looking video. I've used this stabilizer on three separate project and it's worked out great for me. I like that it has multiple weights that come in handy when adding or removing equipment from your camera, like microphones, lenses, lights, and other video accessories. This one does not have the fine adjustment nobs that other stabilizers have they would come in handy but patience can be substituted for these nobs. This is a great product have some patience working with and practice with it a lot and you'll get the hang of it.

Took a chance on this as I wanted a steadicam without the price, and am thrilled with what I got. I even picked it up pre-owned to save even more and received one in perfect condition. Ok lets get the obvious out of the way first, steadicams are hard to balance, hard to set up correctly and hard to use, this seems to be a fault with pretty much all of them so saying this steadicam is hard to balance is pointless. I did some homework on how to correctly balance steadicams and found a method that works very good for me, in 5 to 10 minutes I can get this thing 95% balanced which does the job fine, its just a lot of nitpicking getting it 'perfectly' balanced, its very easy to get usable footage quickly with this thing and it lets you adjust what you need to get there. Good construction, its all metal with a rubber grip, he grip isn't great but everything else is solid. Both in terms of the practicality of shooting and balancing it is much better to keep your camera setup as small as possible with this. You can load it up with a cage and plenty of accessories on top but I try not to shoot with anything more than my camera and a mic attached, the whole package just gets way too heavy after a while. I'f you want a perfectly usable steadicam for an absolutely bargain basement price this is what you need. I am as cheap as they come and I love this steadicam, it's not without it's fault but the faults are fault with all steadicams not just this one. I do a lot of single shot music video type stuff with a 650d and a 40mm lens and I love this steadicam and can easily afford it, especially at this price.

Great product, tricky to balance but once you get it it's smooth. Operating it takes a little while to get used to but it definitely give a nice smooth shot and a more professional look to your shots.

当方のビデオカメラは重量が約2.4kgです。 （2.72キロまでのデジタル一眼レフやビデオカメラ用）と表示があったので購入しましたが セットして使おうとしたら総重量（約５Ｋｇ）になりスタビのハンドルを片手で持って始めは操作しましたが 直ぐハンドルに被せてあるブルーのカバーがずれるし片手で垂直に５Ｋｇ持って操作するのは無理だと感じました。 レバーの角度が垂直方向だけではなく水平方向にも自由に変えれるようになれば持ちやすいと思います。 私はこの製品を一回（5分位）だけ使用してお蔵入りです。

Takes a long time to balance but I think that's more so me getting used to it

The stabilizer itself was fine. Quality seemed good but it just wasn't for me. It was quite heavy and I could not get my gear balanced enough for my needs. Returned it and bought a Kessler jib instead. Someone else may find this stabilizer useful though..