As an inexpensive camera stabilizer the Steady Stick works great in taking the load off. Especially with larger cameras and DSLR's with heavy glass. Anyone who has shot with a heavy camera, or even a light camera for an extended period time knows how fatigued you can get no matter how strong you feel from the get go.

If you need to be moving around and can’t use a tripod, the Steady Stick makes a great addition to your bag of tricks. I especially like fact that you can raise up and shoot over the crowd. It’s worth it just for that! Swinging up and down allows you to get some crane like shots. I even tried spinning in an office chair and moving from overhead to mid-level for some very cool jib looking shots. The Steady Stick has an adjustable belt with a holster that you insert the rod into. From there you can loosen one knob and raise up. Another brilliant feature is the coupler which allows you to disconnect from the Steady Stick quickly. The only thing I don’t like is there is no tripod screw on the bottom to attach the whole unit onto a tripod, so to go back to your tripod, you’ll have to give yourself time to twist the knob and unscrew the base plate, only about 10 seconds actually. We do offer the Manfrotto 577 quick release plate which solves this issue and allow you to jump to your Manfrotto Tripod, monopod or even to Steadicam.

Overall this is a great product – even if you just use it for a shoulder adapter on a smaller camera like a Canon XHA1 or as a monopod. However, the biggest benefit is if you’re shooting for long amounts of time or need to get overhead, steady, or creative shots. The unit is very well made of heavy duty aluminum & flexible high-strength engineering plastic. Everything you see attached to the SteadyStick in the video is included (except the camera!) Adjustable Belt (max. 44″), handle, quick release coupler. An excellent value!

"One of the things that screams amature faster than anything else is shakey footage - make your camera feel "bigger" and less prone to small movements with any type of support - there are all kinds of rigs out there - and this is the best value on the market"