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Ditch those batteries with the GravGrip hydraulic stabiliser for smartphones and action cameras

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With the massive range of gimbals and stabilisers out there and the number of different companies making them, you’d think we’d see something truly new and different on a regular basis. Instead, we mostly see iterations. Really good iterations, but they’re often quite minimal changes with just a bump in spec. Of course, there are exceptions.

Here, though, we have the GravGrip, which is a very interesting take on stabilisation for smartphones and action cameras that has no motors, uses no batteries whatsoever and is small enough to slip into your pocket (really!). It’s currently on Kickstarter, where it’s already raised over $280K with just over two weeks left to go.

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How to make your own DIY Arri Trinity for 1/100th of the price

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For those who’ve never come across it before, the Arri Trinity is an insane $50,000+ (and the camera) gimbal/steadicam hybrid type device that lets you make some really cool and unique shots. We featured it here recently when Potato Jet got to see and try it out for himself and it offers many obvious advantages over other filming techniques.

But most of us don’t have $50k lying around. So, what can we do? Well, we can just make our own. Sort of. In this video, filmmaker James Matthews combines his Zhiyun Weebill S with an old Flycam HD-3000 to produce the “Minity”, letting you get similar shots. Ok, so, it’s not quite the Arri Trinity, but for a hundredth of the budget, what can you really expect?

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Glidecam and Ronin M gimbal stabiliser go head-to-head in these running shot action tests

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Camera stabilisation has always been a big deal. It’s the difference between a good shot and a piece of footage you can barely watch. Until fairly recently, stabilisation was the realm of Hollywood. Mere mortals could one day only hope to see a Steadicam in person. Now, though, that’s all changed. There’a a whole plethora of camera stabilisation tools on the market.

Two of the most popular are the Glidecam range of gravity stabilisers and motorised gimbals. Photographer Ed Gregory puts the two to task in this side-by-side comparison. The Glidecam HD-2000 goes up against the mighty DJI Ronin M in this side-by-side comparison. The comparison shows some fairly common but also quite tough shooting tests. And, just for a laugh, the Canon G7X with its electronic image stabilisation (EIS) is thrown in, too.

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Advanced video stabilisation with Premiere and After Effects

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One of the most off putting things for viewers of video is shaky footage. The best way to keep the camera steady is to use a tripod, but sometimes we want to add a little motion. Quality sliders can still cost a fair amount of money, and not everybody has a gimbal or other stabiliser. We just have to go regular handheld. But this often leads to bumpy footage. So, what can we do?

Adobe Premiere Pro has a built in Warp Stabiliser, but it doesn’t always do the best job. When it works, it works extremely well, but it often falls over and gives results we really didn’t expect. In this video from Miesner Media, Theo takes us on a round trip from Premiere to After Effects, and back to Premiere again, resulting in perfectly stabilised footage.

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Build your own DIY GoPro stabiliser out of LEGO

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Stabilising small cameras such as GoPros can be tricky. Their light weigh makes them particularly vulnerable to things like wind or fast movements. There are commercial handheld options out there to give you smoother footage, like the Lanparte HHG-01 or the Ikan Fly-X3-Plus, but they can be a little pricey.

While it’s not going to give quite the steadiness you’ll get with either of the options mentioned above, this solution from Product Tank is a very cheap and extremely accessible alternative.

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Add overhead support to your camera gimbal stabilizer for under $100

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Camera stabilisation has come a long way over the last few years, but one thing you just can’t get around is the weight.  The more motors and electronics you have to add, the heavier it gets, and if you’re using a DSLR or bigger camera with a large lens, forget about it.

Netherlands based Filmmaker and YouTuber Chung Dha has come up with an ingenious way to help alleviate some of the weight of his Feiyu Tech MG stabilizer, and prevent his arms from becoming tired on long shoots.

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DIY GoPro Stablizer That’s Light Enough To Use All Day Long

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Carrying around heavy equipment all day can really take the fun out of being a photographer. Sure, there’s good quality, lightweight gear on the market, but such pieces typically make one’s wallet a whole lot lighter, too. That’s why the chief product designer behind ProductTank took it upon himself to whip up this awesome, lightweight, and inexpensive stabilizer that’s perfectly suited to keep you and your GoPro shooting all day long.[Read More…]

DJI Pushes Its Boundaries with the Announcement of its First Stabilizer

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This is pretty unexpected, but it looks like DJI is starting to expand its range of products. If you’ve seen previous articles I’ve written, you’ll know how much I geek out over the DJI Phantom line. The Phantoms are what the company is primarily known for: high-altitude camera drones. And now they’re announcing their newest addition to the company’s line of products: a handheld stabilizer called the Ronin.[Read More…]

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