ReadySteady Stabilizes Pocket Camcorders, Doubles as Tripod

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The $30 ReadySteady camcorder stabilizer is a little smaller than a hockey puck. It’s made of two high-quality, sturdy aluminum halves that house a flexible seven-inch rod that screws into your camcorders tripod mount.

When you want to use the ReadySteady, you untwist the two aluminum halves, remove the gooseneck tripod rod, twist the two aluminum halves back together, and thread the rod up through a hole in the the middle of the halves, attaching it to the tripod mount on your camcorder.

The apparatus can then be set on a flat surface and used as a tripod (not technically a tripod since there aren’t three legs, but you get the idea) or used for two-handed recording.

readysteadyThe two-handed recording method provides your pocket camcorder with stabilizing weight, aided by placing one hand atop the aluminum puck, and the other around your camcorder. In most cases, the result is steadier, less “jumpy” video.

I’ve been using the ReadySteady off and on for about a month and have found it to be useful enough to carry with me to various press events. It works well to smooth out left-to-right panning shots and makes moving shots—such as those recorded while walking—somewhat smoother, though it by no means creates a floating effect like you’d get with a professional Steadicam. Again, this thing costs $30 and is meant for pocket camcorders, though.

All in all, it’s a decent investment if your videos have been suffering from the shakes, though if you’re already pretty even-handed you might not notice much benefit. But the fact that it collapses down to such a nice, portable size and doubles as a flexible tripod almost makes it worth the $30 on its own.

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