Have you ever tried making fantastic videos to preserve a memory for life?
Or you have a thing for taking crisp videos, but it’s not close to amazing like the ones you admire?
You’re not alone!
But here’s the deal.
There’s a secret to creating great pictures and fantastic video quality, even if you don’t own a stable army of video equipment and cameras.
The answer: Use a Steadicam. The application is simple! You can mount your DSLR camera on the Steadicam and watch your pictures and videos improve drastically before your eyes.
The only issue you may face right now is picking the one that best suits you—since there are a ton of options available in the market.
In this article, we’ll outline all the things to look out for before you buy a Steadicam. Plus, we’ll be listing the best four Steadicams on the market.
Contents
Quick Summary
We took our time to check a ton of Steadicams in the market. And only four met our requirements in five categories: balance, weight, batteries, price, and versatility.
- The Glidecam HD-2000 Handheld Stabilizer is perfect for indie filmmakers that require the professional appeal of using full-fledged equipment.
- If you’re after durability and stability, the Official Roxant PRO Video Camera Stabilizer is the perfect go-to
- Do you need a Steadicam that will provide you with different levels of focus? Zhiyun Crane 2 is the way to go.
- The DJI Ronin-M Gimbal Stabilizer V3 is perfect for filming professional quality movies at an amateur price.
Who Should Get This?
If you’ve ever thought about doing an entire film or video production, this article is for you.
Why?
The reason is simple! For you to achieve remarkable fluid looks, you’d need a Steadicam. Even though you may argue that you prefer mounting your camera on sticks sometimes, you can’t deny the quality Steadicams gives.
For starters, the process of getting quality videos with the device goes beyond mounting your camera alone. You have to know the right time and place that works for a Steadicam.
If you love clean pictures too, you can adopt the Steadicam for your smartphones. But, this same option may not work for people that aren’t interested!
Best Steadicam for DSLR: What to Consider in 2022?
Here are things you should look out for before buying a Steadicam:
Flexibility
Before you buy a Steadicam, ensure that it’s flexible. The flexibility of a Steadicam determines the various sizes and shooting styles your camera can accommodate.
Batteries
Steadicams have brushless motors—which is the brain behind the fluidity you see when you use it to shoot movies. So, in the area of batteries, it’s best to go for lithium-ion batteries over alkaline batteries—as they last longer.
Balance
Balance is one of the essential factors to consider. What’s a good Steadicam without balance? You guessed right—crappy videography all the way.
Before you get a Steadicam, it’s best to watch out for how well it balances your camera. Then, check how easy it is to balance. You don’t want to spend the whole day trying to balance while the cameras roll in your imagination.
Weight
There are no two ways about it. If you go for a Steadicam that’s too heavy, you’ll be exhausted halfway through your filming. So, a lighter option is ideal.
Price
The Steadicam vary in price based on different functions. Thus, look out for functionalities that match your needs and go for it. Also, you should know that Steadicams with advanced features don’t come cheap.
Best Steadicam for DSLR in 2022: Our Picks
Here are our top four picks:
1. Glidecam HD-2000 Handheld Stabilizer
The Glidecam HD 2000 is a Steadicam that looks simple to a fault—but with a remarkable performance. The design and compactness enhance its portability.
This model is ideal for cameras that weigh between 2 to 6 lbs. The versatility of the Glidecam allows you to place your cameras in different positions—even to a high level of precision.
The base isn’t there for design sake. It provides your camera with a level of control with its adjustable dynamic balance that works as an inertial control base platform.
The no-slip grip is another excellent feature this model has—so you can freely rotate the handle as much as you want without perturbing about your camera twitching or jerking—which can cause a negative effect on your film.
What’s more?
You can use the handheld stabilizer for a long time because the manufacturer made it from durable materials.
What We Like:
- It’s durable
- It offers you different shooting positions with high precision
- It has a no-slip grip
- It is portable
What We Don’t Like:
- It can only accommodate cameras that weigh between 2 to 6 lbs
2. Official Roxant PRO Video Camera Stabilizer
If you’re a professional videographer, you’ll agree that it could be tricky to get the right shots without shaking. No doubt, most professionals love to control every movement of the camera and ensure that they use a tripod to stabilize the shot.
But, that could be a tough nut to crack. The good news is the Official Roxant PRO allows you achieve both. Oh yes! It’s designed to enable you to mount a video camera with ease to get a great shot regardless of how much you turn.
The Steadicam is perfect for cameras that weigh up to 2.1 lbs. And it has mass at the bottom to reduce the weight of the camera and stabilize your shot.
It’s quite easy to hold onto your camera since the designers of the Roxant Video Camera made it with durable materials. Plus, the lower arm of the Steadicam has a no-slip grip that allows you to hold onto it with more stability. And help to prevent any lower arm swing.
What We Like:
- It has a no-slip grip feature
- It’s durable
- It balances the weight of cameras proactively
- It offers adequate versatility
What We Don’t Like:
- It can only hold cameras that weigh 2.1 lbs
3. Zhiyun Crane 2
The Zhiyun Crane 2 is the perfect tool for any videographer that loves to record action shots in motion. The Crane is specially designed to offer three levels of focus—which means that you can keep any subject in focus while you’re in motion.
The device comes with some accessories like a quick release plate, an aluminum alloy tripod, multi-brand camera control cables, and a bag to protect the equipment from ruins in transit.
That’s not all!
Also, it allows for instant interaction between the camera and the Steadicam, thanks to its OLED display menu on the control panel.
The manufacturer added a remarkable feature which is the slow fall system they incorporated. The slow fall system allows your camera to land steadily—to avoid any sudden drop when you turn off the Steadicam.
Also, the Zhiyun Crane 2 comes with three different batteries and three different Dshot batteries—but, it uses any 18650 lithium-ion battery. The device charges Sony models with multi interfaces conveniently and supports cameras that weigh up to 7 lbs.
What We Like:
- It connects directly with the camera
- It has a focus follow feature that locks onto and keeps track of a target
- It’s durable
- It comes with accessories that increase the Steadicam functionality
What We Don’t Like:
- It’s quite heavy
4. DJI Ronin-M Gimbal Stabilizer V3
The DJI Ronin comes at a reasonable price considering the quality. It allows videographers to get shots that seem impossible, and its design helps to produce quality films.
But there’s more!
Have you always wanted to have full control of every frame you want to shoot? Well, that’s a thing of the past with this Steadicam as it comes three modes of operation to choose from. Videographers can use this device for long hours without tiring out their arms because of its lightweight.
If you have to shuffle different places in a short time, you don’t have to worry. The device is slim enough to be broken down to fit into any backpack.
Also, the DJI Ronin can hold any camera that weighs up to eight pounds, despite its compact size.
It’s easy to tune and balance the camera thanks to the precision of its Auto-Tune Stability technology. Also, it allows you to achieve different shooting configurations by twisting off its top handle.
What We Like:
- It’s durable
- It offers stability and reliability
- It uses lithium batteries
- The design is seamless and allows smooth movements
What We Don’t Like:
- It has a high payload
5 Excellent Tips on How to Be a Good Steadicam Operator
1. Get familiar with the parts of the Steadicam. Start from the arm; go all the way to the sled and vest.
2. Understand the dynamics of balance and drop time.
3. Allow the rig to do the work.
4. Learn how the Steadicam works and dedicate some time to master the skills.
5. Look into investing in a Steadicam—you can start with the cheaper ones.
Bottom Line
Using a Steadicam requires the right skills to get the perfect video quality. But, to understand how this device works, you have to own one, right? Well, that’s why we helped your decision making easier with this comprehensive buying guide.
Which Steadicam are you planning to try out first? What do you think about our picks? Hit the comment session to air your thoughts.
