Simple camera stabilizer for Gl1/2 and many other handheld cameras at DVinfo.net

Zack Birlew · February 27th, 2005, 11:19 AM

Hello all, I've recently come across a great way to shoot steady moving shots with almost any camera. On a recent trip back to my hometown of Stockton, California, I had to purchase a Sony TRV128 camera to use as a VTR to put some of my family's old Video-8 and Hi-8 Christmas videos onto DVD. Looking at the camera's brochure, I came across the Infrared light adapter to increase the distance of the night mode of the camera. Showing interest, I looked at the camera and realized there was no accessory shoe for the adapter. Looking again at the brochure, I read that I'd have to buy an accessory shoe adapter that screws into the tripod hole underneath the camera. Not wanting to wait for a month or so, I'm lazy, I visited Gluskin's, the local camera shop in Stockton. I didn't find the infrared light adapter, they no longer carried it, and I checked out the XL2 that *just* came in. So I bought a similar accessory shoe adapter and went home. I tried fitting it on my GL1 just for kicks and then I got an idea; Why not use two for left and right hand? The handle of the adapter is screwed together with a simple nut & bolt construction so I could switch it to left and right handed configurations. So I returned to Gluskin's and bought another one, switched the handle to right handed, and tried it out. It worked! The footage is pretty smooth looking when checking on my TV and I can always have two microphones or two lights or three lights or whatever (added benefit of three accessory shoes). If anyone wants a picture or two of the setup, just e-mail me with the subject "GL1 pics please!".

Pete Wilie · February 27th, 2005, 07:22 PM

Jack,

Thanks for sharing, but I am confused as to exactly what items you are using to achieve the stabilizing effect. Could you please list the brand/model/part# of these items. Links to these items would be great!

Thanks.

BTW, see vB Codes Explained for details on creating links.

Zack Birlew · February 27th, 2005, 07:45 PM

Oh, well, the accessory shoe adapters were just generic things they had in a case for camera supplies. Just look for an accessory shoe adapter, Sony sells them definitely (that's where I learned that such a thing existed thanks to the TRV128's brochure). There were some branded ones but I don't remember the name and I can't check since I'm back in Las Vegas right now ^_^. They're just some generic things I believe.

Luke Duncan · March 4th, 2005, 07:27 PM

Hey everyone,
I've seen the pics of this thing Jack's talking about and it's pretty cool. Does anyone have a place to host the pics so we can all access them easily and talk about it? I'd like to hear some stabilization pros weigh in on this design (in terms of potential modifications, places to buy the parts cheap, etc).

And maybe if Jack's got time, he could post a short vid of his stabilizer in action. Anyone regularly have bandwidth left over at the end of the month?

Zack Birlew · March 4th, 2005, 07:54 PM

Well, I don't know about posting a video, I don't have any webspace or anything that I know of to do postings, but I could send the video to someone else I guess.

Don't get me wrong though folks, this is no Glidecam or Steadicam, it's just a simple thing I noticed and it works. ^_^

But I guess I could make a little video and send it to someone willing to post it, just give some time though, I'm kind of busy this weekend.

February 27th, 2005, 11:19 AM	#1
Zack Birlew Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 613	Simple camera stabilizer for Gl1/2 and many other handheld cameras Hello all, I've recently come across a great way to shoot steady moving shots with almost any camera. On a recent trip back to my hometown of Stockton, California, I had to purchase a Sony TRV128 camera to use as a VTR to put some of my family's old Video-8 and Hi-8 Christmas videos onto DVD. Looking at the camera's brochure, I came across the Infrared light adapter to increase the distance of the night mode of the camera. Showing interest, I looked at the camera and realized there was no accessory shoe for the adapter. Looking again at the brochure, I read that I'd have to buy an accessory shoe adapter that screws into the tripod hole underneath the camera. Not wanting to wait for a month or so, I'm lazy, I visited Gluskin's, the local camera shop in Stockton. I didn't find the infrared light adapter, they no longer carried it, and I checked out the XL2 that just came in. So I bought a similar accessory shoe adapter and went home. I tried fitting it on my GL1 just for kicks and then I got an idea; Why not use two for left and right hand? The handle of the adapter is screwed together with a simple nut & bolt construction so I could switch it to left and right handed configurations. So I returned to Gluskin's and bought another one, switched the handle to right handed, and tried it out. It worked! The footage is pretty smooth looking when checking on my TV and I can always have two microphones or two lights or three lights or whatever (added benefit of three accessory shoes). If anyone wants a picture or two of the setup, just e-mail me with the subject "GL1 pics please!". __________________ "Babs Do or Babs Do not, there is no try." - Zack Birlew www.BabsDoProductions.com

February 27th, 2005, 07:45 PM	#3
Zack Birlew Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 613	Oh, well, the accessory shoe adapters were just generic things they had in a case for camera supplies. Just look for an accessory shoe adapter, Sony sells them definitely (that's where I learned that such a thing existed thanks to the TRV128's brochure). There were some branded ones but I don't remember the name and I can't check since I'm back in Las Vegas right now ^_^. They're just some generic things I believe. __________________ "Babs Do or Babs Do not, there is no try." - Zack Birlew www.BabsDoProductions.com

March 4th, 2005, 07:54 PM	#5
Zack Birlew Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 613	Well, I don't know about posting a video, I don't have any webspace or anything that I know of to do postings, but I could send the video to someone else I guess. Don't get me wrong though folks, this is no Glidecam or Steadicam, it's just a simple thing I noticed and it works. ^_^ But I guess I could make a little video and send it to someone willing to post it, just give some time though, I'm kind of busy this weekend. __________________ "Babs Do or Babs Do not, there is no try." - Zack Birlew www.BabsDoProductions.com

February 27th, 2005, 07:22 PM	#2
Pete Wilie Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 331	Jack, Thanks for sharing, but I am confused as to exactly what items you are using to achieve the stabilizing effect. Could you please list the brand/model/part# of these items. Links to these items would be great! Thanks. BTW, see vB Codes Explained for details on creating links.

March 4th, 2005, 07:27 PM	#4
Luke Duncan Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Oxford, MS Posts: 26	Hey everyone, I've seen the pics of this thing Jack's talking about and it's pretty cool. Does anyone have a place to host the pics so we can all access them easily and talk about it? I'd like to hear some stabilization pros weigh in on this design (in terms of potential modifications, places to buy the parts cheap, etc). And maybe if Jack's got time, he could post a short vid of his stabilizer in action. Anyone regularly have bandwidth left over at the end of the month?