Stedicam for iPhone

[Jaime Espiritu]

What do you guys think of this new invention?

Steadicam Smoothee Home Page

[Jim Andrada]

Well, if the Steadicam guys did it it will probably work well - I have the Merlin and I like it.

BUT - it seems to me that the only reason you'd use an iPhone for video is because it's what you have when you want to shoot something - and the reason you'd have it is because it's hanging on your belt, ie it's small and light and always there. Carrying something like this around would negate the spontaneity because you'd have to have the intention to shoot something ahead of time - so why would you want to use an iPhones really crappy camera when there are a lot better choices out there that are cheaper like a lot of the point and shoot cameras that do reasonably credible video and have better lenses etc. And stabilization in post works reasonably well.

Just my feeling FWIW

But it is kind of cute!

[Nigel Barker]

Apparently Tiffen produced a prototype as a humorous demo for a trade show & got so many requests to purchase one that they put it into production.

[Matt Buys]

Totally agree with above posts. I love it but currently it's impractical.

Having said that, in another few years isn't there a chance Iphone video will be so good even pro's won't need to haul around cameras but they will still need stabilization?

Merlin is moving in the right direction. I'm thinking of how I can retrofit my merlin. In the future I'm sure the bigger Steadicams will have an Iphone option.

[Jim Andrada]

Won't need an iPhone (sorry Steve Jobs!) because the whole system will be so small by then that it will be implantable in a 2mm hole in your forehead and will transfer the 24 hours of 4k video to your system over 10 TB/sec wireless.

Next firmware upgrade will include editing by thought so the fully edited and rendered final cut will be all ready by the time you get back from the shoot

Trust me!

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Apparently Tiffen produced a prototype as a humorous demo for a trade show & got so many requests to purchase one that they put it into production.

It happens: Drop The Knife, The Tauntaun Sleeping Bag Is Now Real

A colleague wanted to film something on an iPhone and whilst he could have done with the Steadicam for iPhone, I think the Zacuto iPhone Junior - Zgrip iPhone Jr. - Zacuto may actually be more helpful.

[Wayne Reimer]

I read something about the whole thing along the same lines; they'd planned for it to be a joke because of some other manufacturers actually marketing external mount lenses, etc.for the iphone. They were quite astounded that no one "got it", and people were asking they build them.

Business is business, I guess. I agree that it's cute, and probably works well enough, but for the same reasons others have pointed out...who in the HECK is going to lug something like that around just for the chance to take a cameraphone video?

I love gadgets, probably more than most, but that just seems silly to me

[Shaun Roemich]

So when is the PL lens adaptor foriPhone coming out? <tongue planted FIRMLY in cheek - I hope...>

[Jim Andrada]

I heard that Matthews will be making a special 375 pound tripod for the iPhone. Carbon fiber legs for light weight, filled with depleted Uranium for stability.

Also, heard that Tiffen may come out with a version of the Segway mounted Steadicam they had at NAB specially modified for the iPhone.

[Julian Frost]

I saw this at CES in January of this year and got to play with it. It was actually very impressive!

But, as others have said above, it's a little impractical for spontaneous camera phone video work. I think a version for the Go Pro series of cameras, however, could be very useful!

[Jim Andrada]

I think it would be great for the small micro4/3 cameras or even something like the Lumix/Leica. And a version that was tailored to the Canon 5D would be REALLY nice! Even with some restrictions on the lenses it would support (pun intended!)

[Sean Seah]

I tried it a few weeks back. It works well! Justy kinda funny that such a small phone has a stabilizer of that size! Its really not that much smaller compared to a merlin. I would mount GH2 on a merlin.

[Patrick Janka]

Director shoots first major movie solely with iPhone