Hague DMC stabilizer

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ShadowDK,

I have the mmc for my sd90 along with the adapted for the added weight. I love it! It's great for steadicam shots or just a static shot. I use it 99% of the time while filming everyday stuff to close ups. Worth the money

Ken

Ya I know what you mean. Fortunately, for me my brother had one before I ordered mine. I researched a bunch of clips on Youtube which helped a lot too. Have you tried that?

I've never had it fall off. I'm pretty rough on my stuff too. The handle has a ball joint that clicks into a socket. Its very secure and free moving. I find I get too much movement so I use a thin coating of suranwrap (sp?) over it which works great. Obviously the more time you spend with it the better you will get

I have a different Hague stabilizer, for camcorders-- mine's more of a curved piece of metal. I've had good results with it.

Generally, these stabilizers gain most of their stability by keeping your camera _level_. One of the stresses in handheld shots is trying to hold your camera level, which means you're using your wrists a lot. The gimballed handle of these stabilizers takes a lot of that stress away.

And just keeping the camera _level_ has a profound effect. A real Steadicam also smooths out the shocks you get when you're walking or running. You'd need that arm to accomplish that. But you'll find that just keeping the camera level makes shots _very_ smooth. So you'll see a big improvement on your moving camerawork.

There are some trade-offs.

1) The camera's basically balancing on a gimbal or ball joint. So adjusting the camera during a shot is very difficult: it's best to find your settings and focus entirely on the movement during the shot.

2) The gimbal swivels as well, so you'll find that panning and aiming the camera can be a problem. Say you're facing north, and you pan to the east: the camera may simply remain pointing north, as it twists on the gimbal. I've fixed this by making a small wire loop that keeps the camera aimed where my arm is pointing, but which leaves the camera free to tilt (or not-tilt in this case).

3) Calibrating the unit isn't as much of a problem as you'd expect. Spirit levels are very helpful, tho.

Well, I have a cheaper Hague stabilizer, which you can see at http://www.b-hague.co.uk/hague_mini_...stabilizer.htm.

It doesn't have a small wheel above the handle: fact is, the handle has a ball on its top, and the stabilizer has a socket underneath which rests over the ball. Panning doesn't mean that the camera will pan with you.

So I cut a U-shaped piece of wire that holds the camera in line with my hand and wrist. If I can, the camera pans, but stays level because it can tilt freely.

Shadow,

Yes I put the wrap over the ball (gimble) I have more control with it.
I experimented with how many layers of wrap vs other materials (wax paper, reg paper, etc.

I ordered from the uk store.
Shipping was like 50 dollArs or so but they are very fast. After I placed my order I got it in less than 3 days