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Review on πŸ“· IFOOTAGE Aluminum Handheld Camera Stabilizer 20 inches Video Steadycam Stabilizer for DSLR Cameras and Camcorders – Up to 6.6 lbs Load Capacity by George Matthews

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Very diverse! on camera and photo

I had several stabilizers and had the opportunity to work with many others and I wanted to try this stabilizer. I work in the wedding industry and wanted something appropriate for travel and this helped smooth my shots. I love and currently use the Robin Axler and love its versatility and that it can stand alone like a mini monopod/tripod. So the ifootage Wild Cat III was the design I worked with and personally prefer to use (compared to the Glidecam design). The overall quality is great, the aluminum is nice and solid and I like the expandability feature as well as the locking mechanism on the bottom for moving. I looked at a few reviews and thought the footage was too choppy. But after loading it in the cage with my Gh5 I was pleasantly surprised to see that the gimbal runs much smoother than I expected and what I saw from the reviews. The real test will be when I take it on a trip next week to see if the footage is decent enough to use with my Sony (which has nothing close to a Panasonic ibis). I would not recommend it. This is suitable for any beginner - the learning curve for this type of gimbal is steep - and it takes a lot of know-how to actually balance and properly use this type of gimbal. However, I would recommend this to anyone who prefers the "floating" look of smoothness to the more "robotic" look of electronic gimbals. It's a personal preference to be honest - - I use mechanical gimbals for most of my wedding work and a 3 crane for my more corporate and business work (the environment is more controlled here than at a wedding where it's legal, to run and shoot - - even with a mechanical gimbal, you don't have to worry as much about the weather as you don't have to worry about batteries or electronics). So far so good, I've used it at 2 weddings and I'm starting to like it - - but the buggies are heavy! Even with the smaller Micro 4/3 camera. Because the middle can't extend as far as my axis, the weight is kept closer to the torso. The extra forearm extension support is pretty good and works well - it just limits my shooting style. This is great for longer days to relieve the fatigue you get from holding. You definitely need to train your forearms, biceps, back and grip strength when using this.

Pros
  • Worth the money
Cons
  • It's OK