CHEAP Camera Stabilizer!

[Sonny]

Easy Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Photography Trick - YouTube

Easy Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Photography Trick - YouTube

[Buddha]

What a great idea! I could use one of those, but I think I am going to modify mine. Once you have a bolt in the tripod hole, you could put a looped string on it, then tighten it and turn the bolt in. The other end could have a big loop to put your foot into. I think that would be more stable for me.
What a great idea for when a tripod is a PITA.

[DougC]

This has been floating around the net for several years. There's even a commercial version out there for sale as well.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by DougC

This has been floating around the net for several years. There's even a commercial version out there for sale as well.

Yes Doug it has been around for many years but it's always nice to repost stuff like this for newer members that haven't seen it.

[Buddha]

Thinking back about this, I used to use a camera strap as a stabilizer. It takes a slim strap, like the ones which come with the camera, not the wide accessory ones.. I would put my right arm through it like a hasty sling on a rifle. Adjusted tightly, I could shoot as slow as 1/15 sec with no shake. If I needed to, I could shoot one handed. The nice thing about this is that it works in any position or with a vertical camera, not just standing up.
I need to give that a try again.

[PhotoDen]

Great video and definitely an economical solution.

I bought the SteadePod camera stabilizer a while back and kept in my bag, thinking some day it might come in handy. A few weeks back I went to do a shoot at a governor's palace. As we were walking in the head of security informed me no tripods and no exceptions. The SteadePod came in real handy, especially for interior shots.

They've got it at the Pixtus Amazon store: Pixtus.com: Photography: SteadePod Camera Stabilizer for Still or Video Cameras

It's a little noisy unwinding and winding up but is very handy and adjustable to different heights, one advantage over a fixed length system.
Dennis

[jeeper]

If you use quick release plates, they usually have a d-ring on the bottom of them. All you would need in that case is a string...

[TxTowman]

I use a dog leash.

[larrycumba]

Your shoes will start to stink.