Fig Rig?

Has anyone had experience using this device called a "Fig Rig"
It looks like a steering wheel that has a mount for the camera and other accessories. I'm not really grasping the difference between just holding the camera with your hands, and holding the sides of this wheel? The makers say it stabilzes the camera and gives you freedom to get unrestricted shots. What's your take on it?
 
basically the fig rig works only because the movements of your hands are spread out, rather than every movement being absorbed by the camera itself. The wheel shape has no significance. I made a fig rig-like device a few weekends ago, and it works very well for it only costing a few dollars to make.

Basically any design that has handles that are spread out away from the camera will give you the same steadiness as the fig rig.
 
dj, I still don't understand the theory...it seems counterintuitive. Generally you'd have less fine motor control when your arms are spread out. That's why you thread a needle with your arms near your body, not stretched out. It also seems there's nothing absorbing movements -- they gotta go somewhere, right?
 
I've used it and it works pretty well. I also built one similar, but not circular, It's really simple to build but it works because the way your body position is in relation to the camera, you're more relaxed then trying to hold the camera up in the air. I don't know about the price.. It's a bit high .
 
powerdog said:
dj, I still don't understand the theory...it seems counterintuitive. Generally you'd have less fine motor control when your arms are spread out. That's why you thread a needle with your arms near your body, not stretched out. It also seems there's nothing absorbing movements -- they gotta go somewhere, right?

OK, bring your fists close together in front of you. Now move one fist half way down the other - you will have created an angle between them of about 45 degrees. Now spread your fists 18 inches apart and perform the same exercise. The angle created will be much, much less, perhaps only 5 degrees. Does this demonstrate to you how far less motion is transfered to the camera with the FigRig through hand 'jitter' than without?
 
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