Is this "stabilizer" any good for filming?

[Clarence Lohan]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1041948/1_image_stabilizer_for_any_camera_lose_the_tripod/

There is this DIY stabilizer made by a string tied to the camera and you hold the string with your foot. I built one and test it with a cheap camcorder but I am not sure if it does anything.
It interests me as a solution for guerrila film-making. I don't want to carry a tripod and attract to much attention, but I also want stable images.

 

[Jeff Anderson]

The string trick will help, especially with smaller cameras. Seems like kind of a pain to use though at least IMO. Have you considered a monopod instead?

 

[Clarence Lohan]

I'm interested in this stabilizer because you can also use it for whips, pans,and small travelling shots. What about if I use a piece of rubber instead of a string? Could that absorb even more bumps, shocks,etc?

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

Is this "stabilizer" any good for filming?

Do you have a spare $1 and 20 minutes to find out?

That was actually quite clever. I might try it out if I get bored one day.

It's less expensive to just skip the latte and stop tweaking out! That video intro was to much!

 

[Jeff Anderson]

Yeah like Ryan, just give it a whirl and see if it does what you want. Everything is a compromise so just see what works for you and your situation seeing as how its a rather cheap investment... If you want to try the rubberband way you might try some surgical tubing - most big hardware stores carry it I think.

 

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

I don't think rubber band will work. That is not the design of the tool. The string pulled taut gives the plane of movement. The smoothness is in the restraint. It's not about absorbing shock.


Remember when you used to draw a circle by taping a piece of string around your pen and to the center of the circle? Gently pulling at the strings maximum reach is what allowed the pen to move smoothly in a perfect circle. Same concept... kind of.