Video Stabilizers & Supports
Unless it’s the style you’re going for, shaky camera footage can look amateurish at best and unwatchable at worst. Most cameras have minimal, if any, built-in image stabilization. What you need for the smoothest, most professional-looking footage is a video stabilizer, from brands like DJI, Smallrig, or Tilta.
Video stabilizers come in a variety of forms, including handheld gimbals, wheeled dollies, and motorized sliders. All can give you that smooth, cinematic look.
Do you need a video stabilizer?
While some directors, such as Michael Bay and Paul Greengrass, like a shaky camera and use it as part of their style, most videos don’t need it. In fact, jittery footage can make a project look rough. A tripod can reduce jerkiness, but it limits camera movement. If you want your shot to follow someone, or move at all, you’ll need some sort of video stabilizer.
Handheld, dolly, or slider?
The three main types of video stabilizers are dollys, sliders, and handheld options like gimbals. Each has a specific use.
Gimbals
For smaller cameras, up to and including DSLRs, handheld gimbals provide a surprising level of stabilization. They counteract the movements of your arm so the video appears smooth and not jerky. They’re not perfect, since they can’t instantly counteract all movements, but they generally work well.
Dollies
A dolly is basically another name for a cart. These wheeled platforms are even smoother than gimbals, at least on flat surfaces. They’re also a better option for heavier cameras. They work well if you need to follow a subject over a longer distance, where the varying speed of a cameraperson’s movement might be noticeable.
Sliders
A slider is like a motorized version of a dolly, but typically far smaller. These are ideal for smaller, more subtle camera movements. Because they’re motorized, their movements are perfectly repeatable, which is ideal for multiple takes.
What about cranes and jibs?
For a wider variety of movement, especially for bigger, more elaborate productions, cranes and jibs offer smooth camera movement in three dimensions. These have an arm that holds the camera at one end and weights at the other.
Cranes and jibs counterbalance, too, making the camera effectively “weightless.” Some inexpensive options for smaller cameras have short weighted arms. Bigger cameras and longer reach demands stronger, larger cranes and jibs.
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