Hi guys,

I would like to get advice from you guys on stabilizers. I'm still doing surveys on the market for a good stabilizer.

So far what i find:

1. Glidecam
Everyone knows that Glidecam are awesome! But it is super expensive. Waaaay out of my budget.

2. Flycam
I have a mixed feelings about flycam. Personally i love flycam because it is cheap and i can afford one. But almost all the reviews and the test footage are from 2-3 years ago. So i dont know if there are any stabilizer that are better and offer the same price. The test footage that i watched mostly not so smooth so i dont know whether it is because of the stabilizer itself or it comes from the person handling the flycam. If there are any of you that are you using flycam, can you tell me more about it?

3. CAME
Not many reviews about them but most of the reviews are positive. The test footages are better than i've seen when people use flycam (for CAME-H4 and CAMe-150). The price are a bit higher than flycam but i dont mind the price. The only problem that i see is that i dont think there are people selling it in Malaysia, so i have to get it via ebay (seller from china). But im not that confident (scared obviously) to buy something with that price, online.


TL;DR - I want to buy CAME but too scared to buy it on ebay. Glidecam too expensive so Flycam are the only alternative, but i want to know more about the performance before i decide.


If you are using other brand of stabilizer, do share with me. I really need you advice and suggestion. My budget are around 600-800.

This post has been edited by SuCro: Feb 25 2015, 12:49 PM

From: Selangor, Malaysia

Please pay a visit to DGColor at Mutiara Kompleks, Jalan Ipoh. They have a good range of videography equipment.

my version of 3 axis motorized gimbal

I am using flycam. It does do a good job. Mostly I'll assume its the users fault that causes bad footage mainly because its not an easy tool to use. Balancing the thing is a pain, and it will take a while to learn. It is also recommended to use the widest focal length you got, in other words best used with an UWA lens!

Came H4 does look pretty good like a knock off the I-Footage stabilizer. Haven't tried them though and maybe the design is more solid and stable. China stabilizers look quite good, I've seen a wedding videographer using a Wondland.

Flycams are good to learn from because they are the cheapest. But eventually you will feel you want to upgrade it. The only reason I don't bother upgrading it is because I do realize I don't use it often enough.

Glidecam , been using mine for 6 years no issue , it may sound expensive but its worth every cent of my investment.. Probably the best investment for video cause it can replace simple jib and slider shots..

Flycam , threw it away in 2 weeks. It goes off balance too easily. Example, I remove the camera and lay it on the ground and it can go off balance , but the glidecam doesnt do that.
Other than that, if you want to save abit of money and keep rebalancing it, go for it.

just get a generic stabiliser from taobao,with enough practice,the audience cant really differentiate the footage from each other.u can get one for less than rm200.
With abit practice+wide enough lens+mayb VR/IS lens+cheapo generic stabiliser+post stabilisation=near steadicam performance.
personally using generic stabiliser,best bang for the buck.
one disadvantage of generic one is there is no carbon fibre,which mean its kinda heavy after u put ur dslr on it.imagine carrying a dumbell and shoot for whole day.hand get shaky for the 1st time usage,but once ur hand get used to it and ur 'little tikus' at ur hand grow,u can really run or even fly with ur cheapo stabiliser.

Hi.. Currently im using middle range stabilizer that similar to flycam too..
"Motion Pro"
Well couldnt denied that the glidecam is the best of all... no matter how u do still get the smooth balance even if u are newbie..
however for those cheap stuff from taobao.. eventhough it might look the same but then the stabilize quality often show and let u feel the cheapness from it.. ><"

conclusion.. pick anything suit ur budget...
practic more..
everything will get smooth.,..

bro just get from taobao the stabilizer and ull be fine for doing some awesome shoots

Hmm, are you firm on what kind of stabilizing effects you want? Glidecam style of stabilizing looks cool, but realize that it's a very unnatural/abstract/ god-like movement as if you're travelling through space.

If you want something much more natural, why not consider a shoulder rig. If you want easy, and practical, maybe an attached viewfinder with an image stabilization lens is enough.

For a full fledge film-maker, actually, you should get all of the above stabilizers to have the most options. So maybe invest in a cheap flyboy v3, a cheap rm200 shoulder rig/ custom DIY fig rig (also known as the steering wheel), DIY jib/dolly etc.

OR (this is what I do)
Put all ur money into an awesome tripod. Because, (if done correctly) A tripod can achieve glide-cam like movement with a bit of customization. Take 1 leg off and it's a dolly. a bit of tweaking and it can be customized to become a shoulder rig. Google some tripod tips and hacks and you'll be amazed with how much a simple tripod can do. not to mention the amount of space and convenience you'll save.

Even with all the tricks and hacks, a tripod cannot replace a glidecam/steadicam.
A tripod shoulder rig would be uncomfortable and will not support heavy cameras comfortably for a long time.

Sure, it may look "unnatural" but it looks good for several style of videography.

Yeah, i do agree that it fits some style of videography. At the end of the day, it's all about what kind of footages the buyer wants.
I apologize, but i assume that OP is on a tight budget, and presenting him/her some options to have versatility.
But if budget is not an issue....GLIDECAM ALL THE WAY!