Balance steadycam - how it works

Smooth camera movements are usually only possible with a steady cam. But balancing them properly is an art. We'll show you how to balance the steadycam or your tripod.

Steadycam: The best tips for balancing

1. Attach the handle of the Steady to a table (or similar) so that you have both hands free. For many models, the handle is hollow on the inside and can be stuck on a pole.
2. Set up the camera roughly and fix it. Make sure that the Steadycam does not touch anything else and cannot swing freely. Fix the camera.
3. Also make sure that the correct number of weights are attached to the Steadycam. Depending on the type of steady cam, the weights must weigh about half as much as the camera with lens.
4. Now adjust the Steadycam exactly using the attached screws.
5. Note that zooming the camera changes the weight shift. You will then have to rebalance the Steadycam again.

• Finally run the drop test.

Balanced? The drop test

You can use the drop test to determine whether the Steadycam settings are suitable. You should do this at least when setting and repeat once in between if possible.

1. Bring the ready Steadycam into a horizontal position.
2. Let the Steadycam swing back into the vertical position. However, this will continue to vibrate. Measure the time the camera takes for a semicircle around the handle. This should be about two seconds, if the camera swings too fast, you have to move the weights further towards the camera.
3. If the camera rotates around the handle while swinging, you must also adjust the position of the camera

If a steadycam is too expensive for you, a good tripod can help. You can find the best tripods at CHIP purchase advice.