I do a lot of home video recording of my 2 year old daughter. I realized running after her and circling around to get a nice shot was causing a lot of shakes in the video which is pretty annoying once you watch your clips on your computer. So I started looking for a cheap and easy to use camera stabilizer but all the stuff I was finding were expensive and/or really big and odd in shape. I found a Cam Caddie review on someone's blog which was raving this little tool so I ordered one.After using Cam Caddie for a few hours, I find it easy to use but it doesn't do an excellent job of stabilizing the camera. It's been more comfortable recording my daughter run around the house with my camera attached to Cam Caddie because it allows you to handle and rotate the camera much much easily. In that sense I love Cam Caddie. When it came to stabilizing the camera, I could still see my hand shakes in the video clips but it's not as bad as before. I think Cam Caddie is too light to be able to provide good stabilization. It really feels like it needs to have some weight discs attached to the bottom. I'm planning to find a way to do this which I think will improve camera stabilization.
Installation was pretty easy; you place your camcorder as shown in product images here and then attach the camcorder to Cam Caddie using the provided screw. The installation took me maybe 30 secs or less.
I think I read this in another review and I agree that depending on your brand/mode of camcorder, Cam Caddie's base will block your battery if you need to remove it to charge or replace it with another one. For me this is not a big issue really because I can always unscrew the whole thing in seconds.I've always wanted a handle like this for filming skateboarding with my friends, I have a regular consumer 3ccd video camera and all the serious filmers use the prosumer cameras with handles on them, it really does allow you to be a lot more stable than holding the video camera with your hand wrapped around it. I bought this one at a skate shop for like 70 bucks, and I see i got ripped off by that skate shop.
But regardless, it has definitely made it easier for filming. The design is pretty decent, sometimes the screw that hold the camera in place is tough to put on but it is held very well, the camera doesn't budge, I can film with the little side screen open. Only thing is with my camcorder the battery release is on the underside and the battery pulls down so I can't switch batteries without unscrewing the camera from the caddie. Overall a great product I think.The product itself is very durable for the price compared to the Opteka X-Grip. At first I thought the handle was completely made of hard plastic, but it turns out the part where you hold the Cam Caddie has a rubbery material very good and comfortable for holding. It's also very good with keeping attachments in place.
Stability: If you are using a DSLR (I use the Canon T3i), you're going to need to buy more accessories besides the Cam Caddie Scorpion itself. It's going to be very shaky if held by one hand, and still a little bit weird when you hold it with two. If you're going to buy this for a DSLR, buy the Cold Shoe Attachment too (it's the green thing. But if you're using any other light weight video cameras, this should do pretty fine.
I found myself filming more stable footage without the Cam Caddie than with the Cam Caddie.
If you're using this for skateboarding, you're going to have to buy the Cold Shoe Attachment.
If you really need a handle, this is the product to buy (and the attachments of course.)
This is a great entry-level handle for new camera users. A satisfactory product.
I'm giving this 4 stars because it requires you to buy the Cold Shoe Attachment to improve the stability for DSLRs.
Read Best Reviews of Cam Caddie Scorpion Here
first off received caddie in record time after placing the order. I just finished filming a golf tournment last weekend. I did several low angle shots of the crowd. I am using a canon camcorder. The caddie is very easy to use, well balanced and sure saves the back as I didnt have to be bending over or stooping down for shots. Gives your films a new prospective. I would recomend the caddie to anyone who likes making , say home movies of the kids, pets, ect.Want Cam Caddie Scorpion Discount?
I've long ago given up saying, "I wish I had thought of that". But I'm tempted this time. Having young grandkids is my main reason for this purchase. No longer do I need to video them from 6 feet off the ground. They don't see life from that perspective, so it makes sense not to record them that way. There are other good effects made possible by this gizmo, too. Shooting objects, both animate and inanimate, from low angles makes them appear larger, an effect used frequently in films.The Cam Caddie Stabilizer is made mostly of a tough plastic material with a very nice rubber-like cover on the under-side of the handle. It has plenty of holes in the platform base making balancing the camcorder pretty much a sure thing. The added weight of Cam Caddie is almost negligible, even after adding a LANC controller to the handle to make camera control more convenient.
Every upside seems to have a downside, and in this case, that would be the price. Supply and demand, I suppose. But it's a great video accessory for the smaller sized camcorders, and could very well be worth the cost to many people. It was to me.CAM CADDIE CAMERA STABILIZEReBenk Universal LANC Zoom Remote Handle for Tripods


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