SteadyWheel, the new portable camera stabiliser

Unless you are shooting a cheap horror film, people don't like juddery hand held video footage. The Steadicam Smoothee is one of the most highly regarded systems to negate this problem, using a counter weighted arm which protrudes out below the camera. Robert Stone has came up with something much more simple however – the SteadyWheel.

This device looks like a steering wheel out of a futuristic sports car however it has a mounting point for the camera which is located on a beam which goes from one side to the other. There are a series of stainless steel weights embedded around the outside of the wheel which shifts the mass outwards. By doing so, the wheel's moment of inertia is increased and it becomes more resistant to rotational acceleration.

It weighs 726 grams, meaning it is still fully portable. The SteadyWheel also acts as a ‘Fig Rig', allowing the user to get a wide, stable grip on the camera and able to get in twisting movements into their shots with relative ease.

Creator Robert Stone is working via KickStarter to raise enough funds to get production underway. If you pledge $50 you will get a SteadyWheel of your own, if they are ready to go at some stage. At time of press Stone is not meeting his goal, raising only $4,000 of a $27,000 goal with 24 days to go.

Kitguru says: This could be genuinely useful to film makers on a tight budget.

Become a Patron!