The "Habbycam" is about $150 (www.habbycam.com),

and well-made, but it mounts the camera too high (ask

for a custom lower mount-hole, like the one they did for

me), or you will look UP at the eyepiece finder...;-) Also

it needs a hole at the rear lower end of the shoulder hoop

to attach a bungee cord to your belt to keep the thing

from popping off your shoulder. Add a side-handle, and

this works well (even if we do need to redesign this gear

for the manufacturers so it works right...! ;-)

On the Steadymove Pro - it is similar to what comes with

Premiere "7" ("Pro") - tell me MUCH more, if you would!

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com

"The Surge!" <surge672@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:b18c4e76.0404102331.5432baf3@posting.google.com...

> David,

>

> Thanks for your observations re: monopod's. Those are many of the

> same factors I wondered about myself, especially on a moving

> attraction or given a desire to do smooth pan movements.

>

> I've all but decided to try out the shoulder harness thing. As I said

> in another post, $500 is a bit much to spend on an experiment, but the

> promise of it is almost too tempting. I have no idea about the

> terminology of the gadget and the type of balancing systems that are

> good/bad/most movement & steadiness friendly, but hopefully the links

> PTravel and Dave have provided will help with my education!!

>

> Re: SteadyMove software... Isn't that what comes as a trial with

> Premiere Pro? I have used it and it does help some but it's limited.

> Maybe the full version is better. But I guess I'm of the mind that

> I'd rather get rid of the shake/unsteadiness at the source!

>

> Steve

> "David Ruether" <rpn1@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote in message

news:<Spwdc.4351$QQ6.3363@nwrdny02.gnilink.net>...

> > With "handy-cam" style camcorders I've tried shoulder mounts,

> > "gun-stock" mounts, side-handles, bottom handles, tripods,

> > monopods, belt-pods, and some combinations. Favorites for

> > "hand-held" work: side-handle for convenience, belt-pod or

> > shoulder mount for steadiness, and the combination for best

> > results (or a *good* tripod for ultimate steadiness, but with

> > the lowest convenience, of course...). Least-favorite: monopod

> > (shaky picture for me - worse than nothing since it also restricts

> > intended tilt movements without providing much advantage for

> > steadying those same movement directions, while providing

> > no side-rotation stability aid at all), and bottom-handle (all the

> > weight is above, making for little aid in stability). With light

> > cameras with the shoulder-mount, it is necessary to add rear

> > weight (undesirable) or bungee the rear to a belt (awkward)

> > to keep the rig from lifting off a shoulder, but this can work well.

> > The belt pod offers good stability in all directions, especially if

> > a side-handle is added to the camera. The side-handle alone

> > does help some, though. Gyro stabilizers made for still

> > cameras are too noisy and can introduce vibration, and other

> > stabilizing platform devices are too heavy and awkward to use.

> > Anyone tried Steadymove Pro software (www.steadymove.com)?

> > --

> > David Ruether

> > d_ruether@hotmail.com

> > http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com