Shoot smoother video like the pros with Steadicam Smoothee

By Ted Needleman January 12, 2013

Tiffen’s Steadicam is popular with film and professional videographers. The $60,000 camera mounting is worth every penny to those who rely on it to prevent jerky movement when shooting while in motion. If you’ve ever wondered how they get those smooth panning shots when you watch a movie, it’s by using a Steadicam.

The Smoothee is a Steadicam for the rest of us. It provides the same concept –a gimbaled stable platform for an iPhone, fourth-gen iPod Touch, and GoPro Hero, Hero 2, and Hero/iP4 devices. At CES 2013, they showed off the latest version for the iPhone 5. When mounted in a Steadicam Smoothee, the shakes that are common with shooting video on an iPhone are replaced by a smooth, professional-looking shooting experience. This is especially important when shooting high-definition video.

The Smoothee is built around a sturdy and durable metal frame and features an interchangeable camera mount so that it can be used with different camera options. A belt clip – to further anchor the setup – is included with each Smoothee system. Mounting is easy, and the frame provides a comfortable hand gripe to aim and guide the video device.

The Smoothee retails for $169 and additional camera/device mounts are $24.95 each. It’s definitely far more affordable and accessible than the $60,000 unit Steadicam sells to the pros. Also available is a $49.95 travel bag.

Editors' Recommendations

Blackmagic releases free pro-level app for shooting video on iPhone

Topics

Photography

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ted Needleman has been covering the world of technology for more than 30 years. Although his experience in reviewing products…

Mobile

The 6 best tablets for travel in 2024

The back of the iPad Air 5.

With the world opening up once again for tourists, you're going to want to buy a tablet to beat the boredom of long flights and waiting times. Not all models will be able to serve this purpose though, so to help you decide what to purchase, we've rounded up our recommendations for the best tablets for travel. We acknowledge that there are different types of travelers, so we picked devices that will cater to each of them, while considering a specific set of criteria when making our selections.

While you can also use your smartphone during your trips, the larger screen of tablets will help provide more amusing entertainment when you need it. The best tablets for travel will let you catch up on work, watch streaming shows, check social media, and whatever else you may think of doing while you're on the way to your destination, or while you're taking a break from all the sights and sounds. Read onward to figure out the best tablet for travel for you, then go ahead and purchase it so that the device will be ready and waiting for your next adventure.
The best tablets for travel in 2024

Mobile

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. Galaxy S22: Do you really need to upgrade?

Renders of the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S22 next to each other.

Your Samsung Galaxy S22 is now at least two years old. Are you thinking about upgrading your smartphone to the Galaxy S24? The newer processor, the introduction of Galaxy AI, fresh colors, and other upgrades can make it a tempting offer.

However, is it really worth the $800 price tag if you already have a Galaxy S22? Here's what you need to know before making a decision.
Samsung Galaxy S24 vs. Galaxy S22: specs

Computing

The most common Skype problems and how to fix them

best mac apps for small business skype

Skype is an excellent option for video chats with your friends and family or conducting a videoconference call with your colleagues. However, Skype is not without its bugs, hiccups, and issues that can make getting face-to-face with someone seem like an ordeal. To make things easier on everyone, we've compiled a selection of the most common Skype problems and how to fix them.
Video not working
If you can't get your camera to work or experience issues seeing other's connections, you might as well be using an actual telephone instead of Skype. Thankfully, these issues can usually be resolved with a bit of tinkering on your end, or they may just be service disruptions on Skype's end.

One of the more common problems that crop up is visual issues due to Skype not having access to your PC or phone's camera. For desktop users, open the Skype application and select the Three horizontal dots near the notification bell icon to access the Skype menu. Select Settings > Audio and video. If your picture fails to appear in the Skype camera preview window, you'll know there's a connection issue.