We are giving the Monosteady a 1 star because a 0 star is not offered as an option.
We bought a Manfrotto MonoSteady stabilizer to use with a small video camera. We're pretty good at using video equipment, but the MonoSteady absolutely, categorically did not work. We studied the instruction sheet that came with it and followed instructions exactly as described, we watched Manfrotto's demonstration videos on YouTube (you'll notice they make it look SO easy, a caveman can do it - excuse the pun! ;) But in reality it was impossible to use. It never balanced no matter how many ways we tried to make it work.
We went back to the store we bought it from and asked the video experts there to help us figure out how to use it, but even THEY could not balance it. We took the MonoSteady to Italy and met some Italian videographers videotaping a festival and we figured - Hey, Manfrotto is an Italian company, maybe the Italians know how to use the MonoSteady! The entire group of pro videographers could NOT balance the MonoSteady no matter how hard they tried.
Figuring maybe we got a bad model, we bought another one. Yes, HUGE mistake. It did not work either. The biggest waste of $200+ ever!
It's such a colossal disappointment that we did not even attempt to sell the MonoSteadies...we could not in good conscience inflict Manfrotto MonoSteady on another unsuspecting victim. Manfrotto 585-1 ModoSteady 3-in-1 Camera/Camcorder Stabilizer and Support System
I checked the bad comments review of this product and they were right, it simply does not work. I bought it for my iphone, I prepared a base for it and "noway" it never stabilized, I did a better job with my hand. I do have many Manfrotto products, all of them are very good but this one as a stabilizer is a garbage. Do not make the same mistake as me.
Good luck
While this product may have some uses, the instructions which are very difficult to read and understand state that it is for use with camera's that are less than 1.6 lbs. This rules out my Canon 7d with any type of lens. The description on this site doesn't make any mention of this limitation.
The camera (weight) makes all the difference in getting this to work. I popped on a Sony DLSR (light), made some adjustments per the instructions and it worked fine. I went to use it with my Canon HV-30 with wide angle lens (HEAVY)and this thing would not work at all. Finally figured out it needed more counter weight which I added near the second joint and that did the trick.
.....for $90 they ALL suck.
However, when used as a shoulder mount or table pod, you've got yourself a useful tool. So They really shouldn't advertise this as a stabilizer, since a simple tripod held properly can do the same job, but with should rest works well, and can improve many peoples crappy videos.
I gave it 2 stars because it is good as a simple tripod & shoulder rest, but the third of its advertised functions (and the most important one) is practically useless. Getting it to balance correctly is very difficult because it doesn't offer enough adjustments. The camera I used was a Canon Vixia HF21, which is a regularly sized/weighted camera. Even with all of the adjustments set all the way, the camera would still lean to the side. When I tried using a smaller camera, I was finally able to balance it out, but the resulting video was still shaky and had more sway from side to side than if I were to hold the camera in my hands. Very disappointing; Manfrotto could have made a really good product out of this.
No, its not one of the fancy, expensive, gimbel models you'll find out there. For compactness, ease of use - once you've spent some time with it - and multi-function capability, it cannot be beat. The design is highly functional and the amount of options for set-up and use, make it a must have for those of us using a lightweight digital video camera. I am using it with a Flip Ultra HD, a wide angle conversion lens and Delkin eFilm pop-up sun shade. With practice, my results have been pretty amazing. After all, no one expects any of these items; alone or combined, to really produce professional results. What I am getting and able to put together using Premiere Elements is pretty good. Even my first effort at producing a video for the place at which I work surprised a lot of people and its genuinely really nice to look at. - Balance - Camcorder Accessories - Film Making - Camcorder'
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