In this article you will learn what our team think is the best dslr stabilizer under $100. Last week we received an email from one of our loyal readers. Her name was Nicole. She is attending college and aspiring to be a filmmaker, but she is dealing with a limited student budget.
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Her question is: “Are there any good DSLR camera stabilizers under $100 that we might be able to recommend?”
That really delighted me, seeing that Nicole was perusing her passion of filmmaking. Especially since that is something that I also enjoy doing. I really wanted to help her out and have received similar questions in the past and desire to use my knowledge in order to help everyone out. So I decided to write this actual article on our top 5 steadicam choices under a hundred bucks and give our recommendations for buying one on a shoestring budget.
Question?
Are you a newbie filmmaker or content creator that has dreams of making it big on YouTube? If that’s the case, then the quality of your videos has to be top-notch before you unleash your masterpiece to the world for all to see! You have worked your face off non-stop writing scripts, drawing storyboards and you’ve spent all your hard earned cash on almost everything you need to produce your first blockbuster hit. You’ve reached this critical point, and have discovered there is one thing missing?
THE ANSWER
If you guessed you forgot to purchase a steadicam for that action scene where you jump out of the window of a burning building while catching a bullet in your teeth – all while saving the world from total destruction then you’re RIGHT! So me being the true understanding gent with a passion for helping my fellow video content creators that I am, I decided to write this article to save you from getting crushed by your foes by giving you the edge on stepping up your gear. In this post, I am going to give you game on which steadicam to buy on a budget so you can crush it and go viral in this video creation industry we live in.
Now if your budget is already blown because you kicked out a whopping amount of cashola on a Canon EOS Rebel T6 or the Panasonic HC- VX981K then don’t fear because your friends at Best Steadicam got your back! Yes that’s right, and since you are balling on a budget; which was my inspiration for writing this very article is to find you the stabilizer that will take you to the next level. So with all that said – let’s do this!
- OFFICIAL ROXANT PRO
The Roxant Pro is first on our list and also one of our favorite picks for giving you the most bang for your buck! First off don’t get the low price confused because we were pleasantly surprised at how well this steadicam performed in an actual video shoot. This stabilizer seems pretty high-quality considering its low price point. When it comes to getting it ready for action actually that’s roughly 15 to 20 minutes to set up and balance it properly; which is a thumbs-up with our team!
The OFFICIAL ROXANT PRO handled above expectation on our rough Terrain test while shooting moving objects on-the-fly at all angles with amazing accuracy and smoothness. This proved that this is definitely a Powerhouse to be reckoned with! This stabilizer supports up to 2.1 lbs and was extremely comfortable in the hand while shooting over a half an hour of footage. It was very effective in testing DSLR cameras, GoPros, Smartphone’s and fared well under all conditions of use with these devices effortlessly! So if you’re a skateboarder, Surfer or shooting that next intense action scene for your next big upcoming video shoot, trust us this is definitely a high recommendation from us to get the job done right and stay on a budget.
- Cam Caddie Scorpion EX
Next on our list is the Cam Caddie Scorpion FX; which totally proves that big things come in small packages! If you’re looking to step your game up as a videographer then this my friend is definitely the addition to your arsenal of devices that will take you to the next level of AWESOME! It doesn’t matter if you are filming with an iPhone, DSLR or GoPro because this device will make your action shots look like they are part of a big budget mega project!
We were pleasantly surprised that this steadicam came with a shoe mount adapter. This comes in handy when shooting in dark-lit areas that otherwise would require a much more extravagant lighting setup. You can also use that the attachment for a Rode mic setup if you wanted to enhance the audio quality when filming your actors. The test team found this very useful and was surprised that this was included with the cam caddie scorpion EX at such a low price point. The Scorpion also felt secure in our hands with the rubberized grip while shooting action footage in very challenging angles. One of the standout features that also got our attention is that it came with a cheese plate that makes it mountable to a tripod. So with all this said we’re giving it a definite four out of five for steadicams under $100 and a huge thumbs up!
- SUTEFOTO S40 PRO
Moving right along to the middle of our budget of $100 let’s take a look at the Sutefoto S40 PRO for our next pick. Now, this steadicam was absolutely fun to use and shoot with. The actual frame of this device is constructed of metal with a high quality build and an extremely secure foam grip that felt completely snug in our hands.
The weight felt great and was completely well-balanced; which was definitely a plus for a Steadicam at this price point. This device also is very adjustable with a telescoping Pole that gives you the edge at positioning this unit for your liking and custom adjustment. Another additional feature we liked was the quick release plate that was totally adjustable and fit snug on the devices that we tested the Sutefoto S40 PRO with.
I would like to make a side note that we also did love the size of this device; which made it portable and easy to fit snugly in the average backpack for travel. The conclusion is at this price point for this device, we highly recommend you taking a look at the Sutefoto. I would say this is worth consideration for not blowing your budget and getting the most bang for your buck.
- NEEWER 27 HANDHELD STABILIZER
Next we will take another look at the Neewer 27; which we did review earlier on the site and you could take a look at that earlier review RIGHT HERE
But for now, we will dig a little deeper into why we suggested you take this steadycam into consideration and why it should be a nice addition to your gear and right on budget for under $100.
Now, this 27-inch carbon fiber glidecam is nothing to sleep on and in a second you will understand why we would make such a bold statement. This steadycam features a 3 x gimbal with a super good feeling foam grip that felt secure and kept the camera in place on our action shots while we were testing this device. One of the disappointments that we experienced with this unit was it did not come with a quick release plate. But a simple solution to this problem would be to just purchase your own found online for around $20 so it still wasn’t a deal-breaker for keeping in our budget. We also appreciated how the adjustable counterweights on this device were very easy to adjust. We also suggest that you try playing with the telescoping Pole to better balance your Steadicam when switching devices and with the Neewer 27, we found it was quick and easy to do. We gave this one a 5 out of 5 and were highly impressed with the quality and build of this steadicam.
- POLARIOD STEADY STABILIZER
Last, but definitely not least, is the Polaroid Steady Stabilizer; which totally caught us by surprise. This handy Steadicam is not only lightweight, but made with aluminum construction that gives it a very light but surprisingly strong frame to work with. Not only that, but it supports up to 2.5 pounds which definitely for the small frame still delivers a huge advantage over devices twice it’s size range.
This steadycam also comes with a split level and thumb stabilizer and also features a comfort grip foam handle; which definitely felt snug in my hand. It also features a super unique gimbal system for ultra smooth and super accurate motion, so I’m sure you can understand why we included this one as the best DSLR steadicam stabilizers under $100.
