Been out in the French Alps this Winter testing out the Nikon D7000 with a new mount, the Opteka XGRIP-XL for DSLRs:
Feel:
Although not the most versatile stabiliser I've ever used, the Opteka's advantages are the rigid, U-shaped structure that is brilliant for filming sports in particular. If you're following a skier or skateboarder for instance, you can grip with one or two hands and point it easily at your subject.
Quality:
Thanks to it's moulded plastic material, it's lighter than it looks which is a plus for carrying but I noticed it had a little too much flex for my Nikon. The plastic 'feet' on the bottom also snapped off quite easily but they aren't crucial.
Stabilisation:
The frame doesn't do much to increase stability apart from allowing you to bolt the camera down to the grip and use your own frame to keep the tracking smooth. I found it fine for filming skiing but for other, more bumpy sports it wouldn't be great.
Value:
It's pretty darn cheap so the value is amazing for what you get, I paid about £20 for it.
Here's a video taken with it without any stabilisation added:
Labels: camera, d7000, dslr, film, filming, fisheye, mount, nikon, opteka, outdoor, rig, rokinon, ski, sport, stabiliser, stabilizer, stable, test, video
