My fix for shaky footage without a gimbal

I was on a budget and couldn't afford a steadycam for run and gun shoots. Instead of buying gear, I practiced holding the camera with both hands and using my body as a stabilizer. I keep my elbows tight and move smoothly from the hips. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done for most situations. Now I can shoot steady scenes without extra equipment. This skill saved me money and helped me be more versatile. If you rely on gear too much, you'll panic when it fails. Learn the basics first, then add tools later.

4 comments

4 Comments

dakotayoung9h ago

Relying on body stabilization falls apart with any real movement or long takes. Your hands will shake after a while no matter how tight you hold your elbows. Good gear like a gimbal gives you smooth motion that just isn't possible with practice alone. Skipping tools might save cash but it costs you in quality and consistency.

ninaw238h ago

Totally, @dakotayoung nails it. Try holding a shot while backing up or going downstairs, your body just can't stay that smooth. Even pros use stabilizers for basic moves because consistency matters in editing. Why waste time fixing shaky clips when you can get it right in camera? Gear isn't a cheat, it's what lets you focus on the creative stuff instead of fighting your own limits.

stellamoore6h ago

I was at this local coffee shop yesterday and saw three different people filming their drinks with phone gimbals. It's the same thing with learning guitar, everyone wants the fancy pedalboard before they can even play a basic chord change smoothly. The camera post reminds me that we often skip straight to buying tools to solve problems that practice would fix cheaper and better. It creates a weird cycle where your skills never actually grow because you're always leaning on the next gadget.

faithshah6h ago

Last week in a film workshop, over a third of newcomers had gimbals but couldn't frame a simple scene. I guess @stellamoore is onto something, because idk, practice with basics builds intuition that gadgets can't replace. Maybe it's just me but that cycle means your work stays technically clean but creatively empty.