{"id":10240,"date":"2013-07-23T12:42:53","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T17:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.johntedesco.net\/blog\/?p=10240"},"modified":"2024-12-26T08:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T13:07:36","slug":"review-of-the-steadytracker-ultralite-and-tips-from-its-inventor-rene-kropf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/2013\/07\/23\/review-of-the-steadytracker-ultralite-and-tips-from-its-inventor-rene-kropf\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite and tips from company owner Rene Kropf"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I have kids. Which means I own a video camera. Which means I chase my kids around with my video camera, trying to catch them in action. And the footage always looks shaky and horrible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I&#8217;ve read more than my fair share of reviews about stabilizers, Glidecams and Steadicams. They rely on gimbals and counterweights to produce smooth, dream-like shots. But they&#8217;re often expensive, and some customers complain it <a title=\"SteadyTracker vs. the Glidecam\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160218191528\/http:\/\/www.ppmag.com:80\/web-exclusives\/2012\/10\/right-stabilizer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">takes forever to balance these contraptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UiXUTkAiVf0\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 15 years ago, Rene Kropf and his colleagues were experiencing the same frustration as they worked in his garage trying to design a tool that could help stabilize shaky film footage for light cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We went down the same route of counterweights and all that,&#8221; Kropf told me. &#8220;And we saw that as a nightmare. It&#8217;s like, the sun went down and we still haven&#8217;t balanced it, so forget that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.johntedesco.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/IMG_7725.jpg\" alt=\"The SteadyTracker UltraLite doesn't rely on a gimbal\" class=\"wp-image-10533\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Kropf, the owner of <a title=\"Cobra Crane camera gear\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20171017091414\/http:\/\/www.cobracraneusa.com:80\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cobra Crane<\/a>, a camera gear company in California, abandoned the gimbal system altogether. Instead, he helped devised something called the SteadyTracker Ultralite, a crowbar-like device with two adjustable weighted ends and a balancing pad in the middle that rests on top of your hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recently bought the SteadyTracker UltraLite on Amazon. The SteadyTracker is touted as a simpler, inexpensive option compared to other stabilizers. I&#8217;ve been using it for a few weeks and produced some <a title=\"Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite\" href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/UiXUTkAiVf0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sample shots in this video review<\/a>. When I called Cobra Crane with a few questions about the SteadyTracker, I was surprised to get a call back from Kropf, the company&#8217;s owner. He offered insights and tips that aren&#8217;t in the instruction manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/2017\/05\/02\/review-why-my-sigma-17-70mm-dc-macro-lens-is-always-on-my-camera\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Why my trusty Sigma 17-70mm lens is always on my camera<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s relatively inexpensive,&#8221; Kropf said. &#8220;It&#8217;s pretty easy to use. And the biggest thing, the number one thing that people comment on, is it&#8217;s a super-quick set up, so you don&#8217;t miss shots.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the SteadyTracker, you attach your camera to a base plate on top. The plate can be adjusted back and forth and side to side. This <a title=\"How to balance the SteadyTracker\" href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/YpIPd82j7Tw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube video walks you through the process<\/a>. It takes about five to ten minutes. If you plan to always use the same camera, you never have to tinker with it again. You&#8217;re all set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SteadyTracker&#8217;s simplicity is both a benefit and a drawback. Without gimbals or counterweights to worry about, it&#8217;s quick to set up. But so far I haven&#8217;t been able to consistently achieve silky smooth shots. My videos were certainly smoother than what I&#8217;d be able to achieve going handheld. But side-to-side wobbling occasionally cropped up in my video clips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as a stabilizer, the SteadyTracker is OK. But as a versatile piece of equipment, it really shines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I took it to the birthday party of a friend&#8217;s daughter and was pleasantly surprised when I discovered I could use the SteadyTracker for a variety of shots. Its base is stable, so you can use it as a mini-tripod. Or you can hold it against your hip to steady your camera, like a monopod. Or use it for relatively smooth panning shots. Or hoist it on your shoulders to get overhead shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means you can bring your camera and your SteadyTracker to something like a party, a wedding or a news event and you pretty much have all your shots covered. The real benefit of the SteadyTracker is that it&#8217;s more than a stabilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another cool thing about the SteadyTracker is that you can buy a &#8220;low-mode&#8221; attachment that hangs from the bottom to give you low-angle shots. Not many stabilizers offer this feature. Your camera skims across the ground. It&#8217;s great for getting down to the level of kids or pets. This is one of the main selling points of the SteadyTracker in my book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One question I had was whether to use my camera&#8217;s image stabilization system. I had assumed that turning it on would help create smoother shots. But some manufacturers of other Steadicam-like products recommend deactivating it. Kropf said that in most cases, leaving it on will improve the SteadyTracker&#8217;s performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;In general, when you\u2019re walking with it, I would put the stabilizer on,&#8221; Kropf said. Try to use a wide-angle lens to get a panoramic effect and smoother shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instructions for the SteadyTracker UltraLite say it can handle cameras weighing up to three pounds. Cobra Crane also sells a SteadyTracker Xtreme that can handle cameras weighing up to eight pounds. But the UltraLite is a solid piece of gear &#8212; like I said, it feels like a crowbar. I asked Kropf if the three-pound limit was a hard-and-fast rule. He said it&#8217;s more of a rough guideline. If you&#8217;re over the limit by a bit but can still balance the SteadyTracker, you&#8217;ll be OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, the lighter the camera, the better. I used this with a <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2lUIXle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canon T3i<\/a>, a <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2lA59OK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wide-angle Sigma lens<\/a> and an <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2lUIQpz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">H1 Zoom external microphone<\/a> set up that weighed 3.5 pounds. It didn&#8217;t take long for my arm to feel the strain. Using it with the lighter <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2mus9De\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Panasonic FZ-150<\/a> was much easier and more enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The number\u2019s there as a guide,&#8221; Kropf said of the three-pound limit. &#8220;It&#8217;s not a super-hard number. But at the same time, if you&#8217;re at six pounds, maybe you&#8217;re not going to be as balanced as you could be.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What about the grip? Should you hold it loosely, tightly, or what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It varies,&#8221; Kropf said. &#8220;Most of the time, you wrap your hand around the fuselage. You wrap your fingers around it, but you don&#8217;t hold a tight grip. It&#8217;s sort of floating on the top of your hand. It&#8217;s a gentle touch, because this is all about that. It&#8217;s about gentle moves and smooth starts and stops. Gradual stuff.&#8221; The exception is when you&#8217;re tilting the SteadyTracker for shots such as <a title=\"Dutch angle camera shots\" href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dutch_angle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dutch angles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trick is reducing vibration produced by your hand, arm and body as you walk. Take small steps. The instructions suggest walking like Groucho Marx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The SteadyTracker does not come with a quick-release plate, which is a bummer. You have to screw the camera directly into the base plate. For about $45 I bought a <a title=\"Monopod head on Amazon\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2kAAl3Q&quot;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manfrotto monopod head<\/a> with its own quick-release plate and screwed it to the SteadyTracker&#8217;s base plate so I could quickly attach and remove my camera. The nice thing about this particular model is I can adjust its angle and tilt the camera up and down. It would have been nice if the SteadyTracker came with this option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, I liked the SteadyTracker&#8217;s versatility and I see its potential to help people like multimedia journalists who show up at a scene without knowing what to expect. Maybe a situation will call for following somebody through a crowd. Or filming the subject of a video from an overhead angle. Or a low-angle view. The SteadyTracker can handle all those situations. &#8220;It&#8217;s versatile,&#8221; Kropf said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the SteadyTracker is a useful tool for on-the-go videographers who film events &#8212; and chase their rambunctious kids around with a camera when they get home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Update: This post was revised to reflect the fact that there are two versions of the SteadyTracker. The larger version was invented before Kropf helped develop the SteadyTracker Ultralite.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Sometimes I blog about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.johntedesco.net\/blog\/category\/reviews\/\" target=\"_target\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stuff that helps journalists<\/a>. I pay for all the products I review on my blog. To help defray those costs, I use Google ads and Amazon&#8217;s affiliate advertising program, which provides a way for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon.com. There&#8217;s no extra cost to you, and I&#8217;ll never link to stuff I don&#8217;t like or try to make you buy something that sucks. These reviews are my honest opinions. Thanks for reading.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br><!-- Responsive ad for bottom of posts --><br><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-0751734391110968\" data-ad-slot=\"9687279818\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br><script><br \/>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<br \/>\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have kids. Which means I own a video camera. Which means I chase my kids around with my video camera, trying to catch them in action. And the footage always looks shaky and horrible. So I&#8217;ve read more than my fair share of reviews about stabilizers, Glidecams and Steadicams. They rely on gimbals and &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite and tips from company owner Rene Kropf\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/johntedesco.net\/blog\/2013\/07\/23\/review-of-the-steadytracker-ultralite-and-tips-from-its-inventor-rene-kropf\/#more-10240\" aria-label=\"Read more about Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite and tips from company owner Rene Kropf\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3639,5,744],"tags":[3641,255,722,374,688,745,687,580],"class_list":["post-10240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","category-journalism","category-reviews","tag-gear","tag-interviews","tag-journalism","tag-online-videos","tag-product-review","tag-reviews","tag-steadytracker","tag-video","infinite-scroll-item","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite and tips from company owner Rene Kropf | John Tedesco<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The SteadyTracker is touted as a simpler, inexpensive option compared to other camera stabilizers and glidecams. 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