When it comes to camera gear, stabilizers are one of the more exciting items to purchase, mostly because of how drastically they can improve the quality of your footage. However, there are going to be times when you won't have your stabilization gear by your side to keep your shots nice and smooth, and when those times come you'd better have a few tricks up your sleeve. Luckily, Aputure's Ted Sim shares six stabilization hacks that you can use when you're in a pinch. Check out the video below:


The stabilization solutions Sim talks about in the video are great for those who don't own any stabilizers, as well as those who do, but find themselves in a sticky situation without it. Here are his six tips:

  • The Pseudo Slider: Cut the fingers off of a glove and stick each one over the legs of a small tripod. The fingers will allow you to slide your tripod around smoothly on many different surfaces.
  • The Twine Tripod: Use a length of twine or shoelaces to create a makeshift tripod. (The video shows you how to pull it off.)
  • The Noble Neck: Put your camera strap to good use by draping it around your neck to create another point of contact.
  • The Eclectic Elbow: Cradling your camera in your elbow and holding it close to your body can make your shots much more stable.
  • Shoot in 4K: Being able to crop shaky footage and then stabilize it in post is definitely a great trick to know. (You're going to want to up the shutter speed to decrease motion blur, though.)
  • Shoot in slow motion: High speed footage can significantly slow down the shakiness, so if sound isn't important to the shot, you might want to consider shooting in slow motion.

What are some other stabilization hacks we should know about? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Aputure