Back in 2015, a Kickstarter campaign appeared for a curious plastic box that attaches to your camera’s hot shoe and allows you to stabilize footage in post so successfully that it replicates the feel of a gimbal. How good is the SteadXP, and could it replace your DJI Ronin?
Tyler Stalman has put together a short video that examines how remarkably effective the SteadXP can be when stabilizing footage but also reveals that it comes with a long list of caveats. It could replace a gimbal in some circumstances, but not without complications.
More than 2,000 backers paid almost $600,000 to help bring the SteadXP to market, easily exceeding its goal of €150,000 ($177,000), but also attracting some negative comments about rewards not shipping and units not working — not to mention the fact that after the initial product designed for GoPro cameras was funded, newer GoPro cameras then made the technology redundant.
This “plug and play video stabilizer” can also remove the effects of rolling shutter, producing some impressive results. The manufacturer is based in Grenoble, France (hence the beautiful mountains in the backgrounds of all of its example videos), and the device is available to purchase from its website for €350, which, at present, works out at a little over $400.
If you’re interested to see how the post-production process works, you can download sample footage, corresponding SteadXP device data, and the SteadXP stabilizing software from the website.
Would you use this device instead of a gimbal? Let us know in the comments below.
If you are plugging the device into the audio input on the camera, how do you record regular audio in sync with the camera video?
Once built in gyro data becomes more common, this device is obsolete...e.g. sony A7c has built in gyro recording and can do the same thing...
I was curious so I did quick and dirty side by side comparison using one of their demo footage.
Original no stabilization vs Davinci Resolve Stabilize
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zijOeR_RPs
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SteadXP vs Davinci Resolve Stabilize
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsLINhGxTTA
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Note: The Davinci Resolve Stabilize clips Strength were reduced to around .72xxx instead 1.0 due to jello effect.
No doubt gurostab will become more common in years to come, even in low-end cameras, and will be a big help to most hobbyist doing videos of their holidays and kids, there are still place for a gimbal. Two overlooked aspects where a gimbal is still better than gyrostab, is "gimbal movement" and "no crop factor".