Manfrotto 585 ModoSteady 3-in-1 Camera/Camcorder Stabilizer and Support System

by Manfrotto

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00103BRMQ
• Item model number: 585
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #96 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Batteries & Chargers > Adapters
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Bogen Manfrotto MODOSTEADY: a unique innovative-designed, ergonomic, multifunction stabilisation system for lightweight camcorders. A "three-in-one" product: 1. A shoulder support. its bi-injected foot can be used as shoulder pod, so that the MODOSTEADY becomes an extension of the body. 2. A camcorder counterbalancing stabilizer, the counterbalancing stabilizer needs to be set in order to find the proper counterbalance position and weight, considering the weight and the centre of gravity of the camcorder. When balanced it is a very useful camcoder stabilizer, which improves a lot the quality the image when shot in movement. 3. Table Tripod: folding the extension arm, the bi-injected handle can be opened and MODOSTEADY becomes a table tripod, useful also for still-pictures. The Modosteady concept was invented by the design company Sapio and developed by Bogen Manfrotto.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

189 of 190 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Innovative, but definitely NOT a steadicam. Manfrotto ModoSteady vs. Hague MMC, January 16, 2010

By 

Kiyo M. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manfrotto 585 ModoSteady 3-in-1 Camera/Camcorder Stabilizer and Support System (Electronics)

Length:: 4:14 Mins

I've had this for about an year now. Before purchasing this, I tried to look for actual footage of this product being used as a stabilizer; all I could find videos from Manfrotto were actors just holding the ModoSteady, chasing each other around and acting like they were having a good time -- but they NEVER showed the actual results of what they shot. I can see why they avoided advertising that part now.

In the "steadicam mode", you DEFINITELY will NOT get a smooth gliding feel. Unless you're moving like a slug, the ball/handle will hit against the corner and cause undesired jittering. (see the beginning of my video). Yes, your mileage will also vary depending on who's operating, the size of the camera, and how well the optical stabilizer itself is on the camera. HOWEVER, I also own the Hague Mini-Motion Cam (the price is actually the same; however, the shipping charges can add to the total, if you buy directly from them, since Hague is based in England), and I shot videos using both stabilizers with the same camera/condition. The result with the ModoSteady is quite disappointing.

With the Hague MMC, you will actually get a really smooth gliding result with it! Although Hague has limitations of its own, not as compact/portable, and looks more like it was made in a garage, the results are far more impressive. Watch the video for comparison. You will see the difference. I also used a stabilization plugin filter of the jittery ModoSteady footage, to actually make it look smooth (how ironic), but the Hague can actually produce that smoothness without relying on post digital editing.

Like any other product, the more features or extras that a product has/throws in, the less impressive it usually is compared to a primary focused one; that should usually be a given. Although the ModoSteady is a 3-in-1 product, it is basically a watered-down version of everything.

* The shoulder support extends quite a bit, so it can actually end up causing more fatigue on your arms. I find it less tiring not extending it all the way (see my video at around 2:49). However, the shoulder support is probably the most conventional out of the three modes.
* There is only one lock for the table tripod, so it can be difficult to get one desired pan or tilt movement, since the tension cannot be adjusted individually.
* For the "steadicam mode", if your camera is front-heavy, the front-tuning "leg" needs to be moved back more (since there is no adjustment for the camera mount itself to move foward/back; however, the mount can be adjusted to move left and right), which can cause less room for your hand and end up hitting against it.

Pros:
+ Very innovative idea (gets extra points for that)
+ Portability! It folds up really compact to carry in any bag.
+ Quick Release (well, sort of... you still have to unscrew)
+ Number scale marking for making steadicam tuning adjustments.
+ Made in Slovakia/Europe - Good construction build quality, despite plastic elements (definitely looks better than the Hague - too bad the steadicam results weren't up to that quality)

Cons:
- NOT a real steadicam (the Hague Mini-Motion Cam completely puts this to shame. The ModoSteady is probably only a slight improvement compared to walking handheld... again you will NOT get that smooth gliding motion)
- The biggest issue is the poor mechanism between the ball joint and the handle; it's just stiff and choppy despite making the ball loose. It should have been thought out better - it causes unnecessary friction/vibration when in "steadicam mode" (it seems they had to design it this way in order to spread the legs into a tripod, but it really hurts the performance of the steadicam - basically not a whole lot better than walking slowly handheld)
- Tilt/pan lock is fixed together for table tripod

I give it a 3 1/2 stars. Definitely far from a 5-star product. If you know its limitations, it could still have some uses. The biggest thing I like about this product is its portability. When walking up the stairs or a simple pan/tilt, it can still add a slight improvement than not having anything at all. However, don't expect gliding smooth flowing results. You will never get that with this. Invariably, you'll need to fix the vibration/jittery caused by the poor friction/handle in post editing -- if you're looking for real professional result. If you feel your handheld shots are really horrible and all over the place every time, want to just simply improve your "home videos" (size is good for taking it on road trips and vacations too), this can be a nice addition, especially if your handheld camera doesn't have a good hand grip support. For those who already have a decent steady hand or expect to get a smooth gliding result with this, well, you will be disappointed. If your primary interest is only for the "steadicam mode", then you will DEFINITELY be disappointed. I know when this product came out, the MSRP was double the price; it definitely would have been overpriced if they kept it at that.

There's also a product from Balvanz Enterprises (based in Iowa, USA) called "MiniDV Stabilizer" (also around the same price range - would cost less than the Hague), which I have not actually tried, but I'm sure it's hell of a lot better than this jittery ModoSteady, just by looking at sample videos and the design.

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great little stabalizer, August 7, 2008

By 

Phil C. "Phil" (Deer Park) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manfrotto 585 ModoSteady 3-in-1 Camera/Camcorder Stabilizer and Support System (Electronics)

For the price it's well worth it, but not for every camera. I have quite a few cameras and I first tried setting it up for my EX-F1. The camera is right at the upper edge of it's capacity and found it hard to get the right setting. I was a bit tired and didn't work at it for too long and thought I just screw in this Aiptek 1080P I had sitting in the drawer and Wow! It took just a few tries at the settings and I was gliding around like a pro around the house. I downloaded the video and was amazed (I never thought I can shoot scenes like that). This may be my favorite setup for a while but of course I still love my EX-F1.

I have tried the Merlin Steadicam but returned it after a week of frustration using it for my Sony A1U. Too complicated for a hobbiest like me. It only balanced correctly once (hours of trying and watching the video) and never again, even after writing down all the settings.

Some here said the gimbal was too loose, the screw should be loosened not tightened when in use. I feel the gimbal was as good or better than the Merlin's. As for the price, have you ever purchased video camera accessories? Some look like they were made in the back of someone's garage and charge as they were made and developed in a ISO-9000 manufacturing plant. Not with the Modosteady, they really went all out to develop a great little stabilizer for the consumer venue. Yes, it's not a glidecam or a Merlin that will handle more weight capacity, it's just a great little stabilizer for a small modern camera. This is something you can take anywhere without lugging around an extra suitcase of equipment.

This is the first time reviewing something I purchased on Amazon, but had to on this one since I wasn't expecting this surprise.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For 1/8th the price, a good steadycam, February 24, 2009

By 

Christopher L. Canfield (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Manfrotto 585 ModoSteady 3-in-1 Camera/Camcorder Stabilizer and Support System (Electronics)

The Manfrotto Steadycam is a strange beast. In terms of effectiveness, it is on the low end of moderately effective steadycams. But it also comes in at about an eighth of the price of the next model up, the 800 dollar Merlin. By that metric, it's pretty amazing.

The Manfrotto specifically is a handheld gimbal - based stabilizer. It works because you carefully balance the swing arm underneath with whatever camcorder you put on top, so that no matter how you move your hand the camera stays forward and up. Small wrist shakes and other movements are absorbed by the carefully balanced gimbal, keeping your camera steady.

This is not an easy thing to do. It will take about 1/2 hour of configuration your first time to get the counterweights and positions right. Furthermore, shooting with a handheld steadycam is a somewhat different experience, considering you no longer have direct up / down control and left / right drifts with the gimbal. It takes quite a bit of practice to be comfortable shoot with a steadycam, and this one is no exception.

However, the Manfrotto does get high marks for convienience and accessability. Setup is genuinely easy to do (though a level indicator would have been nice), and can happen within about 60 seconds if you know what you're doing. The unit folds up to be about the size of a small camcorder. The plastic, while still plastic, doesn't feel cheap. And the tripod functionality has actually been occasionally useful. The weighting is not heavy enough for cameras above 5 lbs or so, but that is beyond pretty much all consumer-grade cameras.

If you've found that watching your home movies makes you nauseous, and you're interested in spending the time to learn to handle it, the ModoSteady is a good choice. It works pretty well, and you really can't beat the price.