Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

An excellent product for the price. It doesn't match a $3000 hollywood camera "steadycam" set up, but it sure comes close. For my independent filmmaking I will be using it consistantly. Anyone will love it.

I have been wanting a steadicam but didn't want to spend what most cost. I stumbled onto this one and thought for the price it's worth the risk. I have only used it a couple of times, but it works well. I've never had the opportunity to use a Merlin, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it works well if I take the time to balance it. It will take practice to use. I also like that it can be used as a shoulder/chest brace. Worth the money.

I purchased this for the Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) but discovered that the camera is just to heavy to balance on the modosteady. Even after removing the lens, I had still had to pull the battery to get it to stabilize. At that point, the balance was extremely easy to achieve, and I can see where you could get close to Merlin effects in many types of scenes. However, you won't get the same steadicam effect when running or bouncing around since it doesn't have the dual weighting system the Merlin has.

Note: you can place your thumb right below the gimbal to control pan and tilt.

At first, i thought its just a cheaper imitation of Merlin for couple of day. but its not. once you setup correctly, it works just as same as Merlin. no difference at all. no one can tell the difference from the footage. You have to setup correctly with correct weight balance and all and it works perfect. I was going to return the item for first 2 days but figured later and decided to keep. You will need couple of days practice make this thing works. Merlin is the same thing and works the same principle. weigt balancing is the key. practice and play with it for couple of days and you will be satitisfied. 5 Star for price and craftmanship. Look no further.

It is a great device.
In my opinion if you read the instructions first it is really easy to learn how to use it efficiently.
For a price of 99$ it is an excellent value for money as you get yourself a full stabilization kit for almost every situation:
The floating function is actually my default option when I want to move with the camera and get stable footage.
The shoulder brace is great if you are tired of holding the camera for a long time or if you film in a crowded area when people might push you and take the camera out of stabilization in the floating position.
And the tripod is actually quite decent - it does its job and I like the way it opens up and it saves the trouble of carrying a separate tripod.
All of the above folds quickly and fits my camera beg.
In short I highly recommend it.

I bought the Manfrotto 585 Modosteady camera stabilizer mainly for the stabilizer part. The unit can also be used as a tripod and offers a shoulder support for stability but I didn't even try those functions.

When I was researching steadicam systems, it came down to the Manfrotto 585 and the Hague Mini Motion-Cam. I figured I would give the Manfrotto 585 a try since Amazon is AWESOME about returns. In the end, it was pretty much a waste of time and delayed my order for the Hague unit. You can do a bunch of web searches and see video comparing the two units. When you're walking with the Manfrotto 585 most of the shock from your steps is transferred to the camera which results in shaky video. Walking with the Hague makes the video look like you're floating on air. It's seriously THAT GOOD.

The rubber grip handle on the Hague is more comfortable in my opinion. The gimball is the major separating point between the Manfrotto and Hague units. The gimball is so fluid on the Hague and once you get the weights set correctly it operates awesome. The first setup took between 5 and 10 minutes for me but once you know where you need to be, getting it set up going forward takes less than 2 minutes. I know I'll be using the same HD video camera on the unit so I don't need to swap weights and I added a few small marks on the unit to let me know approximately where my weights need to be angled and where the video camera needs to be on the upper mount.

The Manfrotto 585 is definitely a good looking unit and seems hi-tech compared to the Hague but I'd rather have it work right than have it look good. After all, nobody sees the steadicam mount when you're watching the video. The Hague is a very basic looking unit but it just WORKS.

I bought the Manfrotto 585 unit for about $94. The Hague has to be ordered from the UK so with shipping and a foreign service charge on my credit card, it totaled $140. A difference of $46 but for that $46, you get a perfect unit. Big difference in the operation. I highly recommend the Hague unit over this Manfrotto 585 unit.

The Bogen Manfrotto hand held "steadicam" is helpful for a tiny camera, but way overpriced. The unit has a perceived value of about $50 in my opinion, not the $185 it costs. However, it is made in Italy and not China and has a 1 year warranty extendable to 3 years with registration.

On the good side, it is lightweight, easy to use and easy to set up. It will produce much more watchable shots if you concentrate on it while in use. If you just walk around with it aimlessly it becomes a "dizzycam". Like anything else, it takes practice.

It also folds up and transports easily and is useful for holding the camera when not in use in its "tabletop tripod" mode. I give it a neutral recommendation. If you have other alternatives, test them out first.