Opteka Hands-Free Camcorder Shoulder Support

by Opteka

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• ASIN: B0026JGDMC
• Item model number: OPT-CAM-HANDSFREE
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 14, 2009

Product Description

The Opteka adjustable video camera hands-free shoulder support can be used by both a professional or amateur user. This incredible and sophisticated camcorder support offers stability and control you cannot find in any other hands-free support. Extremely useful product for outdoor and indoor shots. Now you can mount your camcorder and enjoy hands free shooting. This shoulder stand has been designed to hold camcorders up to 15lbs. It is very easy to use. Attach your camcorder to the shoulder support camera platform, put on the shoulder support, attach the strap with the buckle and adjust its length according to your body size.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Hands-Free Solution - Recommended, April 28, 2010

By 

C. F. Hill "CFH" (Blue Ridge Summit, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Opteka Hands-Free Camcorder Shoulder Support (Electronics)

Length:: 4:05 Mins

The Opteka "Hands-Free Camcorder Shoulder Support" is a good solution for those looking for an alternative to using a tripod or holding up a video camera for long periods of time. Here are my observations:

Pros -
+ Works As Expected; this does work exactly as it should for holding your camcorder at a usable height
+ Inexpensive; a really good value
+ Easy to Use; no issues using this by yourself
+ Comfortable; you can keep this on for hours

Cons -
- No Instructions; I had to use the pictures on the box to figure out how it should be assembled
- Plastic Parts; while I didn't have anything fail yet, mostly plastic gadgets make me nervous when they are supporting my expensive video gear

Overall, I am fairly pleased with this and plan on using it at my kid's school sporting events. A good value, despite the few negative issues.

Recommended!

CFH

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Design, Fatal Flaw..., March 27, 2010

By 

Christopher Galgon (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Opteka Hands-Free Camcorder Shoulder Support (Electronics)

I tested this thing out with my Sony EX1, which is an ~8 pound camera. The way it balanced my unwieldy rig was amazing. The padding wasn't great but I could wrap it easily enough. I was about to buy a second when I managed to break off the elevating mount (the part directly attaching to the cameras in the picture) with almost zero force. I am very gentle with my gear and this simply should not have happened. The part, as it turns out, was 100% plastic-- the kind of plastic that breaks like hardened clay. And while nothing else has broken, the rest is plastic, too. Should an all-metal version of this mount come out, I'll buy it in a heartbeat-- this one nearly cost me a $6000 camera.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For camcorders without shoulder support, September 10, 2009

By 

W. tingler (Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Opteka Hands-Free Camcorder Shoulder Support (Electronics)

Shoulder supported camcorders are smoother and require less energy to stabilize. The torso makes for a great pivot. The Opteka kind of makes a shoulder support system for cams that are without. I film cycling races with a Canon XHA1. It's not shoulder supported like the XL1 or 2 models.
Often I'm in tight spots with large crowds and have to maneuver to change lenses, tapes etc. Being able to do so without a dismount was impossible with the Steadybrace (abdomen support model). I don't have anything bad to say about Steadybrace. They have great customer support, and the brace is a good one to use but...my needs changed a bit.
I can operate easier now with the Opteka. The Opteka can- on the fly, be adjusted to aim higher or lower without over doing it with your back or fatiguing your shoulders. I can take both hands off the rig to change a lens or tape without dismounting because the camera rig is snug and secure to my torso. The Opteka is slim and simple. It appears to be made of thick, strong plastic. I don't know about their customer support since I haven't had to contact them. There doesn't appear to be a need for the Varizoom rocker that I had mounted to the Steadybrace as of yet. Since my hands aren't holding the support anymore, I can use both hands to zoom and focus now. I'll probably still use the Steadybrace for some events but I'm excited about using the Opteka for the simple design and not having to take the rig on and off. A big plus is this - I can also use the eyepiece or the LCD viewfinder without strain. Last but not least, cost. The Opteka is extremely affordable for what it does.
Update October:
I took this rig on a shoot. We were filming at some airports around the nation. Of course it wasnt practical in the plane but trying to get it set up once we landed was a task. I ended up just not using it into the second stop. What i did notice was that the device always wanted to lean to the right and cause you some unwanted tilt. Got some back pain from over correcting. Not sure I am going to use this a whole lot.