CES 2012: iStabilizer Lets You Get Serious With Your iPhone's Camera
by Tommy Ly
January 14, 2012
If you're a self-proclaimed iPhonographer (noun: one who takes pictures and videos almost exclusively on their iPhone), we've got some great news for you, straight from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Taking pictures and recording HD videos with your iDevice is a blast. It's easy to do, and the finished product doesn't take much to look good. Of course, there are times when you'd like to have your iPhone on a tripod, but many iPhone tripod mounts/cases are awkward or require removing your phone from its case to use (see: Glif). Thankfully, iStabilizer has you covered with three new products.
The first of which, is their Smartphone Tripod Mount. Here is some information from iStabilizer:
"Mount your smartphone or mobile device to any standard tripod - with the iStabilizer Tripod Mount. Just a tiny accessory to make a huge impact in both video and photo quality, the Tripod Mount is a must for professionals and amateur filmmakers and photographers. The Smartphone Tripod Mount will even cradle your device while in your preferred case or bumper."This is a universal tripod mount, meaning it can accommodate all of your iPhones and iPod touch devices, and even your Android phone (if you're into that kind of thing). Best of all, you can keep your device in its case! That's enough to convince me. The Smartphone Tripod Mount is available on the iStabilizer site for $19.99. Their next product, is the perfect companion to the Smartphone Tripod Mount and actually comes with it. The iStabilizer Smartphone Flexible Leg Tripod (catchy, huh?) seems like iStabilizer's answer to the JOBY Gorillapod.
The Smartphone Flexible Leg Tripod is durable and lightweight enough to carry with you in a day bag or stuff in a suitcase. Just pop in your smartphone or mobile device, and you're ready to go! Truly versatile, you’ll find a million places to wrap the flexible legs, whether you’re in the car, at dance class or hanging upside down from the monkey bars. Be the filmmaker you’ve always wanted to be!The tripod comes with the smartphone mount mentioned above, which can be taken off, of course, allowing you to use another camera on the tripod. You can order the Smartphone Flexible Leg Tripod and Smartphone Tripod Mount for $29.99 on the iStabilizer site as well. Lastly, the Smartphone Video Stabilizer will allow you to get rid of all that Blair Witch Project shakiness in your videos. Your videos will look like you're flying with the camera.
Even if you’ve got the shakes, impress your friends and family with perfectly steady videos. The Smartphone Video Stabilizer is small and agile enough to take on vacations, run through crowds or follow the action at sporting events.
This is very similar to the Steadicam Smoothee, except this is much less expensive and allows you to keep your case on your device. You can pick up this bad boy on the iStabilizer site for $99.95 (smartphone mount included).
Personally, I feel that these are all worth checking out and fairly priced. Since the launch of the iPhone 4, I have been using some pretty sketchy do it yourself rigs for capturing pictures and video. Either of these products would definitely come in handy for me. Do you think you can benefit from either of these products? Let us know in the comments!