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While the SteadXP is simpler to use, overall, than mechanical or electrical gimbals, there are a few things to keep in mind before shooting. First, it will crop your footage, so you’re going to lose some resolution. That means, more than usual, you must keep your subjects towards the center of the frame, and, if possible, shoot at a higher resolution than the finished video — in 4K if you want to finish in full HD, for instance.
There are a few settings you must watch, as well. For instance, stabilization on both your lens and DSLR/mirrorless body must be turned off, or the SteadXP will fight it. You also need to consider which shutter speed to use. Low shutter speeds of around 24-60 fps, often used to create a soft cinematic look, will cause blurred frames that can mess with the SteadXP.
If you’re walking or running, for example, and the shutter speed is too low, each footstep will create blur. SteadXP will smooth out the motion, sure, but you’ll have a frame that’s jarringly blurred for what looks like no reason. Using faster shutter speeds solves that, but could also give your footage a strobing look, like the D-Day beach scenes from Saving Private Ryan.
With settings fixed and when the SteadXP has a flashing green signal, you’re ready to shoot. The company recommends starting with a rapid pan, so the software has a clear reference to sync your footage.
After I shot a bunch of scenes in both full HD and 4K, I was ready to stabilize the footage using the companion app. To do that, you first upload your footage, then locate the accompanying SteadXP data file recorded on to a microSD card.
Once the footage and motion data files are synced, you pick the stabilization and crop levels for how smooth and cropped you want your footage. Those settings go hand-in-hand — if you want just a touch of stabilization to eliminate micro-jitters, you don’t have to crop as much. If you want to eliminate all your bobs and weaves, you’ll need to cut more from the edges.
The final results, as shown in the before and after videos (above), can be excellent, if you do everything right. It did require a fairly painful trial-and-error period, but I’m now confident I could get good smooth footage from the SteadXP in future. On top of that, Sony’s A7S II and A7S full-frame mirrorless cameras are known for their hideous levels of rolling shutter (aka, the jello effect), and the SteadXP software fixed that problem admirably, leaving no trace of the problem that I can see.
The best part of using SteadXP was that it let me shoot without changing too much of what I was already doing. As long as I remembered to plug it into the camera before filming and double check a few settings, I could shoot normally and deal with the stabilization afterwards. If things don’t go to plan, at least you still have the footage and can try to fix it in post-production.
The not-so-good part: To get sharp 1080p results, you have to shoot 4K video because of cropping. But you can’t have full 4K video without upscaling because it’s currently impossible using the SteadXP. The best you can do is keep cropping to a minimum, so you can save your stabilized video at as high a resolution as possible, like 2.7K, for instance. That way, when you upscale to 4K, the video will be as sharp as possible. You also have to closely watch settings like shutter speed and zoom position, and be more careful than usual with shot framing.
It’s definitely good to practice with the SteadXP for a few days before using it in the field. Also keep in mind that it is a Kickstarter product, so the usual risks apply. If neither of those are dealbreakers, the SteadXP is a relatively economical way to stabilize your shots from time to time. If you really do a lot of it, then you probably already own a Ronin or Steadicam, and if not, you should get one.
