How to Avoid Camera Shake - and Film Cinematic, Epic and Stable Videos
So you just got a new mirrorless camera that films in 4K (or 1080p), subscribed to Premiere Pro, and went out and filmed a bunch of epic footage that’s ready to be cut, spliced and shared on all of your social networks (hopefully leading to social media superstardom). The problem? You upload all of your videos onto your computer, start to sift through the hours-worth of video content, and realize that all of your best videos have camera shake, rendering all of them useless. Ouch!
Don’t worry, camera shake has happened to the best of them. Sometimes you can fix camera shake in post processing with programs like Premiere Pro, or iMovie (believe it or not). Sometimes, however, no amount of software can reclaim your epic footage.
The best way to fix camera shake? Avoid camera shake as much as possible. Luckily, there are a few different ways you can fix camera shake today, without having to spend a whole pile of cash on new equipment. Sure, there are a few photography tools that do tremendously help limit camera shake and make your footage look a lot more cinematic in the process (we’ll discuss these tools a bit below). But, if you’re like a lot of videographers who like to film handheld and on-the-go, you’ll need a few other tips and tricks in your arsenal to ensure you’re able to film stable footage and avoid camera shake.
So, here are a few ways to avoid camera shake and film cinematic, epic and stable videos:
Utilize Your Camera and/or Lens’s Built-In Stabilization
If you’re using a mirrorless digital camera and a modern lens, there’s a good chance they have built-in stabilization. This essentially means that the camera and/or lens digitally stabilizes your footage as you take it by trying to find the dominate motion in the frame (similar to the way your iPhone stabilizes your videos). A simple Google search (or read through of your camera’s manual if you have the patience) will let you know if your equipment has stabilization.
For camera’s, you typically need to go into your camera’s settings and ensure the stabilization is turned on. For your lens, there’s typically a switch on the lens itself that will turn it on.
By utilizing the camera and/or lens’s built-in stabilization, you will notice an immediate improvement in your cameras video footage – without purchasing any extra equipment. One thing we will say, however, is that built-in stabilization isn’t a miracle worker, and you do need to still focus quite a bit on keeping the camera stable throughout the video shoot. Luckily, we’ve got a way to do just that without buying any special equipment.
Turn Your Camera Strap into a Steadicam
Camera straps – they’re great for keeping your camera safely attached to your person, and they also provide a great break for your arms when they’re tired of holding your camera. But did you know that they can also act as an amazing tool to avoid camera shake and film stable video footage? And the best part is, most cameras come with a strap!
To make this work, all you need to do is hold your camera like you would if you were taking a photo, except you need to also hold the camera away from your body until the camera strap is taught. By holding the camera away from your body while maintaining tension on the camera strap, you will be able to slowly pan the camera up and down, and sideways, with almost no camera shake (if any at all). This is because the camera is no longer bouncing freely in your hands; your body and, by extension, the camera strap are now acting as a counter weight, keeping the camera from shaking all around.
We personally really like this technique, as you can get a steadicam / gimbal-like effect, without having to carry those tools with you (or purchase them).
Invest in Stabilizing Equipment, Such as a Tripod, Steadicam or Gimbal
Speaking of which, there’s no way to create an article about avoiding camera shake and filming cinematic, epic and stable videos without mentioning some of the great stabilizing tools on the market today.
A tripod is one of the best ways to avoid camera shake, as your camera is typically completely still sitting on top of one. A tripod is also typically one of the first accessories most photographers get, so you may already have one of these in your tool belt as you transition into videography. Tripods are also great for panning shots, as it’s relatively easy and smooth to pan the camera using the tripods panning arm.
A steadicam is also a great tool for stable videography if you’re looking to film a subject while you walk or run. A steadicam is essentially a small pole that your camera sits on top of, with counterweights on the bottom. These counterweights help stabilize/offset the weight of your camera sitting on the top of the pole, thus keeping your camera from shaking uncontrollably while you walk or run. The other added benefit is that they are typically less expensive than gimbals.
Speaking of gimbals, they are our favourite tool to use for stable videography. Why? Because, in our opinion, they are the best tool for keeping your footage stable – no matter what you’re doing. Gimbals are a tool where you are required to balance your camera on the, well, gimbal, and it's various axes, and then a built-in motor works to keep the camera completely stable at all times. This means that whether you’re walking, running or even sitting in the passenger seat of a car travelling down the highway, the built-in motors will do most of the work for you, ensuring your footage is always epic. The only downfall? Gimbals cost a bit of cash. But, if you’re really looking for a reliable tool to avoid camera shake and film cinematic, epic and stable footage, a gimbal is a great tool to add to your arsenal.
We’ve all experienced video footage that has been ruined by bad camera shake. Luckily there are a number of different ways to limit camera shake, and ensure more of your footage turns out as epic as possible. Start by ensuring your camera/lens’s internal stabilization is on, and then practice utilizing your camera strap as a stabilizer. If you want to grab some tools to help make stabilization a lot easier, consider scooping up a tripod, steadicam or gimbal. No matter what, the best way to increase your chances of filming stable footage is to get out there and film more videos, so get out there and have some fun!
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