Opteka X-Grip Professional Camera/Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with Accessory Shoe for Flash, Mic, or Video Light (Black)

Bought this off Amazon, but have to say, you can get it slightly cheaper here than other store fronts...and lemme tell, it's the best, most inexpensive accessory a videographer can ever own. My set up is using a Canon Vixia G30, but I mount the camera sideways on the open side, to have a free hand available to adjust the zoom lever. This is on the right (open) side, facing out. Then I hold the handlebar curve with the left hand, and VOILA!!! I have a very inexpensive grip bar for my camcorder. Then I can either mount a boom/shotgun mic or LED light on the hotshoe mount above, depending on the setting I need it for. It not makes long form videoing very easy and comfortable, and a lot more steady for professional-grade video work. I can even swing or pivot with the camera with a high degree of steadiness now. Best of all, if you use the flip screen on a camcorder, the design of the grip bar sort of protects that flip screen a bit. It's light, feels fairly sturdy, and best of all it's relatively compact and easy to move around in small or crowded spaces...and since it's not strapped to your body, you don't have to worry about being a klutz and banging into walls or barriers.Only negatives are that:1) If you DO use a touch capable flip screen, having that bar in the way can impede your hand touching said screen. The Canon Vixia G30 has workarounds to that (you can use the toggle joystick instead), but when you're filming and you need to make quick adjustments, you have to factor that in since you'll have to take your left hand off of the bar when you do this.2) The hotshoe mount can get very difficult to loosen if you tighten it down too much...which for accessories you mount there, you definitely have to tighten them down, as they will get loose if you move around as much as I have to.But aside from those 2 minor complaints, this is still and excellent tool every videography should have in their arsenal.

I don't use this product very often as I opt for my shoulder harness to shoot most of my motion video, but when a low perspective is required the Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle works very well. As I am an over-enthusiastic photo/video enthusiast, this review will be written from the perspective of a man who loves toys, but knows there are limitations to my expertise. So professional video guys may not find what I say very useful.Observations: There is not much to a grip handle product so I really didn't expect much. The Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle's adjustable screw plate attaches to my Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera. The shoe attachment accommodates my NEEWER® 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Digital Camera / Camcorder Video Light or my Rode VideoMic Condenser Microphone. So it functions as it is supposed to.Pros:The construction feels sturdy, but it is also lightweightThe adjustable wedge plate works with compact video cams & DSLRs as well as larger cameras like the Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical ZoomThe cushion handle is nice in longer shooting situations where the hand might sweat a lot or get fatiguedthe rails on the bottom are rubber coated to ensure stability when placing unit on a surfaceVery reasonable priceEasy to bring along on a shoot for just in case momentsCons:Would have preferred metal construction on the mounts since you are sometimes placing expensive equipment on itWith larger camcorders the unit feels a bit off balanceNo matter what the cons might be, they simply cannot convince me to rate the Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle with anything but five stars. The unit functions unpretentiously, but for the price, the unit works great and it can easily and inexpensively be added to anyone's camera equipment stash. I would highly recommend the Opteka X-GRIP Professional Camera / Camcorder Action Stabilizing Handle for anyone who can spare the $20 to get it.

So I ordered this with the knowledge that it was going to be very cheaply made and probably flex a lot, but I really needed a cheap alternative to running around with my camera and a mic and it being stable.Well this was my answer I got it and right away out of the box I tried bending it and breaking it (I used it with a canon 5d) and it barely flexed at all. So I put my camera and mic on it and gave it a whirl.It flexes a SMALL bit nothing to bad whatsoever or even alarming. The grip is really strong and holds a lot more weight then previously stated. I had my 5d and a pretty large zoom lens on this and it was perfectly fine.As for people also saying the bottom bolt does not get tight enough... Well tighten it more, the rubber foam on the top (which is to not damage the camera frame when tightening down and also hold it in place) has a lot of room to smush down, if you make it tight (as you should) the camera will not move at all.Hands down I give the product 5 stars, its not flimsy it works great and its a cheap alternative to 90% of these other companies selling these for $100 or more.