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Support Your Gear

For the sharpest photos and video, choosing the right camera support is essential

This Article Features Photo Zoom

Kirk Enterprises Fat Bag

OmniPod

Beanbags
Beanbags offer fast setup and better flexibility for steadying cameras on uneven surfaces. Kirk Enterprises offers two bean bag-like products. The Fat Bag camera support is an ideal solution for shooting on the road, with a saddle shape that fits the contours of a car window. The Fat Bag is filled with crushed walnut, and you can adjust how much cushioning you need by emptying shells from or filling shells into the bag. The Fat Bag is available full or empty to save on shipping costs. List Price: $39 (empty); $42 (filled).

The Kirk Enterprises OmniPod combines the benefits of a beanbag with a standard threaded screw for attaching securely to the camera. The OmniPod is longer than many bean bags at nine inches in length to accommodate longer lenses, and the built-in bubble level ensures even framing. The OmniPod also is available with an optional two-inch Quick Release (QR) clamp. List Price: $24; $74 (with QR clamp).

VariZoom FlowPod

Manfrotto Video Tripod System Kit

Video
Now that D-SLRs are offering high-definition video, tripod manufacturers are offering photographers many of the same options that high-end video-support systems have been offering video professionals over the years. VariZoom, primarily a video product manufacturer, is the maker of the FlowPod 3-in-1 DSLR camera stabilizer system. The FlowPod can be used in three positions—as a monopod, in a low-mode mount for close-to-the-ground shooting and as a stabilizer for reducing movements during video tracking or panning shots. List Price: Starts at $599.

Video camera tripods require a higher maximum weight capacity and fluid heads that provide better control to avoid vibration and jarring movements when panning or tracking. The Manfrotto 701HDV,547BK Video Tripod System Kit provides a fluid mini-head for accommodating up to 9.5 pounds and aluminum legs for support of up to 33 pounds altogether. The midlevel spreader helps the legs to stay rigid in uneven or rough terrain when shooting in the field, and a soft case is included for carrying the entire system. Estimated Street Price: $300.

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