Tiffen Smoothee brings Steadicam to the iPhone 3GS
By Nilay Patel 
posted January 13th 2010 10:02PM
posted January 13th 2010 10:02PM
posted January 13th 2010 10:02PM
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Haha I just love my 3gs
Believe it or not, but i would buy that thing so fast if its under 100... 100 smurfs
@andrewwg94
One could buy this. Or one you could just... you know, practice holding it steady.
@Blackstar I wonder if this is in preperation for a bigger unit that would support a DSLR? But why not just make one for a DSLR. It is kind of a stupid idea! The camera on the phone is not that good!
@kylemullaney It's called the Steadicam Merlin.
@andrewwg94
The sad part is that you could reproduce this with 2 sticks and 3 rubber bands
@scolen2
If that is the case then you would probably be interested in the following: http://www.google.com/search?q=Manfrotto+585
2 words:
re. tard. ed.
i wouldn't give that thing any award
@glenskey
Best Crapgadget...
@d3sc3nd3ncy At first glance I thought it was one of those police speed scanners..
@glenskey At first glance I thought it was the end of 2010.
@glenskey
what an utter waste of money. i guess you can put a price on losing all your dignity.
Great idea, but, "smoothee"?
@Dogcowsaysmoof: Yeah, it sounds like a laxative.
Call me a cynic but why make that big of an accessory for a cell phone camera when you can just get a really good digital camera. Seems like a waste.
First off, if I'm recording a video on my iphone that means i didn't feel like bringing an actual video camera. Since that thing obviously isn't gonna fit in my pocket, the entire purpose is defeated.
@Edobe I thought the same thing..."What I don’t understand is when seeking steady video, one would be willing to carry an oversized slingshot but not a small dedicated video camera. Perhaps if I entered an iPhone 3gs Short Film Competition sponsored by Tiffen Steadicam Smoothee, i might use one."
http://studioglu.com/2010/01/tiffen-steadicam-smoothee-for-iphone-3gs/
This? Really?
no more mr. blurrycam?
@nerd It'll still be blurry. Smooth and blurry.
@drinkyc: It was smooth enough that you can clearly read the guys license plate. What a bunch of amateurs.
Woh! Are you trying to make me go insane, Engadget? There was a post about a Nokia Elmo reading thing with dual displays, right? I could've sworn there was one right in between this post and "Justice Department settlement puts on-campus Kindle use on hold." I have no interest in such device, but I need to know if a post like this existed.
@NetNewsercom The article did exist, because I have also read it. It was written by Chris Ziegler: http://i48.tinypic.com/2cfwf0i.jpg
It was based on this link: http://conversations.nokia.com/2010/01/07/nokia-research-center-family-story-play-concept-with-sesame-street/
The pictures are still online: http://www.engadget.com/photos/nokia-story-play-concept-lets-you-read-to-your-child-without-risk-of-human-contact/2619087/
Thanks google reader for keeping the history for us! :-)
@tiago
I knew it! Thanks. Now I know I haven't gone insane... yet.
@NetNewsercom
I was thinking the same thing! What happened to Elmo?!
This clearly belongs in crapgadget section!
Only a tool or a fool would buy this thing.
@bjsguess
But just think how great it would work with one of those clip on zoom lenses...
Damn it took you guys a long time to mention it. When did you talk to the two guys at CES? Last Wednesday.
@JP23
Yes, such an innovating device should completely overshadow all the other horrible products at CES.
I think steady cams have been around for a while if I can remember- how is this an innovat- oh, wait, Apple.
Right.
@Special Agent Steve
Hell I don't care I don't own an iPhone anyway and never will. I was just wanting to see this thing after the guy that developed it was on the radio talking about how the engadget guys were all over him at CES.
As good as it is... you'll just look like an idiot with this.
It's a cell phone camera. The color/bit depth is abysmal on any video recorded on it.
I saw this at CES, and having failed to find the polar bear TV, I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I saw at the show.
A large accessory for a small video capturing device that happens to have a really crap camera.
@Jon S sorry, but the iphone in no way has a "crap camera"
@trunkafunk Well, as a semi-professional photographer and a engineer at a CMOS image sensor company who spends most of his day staring at images looking for tiny defects, I beg to differ.
I work with several people who worked on the camera in the 2G and 3G iPhones (but not on the 3GS) and even they have to accept that quality was a very distant second to cost during the development.
I know this has nothing to do with the Nexus One but this is the best article I can ask this question in. The Nexus One has very good detail when recording video but my problem is with its audio quality. It sounds like im recording a video with my Razr. Anothere problem is its frame rate. I really wish a software update can fix ( Like the Omnia HD) this but sense im probaly the only one complaining its not gonna be on googles to do list. I was wondering if there is anyone out there than can make a camera app that bumps up the audio bit rate.
Fail!
@akarol People that just say Fail are losers.
Look at all the accessories being released for the iphone, I thought Android was outselling iphone, why ain't that making these for Android phones?
@Goona you ain't really done wantin one o them thar things on yer Android, are ya?
this makes me sad
When you look at the Steadicam website, they have this gadget, and then the next version up is a big $800 job.
Something in between for amateur movie makers with their cheap Canon DV camera would be a good seller. All you'd have to do is take this Smoothie and put on a standard tripod bolt attachment.
@Gregorian
Build your own. It is much cheaper for the same exact results (and it's even more customizable).
I'd love a version of this for my nice Canon prosumer rather than a lousy iPhone....
I was seriously contemplating building one of those do it yourself after seeing sticker shock on how much companies charge for these kind of things but the do-it-yourself ones look so ghetto...
If this can be modded to easily accommodate a DSLR it might be a cheap alternative to the bigger steadicam rigs.
Exactly! Just because it's marketed for that piece of crap doesn't mean it has to be used that way, I'm pretty sure it can be hacked to accomodate an actual camera, and if the price is right, it might sell very well just for that purpose.
No matter what the DYIers say, DYI steadicams are not quite the same as the commercial ones. Unfortunately you can only get so far without industrial precision tools and materials.
Just the thing for the alcoholic/drug addict hitting withdrawl but who still needs to post a steady clip to youtube. Happens to me all the time, have you seen my beer and heroin please ????
People take photos and videos with their cellphones not because they are good, but because they fit in their pockets and they have them with them everywhere. This totally defeats the purpose, might as well just get a decent camera, it'll take better video and still be smaller then this thing.
The fucking iPhone accessory market. Anything will fly with these people.
"I have an iPhone, but sometimes I use my hands for other things! What can I do?"
"That's why we've just introduced a fucking vacuum cleaner with an iPhone dock!"
Then you've got the zoom lenses, stroller mounts, iPhone cutting board attachment, 12' keyboard thing they had on here a while back, iPhone cock ring, iBlender, iToaster 3GS, etc.