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 love this thing! Use it with a canon vixia hf s10 and I rarely ever take the camera off. Gives great additional weight to a light weight camcorder, and adds extra stability control. There's another model without the sidebars, and it appears that the top may be angled down a little more than this model (based off pictures). I bought this model because I didn't want the top curved down, and thought the side bars might add for an extra hand grip or stationary stability. Some ppl complain about the bars digging into their palm while trying to hold the camcorder. I can see how this may be a problem, but if you move the camcorder as far right as possible in one of the sliding pegs, the issue should be resolved. I personally have never found having the bar against my palm to be an issue. It never hurt, and again, made for more stable control as I felt I was holding the camcorder and part of the X-Grip. I have a heavy duty L bracket as an additional attachment to it; fits nicely between the base and the side bars. (NOTE* If you unscrew and open up the base of the X-Grip, there's a thick threaded washer inside which you screw the clamp screw in and attach the camcorder on. I had an additional one of these washers made and placed inside, so I could slide the L bracket between the base and the side bars. ...It's a really sweet setup. Now, not only do I have the strap grip on the right for my camcorder, but the hand grip of the L bracket on the left which I use to attach my light. With a hand in both of those positions and the back of the X-Grip pressed against your shoulder, you get ultimate stability.) [Extra Note* If you add an additional washer and it's a plastic model with a threaded metal interior (like mine is) you may have to sand down the excess metal lip so that its even with that of the plastic washer and fits nicely in your X-Grip] BEST FEATURE! Even with the addition of the extra threaded washer and L bracket; I screw my tripod cap to the base (the tripod cap is perfect distance between the two side bars) and it still attaches to the tripod! I literally never have to take my camcorder off this thing! So whether you want the extra stability for hand held shots, or maybe your tripod isn't the best and you want some extra bars to grip and move; this is the best piece of equipment you can purchase. No Set up and tear down. Attach your camera and keep it on. Great price, and the most useful attachment piece yet. I'll attach pictures soon, once I figure out how.

I purchased an Opteka X-Grip and a Cam Caddie Scorpion EX Video Camera Stabilizer Handle for Nikon, Canon, JVC, Toshiba, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, Apple iPhone, GoPro Hero 4, Hero 3+, Hero 3 and More - Black (0CC-0100-EX) . I ended up returning the Scorpion and kept the Opteka, here’s why: The Scorpion is made of metal, the Opteka is thick plastic. For stability and longevity, Advantage: Scorpion The Scorpion has no shoe accessory for mounting a mic or light, that’ll cost you an extra $18. The shoe accessory can be mounted anywhere on the handle and the shoe plate is adjustable but you gotta use a hex wrench to do it which takes much longer. The Opteka has an included shoe accessory which cannot be moved but the shoe plate is adjustable with the twist of a knob. Advantage: Opteka (Quick side note: the hex wrench was not included with the accessory kit I bought) The Opteka is tripod-mountable with an included threaded knob. The Scorpion is tripod-mountable after you purchase the cheese plate for about $48. Advantage: Opteka If you need to mount more than one accessory (eg, light and a mic), you can do that with the Scorpion after you purchase the accessory wing and another shoe accessory or flashner, or you can get the 3-piece kit for another $50. I’ve seen no attachments you can purchase for the Opteka. Advantage: Scorpion, after spending more money. (Quick side note: the accessory wing I ordered was missing a critical screw so it could not be mounted, thus it was essentially useless.) Color, the Scorpion is black, Opteka comes in a variety of cool colors. Advantage: Opteka Price (as of this writing): Opteka-$19.95 Scorpion-$63.95 Advantage: Opteka Overall, if you want a stable handle and room for one accessory, the Opteka is by far the better value. I'm docking it one star for its inability to add additional accessory shoes. If you want to add multiple accessories you gotta go with the Scorpion but its going to cost you. In my humble opinion, Cam Caddie charges WAY too much for their products.

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 lightweight The adjustable wedge plate works with compact video cams & DSLRs as well as larger cameras like the Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom The cushion handle is nice in longer shooting situations where the hand might sweat a lot or get fatigued the rails on the bottom are rubber coated to ensure stability when placing unit on a surface Very reasonable price Easy to bring along on a shoot for just in case moments Cons: Would have preferred metal construction on the mounts since you are sometimes placing expensive equipment on it With larger camcorders the unit feels a bit off balance No 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.

I love this thing. It's much more than just a handle for low-angle skater shots. I use mine with a Canon Vixia HF-10, and I like that I can mount the camera forward, as you see in most of the product shots, or 90 degrees left so that the curved handle serves as more of a left-hand support for regular shooting... like a flash bracket that still photographers use. That's going to be my default setup. Since the camera mounting screw is in a little track that extends the length of the flat rubber area, the camera can be slid forward or backwards within the X-Grip before tightening. In my case, I slide it all the way forward, rotate it 90 degrees counter-clockwise, and the camera's video monitor has plenty of room to swing all the way out to the left without hitting the handle curve. The accessory bracket on top also rotates 360 degrees so the light/microphone can match the camera direction. My only complaint is related to the mounting knob below. I'm thrilled that it also has a female thread for mounting to a tripod or other standard-thread item. But the X-Grip's feet, the little skid things that it sits on, get in the way of my tripod head a little. I use a Manfrotto 501 pro tripod head with the large quick-release plate. If that plate is mounted directly underneath the X-Grip, then I can't slide the plate/X-Grip combo onto the tripod head without some serious force - too much to be practical. Fortunately, the solution was to disassemble the whole thing and add a single metal washer between the camera mount knob and the underside of the X-Grip, which caused the knob to hang just a fraction of an inch lower when the camera was fully tightened in place. This lowered the female tripod threads in relation to the skids just a bit, so that the "skids" were raised off of my tripod head just enough to be able to slide the release plate in place without much effort. Your mileage may vary with other tripods. If you try this, be careful not to use too thick a washer, since you're sacrificing the amount of threads that actually screw into your camera. This rig does not have the "two knob" type of camera mounting screw where you can set the screw depth with one knob and then tighten down with the other. On this, the depth you see is all you get. It's just right for my camera, but if your camera has an exceptionally shallow tripod-mounting hole, you may need to do the washer trick. Or if your rig is so heavy that you need more than 3/16"-1/4" or so of mounting thread to feel safe and secure, then the X-Grip may not be for you. The rubber platform that the camera sits on is great. It's actually about 1/4" thick, and good rubber - not just the cheesy little thin layer of neoprene left over from the mousepad factory. So if you need to crank down on the camera mounting knob, the camera settles into the rubber pretty securely. About the strength of the handle: more than enough. It's not totally rigid plastic. It's got a slight flex, so a heavy accessory on top might bounce up and down ever so slightly. I have a Rode NTG-2 mic up there on a shock mount, and I have no concerns about the flex. In fact, I prefer it. The plastic seems strong enough to support a pretty hefty camera rig, and I'll gladly take the "flexy" plastic over the harder, more brittle plastic that is more likely to shatter if dropped. That's it so far!

I think the X Grip is a useful device that allows you to comfortably change the grip of your camera. The implication of increased stability in the product description and related reviews may indicate to some that there is some sort of passive or active stabilization effect introduced by the X-Grip. There is nothing that adds stability in this device except that it sometimes may reduce the shake of an awkward position. The X-Grip is a hard plastic C-shaped grip with a padded handle to which you attach your camera in variable places that may allow you to hold your camera at a different angle or position than what is normally your comfortable vertical or horizintal position. If you are a photographer of some experience, you have already figured out how to grip your camera and place your body in ways that best capture your subject, even if it is uncomfortable for a period of time. The X-Grip is a device that requires one to learn how to use changes in grip. But, when you experiment with different positions afforded by the X-Grip, the shutter button and other controls on your camera which were designed to be ergonomic and within the reach of certain fingers when the camera is held in a normal fashion, may not be positioned in a practical place when the X-Grip is used. So while I think the X-Grip may bring improved camera holding positions with respect to the lens and its relationship with the subject, those positions may make adjustments to the camera very difficult. I have found that there are some positions that give a better perspective of the subject, but such framing takes additional time to adjust your camera because the controls are in an relatively unfamiliar location. Overall, I have to rate the X-Grip with 3 stars because it is not an improvement in the process of all the pictures you take, and the time it may take to change your camera to the X-Grip mount could cause you to lose a great image. But, its grip is capable of holding the camera in a position that would be very difficult to do manually and could make some pictures better because of the unusual possibilities of placing the lens in relation to the subject at an angle or position that would be difficult manually. I think that the grip and control access issue means that you have to make a decision as to whether to incorporate the X-Grip in all of your pictures, or none of your pictures. Shifting back and forth is time consuming, from the mechanical change in mount and the required change in camera adjustment. I have decided to use it on my various cameras for a few months and then make a decision which is best for me. So I believe I owe an update because I have not taken a stronger position on the value of this product.

Bought this to steady my coffee hands for filming skateboarding and music festivals. It's steady my camera quite a bit and I gave it one extra star because the mount is solid and my expensive camera fits securely when mounted. There's no movement when the bottom is screwed tightly and I appreciate the fact my camera won't fly off this mount while filming. As for the looks, the green is brilliant and gives your camera some personality. I put stickers around the bottom arms and people ask if I work for a film company. It's slim enough it'll fit into a small backpack; the plastic is thick and won't break easily (legs on the mount). The XGrip is quality and spongy; it doesn't crumble when used like other cheap grips. The bottom of the unit has rubber on the legs for extra dampening along with the rubber under the camera mount. While your camera is mounted on this stabilizer, it can also be mounted to a regular tripod (although that might look funny, the option is available). Used this mount for over six months and it's held up remarkably well. Overall, I think it's a good purchase. Note: The items I'm mounting to this action grip are a panasonic tm90k, sony bloggie and canon powershot 1200. All very small in size and I recommend a bigger action mount for giant devices. :)

Wow, after reading some of the negative reviews on here I was hesitant to order this for my new Vixia camera. I especially liked the video review from someone who obviously has no idea what to do with this item (or had some serious camera issues) Bottom line first - I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and love the X-Grip! First off, after unboxing my new camera and all of the gear that came with it, I just had to see if my camera would swivel loosely around on the X-Grip like the guy in the video review. Guess what? An eighth of a turn past snug on the mounting bolt and nothing short of a forceful twist of the camera would shake this thing loose. I flipped it,shook it, twisted it, and swung it around like a madman and my camera remained precisely where I had positioned it. As for those who are complaining that the X-Grip cannot be attached to a tripod - double check the backside of the camera mounting thumbscrew. If yours is like mine, it took a few minutes to notice but it is double threaded, meaning that your tripod shoe will attach here easily. With a little ingenuity I set my X-Grip up to carry not only the camera, but 3-4 other accessories that have shoe mounts as well. Cameras are easy, everything is standard 1/4X20 thread! Most of my accessories (lights, microphone, etc) came with mounting bars and thumbscrews designed to attach to the camera's single, threaded hole in the bottom. Well, since this hole was occupied by the X-Grip, I simply mounted one of the bars to the top portion of the X-Grip with a 1/4X20 bolt and added 3 of the thumbscrew/shoe mounts to that - plus the one included on the X-Grip. Now my X-Grip, if needed, can be a handheld or tripod mounted "all in one" studio. The uses of the X-Grip are limited only by your imagination and ability to think outside of the box. This thing is crazy versatile and, despite being made of that evil "plastic" stuff, seems remarkably durable. Of course you could just mount your camera on it and use it like it was intended, but where's the fun in that? If you are a little more adventurous with your video camera than just holding it up by your face and shooting from one angle than get this thing - you'll be glad you did. I sure was!

Perfect!

All I can say is... no more shakey footage due to my shakey hands! It's a great stabilizer, and fits my Canon Vixia HF R800 perfectly including the battery. I like the fact that you can mount it in a variety of spots for your camera specifically because it has many places for the screw to screw into your camera, if it's not centered on your body for example like mine is towards the left of the camera. The stabilizer is light, and equally balanced. I have a light mounted on the shoe at the top, and I can still pan from side to side perfectly still and that's due to the weight distribution of the scorpion tail. It's also built well, and solid "good quality" plastic, so you're not worried about dropping it. I love the rubber feet at the bottom, lets me rest it down and even use it as stopper to stop footage when I'm gliding across a table for a pan shot. You can improve the functionality of this by getting multi shoe mounts, and really going all out with a light, a mic, and even a display and it will be able to handle it all perfectly. Love it. Recommend it for anyone who's new and has $25 to spend, this is one of the best add ons for videography.

Produit acheté pour une petite caméra, la fixation a de nombreux réglage et pas seulement un rail. ceci permet de décaler la caméra un peu sur le coté pour contrebalancer le poids de l'ecran sur le coté et permet de garder l'appareil a niveau sans efforts particulier. Autre bon point c'est le pied, qui surélève la caméra et permet de le poser au sol, meme sale et plein de débrits sans craindre pour l'electronique fragile. Ceci a été fort utile en Urbex pour passer la caméra dans des trous, poser de l'autre coté crapahuter et récupérer son matériel sans risque. Dernière chose c'est la griffe au dessus pour mettre un spot ou un micro. C'est indispensable. La prise en main est bonne et stabilise grandement l'image, même si on marche avec. Bref je recommande.

La verdad que cumple las espectativas. Es muy útil si haces deportes sobre patines o tablas. La relación calidad-precio esta muy bien.

Poignée légère et pratique ! Déplacement facile et précis . Peu encombrant et pas très cher .