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Click to EnlargeCamcorder Support Review : Delkin Fat Gecko & Cam Caddie Scorpion
As video cameras become smaller in size yet produce incredible footage, now is a good time to get that new cam. Many of the newer camcorders have image stabilization, which is good news for small cameras, because the smaller they are, the harder they are to hold steady. However, even with a stabling boost, the cameras can still be awkward to hold steady for any length of time due to ergonomics. We video producers are always looking for ways to get better footage than our gear is often designed to deliver, pushing the limits of video creativity. We've recently found a couple of camera support devices engineered to help that creativity along, so we just had to take a closer look.
In this issue, we have a full feature on tripods and other devices made to carry your camera and allow you to be more creative in your shooting, while also delivering a more polished professional look to your video. This review breaks out two different types of camera support for a closer look.
Like the lizard made famous in auto insurance commercials, the Fat Gecko camera mount from Delkin attaches to any smooth surface and holds a camera at nearly any angle imaginable. It uses two strong suction-cup locks attached to a 6-inch articulating arm that has two ball-and-socket joints to level the mount and camera at many possible angles. Atop the arm is an ordinary inch-wide standard 1/4-inch screw to attach your camera.
We tested the Fat Gecko using two different cameras in two different vehicles following two different subjects. We first followed a local cycling pro who was interested in having us capture him on a trial run so he could check his form. We attached a 4.5-pound Sony VX2100 to the Fat Gecko and attached that to the back of a top-down Alfa Romeo Spider, which acted as a pace car, then we raced off into the country on a nice spring afternoon. The roads we traveled ran the gamut from being quite bumpy to quite smooth, with a variety of railroad tracks, dips and road-kill hazards to make the drive interesting.
When we first took off, we had some doubts about the Fat Gecko's reliability, as the brief disclaimer-instructions say the support device is for cameras weighing six pounds or less. The weight of the camera wasn't so much an issue as was the size. This is a long-nosed camcorder, and the mounting stud has only one hole for the common ¼-inch diameter thread. It would have been nice to have an extra locking-pin hole, too, as the camera tended to drift off-target following some heavy vibrations on the road (the 25-year-old Alfa Romeo wasn't the best choice of vehicle for a smooth ride, as it has little shock absorption). But... the one thing we feared - the suction cups coming off - didn't happen, even with all the bumping around.
