These days, a hand-held shot is a special effect and as with all special effects it should be used sparingly. Viewers have become accustomed to seeing great steady shots in movies and television shows and your videos should convey the same pro look. You can get those rock solid shots by using this guide and choosing the right supports for your shooting style. And you will raise a few eyebrows with your awesome footage!

First, get a good tripod. The tripod has been around almost as long as movie cameras, and for a good reason. Tripods are easy to carry, provide a solid platform to shoot from and allow you to compose steady scenes. When looking for a tripod there are three major factors to consider:
Durability: You will carry your tripod with you everywhere and put it through every kind of shooting situation imaginable. It will be dropped, banged, and trampled. And those are on its good days!

When shopping for tripods keep this in mind.Check the legs, knobs and adjustments. You will want to get a fluid head for the tripod. After all, you need steady smooth pans and tilts. Nothing is more frustrating than a sticky tripod! Study the entire tripod from top to bottom, eyeing the connections. Are the knobs likely to break off? Try it with your camera and look for any weakness. Will it stay where you put it and not twist or vibrate? These are important factors when you are in the field with your camera attached, and you need to depend on that tripod.
Construction: Most tripods will either be aluminum or plastic, or a combination of both. Some say wood based tripods will absorb vibrations better than metal. With your camera on the tripod give it a gentle tap; did you see the vibration in the viewfinder, even if you have the camera zoomed out? This will be important when you're on the go. Look into carbon fiber, too. Weight will be a major factor because you will be lugging this thing around like a child with a teddy bear. It goes where you go and if you plan to go up a mountainside, weight matters. The tripod's size matters, too - it might be steady at a 3-foot height, but does it perform well when extended to its maximum length?
Cost:You will notice I placed the cost of the unit as the last thing on the list. Of all the factors to consider when buying any support system the cost should be the least of your concerns. Sure you can run down to your local mega mart and pick up a tripod for as little as twenty bucks, but you get what you pay for. Headaches are cheap! Don't skimp, buy with performance in mind first, costs concerns should follow.

Other Support Devices

Now that you have a wonderful tripod, let's look at all the other support systems on the market. There will be times you will need to leave your faithful tripod in the car and strap on some other system to get the shot you need. Your camera is your baby and you would never put your baby in a cheap stroller and trek across the street, right? Whatever support systems you need or plan to buy, consider the important role it will have in relation to your camera. You should never attach your camera to anything that may take it 14 feet into the air or spin around corners with less than total and complete trust!

Jibs & Cranes

One sure sign of a professional video is a crane shot. Nothing compares to a view swooping downward and swinging around as the camera appears to float majestically over your subject. Cranes and jibs can do this; give you the shot you can't get with any other support system. High to low, side to side and combinations of all angles are possible and easy with a good crane. It will take your videos to a whole new level!

Factors to look for are:
Assembly: Can you assemble it alone or will you need help? Before you attach your camera you should consider the time and effort needed to insure the crane is steady and rock solid.
Balance: Cranes use a counter balance system, a set of weights on the back to offset the weight of the crane itself and your camera on the top end. The crane should be sturdy with tight fitting connections. No wobble or slack. When assembled it will glide or flow around as well as soar upward and downward with little to no vibration. Properly balanced, it will park horizontally with the camera and weights on an even line. Many of the cranes on the market require that you buy the weights separately. Try a few to figure out just the amount of counter weight you will need to insure soft and flowing movement.

Some jibs are essentially a pole you carry and even handle without weights. These may be cheaper, but you will be the counter force and base for it. Your steady hand is what makes this jib work.
Platform: Many cranes will attach to your tripod or have an optional tripod base to rest them on. If you intend to use your own tripod it will need to be a beefy set of sticks! That mega mart plastic tripod will not do! A good and hefty tripod will be essential to the operation of your crane. Don't skimp, get a firm platform for it.

Hand, Head & Shoulder Support

Cranes and tripods are not the only support systems out there. There is a support system for just about any shooting situation. Want to shoot high-speed video from your car at 90 MPH? There are support systems and automobile attachments for this type of shooting. Ranging from suction cup systems to bands and straps, all are designed to hold your camera tightly to the vehicle while you race around the block. You can clamp your camera to a motorcycle and get superb footage from ground level or even from the helmet you wear.

Again, the unit should be durable, sturdy and built to take extreme punishment. Consider the cost and the performance of anything you plan to stick your camera on.

If your idea of awesome footage is less extreme than shooting race car shots, you may want to consider a shoulder system. Mobility is a factor in many location shoots and you will need to be as steady as you would expect from your best friend the tripod.

There are plenty of camcorder shoulder supports on the market and many of them are not expensive. All of them will give you better support than just holding the camera. Some of the more elaborate systems will have straps and belts to wear that help you maintain the camera's position while shooting. The idea here is that you become a human tripod. Systems like this allow you to move around freely and shoot steady with only your own body causing any shake or vibration. Look for durability, balance, construction and weight when purchasing a brace. Unlike a tripod, you will be wearing or holding this system almost all of the time. It should be comfortable and easy to use. Your brace should hold the camera firmly with no chance it could fall off. And like your tripod it will probably take a beating.

Today's cameras are small and appear to be getting smaller. So a good shoulder support is becoming essential as well. The smaller the camera the more difficult it will be to hold still. Steady camera systems may have weights and balance appendages affording you a "floating" look. They are designed to absorb your movement and keep the camera level. Most will have to be calibrated to the weight and size of your camcorder to perform well. And you may find yourself adjusting them often.

More standard shoulder braces will be either a single piece, or perhaps capable of removing parts for easy storage and transportation. DIY and PVC systems will be just as sturdy as manufactured units because they all use your body as the support platform. Pick the best that fits your shooting style. You can find many shoulder braces under $100.