SIMA SVP-3 Mini VideoProp Chest Support

If you’ve ever taken extended...

Strengths: Convenient to carry, lightweight, and improves camcorder steadiness for extended video.

Weakness: Not a replacement for tripods. Not much improvement for videos under three minutes.

If you’ve ever taken extended video without the aid of a tripod you know how shaky the video can be. After a while your arms get tired and it’s impossible to keep the video constantly steady. Sima’s VideoProp (SVP-3) can help keep your video steadier. While its no replacement for a tripod, it is handier and lighter than a tripod. I almost never take a tripod with me, but it’s very easy to...
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If you’ve ever taken extended video without the aid of a tripod you know how shaky the video can be. After a while your arms get tired and it’s impossible to keep the video constantly steady. Sima’s VideoProp (SVP-3) can help keep your video steadier. While its no replacement for a tripod, it is handier and lighter than a tripod. I almost never take a tripod with me, but it’s very easy to carry the VideoProp in my camera bag.

The VideoProp consists of a strap that has an adjustable circumference of 31 to 46” allowing you to place the base of the pod near your waist or higher on your chest. The strap has a quick release buckle if you want to release the strap (not sure why you’d want to, but it’s there). The pod can extend from 10 to 15”. It has a lever to lock it in place. The pod can swivel at the bottom where it is attached to the strap and at the top. At the top, there is a wing nut to lock the pod if you don’t want it to swivel. The video cam is attached to a base plate by a screw and a guide pin. The base plate can be quickly attached or detached from the top of the pod. There is a release button, which allows for a quick release. There is also a safety strap that can be used to secure the camcorder to the VideoProp. It may be a little difficult to attach the clip to camcorder’s strap ring so I used a key ring attached to the strap ring to make it easier to attach the safety trap clip. The VideoProp is made of lightweight plastic and weighs 7.5 oz.

The VideoProp provides two-point stability with the hand holding the camcorder. Wide-angle video over an extended period of time will definitely show an improvement with the VideoProp. Telephoto video (camcorders that have 20X or higher optical zooms) will show an improvement, but definitely not a replacement for a tripod. The main selling point for the VideoProp is that it makes it easier to hold the camcorder. The improvement of steadiness will depend on how long you videotape. Videos under three minutes will show less improvement. If you’re doing a video from 3 to 10 minutes your arms will definitely be less fatigued with the VideoProp and the videos will definitely have less shake. Anything over 10 minutes you’d be better off with a tripod. I’ve seen the VideoProp advertised from $21 to $30 plus shipping. If you do mostly short videos under 3 minutes you can manage without it. If you do a lot of video taping over 3 minutes in duration and you’re not using a tripod it’s definitely worth the investment. If you’re using a tripod, stick to the tripod. The VideoProp is recommended for palm-size camcorders and still cameras (I don’t think I’d ever use it for my still camera). It’s probably not sturdy enough for heavy-duty camcorders.

By mattasai - Apr 6, 2005