Tripods are considered by many travel photographers to be a necessary evil.
While occasionally needed for a steady shot, they’re bulky and cumbersome, and many places won’t let you set them down. Steadify, a new project funding on Kickstarter, is an attempt to solve this problem. Even the best monopods still need a stable bit of ground to stand them on, but Steadify doesn't even need that.
The brainchild of globetrotting father and son Gert and Tobias, it’s a wearable stabiliser that uses your body as its third axis of stability – essentially a monopod attached to a belt. The idea is that, once attached, the user can hold their camera for long periods of time and get crisp, blur-free shots, without needing to place anything on the ground.
The monopod unlocks with a simple twist action, and it features a fork-shaped mount on its top, which is designed to take devices of more or less any size. It’s also possible to attach a professional ball head to the 1/4in screw mount.
The makers also have a stretch goal – an extra goal the project will undertake if it massively exceeds its funding target, which this one has – for a smartphone mount, details of which are to be announced soon. There’s also a pocket clip available, one designed specifically for photographers and videographers to provide a home for cards and batteries.
For filmmakers and those incorporating video into their shooting, the makers claim Steadify will also allow for pan, tilt, jib and slider movements. We’ll have to get our hands on one for ourselves to confirm how well this works, but it’s certainly an interesting prospect for anyone planning on shooting moving footage.
Steadify: price and release date
Steadify is funding on Kickstarter now. The minimum pledge to get your hands on one is currently US $99 (about £76), though this is an early bird special, and at time of writing these rewards are disappearing fast.
Available in black, suede and camouflage, the makers are estimating delivery in October.
Read more: The best monopods right now
