CAME-TV carbon steadicam review: vest, arm and sled tested
The CAME-TV 2-12 kg carbon steadicam is hard to beat for the money, and its weak points are the vest fit, the unlabelled knobs and the missing docking plate. Once it’s balanced it flies like any other steadicam. If you’re slim, plan to modify the vest.
We filmed this review in 2021 on a unit borrowed from All In One Productions, who we thank for the loan. Prices are the US prices at the time.
What's included with the CAME-TV steadicam
The kit comes with the arm, the vest, the carbon-fibre sled, balance weights, a monitor support arm and an HDMI cable. It uses a standard Manfrotto-style quick release plate for the camera.
It ships with the stronger arm, rated for 6 to 12 kg. If your rig is lighter, CAME-TV offers a lightweight arm rated for 2 to 8 kg. The sled has DC power in and video out at the base, so you can power and feed a monitor without extra cables running up the post.
A few things aren’t included. There’s no monitor, which the more expensive systems in this class often include. There’s no docking plate either, and at the time that was an extra US$28.
Setup problems we ran into
The adjustment knobs have no labels. On first use it’s hard to tell which way to turn them, so expect some trial and error while you balance the rig.
The monitor mount is a standard mount, not an L-bracket. To fly the rig in low mode you’ll need a different mount.
The vest was the biggest issue. Out of the box it’s loose, and it doesn’t tighten any further than that. It fits someone over about 250 pounds. Neither of us is that size, and on us it sat loose. Easy fixes: add straps, lace a cord through it and cinch it, or replace the velcro piece with a longer one. Wearing a few sweaters also helps.
How it flies: tracking, Don Juan, stairs and orbit shots
We ran it through five common steadicam moves.
- Tracking from behind. There’s a slight bounce in the shot. That came from too much tension on the arm, and you can see the arm moving up and down as the operator walks. With the arm set correctly it stays level.
- Don Juan. The camera faces backwards while the operator walks forwards. It handled the switch into this position fine.
- Body pan. The operator pans by turning the whole body. It performed as expected.
- Stairs. Walking up steps felt like any other steadicam. Better balance would have made the shot smoother and easier.
- Orbit. Fairly smooth, with no problems beyond the same balance note.
The rough spots in our footage came from balance, not from the rig. If you’re new to steadicam, budget time for balancing.
Why use a steadicam instead of a gimbal?
A steadicam gives you a more handheld feel than a gimbal, and it needs no batteries to stabilise. You can fly a fully built camera with a real lens and change lenses easily. Because the vest and arm put the weight on your whole body instead of your arms, you can hold the shot for much longer.
Is the CAME-TV steadicam worth it?
At US$888 at the time, we couldn’t find a better deal against the industry-standard systems. The trade-offs are real, though. The vest is less robust than a standard professional vest and is cut for a larger body. The knobs can be fiddly. The camera mounting plate was finicky and hard to shift left and right during balancing. You’ll also want the docking plate, which costs extra.
It suits an owner-operator or small crew that wants real steadicam movement without paying for a top-tier system, and that’s willing to spend time on balance and vest fit.
Renting the CAME-TV steadicam at EFE
We rent a CAME-TV Steadicam System rated 4 to 26 lb, the same 2 to 12 kg load class as the unit in this video. Renting is a good way to find out whether steadicam fits your work before you buy one. Book a little extra time on your first day for balancing. See how renting works at EFE or our camera and video equipment rentals in Surrey.
Ready to rent professional gear for your next project?
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