An obvious advantage of smaller camcorders with 1/2-inch, 1/3-inch or smaller sensors is their compact size and light weight-particularly when traveling by commercial airline or when covering a long event solo with many setups. However, lightness can be a disadvantage when shooting from a tripod without the downward pull of gravity that comes with greater mass. For that reason, smaller camcorders and lenses are usually equipped with built-in stabilization or shake compensation. While this helps with short duration wider shots, you need a tripod or something comparable for prolonged shots—particularly if they're on the telephoto side. That's where the Camera Cradle from ikan Corp. comes in.

Features
Much like other camera cradles, ikan's is essentially a microbead-filled portable pillow. The Camera Cradle is a blend of duffel bag and fanny pack in its design and ergonomics, but one that is filled with Styrofoam microbeads. This composition makes it very lightweight, at about 2 lb. The microbeads are small enough to give the Cradle cohesion and solidity but large enough so that the cradle doesn't take on the shape of a heavy camera set on it as the beads compress.

The Cradle's "skin" is light-duty black canvas tightly sewn at all the seams, except for a pair of parallel slits that may be opened to remove the pellets prior to washing the fabric. The design makes it convenient and comfortable to "wear" the Cradle while it is supporting a smaller camcorder, even for hours at a time.

Small rectangular pouches with Velcro-sealed flaps are located on each side of the Camera Cradle. While they are large enough to hold a few Mini DV cassettes or a small camera battery and sundries, they are designed for wireless mic receivers, allowing an antenna to protrude straight up through a slit flap. The flaps are durable and sticky, making this one of the best protected areas on the Cradle.

Another feature that distinguishes ikan's Camera Cradle from other camera support bags is that it's designed to be worn and used much like a Steadicam, albeit for a succession of static shots rather than for continuous motion. The belt and padded shoulder strap clip onto sturdy fabric loops sewn onto both ends of the cradle: the shoulder strap attaches to loops on the upper corner, while the waist belt clips to loops in the midsection.

Four more loops on the upper corners of the bag are provided for use with a pair of 1-inch-wide fastening straps in a crisscross pattern, with the center of the "X" on the camera. The loops allow the user to tighten the fastening straps once threaded around the camera, when it's nestled on the cradle. The shoulder and waist straps are designed to adjust easily to accommodate users of many sizes and shapes, as well as different applications. There is also a 4-inch belt adapter for tightening (it shortens the waist belt dramatically)—either for slender individuals or for applications in which the device must be worn very close to the body for greater stability. A small carbineer clip is also included, for ease in carrying sundries such as a mic and cables.

In Use
Initially I tested the Camera Cradle with a smaller camera, Canon's XH A1 HDV camcorder, while traveling in a Ford Explorer and shooting in a snowstorm. I simply stood the Cradle on its side and leaned it against the vehicle's interior door panel. I set the camera atop the Cradle, nestled it into place and then began framing and shooting. To my surprise, the framed image seemed very stable in the mid focal range. I shot for more than an hour and used a range of focal lengths-from fully zoomed out to maximum telephoto-yet the image was remarkably stable in the viewfinder. The camcorder nestled nicely into the Cradle to create a stable shooting platform, and I had little trouble grabbing 10- to 20-second shots without injecting unintended camera movement.

I even used the Cradle in this perpendicular position atop the armrest (between the two front seats) to shoot through the passenger window. Once again, I was impressed with how quickly the Cradle stabilized the camera, even in this unorthodox position. I tried many variations on these positions while inside my vehicle and was usually able to find a stable resting position from which to grab short tripod-steady shots. I was really amazed at how little involuntary camera movement I noted.

I tested the Cradle's mobile configuration, lashing my XH A1 atop the Cradle and donning the camera/Cradle combo like a fanny pack. (I used the shoulder strap for extra stability.) When everything was all cinched up, the camera and Cradle were secured loosely to my chest and waist and I was ready for a long march. I was impressed with how light the rig felt, even after more than an hour of hiking. Moreover, whenever I braced against something solid, such as a large tree, I got fairly stable shots, even when zoomed in at 70 to 80 percent of max. When I was unable to brace myself, the shot length and effective focal length declined by 20 to 30 percent or more. Still, I managed to grab fairly stable medium shots of crows and even doves when zoomed in around 70 to 80 percent by bracing the Cradle against a thick horizontal tree limb. To get stable longer telephoto shots, however, I had to take the Camera Cradle off and place it on a log, a slight knoll or some other solid base.

The Camera Cradle also made it quick and easy to grab low-angle shots while hiking. With the XH A1 camcorder lashed to the Camera Cradle, I could quickly put it down on the snowy ground without endangering the camcorder. Moreover, I consistently got steady shots, even when zoomed in up to 80 percent.

I wanted to push the possibilities further by adding a 1.5x tele-extender, but it made the camera too front-heavy to hike comfortably while keeping camera and lens safe. It also made it much tougher to steady myself for quick shots without a tree or wall to brace against. However, by loosening the tie downs and repositioning and re-securing the camera and tele-extender combination, I could get steady shots by placing it on a table, a car hood or stone wall.

Summary
ikan's Camera Cradle is a novel approach to providing stable, mobile camera support for smaller cameras and camcorders. Its use precludes having to mount and dismount a camera when switching from handheld to tripod and back again. When coupled with the internal stabilizers now provided with most small professional camcorders, the Camera Cradle enables remarkably well balanced, stable shooting with 1/3-inch and even 1/2-inch camcorders. This saves time, particularly in situations where multiple setups may be required. The Camera Cradle's light weight and ergonomic design make it ideal for persons of average size and strength who must shoot on their feet for hours at a stretch. As it is about the size of a small bed pillow, it also travels easily and can make an ideal head rest when trying to catch a few winks on a long flight.