Stayblcam

Dustin White
Editor

When looking for devices to help stabilize video, hundreds of options become available. The products range from expensive complicated rigs to items that serve, at best, paper weights. Appearing in the middle of that is the Stayblcam, a unique device designed for cell phones and light weight cameras. 

Unboxing the Stayblcam, it is a bit underwhelming. From first glance, it appears similar to a selfie stick. But appearances can be deceiving. 

The design of the Stayblcam is relatively simple. There are few moving parts, which provides little chance of failure. The primary weakness appears to be the telescoping arm, which if put under enough stress would bend. But under normal and even heavy use, there is little worry of that. 



As a whole, the Stayblcam is quite durable. Even more though, it works well in many weather conditions because of the simple design. There are no electronics to worry about, so water isn’t a threat. In that regard, the Stayblcam should hold up even in the most extreme conditions. 

Performance
Part of the beauty of the Stayblcam is its simplicity. It works directly out of the box, and needs little explanation as how to use it. Slide your phone into the phone adapter on one side, and you’re nearly ready to go. 

The most difficult aspect comes with trying to balance the Stayblcam. Once the phone (or camera) is attached to the Stayblcam, in order to have it work properly, it is necessary to hold the device horizontally, and by adjusting the telescoping arm, balance it. 

At first, trying to balance the Stayblcam is a bit annoying, and it requires a knack. However, after a few uses, one gets a hang of it. It would have been nice if there were basic suggestions marked out on the telescoping arm, to give starting points, but with use, balancing it almost becomes natural. 

Once balanced, it is just a matter of grabbing the grip, and going. A bit of support will be needed to keep the Stayblcam upright, but it all can be done with just one hand. 

There is a slight learning curve to using the Stayblcam. While the device works easily enough, I found that it was necessary to adjust my hold so that it felt stable in my hand. It took a little while to find out what worked best, but with just a little playing around, it was easy to get a hang of. 

With the basics worked out, the rest falls into place. While the Stayblcam won’t eliminate all extra movement from a video, it does greatly smooth it out. What may be a better benefit though is that the Stayblcam allows fluid motion both up and down, as well as sideways. 

Overall
The design of the Stayblcam makes it nearly a universal tool. The rubber camera attachment easily allows for virtually any phone to be used. But the Stayblcam can also be used with smaller cameras, including mirrorless cameras. However, it is definitely aimed at those shooting videos with a smart phone. 



As a whole, the Stayblcam is a wonderful tool. While it may not eliminate all extra movement in every condition, it does greatly smooth out the video. For most users, that is more than enough. 

It is a device I would highly recommend. 

(In a future review, we will be seeing how far we can push the Stayblcam, and to what extremes it endure).