Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2012

Is this your year to become the next Robert Rodriguez? Finally going to shoot that guerilla mockumentary? No need for any expensive machinery with the ever-improving quality of smartphone video. Rapidly being called on for in-the-field video reportage and guerilla interviews, these portable workhorses can pretty much do anything. But until now, any kind of moving shots have resembled something filmed during an epileptic seizure or an earthquake.

Thanks to Tiffen, the company that brought the Steadicam to Hollywood, you can now use your phone to follow, track or pan your subject without a bouncing, jiggling frame. Based on the same technology as the professional $60,000 rigs used in LA, the Steadicam Smoothee enables smooth shooting with your Apple iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPod Touch, and Flipcam. The contraption is basically a pistol grip with a three-point gimbal on top, attached to which is a counterweight and mount for your device. Just snap your phone in the holder and clip onto the mount.

The counterweight keeps the camera level and steady, while the gimbal allows for free movement of your phone-grasping hand (the same way a compass is kept horizontal in a moving vessel). Wherever you need to move—up or downstairs, through a jostling crowd—you can still get sweeping shots with that floating effect. You might want to use the auto-exposure/focus lock, which is toggled on the iPhone by tapping and holding the video screen.

The Smoothee takes some getting used to, and you need to spend some time balancing the counterweight against your phone by turning two adjustment screws on the side for right and left tilt as well as one in the back for forward and back tilt— but the results are astounding. No matter how much you move around, the Smoothee keeps your shot tracking with nary a shake or jump. You’ll need to get used to using your thumb or index finger to stabilize or turn the phone mount, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be running through Shinjuku station filming chase scenes in no time.

The Smoothee is not a cheap toy, but at ¥19,950 it’s within the realm of the amateur filmmaker’s budget. It comes with a carry bag and strap, is fairly lightweight, and will fit in most packs or gear bags. The quick-release camera mount can also fit on standard tripods allowing you to swap out of the Smoothie and right into the tripod for your next scene.

Look for plenty more budding filmmakers out on the street with these mini-rigs in 2012. And to complement your ultra-mobile equipment, look into the newly released Scosche wireless mic for your smartphone, too (www.scosche.com).

¥19,950, available at Gin-Ichi stores (www.ginichi.com) and Amazon.co.jp. Check out our Que Sera Sera restaurant review, made with the Steadicam Smoothee, at http://meturl.com/queserasera