By Matthew Jeppsen, October 16, 2007
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Anton Bauer offers a full line of lightweight camcorder accessories under its ElipZ banner, from batteries to lights. One such accessory is the EgripZ, a unique, flexible, crossbar handle that attaches beneath your camcorder for additional handheld control.
You’ll need a coin or screwdriver to lock the EgripZ to your camcorder’s 1/4-20 thread. There is a standard mount point on the bottom of the unit as well, so you can also use a monopod or other accessories with the EgripZ attached. (I do, however, wish this product featured a quick-release or tool-less method of attaching it to the camera.)
Once you have locked the EgripZ tightly to your camera, you can now use the soft rubber grips that extend out from both sides to grasp and control it in many unique ways. The handles are stiff enough to bear the weight of the camcorder yet flexible enough to be bent and reshaped as necessary. You can even customize your purchase on the grips even in the midst of shooting
. Each handle can be bent independently, and in basically any direction in a 130-degree arc. Because you can quickly readjust the EgripZ on the fly, you effectively gain a few extra grip points to your camera rig without packing on very much weight (just 12.8 oz.).
One of my favorite ways to utilize the EgripZ is to bend the right grip downward and brace it against my arm that’s supporting the camcorder
hand strap (see top photo). I then bend the opposite handle forward at an angle and stabilize the camera from that grip with my left hand. Not only is this a very stable way to shoot handheld but the grip that’s braced vertically against my right arm effectively removes much of the strain on that wrist. It also has the side effect of stabilizing unwanted camera roll. This configuration is particularly helpful when you add other heavy accessories to the camera, like a shoe-mounted light, wide-angle lens or hard disk capture device.
The EgripZ handles also facilitate high angle shots, lending a more stable shot when you’re holding the camera at arm’s length.
I’ve found that I tend to use the EgripZ regularly due to the fact that it weighs very little and can be easily stowed basically anywhere in my production bags. It’s not an item I leave on my camcorder at all times, but it’s always close by for when I need an extra hand.
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