The Best Glidecam For DSLR Cameras!

We have lost count of the number of times that we have seen people reaching out for a recommendation on the best Glidecam for DSLR cameras and although the Glidecam range is great, in this day and age, in our opinion at least, you are definatley overpaying for what you get due to the brand name. That said, we have decided to publish this article to go over our opinions on the subject and hopefully be able to help any of our readers who are looking to add a Glidecam to their collection.

Now, as our readers have different budgets and needs, we have decided to feature five products in total. Three of them are official Glidecams and two of them are from the rival Flycam brand who is quickly making a name for themselves and taking a decent amount of the market share in the process. It may seem a little strange that we are featuring one of the main rivals for Glidecam in an article but we hope that it will show how much you are overpaying for what you actually get!

Now, keep in mind that we have a large range of readers with a varying range of experience that seems to start at entry-level videographer and go all the way up to established professional level videographer with the majority of our readers being somewhere in the middle. Due to this, we will be specifically mentioning the level of the videographer that we would recommend each of the different stabilizers for as we got through the article.

Additionally, we know that we like to get into it in our articles and they often end up being very long so we have a comparison table below with a short breakdown of each product just below it for our readers show on time. Below that section, we have a deep dive into all five of our featured camera stabilizers for DSLR cameras for any of our readers who have the free time available to read our deep dives on each of our recommendations.

Comparison Table

Last update on 2024-02-21 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

We have no doubt that it will surprise many of our readers that our number one recommendation for the article is not even from the Glidecam brand but from their main rival. We really do feel that the Flycam Redking will be a better addition to most of our reader’s collection of DSLR camera accessories than any of the official Glidecam products.

Not only is it much cheaper than what Glidecam has to offer, it also has a larger maximum load capacity, and although the Glidecam Devin Graham Signature Series does offer better performance, its performance is not good enough to justify paying three times the price. There are plenty of professional-level videographers who use the Redking as their go-to stabilizer of choice and many of them have left independent reviews of the product that are well worth reading as they go into how good this stabilizer really is.

Coming in at second place is our main official Glidecam that is perfect for DSLR video cameras, the Glidecam DGS Series that is an excellent bit of kit but although it offers some of the best performance going at the time of writing, it is hard to justify the price tag in our opinion. If you are a professional level videographer with many paying clients and you have the budget available then you can go with the Glidecam DGS Series but even then we would recommend that you seriously consider the Flycam Redking as it may meet your needs at a third of the price.

Although the Glidecam XR Pro was actually designed for use with handheld video cameras, it has actually earned a pretty solid reputation amongst DSLR camera users too. In our opinion though, unless you specifically want a stabilizer that has the Glidecam branding on it, the Flycam Redking is a better option over the Glidecam XR Pro in almost every area.

Next up, although it’s not actually an official Glidecam, we have our ultimate budget Glidecam entry for DSLR cameras, the Flycam HD 3000. It is the cheapest stabilizer that we have decided to feature and in all honesty, it is a great entry-level stabilizer that offers some decent performance. If you are on a very tight budget then this is a great choice but again, the Flycam Redking is not much more expensive than the Flycam HD 3000 but it offers much better overall performance with a higher load capacity.

Now, in all honesty, we weren’t even going to include the Glidecam HD 2000 in this list but for some reason, we always see people on sites like Reddit and various videography forums recommending it as a Glidecam that is solid for DSLR camera use. It has the lowest load capacity of all five featured stabilizers and is very expensive for what you are actually getting. That said, it has a large customer base who seem to love it but it can definitely struggle with heavier DSLR camera setups and in our opinion, it is massively overpriced.

Flycam Redking

Now, just like we mentioned above, we know that a number of our readers are going to be surprised that our number one, primary stabilizer recommendation in this article about Glidecams for DSLR cameras is actually from the Flycam brand rather than the Glidecam brand. That said though, we really do feel that the Flycam Redking is an excellent bit of kit that is also very budget-friendly for what you are actually getting out of the stabilizer.

Although it does have a low price tag, this does not mean that you are getting low levels of image stabilization as the Redking is able to outperform competing camera stabilizers on the market that are almost double its price tag! Although we will admit that the Glidecam DGS Series does offer a slightly higher level of performance than the Redking, we don’t feel that this higher level of performance is worth paying three times the price unless you have the budget available and have to have the very best Glidecam possible for your videography clients.

The Flycam Redking has gone from strength to strength since it was released onto the market a few years back now earning itself a massive customer base who love the stabilizer. Additionally, the reputation of the Redking within the videography community just keeps getting better and better and shows no signs of slowing down at all.

Performance And Functionality

The Redking can support DSLR camera rigs up to a maximum payload weight of 15.4 Pounds making it the highest load capacity manual stabilizer on our list even when compared against the much more expensive Glidecam DSLR stabilizers. With the vast majority of DSLR camera bodies coming in at between one and two pounds of payload weight, the Redking has around thirteen pounds of spare load capacity for all the camera accessories that you need.

Even if you use a heavy camera cage, battery grip, heavy lens, large external microphone, and a big video light, we doubt that your DSLR camera rig will be getting anywhere near the 15.4 pounds of payload weight mark. This ensures that the Flycam Redking is able to meet your needs no matter what camera rig you are required to use for your videography session and can supports cameras weighing more than most compeating stabilizers that can be by more than 10 pounds.

The Flycam Redking also has that great natural looking image stabilization that the Glidecam style camera stabilizers are famous for that some electronic gimbals struggle to produce. Having the more natural feel to the video footage that you capture can offer you a number of advantages as many potential clients are not fans of the more robotic image stabilization that some electronic gimbals provide.

We like to share the sample video footage above that was recorded using the Canon 80d DSLR mounted to the Flycam Redking. The clips really do a great job of showing off exactly what you are able to expect from the Redking and just how smooth and effortless the image stabilization that it can produce for you is.

As you can see, mounting your heavy DSLR setup to the Redking helps to improve your overall image quality that you are able to capture with minimal additional effort required on your part. This improved level of video footage can help to keep your clients happy and lead to your reputation as a videographer increasing within your local area and potentially leading to additional paid work.

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User Interface And Control System

As the vast majority of manual Glidecam style camera stabilizers are pretty basic bits of kit, it should be no surprise that the Redking is very user-friendly. Even if you are looking to pick up your first Glidecam style stabilizer for your DSLR camera, you should be able to order the Redking and take it out of the box when it arrives and get it working without running into any issues.

The balancing procedure has been designed to be as quick and easy as possible to ensure that you are able to set the stabilizer up in less than a minute to prevent you from having to waste time each time you need to use your DSLR stabilizer.

In addition to this, the Redking also uses the Manfrotto dovetail quick release plate shown in the image above. This ensures that you are not only able to quickly and easily mount and unmount your DSLR camera from the stabilizer but that you are also able to hot-swap your DSLR between your Redking, tripod, or electronic gimbal provided they all use the same, popular Manfrotto release plate design.

Build Quality And Design

The Redking is also the newest Glidecam style DSLR stabilizer that we are featuring in our article. This means that is has access to newer technologies and materials for its build quality and design. Although the gimbal handle on the stabilizer is very similar to what the other featured units use, it has been designed to be as efficient as possible. Its closed housing ball bearings also mean that there is no need to try and lubricate or service the ball bearings as the sealed housing takes care of itself.

The Redking is also made from the latest metal alloys available that ensure that the stabilizer is both lightweight as well as tough too. This means that the Redking is able to take any bumps coming its way while in transit or during use without breaking. Additionally, the lightweight alloys also ensure that the stabilizer is as lightweight as possible ensuring that even with a heavy DSLR camera rig mounted to it, you can hold the setup for as long as required to get the video footage that you need.

Now, there is one issue with the Redking and it is that the handle grip is a little slippy and can take a little getting used to as it can randomly rotate around the handle making you think that the stabilizer is giving way and that your DSLR camera is falling to the ground. Although we have not tried this ourselves, we have seen a number of people say that they have added some glue to the grip and the issue has stopped without having any effect on the performance of the stabilizer.

FAQs

Question – Is there a steady support handle available for the Redking?

Answer – Yes, the official one is the Flycam Yoko but there are a number of third-party ones too.

Question – Will the Flycam Redking be able to support my camera setup?

Answer – Well, this does not just come down to the DSLR camera unit that you use but also the accessories that you mount on it during use. Provided you keep the total payload weight of your rig below the fifteen-pound load capacity limit of the Redking, we would imagine that you would be fine.

Question – Does the Redking have a drop adjustment?

Answer – Yes.

Our Verdict

Now, we feel that we have done a good job of explaining why we feel that even though it is not an official Glidecam, that the Flycam Redking is the best Glidecam style stabilizer for your DSLR camera rig. That said though, there are a bunch of independent reviews online that have been left by third-party videographers that go over their experiences with the Redking and offer an external perspective on the stabilizer.

Additionally, as shown in the video above, the image stabilization that the Redking is able to provide for you is excellent and we have no doubt that it will be able to help improve your DSLR image quality and make a great addition to your collection of camera accessories. We also have our own dedicated Flycam Redking review online where we go into more detail on the stabilizer too.

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Glidecam Devin Graham Signature Series

Next up on our list, we have our first official stabilizer from the Glidecam range that is suitable for DSLR cameras, the Glidecam DGS Series and although this Glidecam is almost five years old now, it just keeps growing in popularity at a steady pace even though in our opinion, it is overpriced by today’s standards and that the Flycam Redking would actually be a better more cost-efficient addition to your camera accessories for the many of our readers.

That said if you really do have to have the best possible performance available then the Glidecam DGS Series is the way to go, just keep in mind, you are paying three times the price than the Redking for a small increase in performance. Over the years since its release onto the market, the Glidecam DGS Series has managed to earn an outstanding reputation within the videography community and is used as the go-to Glidecam of choice for many DSLR camera users.

Performance And Functionality

The Devin Graham Signature Series is able to support a maximum load capacity of twelve pounds of payload weight for your camera. Again, off the top of our heads, we are unable to think of any popular DSLR camera setup that will require more load capacity out of your Glidecam. There are a small number of exceptions but for the most part, we are confident that this flagship Glidecam will be able to support the weight of your DSLR camera.

Again, when compared to most electronic, motorized gimbals on the market right now, the Glidecam DGS Series has the advantage of being able to provide you with that super smooth natural-looking image stabilization but gimbals are catching up and products like the DJI Ronin S have multiple gimbal modes that you can use for natural-looking video footage.

The video above is one of our favorite cinematic clip montages that was recorded using the Glidecam DGS Series although it does have a Canon C200 cinematic video camera mounted to it rather than a DSLR camera. Given that the Canon C200 usually uses setups that are around double the weight of the average DSLR setup, the clip does a decent job of showing off the performance of the Glidecam.

As you can see, even with a super heavy camera setup mounted to it, the Glidecam provides clean and effortless image stabilization to improve the image quality that the operator is able to capture. Like we said at the start of this section, the Glidecam DGS Series does offer a slightly better level of performance than the Redking but we are not convinced that it is worth paying three times as much for.

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User Interface And Control System

Glidecam have used a Manfrotto release plate design for this stabilizer ensuring that you are able to quickly and easily hot-swap between other compatible devices that use the same Manfrotto release plate as well as quickly and easily mount or unmount your DSLR camera from the Glidecam as required. If you are using this stabilizer then there is a good chance that you are an established, professional-level videographer and that you will have tripods and gimbals that also use the Manfrotto release plate system so this ensures you can swap between your kit as required without wasting time.

You are also able to quickly and easily invert the Devin Graham Signature Series if required to capture some low angle video footage without having to waste time and adjust the seating of the gimbal handle either. This ensures that you are always able to quickly and easily adapt to the needs of your recording session as required. The central column on the Glidecam is also quick and easy to adjust so you can adjust the higher than your DSLR camera sits at as required and without having to waste your valuable time.

Build Quality And Design

As we mentioned earlier in the article, the Glidecam DGS Series is almost five years old now and there have been a fair few advancements in the technology of gimbal handles for manual camera stabilizers like the Glidecam range in this time. Additionally, a number of new alloys have been developed that would allow the Glidecam to be lighter, support a higher load capacity, and be cheaper than the current version.

This is on of the main reason that we feel that it is so overpriced and that the Flycam Redking offers you a much better deal in most situations. We are surprised that Glidecam has not released the second generation of this stabilizer to keep up with the advancements in technology and maintain their dominance in the space.

FAQs

Question – Does the Glidecam DGS Series require the operator to wear a vest rig?

Answer – No, you are able to get the same level of performance our of the Glidecam with your DSLR by holding it in your hands.

Question – Is there a minimum DSLR camera weight for this Glidecam?

Answer – Yes, the official minimum payload weight for your camera rig is two pounds but the majority of DSLR camera setups will easily meet this.

Question – What ks the telescopic range of the central column on this Glidecam?

Answer – The range is from twenty inches at its shortest to twenty-eight inches at its largest.

Our Verdict

In our opinion, the Devin Graham Signature Series is a great bit of kit but in our opinion, it is simply overpriced in this day and age, even after its price reduction a while back. The compeating brands are releasing newer stabilizers with newer tech and lower price tags like the Flycam Redking and are taking large shares of the market.

The Devin Graham Signature Series does have a massive user base though and many of them have published their own review of the Glidecam sharing their experiences with the community. If you absolutley have to have the best performance possible and you have the budget available then this can be a great Glidecam for your DSLR video cameras.

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Glidecam XR PRO

Next up, we have the Glidecam XR PRO that was primarily designed for use with cinematic video cameras rather than regular DSLR cameras but the Glidecam stabilizer has managed to carve out a small following of DSLR video cameras users who use it and seem to love it. Now, in our opinion, although this is much cheaper than the Devin Graham Signature Series covered above, it is not as good as the Flycam Redking that is actually cheaper.

Additionally, it can be a pain to mount some DSLR cameras to the Glidecam XR PRO so we would recommend either of the camera stabilizers above for your DSLR rather than the Glidecam XR PRO. That said, it has a decent reputation although the growth of its user base does seem to be stagnating.

Performance And Functionality

The Glidecam XR PRO is able to support a DSLR setup weight of around ten pounds and we would imagine that it is able to support the majority of DSLR setups that our readers will use. Although the Glidecam is able to provide some natural-looking image stabilization for your DSLR rig, it can sometimes have that slightly robotic look to it if the Glidecam is not balanced perfectly for your DSLR setup.

Now, when you do balance the Glidecam XR PRO for your DSLR payload weight correctly, it can produce the levels of image stabilization that are shown in the image above. This can really help to improve the image quality that you are able to capture but like we said earlier, in our opinion at last, the Flycam Redking make a better addition to your DSLR camera accessories as it is cheaper and offers you better performance.

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User Interface And Control System

The Glidecam XR PRO follows the same interface design as the other Glidecams for DSLR cameras in our article, the release plate on the Glidecam lets you mount or unmount your DSLR camera as required and it is also compatible with some other tripods on the market too so you can switch between your devices as you wish.

The central column is fully adjustable too allowing you to quickly adjust the height of the Glidecam to get the required angle for your camera to meet the needs of your videography session. The gimbal handle that attaches to the central column of the Glidecam is solid as well as comfortable to hold ensuring that you are able to use the Glidecam with your DSLR mounted on it for extended videography sessions without getting cramps.

Build Quality And Design

The design of the Glidecam XR PRO follows the same concept as the other Glidecams covered in our article with no real major changes. The build quality is great as you would expect from a product coming from the Glidecam range and the XR Pro is also pretty lightweight considering its size and the load capacity that it is able to support during use.

FAQs

Question – Is there a minimum payload weight for the Glidecam XR PRO?

Answer – Yes, this Glidecam requires around four pounds of payload weight to be mounted to the Glidecam before it is able to provide you with any image stabilization. Now, we would imagine that most DSLR cameras are able to breach the four pounds of payload weight mark, especially when you factor in the release plate weight too. On the flip side of this though, if you are unable to get your DSLR above four pounds, you can use some gimbal counterweights to help increase the payload of your camera.

Question – Will the Glidecam XR PRO be able to support the weight of my DSLR?

Answer – Again, this depends on the weight of your DSLR camera body as well as the accessories that you are planning to use when recording. We would imagine that provided your DSLR payload weight is between four and ten pounds, the Glidecam XR PRO should be able to deal with it without issue.

Our Verdict

Although we only featured the Glidecam XR PRO in our list of Glidecams suitable for DSLR cameras due to see it recommended so much on videography and photography forums, we are personally not big fans of the Glidecam XR PRO model. It is more expensive than the Flycam Redking while supporting a lower maximum load capacity, it needs a larger minimum load capacity to stabilize, and its performance is not as good as what the Redking can provide for you.

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Flycam HD 3000

Next up, and although it’s actually from Flycam rather than Glidecam, we have what we consider to be the best budget Glidecam style stabilizer for DSLR video cameras on the market right now, the Flycam HD 3000 that is actually a surprisingly good bit of kit for its super low price tag although this is definatley an entry-level stabilizer for DSLRs and should not be used for professional-level work.

If you are doing any type of paid client work either of the first three Glidecams should be your primary option. That said, if you are a hobbyist or entry-level videographer or a YouTube vlogger then you may be surprised at the performance that the Flycam HD 3000 is actually able to provide for you.

Due to its very low price tag and great level of performance, the Flycam HD 3000 has proven to be a very popular Glidecam style stabilizer on the market and it has managed to rightfully earn itself a well deserved reputation within the community that is continuing to grow with each month that passes.

Performance And Functionality

As this is an entry-level DSLR camera stabilizer, it does have a number of limitations with the first one being its maximum load capacity only being eight pounds. Now, in all honesty, this will be plenty for the vast majority of entry-level DSLR camera owners and you will be able to quickly and easily mount your camera rig to the Flycam HD 3000 and get to work. We just wanted to point it out that the stabilizer may struggle with higher payload setups.

Now, considering the natural panning of the Flycam HD 3000, it does a decent job but again, you do tend to get a slightly robotic feel at times but the majority of times you pan it, you will be able to get the smooth natural image stabilization without issue.

The clips above do a great job of showing just what image stabilization the Flycam HD 3000 can provide for you. Keep in mind, if you do choose to go with an entry-level DSLR manual stabilizer like the Flycam HD 3000 then you can also enhance its performance by utilizing any image stabilization on your camera or lens too.

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User Interface And Control System

Being an entry-level stabilizer everything is as easy to use as possible and we have no doubt in our mind that you will be able to get the Flycam HD 3000 working quickly, even if you have never actually used a Glidecam or gimbal before. It is very easy to set up and quick to balance and the release plate ensures that you are able to quickly get out there and test out your new gadget and capture some smooth video footage.

The Flycam HD 3000 also uses sealed ball bearings that are in their own closed environment too meaning there is no need for you to try and do any kind of maintenance on the gimbal handle. This makes your life much easier if you are an entry-level videographer as it is one less thing that you have to worry about keeping on top of when it comes to your gear.

The base plate is also very easy to use and it couldn’t be easier for you to mount your counterweight plates to the Flycam HD 3000. This ensures that even if you have never used a stabilizer, you can slap some counterweight plates onto the base plate with ease and get your rig balanced.

Build Quality And Design

Now, as you would expect for such a cheap DSLR Glidecam style stabilizer, the build quality of the Flycam HD 3000 is not as good as the units covered above. It is pretty heavy considering its size and what it offers you but in all fairness, it is pretty solid and we have no doubt that it is tough enough to take any bumps or knocks coming its way during use without issue.

The handle of the Flycam HD 3000 is fixed too and is very comfortable in all fairness to it, Flycam has done a great job at ensuring the unit is as comfortable as possible to hold. This allows you to mount up and get out and about with your DSLR video cameras capturing video footage with the Flycam HD 3000 without getting any aches in your hands.

FAQs

Question – Can the Flycam HD 3000 be used for low angle work or can it be used while inverted?

Answer – No, just like the other entry-level stabilizers out there, the Flycam HD 3000 can not be used inverted.

Question – Will the Flycam HD 3000 work with my DSLR camera?

Answer – Again, provided your camera rig is under the eight-pound load capacity limit, we would imagine that you would be fine.

Question – Can you mount the Flycam HD 3000 to a tripod?

Answer – No, it is a stand-alone DSLR camera stabilizer.

Our Verdict

If you are on a tight budget and are looking for an entry-level DSLR Glidecam style stabilizer then we have no doubt in our mind that the Flycam HD 3000 is the stabilizer for you. It is so cheap and outperforms the other manual stabilizers at its price point while also having a large number of third-party, independent reviews that you can read from other videographers who use it as their go-to stabilizer.

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Glidecam HD 2000

Now, the final product is our official entry-level, budget Glidecam that is ideal for for DSLR cameras, the Glidecam HD 2000 and just like with most other Glidecam products on the market right now, you are definatley overpaying for what you get for your money. The only reason that we are featuring the Glidecam HD 2000 is due to the Glidecam having such a large user base who mount their DSLRs on it and always recommend it on various forums and sites like Reddit.

In our honest opinion, as an entry-level videographer looking to pick up a cheap Glidecam for your DSLR camera, we would just go with the Flycam HD 3000 covered above over the Glidecam HD 2000 as it is much cheaper, supports a larger load capacity, and has a similar level of performance.

Performance And Functionality

The Glidecam HD 2000 can support DSLR camera rigs up to its six-pound load capacity and although this should be found for any entry-level DSLR setup when you get to the intermediate level gear, it can really start to struggle. When your DSLR payload is within the supported weight of the Glidecam HD 2000 it does provide you with some excellent image stabilization though.

The clips above were captured using the Glidecam HD 2000 and show you just how good the image quality can be when you mount your DSLR to this Glidecam. As we mentioned though, once you leav the entry level gear and start to move to the intermediate stuff with the higher weight levels its image stabilization can really drop off as you approach its maximum load capacity.

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User Interface And Control System

There is really nothing new to say about the Glidecam HD 2000 that we have not already mentioned for the other four DSLR stabilizers covered above. The system is very easy to use and we are confident that anyone will be able to get the Glidecam setup and balanced with their DSLR camera mounted on top to be capturing the best possible video footage possible for their clips.

Build Quality And Design

The build quality of the Glidecam HD 2000 is definatley better than the other entry-level stabilizer that we featured, the Flycam HD 3000 but on the flip side of this, we do not feel that this is worth paying double the price for, especially when they provide similar levels of image stabilization with the Flycam HD 3000 also supporting a large load capacity.

Our Verdict

Like we mentioned at the start of this section, the Glidecam HD 2000 is a solid bit of kit but we just feel that it massively overpriced for what you get. That said, it has a pretty large customer base of people who love the stabilizer and have posted their own review online that offer an independent insight into its performance.

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