Smile for the camera (mount)

[Grant Lamontagne]

I know there are a lot of differing opinions about Gerber's Steady, but I for one like it a lot.  No, it's not a super high quality, handle any problem type tool.  It's a neat little niche tool that I think not only has a place in the world, but is also a good example of Gerber's willingness to experiment while still remaining true to their roots.



In addition to the obvious camera attachments which a lot of people can't seem to get past, the Steady also has two flathead screwdrivers, one Phillips screwdriver, a bottle opener, a partially serrated one handed opening main blade and small plain edged secondary blade, meaning it's reasonably well equipped and not just a gimmick.  In fact, it has more functions than some minimalist tools- more function than the Octane, Skeletool, Freestyle and a few other "normal tools" even when you discount the camera mounts and legs.

I also love that Gerber is reaching out and trying new things, not just with the Steady but with some other tools as well, like the Dime.  If someone suggested a full sized bottle opener permanently mounted on the outside of a folding keychain tool I don't think anyone would have thought that was a good idea, and yet it's been done- and successfully I might add.

My Steady will get some serious use to see if it's as functional as it seems, but I have to say I'm quite optimistic that this thing can deliver as an EDC tool.

Def

[dks]

I have one coming my way from Travis. 
I use cameras a lot and so do other family members so if it works out I would get a few for presents...

[Grant Lamontagne]

As I see it most of the complaints that have surfaced about it are that it's not a very good multitool, and folks may be right- to a point.  While it won't depose a Spirit, Blast or MP600 from someone's typical EDC point of view, it is far from useless.  Gerber incorporated a number of good features into it on top of the tripod thing.  I think what is happening here is that guys here are used to trucks and are writing off a small economical "fun" car simply because it won't handle rough roads, pull a trailer or carry tons of cargo.  It won't take the place of one of the tools that we as a group tend to stick to, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a place of it's own.

And, while it's not supposed to be used with bigger cameras, at SHOT it did hold my big body Kodak with no issues at all.



Def

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm certainly not writing it off due to being light duty ... I just don't get it 

Agreed, point to Gerber for originality. I reckon them and Wenger enjoy the same recreational mood lifters  and I do like to see those two trying new things 

More functional than the Octane? It switches the package opener for a small PE blade, but other than the floppy appendages that equates to the same tool count doesn't it?  I bet the bottle opener is not as good as the Octane either   

I'm sure there's people out there for whom this is combination a real blessing, but my feelings towards it are more than  ... but to be perfectly honest ... I can't pinpoint for certain what the reason for that actually is. The Steady has everything outboard too, so I should like it, but .... IDK, maybe it'll grow on me 

[Grant Lamontagne]

OK, so not more functional than the Octane. Poor choice on my part. 

The Steady isn't for everyone I'll agree, and probably not a good choice for the serious tool enthusiast like most members on this site (other than from a collector's standpoint) but I can think of many people in my personal life that would benefit from something like this. A young trendy couple lives upstairs from me and it would be perfect for them as they are always going on bike rides or walking their dogs through the park and a tool with some basic functions and the ability to hold their camera might be very appealing to them? After all, to many younger folks nowadays there's not much point to doing things unless you can share it on Facebook! 

Def

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[665ae]

Ok, consider me intrigued

I am not a Gerber fan... but this looks pretty cool.  If only it had vice grip pliers like the Crunch, so you could lock it on something AND use the camera mount.

[badwolf]

Ok, consider me intrigued

I am not a Gerber fan... but this looks pretty cool. If only it had vice grip pliers like the Crunch, so you could lock it on something AND use the camera mount.

Hey, I like that idea, you could make an adaptor that fixes in the hex socket

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well it's not a perfect tool, but I kind of like it.  Just because I'm a truck guy doesn't mean I can't appreciate a sports car.

Def

[665ae]

What kind of price tag does this thing carry?  Also, is that a suction cup mount screwed on the camera stud?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I paid just over $50 in a retail store today.  I would imagine it could be picked up for less online or in the US.

The suction cup attachment screws on to the camera mount and holds my Atrix with the Otterbox Defender case on it, which makes it fairly heavy.Even my wife commented on how strong the suction cup appears to be.

Def

[Chako]

That is about how much I paid for mine online.

[Max Archer]

I played with one at REI today and it wasn't terrible. It actually did ok with my Panasonic GF2 w/20mm lens, which is bigger than what the tool is marketed for. I might buy one with my dividend, but I like my clipped Wave so much that it's hard to look at another MT.

[Chako]

Def, when you open the pliers up and apply pressure to the handles, did you see any measurable sponginess in the handles past the point when the plier jaws touch each other. Just curious.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I would say it's about as sturdy as most tools it's size.  It's better than my old Wave, but perhaps not as solid as some others.  Yes there's some flex, but not nearly as much as one might expect.

Also, I just stuck the suction cup to the track pad on my 15.6" laptop and managed to lift the computer up by it.  While I don't recommend trying such things, the bottom line is that it did work.  I don't think I need to try lifting it off the table or swinging it around my head, but the fact that it lifted the laptop shows that it's plenty strong enough to hold just about any camera.

Def

[scrappy]

Thanks def
I bought one and an excited!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Its actually a bit ironic- I decided yesterday to go to Mountain Equipment Co Op and buy a Contour Roam video camera but they didn't have any in stock. They offered to order on from the Vancouver store for me but I said I'd just go and buy the thing from one of the other dozen or so stores in town that carry them.  As I was about to walk away I spotted the Steady behind the counter and grabbed it as a consolation prize! 

Def

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[J-sews]

I played with one at REI today and it wasn't terrible. It actually did ok with my Panasonic GF2 w/20mm lens, which is bigger than what the tool is marketed for. I might buy one with my dividend, but I like my clipped Wave so much that it's hard to look at another MT.

I'll bet they sell a ton of these at places like REI, what with customers there being the perfect target group and all

[Grant Lamontagne]

You say that like it's a bad thing.  I'd rather have Gerber (or any company) mass marketing a decent quality niche tool like this than see a return to the Suspension and it's clones.

I was in Canadian Tire with a friend the other day and he pointed out a Suspension and said "That one looks good!"

I just about kicked him.   

Def

[J-sews]

Oh I agree, no question. Its a brilliant bit of niche marketing by Gerber when you think about it. The Steady is just unique-looking enough that wives and girlfriends out looking for gifts for their menfolk will think Now I'm sure he doesn't have one of those already, because I would have remembered it.  

[Grant Lamontagne]

I know more than a few guys that would actually really like this tool.  Mostly younger guys I'll admit but let's face it, anew tool with a Geritol dispenser aimed at us older guys just doesn't seem like a good idea! 

Def

[dks]

..., anew tool with a Geritol dispenser aimed at us older guys just doesn't seem like a good idea! .

You may want to consider a Victorinox for your age related needs then:
SAKWIKI:
The Cut & Picker Blade with Scraper is only found on a few 58mm size knives. According to information from the factory its sole purpose is to cut the plastic tie used to seal a pill bottle cap, and then to pick the cotton filler out of the bottle



 

[J-sews]

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

When I first read that response I was using my phone and couldn't see the pic.  I thought you were going to post a pic of the Smurfpills marked Classic!   

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

BTW, the main blade isn't locking, so this could be a good option for UK members.  Also, it looks like my big bodied Kodak is under the restrictions.  If you read the scan below you see it's good for 340g and my camera is only 325g.

My cell phone and it's case are over for the suction cup- it's 185g and the max is 170g.

Def

[scrappy]

I just got mine. I didn't expect the pliers to be massive like a super tool but I was going for leatherman kick or Gerber flik quality. Overall the tool is okay but the pliers are sub par. Very thin. I retired to use them but due to all the flex I just set them side and used an mp600.  I still think the tripod is a unique idea and I love seeing Gerber out there doing this. I wish leatherman would be as adventurous as Gerber

[dks]

Got mine today, so here are some observations:

The quality feels below Victorinox and Leatherman but better than really cheap no brand multitools.
I would say it feels similar to Ganzo Multitools. The movement of the tools feels gritty and the tool could do with some cleaning and oiling.
The handles flex significantly in use; definitely not a heavy use tool.

The pliers are quite thin as seen in the comparison picture with the Dime.

The handles are not even nicely aligned,

and the green rubberised plastic on the tripod legs (or the flaps) seems about to come off.
Tool selection is reasonable though I question the need to include two blades on a tool with limited available space like the Steady (why not Fiskars scissors instead...?).

Also, they could have snuck a pair of tweezers or a pen in the plastic body.

Now the main reason I got this is to use as a camera tripod.

The tripod will support a small camera easily, provided the mount position is in the middle of the camera.

The problem, big problem, is that the pivot point, where the screw mount and the rest of the tool are joined with a metal ball (ball-pivot system) is not very tight, so unless the weight is perfectly distributed the camera will tilt to one side, as seen here with a small Fujifilm.

It is a shame as there is no, visible, adjustment for the tightness to account for heavier cameras or not perfectly centred attachment points. The ball sits in a plastic groove so maybe some systems will be looser than others.

The Steady can support an SLR with a decent sized lens (I tried) without any problem, but the ball-pivot system will not. So the camera goes on but can not be positioned and will just tilt to one side. Proper tripods have ways to secure the pivot system but for some reason nothing like this was integrated in the Steady. Maybe you can stick a matchstick in there to tighten it…

[Grant Lamontagne]

Odd- I don't think I've ever seen a camera mounting hole (or whatever it's called) that far off to one side.  I've seen them just off of center a bit, usually to accommodate a battery door or other component, but never all the way to one side.  I have a few tripods that would have issues with that.

Also, you are right about the stiffness of the ball- mine is quite tight, and is almost a pain to pull out.  While I don't have a DSLR to test it, I have little doubt that the ball on mine would hold one up.

Def

[AimlessWanderer]

My little Panasonic has the mounting hole offset too. I think the smaller cameras have that quite often

[dks]

The ball on mine is tight, though still not tight enough to hold an unbalanced camera at an angle.

It worked better with my noticeably heavier Canon small camera, which has a more centrally mounted hole. I used it to take some comparison pictures of the Squirt and the Dime without flash.
I used the Fujifilm to take the pictures.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Just an update here- I am almost ready to write my full review of this tool since I've been carrying it a lot lately, but in advance of that, here are some thoughts.

I like it.  It has been a great tool for carrying and using at work.  My job is the kind of thing where I encounter strange circumstances and my job is to document them, which usually means taking pictures.  I also have to be able to deal with issues on the fly, so a multitool and/or SAK is a necessity more than a luxury.  I don't need a tripod often, at least not often enough to carry a dedicated one (although I do have several small, lightweight ones) but I do find myself occasionally wishing I had one.  If I'm carrying the Steady then I do have one and since I'm carrying it primarily as a tool, I'm not carrying extra stuff.  Unlike some gimmick tools on the market (and yes, I fully appreciate the opinion that the Steady is a gimmick) the Steady is actually well enough equipped on it's own with the pliers, screwdrivers, knife blade etc that you really aren't giving up much by carrying it instead of a better equipped model.

Given my type of job I use a camera quite often, although I am not a professional photographer.  I like the Steady because of the occasional times it comes in handy, and I can see how it could be very handy for hiking, camping and general outdoors kind of things as well, just as I said above.  Basically, any time you may want to bring a camera along you may also want to have the Steady, whether it be visiting a park, trail or anywhere else you may want to have pictures from.  And, by carrying it as a tool primarily it also gives you the option to use your smart phone as your camera, even if you don't have a regular camera with you.

Is it for everyone?  Well, if you are the non picture taking type, then no, probably not.  If you like being prepared and want to have the option of using a tripod then it just might well be.  Would you be better off taking a separate tool and tripod?  Possibly, but then you'd also be better off carrying a dedicated knife, a screwdriver set, an electric can opener, a hacksaw etc than just about any multitool.

Def