Patent ID: 8029197

Claim:
A hand-held image stabilization and balancing system for cameras, said system comprising: a main body part including a generally C-shaped member having a central section and upper and lower arms extending therefrom and defining a plane, the lower arm being longer than the upper arm; a camera mounting platform mounted at the upper arm of the C-shaped member, a joint at the free end of the upper arm, mounting the camera mounting platform to the main body part; a pivoting plate pivotably mounted at the free end of the lower arm for pivoting about a pivot axis perpendicular to the plane of the C-shaped member, the pivoting plate having a tripod mounting surface, first and second ends, and a channel surface opposite the tripod-mounting surface; a support stand having at least one leg, the support stand being mounted to the tripod mounting surface of the pivoting plate; a hand grip having top and bottom ends; means for movably securing the top end of the handle to the top portion of the body member; and means located at the bottom end of the handle for releasably locking the handle in a fixed position to the C-shaped member.