I have the smaller s450 Fotga stabilizer, and I have a question, some advice, and a small warning.

The Question: The handle has a standard 16mm hole in its base, intended for a Steadicam arm. Can anyone recommend a good cheap Steadicam arm and vest that works with this stabilizer?

The Advice: Sometimes, the bracket at the top of the handle can bump against the camera mounting plate. But good news is this. The handle attaches to a piece that includes both the blue-metal tightening ring, and the foam-padding grip. This piece can be turned upside down, in case you need to move the handle closer to the post's center.

The Small Warning: The warning's minor: some of the screws can come loose and fall out very easily. This is NOT a big flaw, as the you occasionally need to remove them. But every so often, I'll find that a screw's fallen off inside my bag. (The two screws that attach the handle have two tiny holes used to tighten them. You can tighten them with four fingers, but it'd be nice to have something to leverage those holes.)

Gotta post a warning here about my s450 Fotga stabilizer. Those two screws on the sides of the central joint-- the silver ones with two holes-- come loose real easy. Also, that central joint can easily unscrew itself from the shaft-- and it's next to impossible to re-screw it in.

If Fotga offered a manual to help us fix these things, it'd be great, but it might be worth the extra cash to get a stabilizer with a manual and better workmanship.