Field trip with my Pentax K-5 & K-7, both fitted with the AlettA Stabilizer. I can't wait to ship them out to you all.

Email: brqyvn@gmail.com

Hi Pentaxian friends.

First, I have to apologize once more for not having the Stabilizers on hand for shipping. It is so frustrating having something manufactured  in our Country, that sometimes, I too think it would be cheaper and faster to have my stuff manufactured in China. I'll wait out for a few more days, maybe another week, but if I don't get my shipment, I will be forced to look somewhere else. I really don't want to. I really want to have all my equipment fabricated here in the USA, but it's so complicated. It feels like I'm doing something bad.

Fabricators and Manufacturers seem to be willing to make my equipment when their work load is slow, it seems,  or in between bigger jobs. I understand that my "less-than" one thousand units order is not enough to keep a shop in business, but that first order (Less than 100 units to get started) is just  as important to me as as the one million dollar order from a giant Corporation.

I have to confesst that I have been discouraged many times during the design, the patent application process, the Blogging (that went viral with words put in my mouth by others), and now the manufacturing stage of my Stabilizers. I have been ridiculed on many forums, I have been challenged and I have been called names.  I recall it being the same when I wrote my first book for the Pentax K10D almost four years ago. In fact, DPReview kicked me out of their site when someone else posted about my new books. It was perceived as spamming, although someone else was doing the blobbing and writing.

Oh well...I keep telling myself  "Don't ever, ever give up."...and I won't ever, ever give up, because I know that when you get one of the Stabilizer under your camera, you'll see how practical it is.

Today, being a day off from work for me, I drove to the country side to take pictures of the spring flowers and to test the Stabilizer used under certain conditions.  What I was looking for today was uneven surfaces where the Stabilizer could be used instead of a cumbersome tripod. Of course, only certain situations require stabilization, such as dim lighting, slow shutter speed, creation of intentional blurring of rushing water, etc. However, my rule-of-thumb has alway been to use a tripod whenever possible for the best blur-free image. It's not my rule-of-thumb only, as most landscape and wildlife photographers always use a tripod.

So here are some images showing how the Stabilizer can be used in the field, not just for big lenses but for any lens attached. I will show the other advantages of the Stabilizer in the days and weeks to come. Remember that your best lens...is the one you have attached to your camera.

Click images to enlarge.

This picture was taken with the camera stabilized on a mail box. See picture below.

In this picture, the camera was actually stabilized on the ground. I used the bubble level to make sure it was levelled. Normally, my face would have been in the dirt!

Stabilized on a rock.

Stabilized on the roof of my Pick-up truck.

Shown here with the back legs extended.

Shown here with the front legs extended.

Shown here with the right  legs extended.

Shown here with the all the  legs extended to conform to the uneven surface. The camera is always  in perfect alignment with the horizon, regardless of the surface irregularities.

Yes, you can use a bean bag, but it's not easily carried around with you. It's similar with a tripod...it does the same, but it's cumbersome. The Stabilizer remains attached to the camera at all times, even when stored in your camera bag. It also prevent your large lenses from tipping over, and it also protect the bottom finish of the camera.

P.S. The Stabilizer shown here is attached to a K-5 or a K-7. It has the same contour as the battery grip. Because the bottom of each cameras, or battery grips are different, this particular Stabilizer may not fit all brand of DSLRs. With time, Stabilizers will be built for each major / popular DSLRs.  "Universal" models may be available as, small, medium and large.Thank you for reading,

Yvon Bourque