The camera stabilizer that made it possible to follow Sylvester Stallone up the steps in Rocky has been reimagined several times over the years — but now, the stabilization system is heading to smartphone video. Tiffen on Wednesday launched the Steadicam Volt on Kickstarter, an electronic gimbal with inspiration from the original Steadicam’s mechanical balancing stabilization system.
Unlike most smartphone gimbals, Tiffen says that the Steadicam Volt allows videographers to follow quick action without the lag time of other electronic stabilizers. That’s because the gimbal, while electronic, was inspired from the industry standard Steadicam first developed over 40 years ago. The center of gravity is positioned at the electronic gimbal component, with a balancing arm at the front.
While the stabilizer’s inspiration was from heavy Hollywood rigs, the Volt weighs one pound. The stabilizing arm folds down, allowing for more compact storage.
Tiffen, who partnered with drone manufacturer Yuneec for the Volt, says that the stabilizer is designed to be simple to use — just mount, power on and start filming. The gimbal accommodates smartphones from 58 to 80mm wide, with or without cases, that weigh up to 200 grams.
The Volt will connect with smartphones through Bluetooth, with both an iOS and Android app expected to help control the gimbal’s settings. The electronic component’s battery is expected to last eight hours and Tiffen says the gimbal can still be used manually if the rechargeable battery runs out.
The Volt isn’t Tiffen’s first smartphone stabilizer — it appears to build on the mechanical-only Steadicam Smoothee, which can mount both smartphones and GoPros.
According to its Kickstarter profile, the Volt is the first time the photography accessory company has launched a crowdfunded project on that platform. The campaign has already raised nearly $20,00 in one day, with a funding goal of $100,000 by March 5.
The Steadicam Volt, if fully funded, is estimated to ship out to the first backers in June. With the retail price estimated at $199, crowd funding backers can pick one up for pledges as low as $119 — provided the project reaches full funding.
Full-frame cameras tend to be chunky beasts, but Sigma wants to prove that big imaging doesn't need a big body. Enter the Sigma FP2, the successor to its tiny, boxy fp mirrorless camera. It keeps the same modular design but packs in some serious upgrades, including a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked full-frame sensor, improved autofocus, 6K video recording, and 70GB of built-in storage. Sigma calls it the world's smallest full-frame camera, and while it might be tiny, the same cannot be said for its price tag.
Sigma FP2 brings faster shooting and 6K video
A phone thermal camera is one of those tools you don’t think you need until the first time it saves you from an expensive problem, and the Thermal Master P3 just got easier to try. For Halloween, it’s discounted with the code THERMCAM10, a 10% cut that works out to $107 off the total. It’s also fresh off a win at the 2026 Tom’s Guide AI Awards for best phone thermal camera, which is the kind of third-party nod that separates a serious tool from the cheap clip-on sensors that flood this category.
We are nearing Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which officially run October 6 and 7. But there is no need to wait until the sale begins to start looking. Early offers are already live, and camera gear is one category where I found enough worthwhile discounts to put together a proper creator-focused list.
I’ve deliberately gone wider than interchangeable-lens cameras here. There are pocket and action cameras, a 360 camera, an instant camera, two wireless microphone systems, and a pair of webcams covering very different budgets. Prices were checked on October 2, and as always with Amazon, they can move quickly.