"The Stabilizer Cam" bow video camera mount is advertized as a combination stabilizer / camera mount that is designed to screw directly into the front of your bow and is specifically said to be, as a stabilizer alone, "better than any $200 regular stabilizer currently being sold". It is advertized as "allowing for smooth filming of your hunt" due to the "recoil absorbing system", built into the mount.
Don't believe it! The only truth in the advertizing of this product is that it screws directly into the front of your bow. To be honest, this product is a great concept but engineering and design-wise it has many flaws. It is loose and noisy as a stabilizer and when a camera is mounted to it (very much off-center, by the way), it is so wobbly that it is a much less stable than the "non-stabilized" version; The Bow Cam. Because of this, filming is jumpy and spotty.By design, it can be adjusted somewhat to try to stabilize the camera wobble but if this is done, the camera can roll over on its side or all of the way upside-down on the bow.
Some of the flaws could be easily fixed with some simple manufacturing Quality Control measures and there are some design flaws that could be easily fixed through simple redesigns. The product does have potential but, as currently designed and manufactured, it is just a work-in-progress" and is almost useless as a hunt filming tool.
Now, for the worst part: customer service at this company is pretty much non-existent. When I received my Stabilizer Cam (purchased directly from the company) and discovered that it does not do what it is supposed to and is, in fact, pretty much the opposite of what is advertized, I immediately tried to contact the company by email, their on-site commentary form and by phone to get an RGA (return goods authorization).
After three weeks of multiple emails and multiple phone calls, I have not received any response what-so-ever. Rifle Electronics 800 phone number (the only phone number that they have) is an "answering service", which passes on messages to Larry Holmberg, the owner of the company and these never get returned. The last time that I called the answering service, the person told me (reading from a piece of paper) that I needed an RGA to return an item and that all I needed to do was call 800-416-5285 and ask for one.
When, I told the person that "was" the number that I was calling, they didn't believe me. The person called me back a minute later and said that they called the 800 number and their phone rang, so I must be correct!? From the first email and phone message I have told Rifle Electronics that what I am interested in is returning the Stabilizer Cam and get one of their "solid-center-mount" Bow Cams.
No return calls and no return emails in three weeks equals no respect for the customer and a "let the buyer beware" attitude, which is an inexcusable way to treat customers.
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