Bad Aachen

Before the camera stabilizing system, a director had two choices for moving (or "tracking") shots:

The camera could be mounted on a dolly, a wheeled mount that rolls on tracks or leveled boards. This procedure is time consuming to set up, and it is impractical in many situations.
The camera operator could simply hold the camera. This manual grip allows speed and flexibility, but even the most skilled operator cannot entirely prevent shaking. Hand-held camera footage has traditionally been considered suitable mostly for documentaries, news, reportage, live action, unrehearsable footage, or the evocation of authentic immediacy or cinéma vérité during dramatic sequences

.