Has anyone used (a steady cam)

I plan to build this "Poor Man's Steadicam" to use with my video camera...

http://steadycam.org/

However, looking at it, I would expect that it could be used for still photography also - especially macro work if I add a ball head to the top...

I would further improve the unit by taping a corded remote release to the handle of the unit and probably wrap the grip with the material used for making salt-water fishing rod handles.

Here is another, seemingly more refined version...

http://www.cartala.com​/steadicam_schematics.​pdf

I figure, what the heck.. A few bucks worth of materials and a couple of hours time is no great loss if it doesn't work...

I am also wondering just how it would be hand holding a long lens like my 300mm f/4L IS with a 1.4x TC...

I can't imagine it'd be any good for photography. They not designed to keep video cameras still, rather to smooth out bumps and movement. Using one of these with a still camera would require you to wait for the camera to settle and any movement, although smooth, would be exaggerated by the pendulum effect of the steady cam. Something from cinematography that may make holding the camera easier would be a shoulder mount, however with it being on a long pivot from the shoulder instead of pressed against the face I think it would also exaggerate movement.

I saw another PMS site and thought that I might be able to use a tripod in place of the do-it-yourself parts. Here's what I tried:

Attach camera to collapsed tripod
Swing one leg out to 90 degrees (horizontal).
Fasten (can't be suspended or it will swing like a pendulum) a weight to the two vertical legs.
The PMS is held in front of you, with the horizontal leg parallel to your shoulders.
Hold with one hand at the very top of the two vertical legs and the other hand about mid-point on the horizontal leg.

Seemed to get me at least 80% of the way towards a steadycam. With the right hand holding the tripod legs directly below the camera and the right arm tucked in tight, most small movements are eliminated. The weight smooths out larger movements and holding the horizontal leg dampens any swinging movement.

I just need to figure out a weight attachment system that is more elegant than a 5 pound barbell taped onto the bottom of the vertical legs.

Am I nuts, or does this get me pretty darned close to the same benefits as the PMS?

(For still camera work without a tripod, I think you'd be better off using the PMT - the Poor Man's Tripod, which consists of attaching a string to the camera, standing on the string, and then tensioning the string by lifting the camera up. Evidently, there are ways of doing similar things with your camera strap.)