Thanks for the suggestions. I've ordered Cavision rods and they take a while to ship. The weight distribution of the whole rig right now is really centered in the prism element and and battery compartment of the Letus35 mini which is right above the pistol grip. The moments of the nikon lense and the HV20 body more or less even each other out. When dangled by the top handle, the cg runs down the collar of the Letus35. Its really steady when held by the top and bottom handles together.