Micro Gimbal for GH4, BMPCC, A7s - $699 USD

I just jumped on the Nebula even though the pilot fly looks much more simple. The unit came to Germany within 6 days!! I was able to balance it quickly and am getting good results. Also got the java app working and the realtime data looks pretty smooth: no bumps and very little jitter. I came here because dustylense was supposed to have dumped some settings here which I cant find.
All in all after one day: good results and quite satisfied.
 
dave dugdale's review of the team rebel design beholder is out.


it's cheaper but it looks like there are some definite disadvantages to this model. namely, the balancing on this one is tool-less because there IS no balancing! none of the arms are adjustable. and with a max payload of only 800g it sounds like the GH4 with 12-35 is impossible to balance on this unit. on a side note, he says that he'll be getting review units of the pilotfly and the came-tv single as well. it looks like those are the go to models so far.
 
bboyfasteddie said:
dave dugdale's review of the team rebel design beholder is out.
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Hopefully the problems that Dave experienced will be sorted out in the production model, as I can't see this company shipping a gimbal that has so many limitations.

I am keen to see Dave's PilotFly H1 review, as that's the brand I've been contemplating about buying.

...And I have to say that I really like Dave's reviews. He's definitely the gold-standard for me when it comes to gear reviews.
 
Dave makes some great points.

It would be great if somebody like Dave could sit down with DJI after all these reviews and say 'here's what we need', and get DJI to make the ultimate single handled option.

Things like a wider base or mini stand under the handle is almost a no brainer. Also, I had already contemplated a velcro strap to hold all the arms together when not in use - Dave makes another great point, that this could be manufactured into it.

My money is on the Came Single. Will wait for the review. Would still much prefer to pay a few hundred more for somebody like DJI/Defy/Letus/Freefly.

They don't seem interested.
 
clivemcl said:
Would still much prefer to pay a few hundred more for somebody like DJI/Defy/Letus/Freefly.

They don't seem interested.
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I had a conversation about this with someone at Samy's camera the other day. I asked him about the Pilotfly and the Nebula but he had never heard of them. When I explained to him what it was and how the more established brands should get in on the segment, he was dismissive about the whole segment saying they don't need to because they're already established, and dismissed all GH4 and A7S shooters as a tiny segment of shooters who only chose those cameras because they wanna be more portable, then went on to say that he only uses the C100 on shoots.

Anyway they've completely lost me as a customer with their old fashioned thinking but I hope he's not right about the established brands. I really see this as a huge market that's about to take off, it would make using a gimbal on any kind of candid impromptu shoot possible. The established brands are gonna miss out on a huge segment if they decide to ignore it.
 
Dave Dugdale is currently reviewing the Pilotfly H1. On his 2nd channel he has posted some video discussing his attempts to turn the gimbal. It would appear the out of box settings are not working too well for his A7s combination.

 
I have really been debating on a gimbal but shooting with the D750 (1.6lbs) really limits me when it comes to these one hand gimbals. I mean I could maybe make the Sturdyshots MinisturdyFlight work but I feel like at that point it might just be worth the few extra bucks to go with the ronin M at that point (minus the fact I wont be able to shoot one handed). Am I missing any other gimbals or should I just jump on the ronin.
 
dustylense said:
The N4000 and the Gh4 saved the day on this.

Here is the 1st cut (once band see it I'm sure it's to change) using the gimbal.

Everything moving is the Gh4 with 12-35 on the N4000.
Other cameras used are the Sony Fs7, BMC4K, and Inspire 1
Colored with Koji Color Advance (the BEST color plug-in on the market. I'll write up more about it later) edited in FCPX

https://vimeo.com/127339227
Password: MCUT
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What an amazing job. Love it.
 
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divide said:
Here's a recap of all known models of 3-axis handheld gimbals so far, plus their price:

Filmpower Nebula 4000 ($699)
PilotFly H1 ($712)
CineMount ProGlide ($499)
Sturdyshots MinisturdyFlight (€849)
CAME-Single ($888)
TRD Beholder Handheld Pro Plus Gimbal ($499)

edit: added links
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Thanks for the recap.

IMO, the Mini Sturdy Flight looks really good. I'd say it's the best I've seen so far. Plus it has some nice features :

- Supports up to 1,300g.
- Usable screen on the GH4.
- Tool-less.
- Bigger size with maybe bigger motors ?

Test (walking) | GH4 & 12-35 :
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cod3-FFziAg

Test (running) | A7s I think :
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TIcs5w6HodU

More videos on their channel.

EDIT : More info at 4KShooters :
http://www.4kshooters.net/2015/06/2...tol-grip-stabiliser-for-your-gh4-or-sony-a7s/
 
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ReelFilmGeek said:
I have really been debating on a gimbal but shooting with the D750 (1.6lbs) really limits me when it comes to these one hand gimbals. I mean I could maybe make the Sturdyshots MinisturdyFlight work but I feel like at that point it might just be worth the few extra bucks to go with the ronin M at that point (minus the fact I wont be able to shoot one handed). Am I missing any other gimbals or should I just jump on the ronin.
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I had a conversation with Sturdy fly and some things to consider:

-There is a cable that runs from the back of the unit into the camera hot shoe slot, the cable is a flat type and dangles there.
-The battery is NOT enclosed, it sits visibly under the control board enclosure on the back with a cable attached thats not concelled.
-If you have an A7 they suggest removing eye peace to allow more movement for the pitch as it hits the back of the construction of the device pretty easily.
-They have a couple of counter weights on the construction making it easier to balance, just slide the counterweights around instead of screwing and unscrewing the many screws.
-They say when you turn it on for 5 seconds you need to keep it flat somewhere for 5 seconds so they gyros can calibrate....... for run and gun this won't work, especially in busy environments or outdoors where you might not have a perfectly flat surface to sit the device down... every time you turn it off and on.

I was about to preorder the Came-Single however they have increased the price by $100, even though they said you would get a $100 discount during the preorder stage. What REALLY P**sed me off was the way they did this. So the price was $989, preorder and get it for $898.... now the website says $1098 pre order and save $100 so right now it is $989, they have simply increased the price without discount by $100 and then offered to take $100.

That kind of pricing practice is illegal in the UK at least, you can not increase your price by $100, then take $100 off and say your getting a discount. Very annoyed.
 
Transmission said:
Is anyone using a QR adapter with these? e.g http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/quick-release-adapter-with-sliding-plate
Looks like it might work with the Pilotfly H1+ as it doesn't have one built in. I imagine it would make the camera too high on the Came Single.

Thinking about trying the Pilotfly H1+, other than the built-in battery I don't see much difference (spec-wise) between this and the other 32-bit handheld gimbals. Anyone else ordered the H1+?
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I'm using a QR adapter between my N4000 and the a7S, but not a sliding one (it's a Velbon QRA-635L). It creates quite a few headaches: the camera sits higher, so I have to put the vertical adjustment to the max, and add some small weights below the horizontal bracket too, otherwise it would only be balanced with really light and small lenses. On the upside, I don't need to rebalance everything every time I take the camera off. If it's set for my a7S+24mm, I can take the camera off, shoot some 90mm portraits with the magicrig, put the 24mm back on, mount it on the N4000 and get shooting. In fact I have seven QR shoes and five QR plates, all the same model, so I can move my gear from one rig to another really fast.
 
Em over at CheesyCam and Dave Dougdale have got their hands on the Came-Single and seem impressed. Check out their instagram accounts for videos. Em said this
"
  • [h=1]mrcheesycamWhoa whoa whoa. Could this be the most advanced 'single handed pistol grip style gimbal' available today?? The new @CAMETV #cametv 'SINGLE' with 32 bit dual imu sensors and 'built in Encoders'. What other gimbal is using these new encoders yet? True pioneers paving the way with this new supported feature."[/h]
  • [h=1]"mrcheesycamFeels like a very different system now with 'encoders' built in. Incredibly stable. So addicted right now, can't keep playing with this new @cametv#SINGLE 3-Axis #Gimbal."[/h]
 
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