So many 3-axis gimbals - need help. And any speculation on what's coming @ NAB?

F

FRP

Member
Just like the title said - I'm confused with all of the options out there. I guess this is a good thing?

I feel like for those who have heavier set-ups (like C100/300, BM Cinema, Red, etc.) it is perhaps more straightforward, in that you folks need a gimbal that can support more weight. If I were in this boat, I would probably lean towards the DJI Ronin for the price / performance you get from it.

With a smaller camera though (I have an A7s), I'm not sure what direction to take. I can use one of the larger gimbals, but there are also a crop of mini gimbals that are much lighter. Here is what I've been looking at:

- Defy G2x (4.5lbs weight, takes up to 3.5lbs) - $1995
- Came-TV Mini (under 3lbs weight apparently, not sure about weight capacity) - $1188
- Cheesycam's DIY Tiyaga (not sure about specs) - under $1K
- Turboace Allsteady 5 (which is being discontinued, they tell me - 5.4lbs weight, takes up to 7lbs) - $1299

Any thoughts on the above?

To me, the Defy unit looks the slickest, but it's also the most expensive of the bunch. As well, I'm not sure what it means when they say you can't adjust the motors using software. So what if you need to micro adjust something? It's all manual?

And to make things more confusing, when I called Turboace to find out why the Allsteady 5 was out of stock, they said they just released a new version - the Allsteady 6. It looks really interesting in that it's 6lbs in weight and can carry up to 8lbs, and you can pull the gimbal part off and put it on a tripod or crane.

Lastly - NAB is around the corner!! And I'm sure there will be new products there?

Waiting until after NAB is likely the best option, but I have a potential paid shoot coming up that I could really use a gimbal for.
 
I'm in the same boat- about to shoot a feature, when NAB starts we will already be in production. Have many shots that call for a gimbal. I have a Blackbird but in my experience, with my small B camera (LX100) it is not that stable unless you are moving quickly. Most camera moves will be slow. Due to the weight factor, I don't want to fly my A camera (FS7) on a stabilizer or gimbal.

I tried a Nebula 4000 with the LX100 and it worked OK but needed tuning, then quit after a couple of days, presently trying to get a refund. Not sure where to go from here- DJI Ronin is expensive and heavy, and generally the rest will have similar issues to the Nebula since they use the same Alexmos board - definitely not a quick "balance and shoot". I'm sure there will be something new that can be pre ordered at NAB but that will be too late for us.
 
I would recommend working the rental of a gimbal into the paid shoot's budget. You could go crazy comparing these gimbals on paper, but the features that are truly important to you will quickly bubble to the top once you start using a gimbal (any gimbal). One of the main differences between these smaller gimbals is their weight capacity. Varavon's Birdycam 2 and Turbo Ace's AllSteady 6 have the highest capacities, but they're also the heaviest of the bunch, so it's a balancing act between weight capacity and the rig's total weight. The heavier the rig, the more quickly you'll become fatigued.

There are other important factors as well such as battery runtime, warranty, etc. I cover these factors in more detail in this blog post on the recommended gimbals for small cameras like the GH4 and a7S.

There's a good chance that there will be new gimbals at NAB, but if they're announced there, it unlikely they'll be available to purchase for at least a couple months later, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend waiting if you need to purchase sooner than that.
 
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