I have gone back to using the Birdycam because of it's reliability, in spite of its weight, after trying a newer single handle Pilotfly H2 which was a disaster (don't ask). B

ut I'm wondering, after a few jitters on last shoot, using GH5s and voightlander 25mm, whether its worth upgrading the sinplebgc software to a newer version that is compatible with the ios app so I can tune the PID in the field? And if so, which version of the gui?

still using. still love the thing. Even after some time, I'm not convinced there is anything on the market better than this. The new lightweight ronin looks interesting and is cheap, but I can see lots of things the birdycam is better with. I know birdys better than the high priced early gimbals. It's solid, versatile. Wish it had better and proprietary software, that's my only bitch. Physically I think it's just incredibly well-engineered. I've figured out how to use a vest/steadicam arm with it for bigger BMCC size cameras.

If you’re looking for an affordable gimbal for your GH4, a7S, BMPCC, 5D mkIII etc I would really recommend the Birdycam II. It is quick to set up and balance and provides good results. I just wish they made clearer instructions for first time users.

I used it recently on a shoot for a show where the majority of the footage was that hand-held look (I can’t show you the results yet, as the program has yet to go to air). The Birdycam II performed really well and gave me a much more polished look than if I had gone hand-held with a normal camera. I am by no means an expert using gimbals, but with more practise I’m sure my results will only continue to improve

The Birdycam II is available at PV for good discount compared to usual retail.

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/04/05/the-well-priced-varavon-birdycam-ii-brushless-gimbal-is-it-good-for-news-and-documentary-work/

Sure. It just that those pid terms are more or less incomprehensible. That is what they do is pretty much do, in testing, P- engine, I- speed up the time of the movement check, Dampen- soften the vibration.

But sure, those are not correct by definition and that's not exactly what they do. But I wanted to make the info usable. Thinking that way worked for me, I think that's what I said at one point. But I'd be lying if I said I understood all that. It is a review of the birdycam and not a pid setting summary, after all.

I will link to any useable, understandable and testable summary of how changing those values effects a gimbal in real life, rather than theory. The real problem I think is that there needs to be software, on a gimbal by gimbal basis from the manufacturer that is clearer and more user friendly.

But your points are valid.

The simply massive Varavon Birdycam review. In a staggering 9 parts. I go over all things gimalesk that I have discovered and grappled with over the last several weeks, focused of course on the Birdycam.

http://vimeopro.com/kevinconder/gear-review-the-varavon-birdycam

Dropped to $1995 - http://www.personal-view.com/deals/stabilizers-steadicams-gimbals/varavon

BIRDYCAM REVIEW

Here is a quick review for anyone thats interested in the Varavon Birdycam. I received it in on my doorstep within 4 days or so after ordering it through the PV deals on this forum. As you all know it comes in its own soft carry bag which is well padded and nice and easy to pack and transport around. It is as others have noted not something you would check in on an airplane. Has all the compartments for the stand, gimbal, batteries, and charger. The charger cut out now holds my DP4 monitor.

STAND

I really like the leveling stand that it comes with, the levelling bubble and adjustable feet making setup on any uneven surface dead easy. I decided to shoot some quick test shots at my local multi story carpark on the up ramps and it took me less than a minute to setup the stand station. Not sure how quick or easy it would have been with the traditional gimbal stands I’ve seen online. The stand also lets you quickly setup the Y axis with a simple lift and tilt of the unit.

LOCKING SCREWS

A really good feature that they have that isn't really mentioned. The unit comes with locking screws on all 3 axis that fixes the unit in place for transportation. I found it very useful for doing quick recalibrations also. However the Y axis lock hits the remote pin/cable when rotated more than 900deg. This is a problem when the camera is attached and it accidentally swings off power during transportation as it may break the connection with the added weight. Has happened a couple times. I can see the pin/connection breaking over time. An adapter plate may fix this.

GROUND STAND

A nice little feature that lets you sit the gimbal down when the stand isn't available. Works well if the handles are balanced. By this I mean if there is equal battery weight distribution. I found that if the camera had one battery mounted and the surface wasn’t 100% flat the handle would flick around offset balance causing the gimbal to fall. It also increases the possibility of Y axis locking screw hitting and breaking the remote connection as mentioned above.

BALANCING THE CAMERA

The adjustment knobs makes this thing really fast to setup. Having the numeric rulers lets you remember settings for different lens combinations for quick setup. I was able to adjust the GH4 & 12-35mm at focal lengths of 12mm/20mm/35mm with in 5mins of initial setup. With this lens combo I could quickly switch between all 3 focal lengths at a 12mm setup with it not throwing the balance too far off if needed for quick changes. But for proper adjustments for these focal lengths only need to bring the camera back in 2mm increments and adjust the Y axis by 0.5-1mm increments. It becomes very quick once you remember the values.

QUICK RELEASE PLATE

The quick release plate is of a simple dove tail design with a safety pin which is very nice to have for piece of mind. Very easy to adjust.

REMOTE

The remote work very well with the default setup. Has a nice and responsive feel to it. Toggling through the different profile setups through the push button of the joystick is quick and easy.

MOTORS

I think the motors are the 6208 models. Very smooth. I did find however that they produced a high pitch on high frequency, almost silent on ultra high, but silent on low which was quite interesting.

BATTERY LIFE

Battery supplied is a selectable 7v to 12v battery. Very well built with a nice matte rubber non slip coating with handy LED battery level display. Charging time is about 2hrs or so from memory. I didn't do a scientific test just real life on set usage. It lasted about 3hrs or so of heavy use, didn't really keep track. Always good practice to have a second battery on set.

HANDLES

The foldable handle design is a great feature for shooting and transportation. It quickly folds into a flat profile for quick packing into the case as well as allowing you to shoot in “briefcase mode”. Comfortable and easy to hold. I added a tripod screw adapter inside the top handle for better balanced placement of the monitor. I think Varavon should include this in their design as its a versatile mounting point.

HANDLING

The gimbal is pretty much ready to fly out of the box with the GH4 once balanced. I found the speed of the follow mode on the Y axis to be a little slow with the default setup. Adjustment was easy to make using the smartphone app and bluetooth connection.

The weight isn't too heavy, very manageable fully loaded with battery camera and monitor. It will give you a nice little workout at the start if you are not used to flying a gimbal. Due to the camera sitting low you have to adjust to flying the gimbal a little higher which tires the arms a little. I think that goes with most of the gimbal designs today. That or learn to fly it with the handles down below.

As a solo shooter focusing is a little tricky. For now I use focus lock in combination to half press shutter focus via wireless remote. Am now considering mounting my phone for easier access to camera settings and focus locking.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The overall design and build quality of the gimbal is great. Apart from the issue with the Y axis locking screw hitting the remote connection, it is in my view a well thought out gimbal. I was after a gimbal that wasn’t overly heavy, super easy to setup, well made and easy to use and the Birdycam has so far ticked all the boxes for me. It has definitely changed the way I shoot, giving me more options to be more creative, a creative/shooting investment.

Price is a subjective thing but I think that if it was priced around the 2k mark as originally announced it would be the best value gimbal out there to date. At 2.5k I thought it was a bit too much and was on the fence between this and the Ronin. At 2.35k here on PV Deals I still felt it was a bit overpriced but justified the remote and weight to be the deciding factor. At 2k I wouldn't have thought twice =)

Would I recommend this gimbal to others? YES.

TEST FOOTAGE

Here is some quick test footage I shoot last week before having to fly off. This would have to be the second time flying it so it is as raw as possible in terms of user experience and out of the box results. Shot in 4k to display worse case shooting scenario in terms of capturing motion and rolling shutter. No stabilisation done in post. Mainly shot at 12mm with one or two shot at 35mm.