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3-axis stabilizers ala FreeFly MOVi or ZenMuse - DIY and commercial
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  • Don't know if this one was shown here (or if it is good): 3-axis, with motors, controller and remote, US$ 770,99

    http://www.linkdelight.com/341202504W-Steadymaker-GP07-5D2.3-BMCC-Tank-3-Axis-8-Bit-System-Handheld-Electronic-Stabilizer-Set-for-DSLR.html

  • DJI Thumb controller

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    A pressure-sensitive stick is combined with a clear OLED display, bringing a new level of control to Ronin users.

    The 2.4GHz Wireless Ronin Thumb Controller offers an easy, intuitive interface for controlling the motions of your Ronin. A pressure-sensitive control system gives you precise control, while an integrated OLED display shows your current settings and allows you to quickly change between settings profiles. All Thumb Controller settings are configurable through built-in menu system.

    A built-in rechargeable battery offers all-day operation. The Thumb Controller also comes with an external 2.4GHz receiver, enabling dual control via the thumb controller and the separate Ronin remote controller.

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  • The Moza look like a great option.

  • MOZA is selling for $2,245.00 on https://www.supamods.com/. Upgrades (battery, stronger motors) are quite expensive.

  • @DMZ: Yes, expensive.

    Some idea about the others gimbal (no expensive) of Supamods?

  • I just bought a DSLR sized chinese DIY gimbal from someone locally for $350. It was 95% assembled but never used. It appears to be the Hobbyking/ Turnigy PRO gimbal frame. I had already researched all the chinese parts and a proper DSLR sized 3 axis gimbal can be bought for $300 with everything included when buying parts individually. But I didn't want to wait and found one locally. Talked the owner down from the $500 that he was asking... Anyways, here are my thoughts after setting up and playing with it for a bit.

    DIY gimbals can be great but they can also be a major pain in the ass to setup. There is no one perfect guide or information to DIY gimbals. It's a true Do it yourself project. The first biggest issue is ease and effort required to balance the camera. The Turnigy PRO frame is time consuming and poor to properly balance the camera. There are much better chinese frames that offer faster balancing and precision. The second thing wrong with the frame is there is no extra bearing cage for the motors on top and in the back (Yaw and Roll.) The motor bearings support all the weight and will wear out faster if you use this gimbal setup with a heavier camera or are on the job everyday with it. Other chinese frames that cost the same have motor cages to add extra bearing support for the motors. But using the GH2 or similar should still last awhile without extra bearing support.

    The second issue with DIY gimbals is the controllers. There are guides to set them up but they are vague. The best ones at low price seem to be the STORM32 and ALEXMOS 32. Information leads to be the STORM32 is slightly ahead in terms of stability/precision. Otherwise they appear very close in features and design. Mine came with the ALEXMOS 32 v3.02 board.

    Alexmos32 setup was not intuitive but the guides available are sufficient to get you working. Although the tuning process can be lengthy dialing in the settings. It's almost all trial and error. For a custom DIY gimbal, there are no preset settings. Profiles/settings can be shared but are only useful for users who have the same gimbal setup. Some of the bigger names ($1000+) for gimbals have preset profiles available for the alexmos32 or whatever system they come with.

    To be honest the actual reason I bought this DIY gimbal is because I wanted to turn this 3 axis into a 5 axis, or at least try. Has anyone seen any news of the alexmos 5 axis or the others? Alexmos had a decent prototype in 2013 (posted many pages back). but there is no news of it since.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev , Is it reliable that gimbal?, the price is tempting.

  • I ordered an AllSteady 5 Pro (the pre-assembled, completely set up one), back in mid February. Let's just say I'm appalled at their customer service considering they're an American company out of California. It took several weeks to arrive (ok, I figured they assemble them custom-order??), and it was broken out of the box . . . didn't work.

    It's brand new, so rather than risk voiding warranty by fixing it myself, I called TurboAce customer service. To their credit, when you get through to tech support, they're helpful and professional. Their tech walked me through various troubleshooting sequences, and we eventually figured out that one of the sensors came unsoldered. I re-soldered the sensor and called back the next day. The tech again was very helpful but the AllSteady was still malfunctioning and the tech simply couldn't diagnose the problem over the phone. They would e-mail me a shipping label so I could sent it back for repairs.

    I waited several days for an email before calling back. They thought they had sent it. They hadn't. I finally got a shipping label emailed to me the next day, at which point I repacked the gimbal and mailed it back to TurboAce.

    That was in February. It is now April. I still don't have a gimbal. I emailed twice to confirm safe arrival of the gimbal back at Turbo Ace, with no reply. I called, and after a long time on hold, confirmed that they received the gimbal.

    I called again last week to inquire about when I might expect the gimbal back. I was put on hold for 15 minutes, and then they hung up without even so much as a goodbye.

    I'm calling them again on Monday, and if the gimbal is not already shipped and on its way back to me, I'm demanding a full refund, and I'm requesting another shipping label so I can send back the SmallHD AC7 that I also purchased from them (which did not include any option for powering it via the gimbal, by the way). At this point, I'm almost willing to pay for return shipment of the AC7, just to be done with this whole debacle.

    If you want a good gimbal, I would say drop the cash and get a Ronin. While the TurboAce and other cheaper gimbals ARE technically the same processor, same sensors, similar motors, etc . . . the build quality is a bigger factor than I initially realized. Having the sensors, wires, etc. encased inside the frame is a BIG DEAL.

    I'm sure now that the sensor problem on my gimbal is a simple design issue. If it hadn't broken on shipment, it would've broken eventually, just by design.

    Almost every single one of these "budget" gimbals are really just pre-assembled DIY parts. And there's nothing wrong with that if you're willing to maintain a gimbal. But do yourself a favor and build it yourself so you know how to fix it. And I'd highly suggest buying a bunch of spare parts for repair, because if it breaks, it's up to you to fix it. And these will break, they all have design flaws that make them fragile . . . unless you're ok with your gimbal being gone for a month and a half for repairs.

    I'd like to reiterate that the actual techs at TurboAce are very capable, and very helpful. But something there is either deeply disorganized, or the other people there just don't get it. I've been out $2,500 USD for a month and a half with nothing to show for it, and that's not ok. I'm not one to yell or get pushy on the phone, at least not until the very last straw, and I've been cordial in all my interactions. In my opinion, I shouldn't have to be pushy to get good customer service.

    Anyhow, I know this is a long post, but there's my 2 cents on this matter. If by some miracle, the Turbo Ace is already on its way to me, I'll do a quick tech-only review before I send it back. But consider this my review of everything except the gimbal itself. I for one am caving and getting a Ronin.

  • Turbo Ace just hung up on me intentionally.

  • Called back. The accountant is "at lunch"

  • I had bad experience with Turbo Ace on that same gimbal. I can't believe the kind of crappy setup and ergonomics on that thing. I had to pay a "restocking fee" when I returned mine – which meant I was out several hundred on it. Hopefully they don't do that to you.

  • After calling them twice a day every other day for a week (note I was told repeatedly that they would call me back, yet I had to do the calling), it was finally established that yes, I wanted a refund. I progressed one step every two calls, and it seems that hanging up and being put on hold are a natural part of their process.

    As luck would have it, not even the accountant was authorized to issue a refund, which began yet another quest for the elusive "Manager". When I finally did get a call (rather than making one), it was the manager who offered me 50% reduced price and immediate shipment of my gimbal. Too little too late, I took full refund.

  • I'm currently deciding between a DJI Ronin M and a Letus Helix Jr. While the Ronin is certainly top in-class among conventional gimbals with auto-balance, 2nd op RC and mono frame construction, (and cheaper than the Letus)....

    The Letus has some serious benefits inherent in its unique core design that I'm finding it very difficult to ignore. It has less frame, so it's lighter. It can be set downand balanced on any flat surface, with no need for a stand. The pitch is directly controlled by rotating a handle, and the camera is very accessible so that monitors can be mounted to the stabilized camera rather than to non-stabilized parts of the gimbal. And finally, it includes a counterweight system so that, when needed, the gimbal can be balanced on optical center, no small benefit for those precise Dutch/roll shots.

    Has anyone used any Letus Helix? There are a few reviews, but none that cover long-term durability/ease of use.

  • DitoGear VibraFreek Arm

  • Eagle Ete with AlexMos 32bit controller.

    Some say this gimbal is the same Came 7000 rebranded. It's very cheap, I need buy a cheap gimbal for a project for last days of May, and Im a tittle confused.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Eagle-Eye-3-Axis-DSLR-Camera-Mount-Handheld-Gimbal-Motor-32-bit-ARM-Controller-e-/251769494835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a9ea19d33

  • This page is realiable? some gimbals look like Came/Eagle Eye.

    https://www.supamods.com/product/3-axis-gimbal-32-bit-joystick-upgraded-motors/

  • Help: I have ordered the Eye Eagle 32 Bits, but I dont get know what battery use for buy an extra.

    I appreciate the help.