GEAR
BUYERS’ GUIDE
ZHIYUN WEEBILL 3 £449/$449 zhiyun-tech.com
Zhiyun’s Weebill 3 professional gimbal is a unique design built for improved ergonomics, light weight, more compact size – and comes with a built-in microphone and fill light. The combo kit has the Weebill’s Sling 2.0 system, a new L-shaped handle that’s more stable when self-standing, a wrist rest and a repositioned sling grip. The gimbal weighs 1.1kg/2.4lb so is pretty light, and has an upgraded 7800mAh internal battery that lasts for up to 21 hours. It comes with a handy 1000-lumen fill light, offering CRI of 90+ and dual colour temperatures for 2600K and 5400K. This is turned on and adjusted by a control wheel that sits under your right thumb.
Pros: Less strain on your arm
Cons: LED has limited use
The carbon-fibre Flowtech75 MS legs and Aktiv8T head is the combo most filmmakers desire, as it’s quick to set up yet folds down flat – nice and easy to transport. Head mounts to legs with a large lever lock rather than having to be screwed on and locked down with a safety grub screw, and the camera goes on a quick-release plate that clicks into place. There are 15 steps of counterbalance and seven steps of pan and tilt drag adjustment. The entire kit weighs a total of 5.7kg/12.6lb and can take a maximum payload of 12kg/26.5lb. SACHTLER FLOWTECH75 MS WITH AKTIV8T HEAD £2796/$3690 sachtler.com
The new Tiffen Steadimate-RS turns DJI Ronin RS 2, RS 3 and RS 3 Pro motorised gimbals into full, four-axis Steadicams. This system reduces fatigue by transferring all the weight to your torso and hips. And the strong stabiliser arm cuts out any bounce in the z-axis – a common issue with normal gimbal use. Kits are available complete with an arm and vest for a total of £1542/$1395, or including the advanced A30 arm and Zephyr vest for £3311/$2995. TIFFEN STEADIMATE-RS £1542/$1395 tiffen.com
Pros: Full motion control Cons: Only for Ronin models
Pros: Fast and smooth Cons: Pricey, but worth it
SYRP GENIE SYSTEM From £595/$468 syrplab.com
Syrp has a range of powered options, starting at the £595/$468 Genie, which is used to create controlled movements on a slider or tripod. It can do controlled panning shots, or fits to a slider for lateral movements. The larger Genie II costs £1584/$1995 but has a motorised pan-and-tilt head function. Add on the £749/$1111 Genie II linear and you get full three-axis remote control. Syrp also offers dedicated slider and cable-cam systems. The £970/$899 Slingshot combines with Genie devices for a fully controlled camera movement system. Kits are available from £2420/£2659.
Pros: Modular – buy only what you need Cons: Full kits aren’t cheap
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