GEAR MINI TESTS
We try out an advanced gimbal system, new V-Lock batteries, a pint-sized 4K action camera, a compact shotgunmic and somuchmore...
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
ZHIYUN WEEBILL 2 PRO+ KIT £980/$899 zhiyun-tech.com/en
When it comes to great performance and value for money, the Zhiyun Weebill 2 Pro+ gimbal kit is a stunner. For less than a grand, you get a great handheld, three-axis gimbal, that can take a large mirrorless camera with a relatively heavy cine lens. It is the only motorised gimbal to have its own built-inmonitor screen. It also comes with a great follow- focus bolt-on, image transmitter and separate handheld screen – in case you don’t want to use the free app to control it. Zhiyun have cut no corners inmaking what many indie filmmakers believe to be the best all- in-one gimbal package on the market. It is supplied with all the cables you’d ever need, and a cool canvas bag that the whole lot fits into. After using the complete system, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. The heart of the kit is the latest Weebill 2 gimbal, which can be bought as a stand-alone purchase. Although it’s slightly heavier than some rival systems, it packs more powerful motors, that allow it to control heavier camera systems. We used it with a Sony A9 and a 24mm f/1.4 GMaster lens, with a variable ND filter – it had no problems at all. We then paired it with a Sony A7S III inside a SmallRig full cage, with a Samyang Xeen 50mm cine lens on the front. That’s around 2kg/4.6lb, so is well within the maximumpayload, and the motors handled it well. There was enough adjustment on all the sliding arms and plates to accommodate such a front-heavy combo. The camera is mounted to a Manfrotto-fit plate, and it comes with a riser block in case you want to use it
SPECIFICATIONS Material: Aluminium Battery: 2600mAh Run time: Nine hours Charging time: 1.6 hours Touchscreen: 7.3cm/2.88in Maximumpayload: 3.31kg/7.3lb Connectivity: 2.4GHz RF, Bluetooth 5.0 Dimensions: 350x225x150mm/13.8x8.9x5.9in Weight: 1470g/3.24lb with the included transmitter. We went down this route, even without the transmitter fitted. As the kit comes with a small fold- out tripod foot, and all the axes can be separately locked, it’s pretty easy to keep everything balanced. Instructions are included and Zhiyun has lots of online videos to assist. If you are used to balancing gimbals, it’s easy. For anyone new, it takes a fewminutes, but you soon get the hang of it. At this point, many gimbals require you to download the app and then check calibration from there. Zhiyun does offer this with its free ZY Play
FULL RIG With its follow focus, transmitter and handheld receiver, the Zhiyun is ready for action
app, which allows you to change settings and a lot more. However, the Weebill 2’s fold- out colour touchscreenmeans you can quickly and easily access all the settings andmake changes. Apps are nice and some people love them, but it’s so useful being able to change settings on the device itself. You can set all the usual gimbal modes like POV, pan only, locked, timelapse andmotionlapse features – all from the touchscreen. You can also set vortex-style spins, turn the camera for vertical video, or spin the gimbal around for selfie mode by clicking the front trigger button. The main functions, like changing the angle of the camera, are via a joystick on the left side of the grip handle. There is also a switch for changing gimbal mode and a wheel that can be
CASE STUDY The Weebill 2 Pro+ kit comes in this custom case that
takes all the accessories
66
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook