Buying advice needed: Gimbal/stabilisator for filming with DSLR

Good morning to all readers!

My hands do get more and more shaky, filming my grand-grandchildren ist getting more and more complicated.
I saw an advertisement on the www, where an motor driven gimbal/stabilisator was announced.
Can you give me some advice, which product works well?
I do not need an highend product, just one, where I can film and walk around without getting to shaky videos.
Body: 5DIV&R, lens about 1-1.5 kg (28-70mm 2)

Thanks
 
The heavier the camera the bigger and more expensive the gimbal. A 5DiV with a fast pro-zoom will reguire a gimbal with powerful motors which will be heavy and expensive. My advice would be to figure out the lightest, most compact camera lens combo that wil give you the results you need and then spec a gimabal based on that.

If you really need to use a DSLR/Zoom rig than you are probably looking at Zhiyun Crane-2/3 or a DJI Ronin S (heavy/expensive). If you can get by with a mirrorless and a small prime you should be able to get something a lot lighter and less expensive.

On the plus side, it's remarkable how smooth the video looks when shot from a gimbal. I never fail to be amazed when I look at the footage.
 
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ethanz

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I'll echo what Graphic said. Your hands, arms, shoulders, and back might shake more from holding the heavy camera and heavy gimbal up!

I have the Zhiyun Crane 2 and it is nice with my 1dx. The footage is great once you get the hang of it. Jack has the same gear too @Jack Douglas

The R and a small prime might not be too bad with a smaller gimbal like the new Ronin SC or smaller Zhiyun.

You could even get a newer iPhone that shoots nice video and either hand hold that or get a very small gimbal for it that even tracks the person... It will be very lightweight and easy to use.
 
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cayenne

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Mar 28, 2012
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I had the $250 rebate card from Canon after buying their PIXMA Pro 100 deal awhile back and needed to use it...I ended up getting the Ronin S.

I've not taken it out of the box yet, but plan to try it out with my Canon 5D3. It looked to be about the best out there for my dollar. I had that Visa rebate card, that also gave extra discount if used at certain online store and Crutchfield happened to be one of those. I also had enough customer points there to knock another $79 off the price....so, I got a pretty good deal.

I did a lot of research on this unit and I had planned to buy at regular price (best of wherever I could find it)...and it seemed to be the best one.

It will be a bit heavy, but anything with a bigger DSLR on it and any type of decent lens will be heavy and the Ronin S appears to have good design for carrying, I liked that the feet on it will let it stand on its own, I could mount it to a tripod if only using for programmed motion control ( I shoot some cooking videos one man band style)....and the feet when folded look to provide a good grip for my 2nd hand...it also seems to have working follow focus, or can buy the extra geared focus pulling accessory for a bit more and be able to use that for pulling focus when shooting things like bands, etc...

You've gotten what I think are likely your best choices...so, do your research a LOT of YouTube info out there on these.

Prices are still a little $$, but compared to what they were only a short couple of years ago, they are VERY affordable now....

HTH,

cayenne
 
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Jack Douglas

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Apr 10, 2013
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I find that the weight is and isn't an issue. Of course it's heavy if you're walking all day with it (Zhiyun Crane 2) but in the same realm as when I'm walking 1DX2 + 400 DO X2, since video is not done with as big a lens. However, just standing around shooting landscape or animals or whatever, I often poke the foot into my belt and this takes most of the weight off the arm. You can even walk around like this. Never the less, maintaining better posture and walking holding it in one or two hands is pretty tiring. Typically, I'd have either 11-24 or 24-70 F4 on the 1DX2. My daughter put her R on the gimbal with my 24-70 adapted and handled it pretty well and she's not very big.

I love the results.

Jack
 
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Jack Douglas

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Apr 10, 2013
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I find that trying to maintain good posture actually makes me hurt more! lol
Not a young whipper snapper like you!;) Actually, good shooting posture is probably not really "good" posture. Even just bumping along with it stuck in my belt, the results are quite good.

BTW, my aluminum case was acceptable as a carry-on and proved to be strong and secure with the gimbal in it's almost completely balanced state inside. I was most pleased.

Jack
 
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