Cinematic picture: the top five steadicams for cameras

In the young firmament of steadicams for cameras, new stars are lit every now and then. One of those is the Moza Air 2 model from Gudsen. This stab is able to withstand most SLR and mirrorless cameras weighing up to 4.2 kg.

The large load capacity of the gimbal allows you to use different objects and sets of accessories in conjunction with the camera. Fortunately, holes are provided for their fastening in the lower part and on the side panel of the handle (1/4" and 3/8", respectively). The camera itself is fixed on a quick-release platform. Steadicam balancing is performed automatically based on the readings of the load sensors.

The model has 8 tracking modes for objects in the frame: from classic panning within 360 ° to shooting many types of timelaps. For quick access to the settings, an informative OLED screen is installed in the Gudsen Moza Air 2, and there is a scattering of a dozen buttons around the perimeter of the steadicam case. Optionally, the stub can be equipped with an IFOCUS module, which allows you to control focus and zooming.

The manual stabilizer is equipped with four power connectors. The output ports on board provide the energy supply of the camera and the necessary accessories: a fallow focus system, on-camera light or an external display. In general, gimbal keeps "afloat" without recharging the batteries for about 16 hours. This figure may differ in a smaller direction if the stub has to keep a heavy set of devices for photo and video shooting "on its back" for a long time.

The compact stabilizer DJI Ronin-SC Pro Combo is designed for use in conjunction with mirrors and mirrorless mirrors with a total weight of up to 2 kg. This figure takes into account the weight of the "carcass" of the camera, the object screwed on it and additional accessories in the manner of an external microphone.

The model implements stabilization along three axes. The modes of operation of the gimbal are configured through the DJI proprietary application. In particular, the functions of panning, tilting, roll, tracking objects in the frame are available to the operator thanks to the Active Track 3.0 function. The goal is set from the smartphone screen, for fixing which a special mount is provided. Also from the mobile application, you can control the movements of the stub by tilting the smartphone (Force Mobile).

The controls of the stub are focused on the handle. They are represented by buttons and a functional joystick for turning the "head" of the steadicam. Inside the handle there is a non-removable battery with a capacity of 2450 mAh, on one charge of which up to 11 hours of battery life of the gimbal is provided.

In the extended configuration, the Pro Combo is stably equipped with a tripod and a Follow Focus device for smooth focus control. The assembled steadicam weighs only a little more than 1 kg, which, coupled with its compact dimensions (220x200x75 mm folded), allows you to carry the gimbal with you on a daily basis.

The FeiYu Tech AK4500 three-axis stabilizer is able to track and compensate for camera movements along three axes: tilt, pan and turn. On its platform, you can fix both a miniature "digital soap box" weighing from 150 g, and a massive "carcass" of a SLR camera with long-focus optics weighing up to 4.6 kg.

The ergonomics of the steadicam was thought out to the smallest detail. Judge for yourself, it is equipped with a two—part platform (one part of it is fixed to the stabilizer, the second is attached to the camera), a folow-focus system, an extension handle, a support frame for the object, cables for connecting the camera and a multifunctional bracket (all kinds of accessories can be installed on it). An additional control handle is usually supplied in a separate box, which allows you to remove from the lower position. It connects to the stub via Bluetooth and has a built-in gyroscope to control the movements of the gimbal.

The main control body of the FeiYu Tech AK4500 is an OLED touch screen in the main handle. From it, you can "steer" the camera settings, select the stabilization mode, start the rotation at the right moment and increase or decrease its speed, switch the camera to selfie mode, quickly deploying the camera to the operator. The wheel on the side of the handle can be controlled by folow focus and axis rotation. An even more extensive list of settings is available in the FeiYu ON mobile application.

Adjusting the steadicam balance takes a minimum of time and nerves. When balancing each specific axis, the user has the right to block the other two. Also, the stabilizer will not have to be recharged often — the charge of four 2200 mAh batteries is enough for 12 hours of battery life. Among the disadvantages of the model, an additional handle that is not automatically switched off and a small list of supported cameras from the start are noted. The second point is subject to correction step by step with the release of each subsequent firmware for the device.

Zhiyun Crane 3S is a powerful tool for shooting smooth videos at a professional level. It's no joke, stabilizer motors can cope with a heavy set of cameras, objects and accessories with a total weight of up to 6.5 kg.

An important character trait of the steadicam is its modular design. To place a massive camera on its "head", an adapter extension of the axis of rotation is provided. And in order to make it easier to hold the solid weight of the equipment in your hands, you can attach an auxiliary SmartSling handle with a built-in joystick and control buttons to the stub. The keypad is supported by an information OLED screen to display the settings and shooting parameters.

The model is equipped with a mechanism for locking the axes in one position and an improved zoom/focus system. All the salt of the stab is revealed when operating the settings through the proprietary Zhiyun ViaTouch 2.0 mobile application. It has different modes of panning, object tracking, slow focus and shooting with a long shutter speed, etc. Together with the TransMount transmitter, Steadicam can broadcast an image to three paired devices simultaneously.

"In the base" Zhiyun Crane 3S is equipped with three 18650 batteries with a capacity of 2600 mAh each. The battery compartment also has a port for 25.2 V DC power supply. When the PowerPlus accessory is connected to it, consisting of six 18650 batteries, the battery life of the stab increases from 12 to 18 hours. The stone in the garden of the model is a heavy construction (under 2 kg). However, there are units equal to Gimbal in terms of load capacity.

The flagship squadron of steadicams for shooting at a professional level is headed by DJI RS2 heavyweight gimbal. It can withstand a load of up to 4.5 kg with its own weight of about 1 kg.

To tell the truth, DJI lied a little about the weight category of the device. It is indicated without a battery handle, a two-part plate for the camera and an additional handle for shooting from upper angles. Together with these accessories, it weighs under 1.7 kg. Some carbon fibre elements are designed to lighten its weight, in particular, two brackets of the bracket are made of carbon fibre.

DJI RS2 introduced new Titan stabilization algorithms. From now on, steadicam handles better with camera micro-vibrations and raises the torque of the drives to ensure effective image stabilization, coupled with long-focus optics (SuperSmooth mode). All three axes are locked and adjusted alternately.

A full-colour touch screen with a diagonal size of 1.4", which is built into the main handle, helps to operate the modes of operation of the stub. Key parameters and fine adjustments of stabilization for each of the axes are set literally in a couple of touches to the display. To monitor the object of filming from a smartphone or tablet, you only need to buy a RavenEye wireless transmitter — this is the only thing missing from the DJI RS2 in the standard configuration.