Sony NEX-7 + GoPro Gimbal

[CrashMaster]

I have a Sony NEX-7 and am looking for suggestions of what gimbals people may have used successfully.

However, it is more complex than that:
1. I also have a GoPro Hero 3 Black with a 60 degree lens for Video and stills and still want to have the choice of using it in the same gimbal.
2. I want to be able to use TX to trigger Video and Stills with the Nex-7
3. Now the killer, I want to be able to use the TX to change the zoom in flight.

Having researched this all a brushless gimbal may be out of the question due to the variable balance point caused by the zoom lens and the variable weight of the NEX-7 and GoPro means that a brushless gimbal would have difficulty retaining stability whereas a servo gimbal has more tolerance to imbalance.
View attachment 15379 View attachment 15381 View attachment 15380

The only solution I can think of is to use a servo gimbal with an additional servo to vary the zoom. I already have an Xaircraft CF gimbal which uses a servos and gear drive but it relies on my WKM for stabilization but is fine for stills but not very stable for Video. The other is out of production but still available - the AeroXcraft VTR125 this can be stabilised by either the WKM or hoverfly gimbal board.

Has anyone ever tackled this issue and overcome it.

 

[SleepyC]

This dude has the Zoom part figured out for the NEX.
http://ecilop.com/shop/nex-zoom.phtml

 

[CrashMaster]

This dude has the Zoom part figured out for the NEX.
http://ecilop.com/shop/nex-zoom.phtml

SleepyC Thanks for that. I hadn't seen that only had an idea for a self build solution on similar lines but this one solves the problem of mounting it on the gimbal. And I do have an SEL-1855, SEL-50210 and a SELP-1650 and it would work on all lenses.

Just need to identify a suitable gimbal or just use what I have already.

 

[SleepyC]

Here is a thought as well. If you are zooming you will most likely be hovering or stationary. I think most gimbals can hold the cam steady even with the lens extending. If you were going to try and fly in a forward motion and zoom, I think the brushless gimbals will fail every time.

Personally there are so many guys dumping the servo driven cinestar/clone 2 axis servo gimbals, you could probably snag one for under $300 and with that would have no issues doing what you want.

 

[Av8Chuck]

I haven't been able to find a good brushless gimbal for NEX. I know its the nature of forums that people complain a lot about things they think don't work well but I haven't seen any plug-n-play, or anything close to that, good gimbals for the NEX.

Something to keep in mind regarding the zoom at the link from SleepyC, the Ecilop is a very different kind of gimbal where the change in CG resulting from the zoom might work, its a lot less likely this would work in the more traditional brushless gimbals.

It would be great if people using a gimbal with the NEX would share their setup experiences, quirky work arounds and examples. Like most, I'd really like to be able to use an NEX gimbal for flight and then easily remove it and use it handheld without having to rebalance or reprogram.

Curious why you want to zoom?

 

[SleepyC]

I can tell you after reviewing and then not posting the reviews because the units sucked....of around 5 NEX gimbals.... almost all ALL suck.

All the RCtimer and ebay jobs are trash. If it has an “L” shape and no full camera cage DO NOT BUY IT.

Guys will show video of 3 seconds of video.. but ask them to post a no stabilized 20 second clip.
It doesn’t exist. Once forward flight and the wind hits most brushless NEX gimbals can’t take it.

Get a larger cinestar gimbal, or I’ve been working with a Hexacrafter G2 gimbal and it’s getting really close to awesome.
Just a few more tweaks and it should be good to go.

one of the reasons it’s working is that the 2 axis uses a belt and brushless motor on the roll, and if you opt for a 3 axis, it uses a belt and brushless on the 3rd axis.
This is the key to success.

 

[Av8Chuck]

The Hexacrafter G2 looks like a nice gimbal, a bit pricey but if it works well that's better than spending half as much on something that doesn't work.

 

[Av8Chuck]

I found a solution, I got a Hero3 Black... I found one left in the back of the cabinet at BestBuy and got if for $269

I think I'm going to wait for a couple more months to see what kind of progress is made with the 3-axis NEX gimbals. Of coarse now I need to find a good 3-axis GoPro gimbal.

Any suggestions?

 

[banga]

arris 3000 3axis brushless gimbal


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SleepyC]

I haven’t had a chance to try a 3 axis GP gimbal yet, but the $169 Tarot 2 axis (2D) is perfect. At least that has been my experience.
Xaircraft has a new 2 axis GP gimbal coming out that looks nice as well.

And I have not had a chance to try one but the Arris 3000 is supposed to be a nice 3 axis GP gimbal.

 

[CrashMaster]

All the RCtimer and ebay jobs are trash. If it has an “L” shape and no full camera cage DO NOT BUY IT.

Bearing in mind the cost of a NEX7 I think a rigid cage is essential. Lenses are easily replaced the camera chassis is very expensive.

 

[CrashMaster]

Curious why you want to zoom?

Almost all the gimbals are only for the NEX-5R. This means a SEL-16 f2.8 wide angle lens. Note this has no zoom and is favoured by gimbal manufacturers because there is no zoom meaning to altering of the COG. Fine for panoramic views but useless for close ups unless you move the camera close to a subject. A full length photo of an adult filling the picture in landscape and 3:2 ratio you have to get within 8-10 feet of the subject to fill 3/4 of the lens. Not a good idea for safety reasons and useless for structure or building inspections.

If you mount a SEL-50210 on the camera and zoom you can be a long way off so not endangering your subject or craft. Which is why I pose the question - I can't be the only one to have realised that the use of a zoom lens is more desirable and usable than a fixed focal length for AP.

Please remember this is not for fun or FPV this is for pure Pro AP.

 

[Av8Chuck]

Sure, I use a zoom all the time. I just land, adjust the lens, take off and get the shot. For Ap I primarily shoot video and would never use an "on air" zoom anyway. I can see the benefit of not having to land but certainly not necessary and I have not found a gimbal that would work well with the additional weight and change in CG.

Not sure I understand the "Please remember this is not for fun or FPV this is for pure Pro AP" comment? That's an oxymoron in a thread about the NEX-7 + GoPro Gimbal, I like my NEX but its hardly a professional camera. Did I miss the memo? Was I supposed to sign up or something?

 

[FireFighterMike]

Av8Chuck.. what type of camera/cam do you use, what type of a/c , and flight times . I saw Holger's video where he zooms with a SONYCAM on his MIKRO ..and did not even think of CG until now ..

 

[Av8Chuck]

Hi Mike,

I've been using a Sony NEX5n with a brushless gimbal on a Hexacopter and get about four minutes of flight time.

There seems to be a couple of good working gimbals for the Hero3, but the only gimbal I've seen that's big enough for the NEX and has usable shots longer than five seconds with fast forward flight is the Zenmuse. I don't care for DJI stuff and I think its overpriced, but you have to give them credit for building a gimbal that seems to work.

My gimbal works fairly well, sometimes. Its too heavy and finicky to rely on it. Maybe by this time next year there'll be more affordable choices.

 

[CrashMaster]

Sure, I use a zoom all the time. I just land, adjust the lens, take off and get the shot. For Ap I primarily shoot video and would never use an "on air" zoom anyway. I can see the benefit of not having to land but certainly not necessary and I have not found a gimbal that would work well with the additional weight and change in CG.

This is the only alternative if I can not get a gimbal capable of behaving as I want. However, it will also make the job of getting what a client wants more difficult, even impossible. Which is exactly why I ask in the forum to see if anyone has achieved this or not.

Not sure I understand the "Please remember this is not for fun or FPV this is for pure Pro AP" comment? That's an oxymoron in a thread about the NEX-7 + GoPro Gimbal, I like my NEX but its hardly a professional camera. Did I miss the memo? Was I supposed to sign up or something?

Mixing GoPro and NEX in the same thread could be viewed as Oxymoron but those are the two cameras I have and want to use the same gimbal for both. The fact that some clients actually want or accept GoPro footage has become more evident since the arrival of the Hero 3 Black with an excellent record for TV productions.
From my experience the NEX7 is an excellent bit of kit with full HD video and upto 24.3MP stills, although it does not have a full size CMOS it is excellent quality. I don't know what camera you would sugest to be a professional camera but thousands of pro photographers already use this and other NEX cameras because of their compactness and abilities to deliver what is needed out and about and compete competently with others with a price tag of 3 or 4 times more. Further more the lack of weight is a big advantage in this game too. I would never consider something like a Cannon EOS 5D Mk 3 due to the cost of replacing it if the worst happened and the weight. See a head to head comparison HERE Yes the Cannon wins but combine the cost and weight then look again.

If money and weight was no object then I could go for the Sony Alpha 7, it has one of the highest ratings of all cameras available and is only £1,500. HERE

It is also worth knowing to that one of the most expensive DSLRs on the market is the Hasselblad Lunar, which is simply a Sony NEX-7 re-housed and sold for £5,300. HERE

I am not having a go back just that my needs and wants are clearly stated and asked for advise, assistance and some pointers if someone has already considered the issues and overcome them.

Note that if I do overcome the balance and zoom problems I will post here with my results and footage.

 

[liske]

Any success stories from posters here about NEX Gimbal status? Thanks!

 

[Timtim]

This dude has the Zoom part figured out for the NEX.
http://ecilop.com/shop/nex-zoom.phtml

I have this for my nex5n 18-55 and it works well. It's on an Ecilop so the gimbal is only lightly affected by the change of COG. I use this mainly for statics as I've never got the gimbal good enough for post-stabilisation-free video. I need to do their Force Servo upgrade...

 

[Jumpy07]

I had one of these before I bought my zenmuse.. they obviously tried to copy the Zenmuse.. its was very good.. and I preferred the way the yaw worked on the Alexmos on this to my Zenmuse..

The mechanical bits were quite good.. it also had sip rings.. wiring you have to sort out yourself.. but with new 32bit Alexmos this would be a good gimbal..

It has bearings and pivots rather than relying on the motors like most cheap gimbals do.. pitch is also supported on both sides unlike the Rctmer Gimbals

http://www.thanksbuyer.com/fpv-3-ax...for-mini-slr-sony-5n-aerial-photography-27168

PS Thanksbuyer don't have a great rep.. but seem to recall seeing this somewhere else..

 

[liske]

Really? That seems cheap i comparisom if you are sayimg close to ZMuse. The item lists 300gram weight - is that correct? Seems low by the look of it. Do you recall weight?

I had one of these before I bought my zenmuse.. they obviously tried to copy the Zenmuse.. its was very good.. and I preferred the way the yaw worked on the Alexmos on this to my Zenmuse..

The mechanical bits were quite good.. it also had sip rings.. wiring you have to sort out yourself.. but with new 32bit Alexmos this would be a good gimbal..

It has bearings and pivots rather than relying on the motors like most cheap gimbals do.. pitch is also supported on both sides unlike the Rctmer Gimbals

http://www.thanksbuyer.com/fpv-3-ax...for-mini-slr-sony-5n-aerial-photography-27168

PS Thanksbuyer don't have a great rep.. but seem to recall seeing this somewhere else..