A short while ago CAME-TV sent over an upgraded version of their 7800 Gimbal. Now that the gimbal has officially been released on their website, here's a closer look at some of the improvements and optional accessories that now come with the Ready-To-Run 7800 Gimbal Kit.
The 7800 has seen many iterations, and even my last video with a 7800 does not even include half of the changes they've made available now. The 7800 model now comes with a Travel Case and a Gimbal Stand. These may be small items, but essential pieces that you no longer need to buy (or make). You can get started balancing your gimbal and flying as soon as you receive the item.
My obvious favorite is new Black Rubberized Hand Grips. Not only does this feel better but it really steps up the aesthetic of the product making it appear much more professional. The top handle has the same design that is easy to remove with a single socket cap screw, and each side handle is clamped on, and can simply be twisted to release the clamp.
New Rubberized Handles
The biggest addition that many should be excited about, is a tool-less adjustment knob that allows you to easily balance the YAW and another tool-less knob to easily balance the Roll. Combined with the sliding quick release plate in the camera frame, swapping lenses should now take seconds instead of minutes.
New Tool-less YAW and ROLL Adjustments
So while the system is not 100% tool-less, the areas that do require tools to balance may not be used often once you have the proper alignment for your camera body. Common adjustments when swapping to a longer or short lens will be easier and faster at the Roll, Yaw, and Pitch thanks to the new too-less adjustment knobs. CAME-TV now offers Six (6) Different Gimbal Kits and you can find more information about those products at the website (click here).
New Upgraded CAME-TV 7800 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer
MarkR
Hey Emm, I was going to get a 7800 but I've just seen that the Birdycam2 is on sale at B&H for $1599 (until Sunday). I'm going to be flying a gh4 so is that a deal worth going for instead? Or will the new Ronin M (at somewhere below $2000 + $200 for the thumb controller) be the best bet? Thanks
CarsonWA
Emm,
Are you able to adjust camera settings/focus with the 7800 gimbal powered or do you have to turn it off first?
Thanks!
Emm
Post author@Andrew - You'll never get rid of the up/down motion of the waves. Just pitch/roll/and yaw. Sounds like you should be shooting from a hovering copter for the best shots, or out from the beach with a very long lens.
Andrew
@Emm - Can you suggest another way to deal with the swell while sitting in a dinghy filming waves? Sitting on the edge of a reef with overhead waves pushing through is one of the hardest environments to stabilize footage. The majority of my footage from a recent project was ruined because I couldn't track the shot/surfer as my platform was in constant flux in xyz space. I'm heading back for a second attempt but need a solution.
Anyone out there have a 7000/7800 and 100-300mm w/ GH4 to tell me if it will work?
Even if the 100-300mm GH4 combo could fit and be balanced, do you think it will be capable of tracking the shot at such a long tele?
Thanks in advance
Emm
Post author@Andrew - Yeah a lens that big would have to have the camera sit back pretty far. Many people take these gimbals out on boats, but I can't tell you what any long term effects might be from saltwater. Freshwater may be bearable as long as you don't get it soaked.
Andrew
Emm,
I'm just about to pull the trigger on the 7800 but I need to know two things first:
1) would pairing GH4 with the 100-300mm force me to push camera so far back to balance that it would hit rear bar or otherwise obstruct movement while held in standard position?
2) will this work as well in a dinghy on open water with swell to negate pitch/roll/yaw of the vessel?
Thanks, Andrew
louis
Does it supporting 5d mark ii with 16-35mm f4 lens?
Timothy Tan
This is looking good but I still would have liked tool-less adjustment for the camera mount. Having 4 bolts to unscrew and adjust can get quite annoying and time consuming.
Michael
Some Came Mini demo footage here:
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on it too. Currently debating the merits of the 7800, mini or a gopro on a Z1 Pround.
Paul Hidalgo
Hi Em,
Ever get a chance to test the Defy G2X? I'm thinking about either the G2X or the Came Mini, but I can't find any reviews from real life users anywhere.
Emm
Post author@Kevin - I think it's only 8-bit. People might want to hold off though, as another company just sent me images of another single handed gimbal. That's all I can say for now, but might be announced at NAB and hoping it's 32-bit.
Kevin
Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully Emm will review Came Mini.
This post says 32 bit for pilotfly?
https://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/12198/pilotfly-3-axis-32bit-dual-imu-handheld-gimbal/p1
They don't seem to claim it on their website?
https://copter-rc.com/en/catalog/60-pilotfly-h1-microdslr-3asix-stabilizer-pre-order.html
Nelson
Pilotfly is using 8bit for their handheld gimbal, so Came mini is the only small gimbal with 32bit alexmos atm.
I use spider rig ($50) on nebula 4000 and works great for me.
One major flow for Came mini is the battery as some user find it out after they receive their gimbal. It didn't ship with one and not all 18650 battery fits the gimbal.
Kevin
Thanks, that would be great, I'm sure there are many people interested in the Came Mini. My hope is that there are no compromises compared to the 7800.
I was actually thinking about the Nebula 4000 for a while. Supposedly the PILOTFLY H1 MicroDSLR 3axis Stabilizer is a more advanced version (32 bit) of the Nebula 4000.
I drifted away from these models because you mentioned the lack of suitcase mode in these designs. Even though mounted on a Fig Rig would fix that, I think. But the Fig Rig is an expensive metal circle, that brings you up to around the total price up to a Came Mini anyway and adds bulk.
Emm
Post author@Kevin - No guarantees, but hopefully. It's been a back and forth and the unit is still very new and they are still filling those orders. Hopefully they have one for us to test.
Kevin
Great, so it sounds like you will review the Came Mini?
Emm
Post author@Kevin - That's the question we have to figure out. With a lens like that attached, can the system actually be balanced well. Hopefully in a few days we'll find out.
Kevin
Emm,
Thanks for the insight. For the Came Mini, I would use the A7S with these two new Sony/Zeiss FE Lenses, the 16-35 and the 24mm
Both Combinations would be well below the Came Mini load capacity.
The Sony/Zeiss FE 16-35 in the A7S Full Frame mode is of course a range of 16-35, then in the A7s crop mode it becomes like a 25-55 range, so a lot of range in one lens with this unique A7s full frame to crop feature.
As long as I could balance that combination and the Small HD 4 inch monitor I would be happy. It would be a very light rig, easier to travel with etc. Plus when the A7S is compared to the Canon/Nikon DSLR's the A7s it's just a better and lighter camera.
Emm
Post author@Kevin - A GH4 with a Panasonic 20mm Pancake, no problem. A GH4 with a Panasonic 14mm pancake no problem. A Panasonic GH4 with a 12-35mm most likely no problem. A GH4 with Rokinon 7.5mm Fisheye (my favorite setup), sure most likely no problem.
A Panasonic GH4 with a Metabones Speedbooster and Canon 24-105mm EF Lens? A GH4 + lens Adapter + Sigma 18-35mm? Yeah that's most likely NOT going to work. It's not just the camera body. People for some reason think just because the camera body is small everything will work fine. Even if you think you're under the Max Weight Suggested, it all boils down to your final setup and where the center of balance is.
Maybe you're under 1.5kg, but whatever your setup ends up being requires you to slide your camera too far back, that's not going to work. What i'm saying is i'm sure it works great, and maybe even awesome, but with physical size comes limitations. I can't answer exactly what those limitations are until I actually try it out.
Kevin
Regrading this string:
Emm,
My guess is, a lot of people are interested in the CAME-MINI for the A7S & GH4.
Do you know if the same amount of improvements were made on the CAME-MINI?
Regarding features, are there disadvantages of the CAME-MINI vs. the new 7800?
Not much of a price difference, but I am always interested in cutting down size.
Emms Answer:
@Kevin – Size of the gimbal becomes a problem when you have to use certain lenses or lens adapters. Balance is incredibly important with these gimbals, and if you can’t physically move the camera further back, forward, up, down, left, and right in a frame then the gimbal will fail to perform well.
The camera bodies may be small, but many people are using lenses that require adjustments that only a physically larger frame will allow. Then consider adding an HDMI cable for an external monitor. If the frame is a very close fit to the camera body, then it would be impossible to add a cable. The distance of the frame from the body would have to be sometimes 2″ of clearance on each side.
My reply:
So why would they make a Came Mini (For A7s/GH4)-where the camera cannot be adjusted on the frame? Because what are saying is the camera cannot be adjusted on the Came Mini frame? Of course I would stay under the 1.5kg Came Mini listed load capacity with the lens that I choose.
So you are basically saying, that they did not engineer the A7S/GH4 to be properly adjusted on the frame of the Came Mini? Are you also saying that I cannot use a HDMI Cable along with mounting a small monitor on the Came Mini?
Emm
Post author@Joseph Rose - I think that setup would work in the 7800. I was able to fit that in my custom minigimbal and my frame was smaller.
Joseph Rose
Like many others, I often use the big, heavy Sigma 18-35 9with Speedbooster) on my BMPCC. With the size and weight of that lens cause issues with the 7800? Or is it all good as long as we balance it?
Emm
Post author@Antonin - I'm sure it's pretty good, but the better question would be "Will the CAME-MINI work with a ????". Although it may work well, there's going to be some limitations with it's size.
Emm
Post author@Phill - They are using the Alexmos boards, so yes it can take a remote control, and it can even take a bluetooth module. The only issue is that the control board is boxed up in their case, so you would need to run those additions outside the box as I don't think their box is big enough. Or change the whole box.
Antonin
Emm,
What do you think about the CAME-MINI?
Are you going to review the MINI and compare it to the new 7800 ?
Thanks!
Phill
Emm, do you know if these Came-tv gimbals are able to use a remote control?
Nick
Interestingly, I ordered my 7800 about a month ago and got the new rubber handles, but not the knob for quickly adjusting the yaw. I love it. I wonder if you might consider doing a tutorial on the software, which I haven't even dabbled with yet. I am interested in possibly adjusting the speed of the pan and tilt in Mode 1. Is this possible? Is there anything else in the software I should adjust based on which camera I'm using?
And thanks for all you do!
Emm
Post author@Kevin - Size of the gimbal becomes a problem when you have to use certain lenses or lens adapters. Balance is incredibly important with these gimbals, and if you can't physically move the camera further back, forward, up, down, left, and right in a frame then the gimbal will fail to perform well.
The camera bodies may be small, but many people are using lenses that require adjustments that only a physically larger frame will allow. Then consider adding an HDMI cable for an external monitor. If the frame is a very close fit to the camera body, then it would be impossible to add a cable. The distance of the frame from the body would have to be sometimes 2" of clearance on each side.
Kevin
Emm,
My guess is, a lot of people are interested in the CAME-MINI for the A7S & GH4.
Do you know if the same amount of improvements were made on the CAME-MINI?
Regarding features, are there disadvantages of the CAME-MINI vs. the new 7800?
Not much of a price difference, but I am always interested in cutting down size.
Emm
Post author@pixcanfly - GH4 is no problem, you may have to just tune the settings lower if it's lightweight. Adding an HDMI cable is not a problem, just go for the super thin and flexible ones. They cost more money, but worth it if you need them for stabilizers. That's what I use.
pixcanfly
Hi Emm,
I'm planning to use it with a GH4. Will adding a hdmi cable to a monitor mounted on the top handle throw the balance off?
Emm
Post author@Jay - That question really requires a lot more information. You can't use the CAME-TV gimbal with a Canon C100, BlackMagic 4K, or RED camera. You can't use the 7800 with a set of 15mm rails and a remote follow focus. So if you're planning on using a heavy camera, go with the DJI Ronin.
The question you ask is super dependent upon your camera setup. As much as possible I only try to bring the smallest and lightest piece of equipment with me at all times. If i'm working with a GH4, Sony A7s, BMPCC for handheld use, then I would NEVER consider using the DJI Ronin. It's just too big, and way too heavy to operate for a long period of time. It takes more effort to travel with it. Just walking around SEMA, Las Vegas with a Ronin was a pain in the ass.
Of course if you plan on doing a car mount driving at 50mph, the Ronin would be a better fit regardless what size camera you are flying. The DJI Ronin is powerful and stabilizes well under crazy conditions, but as an everyday gimbal for just follow shots I feel it's a bit overkill.
If 90% of your work is just walking and following with a small camera there are smaller and lighter gimbals that do a great job. In fact because I shoot with small cameras, I even went and built an even smaller gimbal for myself because I really wanted the most compact system possible. And for that other 10% of your work that may require a special setup, maybe it might be better to just rent the larger system when needed (or hire a friend who has one). As with any tool, if it's too big, heavy, and cumbersome you may not end up using it very often.
Jay
Hi Emm... price aside (this seems to be about half the cost of the Ronin DJI) which gimbal would you use, given the choice? I'm mostly interested in which unit is easier to balance and use. (I'll pay more for the Ronin if it's worth it.)
Thanks for any thoughts!
OldCorpse
Thanks for the review, Emm. I've been following gimbal development for a couple of years now, but have not pulled the trigger, because it still seemed like a work in progress. But this 7800 seems close to being ready for prime time. I want a gimbal for a GH4 and that size camera. It's a bit of a dilemma. Because the small gimbal you developed is a bit too small for the GH4 + Speedbooster + Sigma 18-35 + filters etc.. On the other hand, maybe the 7800 is a bit too big? Or not. In any case for me it's between the 7800 and the Birdycam 2.
Could you do a segment one day comparing those two? If possible?
In any case, I'm still on the fence. I feel it's coming very close, but not yet 100% there for me. Maybe later this year.