If you've been researching gimbals, you may learn that not every gimbal works well with every camera. Because these gimbals have to be programmed according to the size and weight of your camera you should choose a stabilizer that works best.
If you're looking for a Ready-To-Run 3 Axis Gimbal for your new Panasonic GH4, you may want to give the Silk Gimbal from XPROHELI a look. Designed specifically for smaller cameras similar in size of the GH3/GH4/BMPCC/Sony A7s, the new Silk Gimbal seems to offer everything you could want with the ability to expand to more options. Take a look at the video below.
The Silk Gimbal from XProHeli can be mounted to multicopters, stream FPV, and even upgraded to control pan/tilt wirelessly from a remote operator either handheld or in flight.
YouTube member BeTerrific managed to get an interview with the company at NAB2014. The video also shows some very stable footage from the Silk Gimbal.
Keep in mind the Silk Gimbal is specifically targeted to cameras sized around the Pocket Cinema/GH3/GH4/Sony A7s. If all you need is a 2 Axis Gimbal (no pan stabilization) for smaller cameras, and you need something Ready-To-Run check out the CAME 6000.
UPGRADED CAME 6000 2-Axis Active Gimbal Stabilizer
For anyone shooting with a Canon 5D camera or larger your best option for a full 3 Axis Gimbal (and less than half the price of this Silk) is the CAME 7000 (see my video here) [DIY].
CAME 7000 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer
Now if you're not the DIY type and looking for a full 3 Axis Ready-to-Run gimbal for cameras like the Panasonic GH4, this Silk Gimbal looks like a great product. Made in the USA from a small company with extensive experience in building gimbals is an added benefit for those who think they'll need the customer support. Priced for less than $2K (found here).
XProHeli Silk Gimbal 3 Axis Brushless Motor Stabilizer GH4
Emm
Post author@David - The Silk is nice because it's smaller and easier to travel with but it is limited to only very lightweight lenses. If you only ever plan to use m43 prime lenses it's very convenient to pack up.
The new CAME 32 bit gimbals can handle a broader range of dslr and mirrorless cameras. It is more bulky which makes it tricky to fly with, but for the price it's a great gimbal.
If you have the budget for something larger that still folds down, also take a look at the Varavon.
David
Which of the two gimbal systems do you recommend for the GH4? Silk? Or CAME?
juan
Does it comes with a mountable thumb remote control/joystick for one man panning and tilting? like the vavaron
Peter
For handheld work an external monitor helps frame up shots immensely. But for lots of action shooting you can get away without a monitor. Here is an awesome video with the Silk / GH4 just before NAB:
httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8toPpVZd0To
mike_tee_vee
Interesting. Is an external monitor required to operate this, or can the camera's LCD be used?
Peter
Yes the product specs are out of date - we are updating that this week with several demo / instructional videos that will be uploaded in the next couple days. The Silk is definitely GH4 compatible.
Thanks,
Peter
Gabriel
Does anybody know if it comes with a mountable thumb remote control/joystick for one man panning and tilting?
Emm
Post author@Andy - They flew a GH3 in the video, and they flew a GH4 in another video. Not sure about the specs, maybe that is old info.
Andy
The specs page specifically says it is not compatible with the GH3, meaning no GH4. It says the GH2 with a pancake is as heavy as it can take.
kyle
I live in Bend, OR and I am good friends with the X-Pro Heli team.
They make great products, trustworthy, strong, very well built and overall everything they make is top notch!
editwizard
Smaller, lighter. This is what keeps coming to my mind when thinking of the future of gliding / steadicam shots. The smaller cams are great for this stuff and if they're lighter they're easier to operate and you can shoot with them for longer periods of time.
The big benefits of this gimbal seem to be the ease of attaching a monitor and the option for quadcopters too.
Vincent Follézou
Look like it's build with elements from http://www.coollcd.com and servocity.com