Once you start shooting with a camera that has quality like the BlackMagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K, you'll want to be able to use it as much as you can. But because of it's size and weight, it's not an easy camera to fly on a gimbal for more than a few minutes. So it's time to add a Gimbal Support System to the mix.
While there are many different types of vests available, I decided to try out the Tilta Armorman 2 Exoskeleton Vest. While I prep this gear for an upcoming project, I thought I would share how the Tilta Armorman 2 (version 2) works, how the arms can be enabled / disabled during use, and how versatile it is to move a large gimbal around like the CAME-TV Prodigy.
If you're wondering why I chose the Tilta Armorman2 system, it's not that I believe it's better than anything else on the market, but it does work differently. You'll find a few systems that hang gimbals over your head. This may or may not cause more stress to your neck, shoulders, and lower back as it pulls you over.
The design of the Armorman 2 on the other hand have ISO arms that sit low and wraps around the sides of your body. Waist pads sit over the Pelvic bones transferring the weight to your hips similar to a Steadicam Vest (Your vest should sit more on the hips and not hanging from your shoulders). This has been a good standard for Steadicam operators for decades offering better posture and again transferring most of the weight off the lower spine.
Again, I can't say if it's better than other support systems on the market, but it's the one I prefer to use at the moment. Remember this is Tilta's version 2 Armorman, which was completely redesigned and easy for one person to manage. You can get more information about the Tilta Armorman 2 Gimbal Support Exoskeleton (here).
Tilta Armorman 2 Gimbal Support Vest Exoskeleton
For large camera setups, the new CAME-TV Prodigy Gimbal has more height, more width, and a deeper frame than a full size Ronin. I can easily fit the Ursa Mini 4.6K with a V-Mount battery mounted on the camera. You can find the new CAME-TV Prodigy (here).
Tilta Armorman Gimbal Support Vest
