Nathan Balli
Well-known member
We would be looking to mount this on our Black Arm. Is there anything like the cinemilled plates for the Tilta Gravity Yet?
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Group Buy - Tilta Gravity Gimbal
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Keith Brust
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Ok, I'm in for both Gravity and Armorman
Abiodun Shote
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77... and still counting Chris, few more hours and,...who knows. If we hit 100, you owe me 1 mate! Perhaps your Small HD:huh: :laffs:, Nice to see alot of people benefiting from this. Thanks
Jamon Lewis
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I've been keeping close watch & looking for Chris to be wrong about hitting 100, I think we can still do it
. This was the biggest no brainer i've seen this year. THX again Chris, I know you're glad you've shaken me & don't have to worry about me stalking you anymore :hurray:Adam Levins
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Interested in armorman only. Thanks, Adam
Matt Elkind
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I' d love to get in under the wire for 1 of each. A gravity and an armorman for me, please.
claudiu voicu
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+1 on the Gravity please.
Brendan H. Banks
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yes, ships in the kit.
Patrick Tresch
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I wish you all a lot of fun. I was really tempted but have other investment that I have to pay for first. ;-)
I'm looking forward to see your work on the Gravity Gimbal.
Cheers.
Pat
I'm looking forward to see your work on the Gravity Gimbal.
Cheers.
Pat
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Chris McKechnie
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GROUP BUY CLOSED
GROUP BUY CLOSED
Group Buy Closed!
GROUP BUY CLOSED
Group Buy Closed!
Last edited:
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Chris McKechnie
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They are including a gimbal QR mount/plate so you can mount the gimbal to a device of your choosing.
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Chris McKechnie
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All info/messages have been sent! Great Group Buy guys!
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Hey team,
You're invited to join a Facebook Group called Tiltamax Gravity Users to share your experiences. I hope Yang and the Tilta support team can help as well. This is my first post on that group:
Tilta Gravity 1st Hands-on Test
I went over to AbelCine Burbank to test the Gravity and I would like to share my experience and ask new questions. See the album Tilta Gravity 1st Impressions for photos.
For reference, I'm a Camera / Jib Operator with several years AC experience. I was joined by Scott Ressler, DP/Operator/3D specialist for decades. We are both buying the Gravity as our first brushless gimbal systems. I'm still learning about these so let me know if I have missed anything.
Nicholas is the Gimbal Tech in sales at AbelCine and he's a wealth of knowledge. Great resource! Abel doesn't have a permanent sales demo because Tilta sells or demos them out from time to time so you would have to make a special appointment.
1ST IMPRESSIONS
The gimbal construction looks and feels high quality. The kit accessories are very well thought out.
Nicely designed tool-less adjustments:
-Worm screws on pan, tilt & roll axis
-Kip levers on handles & accessory mounts
Extras:
-Accessory mounts are threaded (1/4-20) and quick release
-Extra AKS & camera plate screws included (1/4-20 & 3/8-16)
-Velcro straps for gimbal transport in the case
-Extra rubber S-Bus or USB port cover
-Tool set
BUILDING THE GRAVITY
The stand is very nice with spring locking legs and a removable head for balancing on a C-Stand -which is preferable because a longer camera & lens could tilt down and bump the table.
The rig is primarily made of aluminum with carbon fiber rods so it feels very sturdy and weighs over eight and a half pounds. There are two different weights listed in the Tilta marketing materials & website so we weighed it:
Weight with battery: 8.8lbs
Weight without battery: 8.6lbs
Power:
Does anyone know the constant amperage on the Gravity batteries? As I understand from Abel, 10 amps would allow the Gravity battery to successfully power the camera and accessories -but not for long. The preferred system would be a camera mounted battery and additional power mounted on the Armor-Man2 (or on the handlebar for hand-offs) to power accessories on the handlebar such as monitor & transmitter.
When using an external battery, the DC power out port is apparently not using the Gravity battery which means you can hot swap the gimbal batteries without affecting accessory power. However, we didn't have the accessories to test this work flow.
It looks like power flows one-way:
1. From External battery on Armor-Man2 back plate via 70" battery cable (4 pin lemo to DC coupler)
2. To a P-Tap box on the handle bar via DC coupler 'Power In'
3. From the P-Tap box to the gimbal cradle head via 4 pin lemo
4. Internally down the pan arm
5. From 'Power Out' DC port on pan arm to P-Tap power box on camera cage.
There is also a mystery cable wired inside the mesh with the SDI but it's routed & fused with plastic to the bottom of the baseplate receiver. Could it be an electrical ground?
No Roll past 90°:
The built-in SDI cable is an excellent addition but it restricts roll angle to 90°. There are also internal pins which will hard-stop the roll. I'd like the option to roll for a crane mount but it's not a deal-breaker.
BALANCING
As with any gimbal, it's much easier if you build the camera first with everything and mark the center of gravity (CG) before mounting the base & top plates. One Stedicam trick from Nic at Abel: Use a spare rod under the camera body and perpendicular to roll across until the camera is balanced. Then mark the body with tape and repeat for each lens you may use.
1. Mount the base & top plates near the CG. Keep the camera top plate and it's receiver on the cage a little loose.
2. Adjust the cage to the camera's dimensions with the worm screws.
3. Slide the camera into the cage aiming for the baseplate first then the top plate. It's a tight fit because they are both dovetails. You may need another set of hands (or those included Velcro straps) to hold the cage while mounting.
4. Balancing with the worm screws is very straight forward once mounted.
STORAGE
The case is very well crafted and small with 2 levels of precut storage. Due to the case's small size, the gimbal cannot be returned to the case unless the worm screws are reset above tilt tube marker 7 and the AKS mounts & P-Tap boxes are removed. There's no fast way to do reset the worm screws so your options are:
1. Take a few minutes to return the cage to case size
2. Or use a large padded 'coffin' case for storage when built
TILTA APP:
Please take this section lightly because we were not familiar with the app.
App link on the product page: http://tilta.com/alexa-mini-app/
The app does not allow the user to browse sections until connected to a Gravity and no printed instructions were available but I did find this third party YouTube demo: http://youtu.be/uqC925KzYEU
Early app impressions:
1. No password to link app to Gravity which seems like a security risk (and possibly dangerous to operate) if anyone in Bluetooth range can link to your gimbal and make changes. Also, what if there are two Gravitys on set?
2. English errors in the app are a little confusing. According to Abel, these will apparently be fixed soon.
3. Technical terms on the app are not industry standard terms.
We didn't spend a lot of time tuning & operating because none of us had experience with the settings but we were able to connect to the Gravity, make adjusts and the gimbal responded.
OPERATING:
The tech teaching us didn't have much experience tuning this rig for operating so please take this section lightly as well.
"Trace Mode: Camera lens follows direction of cradle head." Similar to Majestic Mode with a two handed, single operator.
"Motion Mode: select this mode when using motion control and ejector." Using the mimic style 'Motion Ejector' will allow a 2nd operator to pan, tilt (& roll if activated) while the Gravity rig is carried or mounted elsewhere.
After searching the manual and trying a few buttons we linked the Motion Ejector to the Gravity. There was some overall lag and stair-stepping in the tilt axis so we tried tuning the settings with the app but the devices then disconnected from each other. The menu was unclear and the manual's instructions seemed incorrect so we were not able to reestablish a reliable connection. We were told the system is not designed to require power-cycling to reconnect but we tried that as well. I would love to learn more about the 'Motion Mode' settings & operation. Can anyone help us tune dual operator 'Motion Mode'?
"Portable Mode: select this mode when you are doing handheld shooting." Suitcase mode or one handed, compact style is how I would describe this setting. We could not get the gimbal to enter suitcase mode even after we selected Portable Mode in the app. I'm not sure how useful that operating mode is but I'd like the capability.
SUPPORT
I haven't found an online support community yet but I'd love to get started so Yang and others at Tilta can view our experiences and offer advice.
Is there a tech support number for specialized advice?
App updates are at the top of my requests to make this a tool I can trust.
ACCESSORIES
There are no batteries or accessories online yet but here is what I have been quoted:
Gravity Batteries 165USD/PCS
Charger 65USD/PCS
Armorman2 Battery Cable 80usd/pcs.
Gold Mount Battery Plate for handlebar 250USD/PCS
SDI Cable 65USD
B-Tap to DC cable 30USD/PCS (B-Tap must be a typo)
DC to DC Cable 30USD/PCS
Motion Control Cable (2 total) 50USD/PCS
Baseplate 45USD/PCS
Top Plate?
Universal Mounting Plate for tripod, jib?
I would love feedback from the experiences of other users!
You're invited to join a Facebook Group called Tiltamax Gravity Users to share your experiences. I hope Yang and the Tilta support team can help as well. This is my first post on that group:
Tilta Gravity 1st Hands-on Test
I went over to AbelCine Burbank to test the Gravity and I would like to share my experience and ask new questions. See the album Tilta Gravity 1st Impressions for photos.
For reference, I'm a Camera / Jib Operator with several years AC experience. I was joined by Scott Ressler, DP/Operator/3D specialist for decades. We are both buying the Gravity as our first brushless gimbal systems. I'm still learning about these so let me know if I have missed anything.
Nicholas is the Gimbal Tech in sales at AbelCine and he's a wealth of knowledge. Great resource! Abel doesn't have a permanent sales demo because Tilta sells or demos them out from time to time so you would have to make a special appointment.
1ST IMPRESSIONS
The gimbal construction looks and feels high quality. The kit accessories are very well thought out.
Nicely designed tool-less adjustments:
-Worm screws on pan, tilt & roll axis
-Kip levers on handles & accessory mounts
Extras:
-Accessory mounts are threaded (1/4-20) and quick release
-Extra AKS & camera plate screws included (1/4-20 & 3/8-16)
-Velcro straps for gimbal transport in the case
-Extra rubber S-Bus or USB port cover
-Tool set
BUILDING THE GRAVITY
The stand is very nice with spring locking legs and a removable head for balancing on a C-Stand -which is preferable because a longer camera & lens could tilt down and bump the table.
The rig is primarily made of aluminum with carbon fiber rods so it feels very sturdy and weighs over eight and a half pounds. There are two different weights listed in the Tilta marketing materials & website so we weighed it:
Weight with battery: 8.8lbs
Weight without battery: 8.6lbs
Power:
Does anyone know the constant amperage on the Gravity batteries? As I understand from Abel, 10 amps would allow the Gravity battery to successfully power the camera and accessories -but not for long. The preferred system would be a camera mounted battery and additional power mounted on the Armor-Man2 (or on the handlebar for hand-offs) to power accessories on the handlebar such as monitor & transmitter.
When using an external battery, the DC power out port is apparently not using the Gravity battery which means you can hot swap the gimbal batteries without affecting accessory power. However, we didn't have the accessories to test this work flow.
It looks like power flows one-way:
1. From External battery on Armor-Man2 back plate via 70" battery cable (4 pin lemo to DC coupler)
2. To a P-Tap box on the handle bar via DC coupler 'Power In'
3. From the P-Tap box to the gimbal cradle head via 4 pin lemo
4. Internally down the pan arm
5. From 'Power Out' DC port on pan arm to P-Tap power box on camera cage.
There is also a mystery cable wired inside the mesh with the SDI but it's routed & fused with plastic to the bottom of the baseplate receiver. Could it be an electrical ground?
No Roll past 90°:
The built-in SDI cable is an excellent addition but it restricts roll angle to 90°. There are also internal pins which will hard-stop the roll. I'd like the option to roll for a crane mount but it's not a deal-breaker.
BALANCING
As with any gimbal, it's much easier if you build the camera first with everything and mark the center of gravity (CG) before mounting the base & top plates. One Stedicam trick from Nic at Abel: Use a spare rod under the camera body and perpendicular to roll across until the camera is balanced. Then mark the body with tape and repeat for each lens you may use.
1. Mount the base & top plates near the CG. Keep the camera top plate and it's receiver on the cage a little loose.
2. Adjust the cage to the camera's dimensions with the worm screws.
3. Slide the camera into the cage aiming for the baseplate first then the top plate. It's a tight fit because they are both dovetails. You may need another set of hands (or those included Velcro straps) to hold the cage while mounting.
4. Balancing with the worm screws is very straight forward once mounted.
STORAGE
The case is very well crafted and small with 2 levels of precut storage. Due to the case's small size, the gimbal cannot be returned to the case unless the worm screws are reset above tilt tube marker 7 and the AKS mounts & P-Tap boxes are removed. There's no fast way to do reset the worm screws so your options are:
1. Take a few minutes to return the cage to case size
2. Or use a large padded 'coffin' case for storage when built
TILTA APP:
Please take this section lightly because we were not familiar with the app.
App link on the product page: http://tilta.com/alexa-mini-app/
The app does not allow the user to browse sections until connected to a Gravity and no printed instructions were available but I did find this third party YouTube demo: http://youtu.be/uqC925KzYEU
Early app impressions:
1. No password to link app to Gravity which seems like a security risk (and possibly dangerous to operate) if anyone in Bluetooth range can link to your gimbal and make changes. Also, what if there are two Gravitys on set?
2. English errors in the app are a little confusing. According to Abel, these will apparently be fixed soon.
3. Technical terms on the app are not industry standard terms.
We didn't spend a lot of time tuning & operating because none of us had experience with the settings but we were able to connect to the Gravity, make adjusts and the gimbal responded.
OPERATING:
The tech teaching us didn't have much experience tuning this rig for operating so please take this section lightly as well.
"Trace Mode: Camera lens follows direction of cradle head." Similar to Majestic Mode with a two handed, single operator.
"Motion Mode: select this mode when using motion control and ejector." Using the mimic style 'Motion Ejector' will allow a 2nd operator to pan, tilt (& roll if activated) while the Gravity rig is carried or mounted elsewhere.
After searching the manual and trying a few buttons we linked the Motion Ejector to the Gravity. There was some overall lag and stair-stepping in the tilt axis so we tried tuning the settings with the app but the devices then disconnected from each other. The menu was unclear and the manual's instructions seemed incorrect so we were not able to reestablish a reliable connection. We were told the system is not designed to require power-cycling to reconnect but we tried that as well. I would love to learn more about the 'Motion Mode' settings & operation. Can anyone help us tune dual operator 'Motion Mode'?
"Portable Mode: select this mode when you are doing handheld shooting." Suitcase mode or one handed, compact style is how I would describe this setting. We could not get the gimbal to enter suitcase mode even after we selected Portable Mode in the app. I'm not sure how useful that operating mode is but I'd like the capability.
SUPPORT
I haven't found an online support community yet but I'd love to get started so Yang and others at Tilta can view our experiences and offer advice.
Is there a tech support number for specialized advice?
App updates are at the top of my requests to make this a tool I can trust.
ACCESSORIES
There are no batteries or accessories online yet but here is what I have been quoted:
Gravity Batteries 165USD/PCS
Charger 65USD/PCS
Armorman2 Battery Cable 80usd/pcs.
Gold Mount Battery Plate for handlebar 250USD/PCS
SDI Cable 65USD
B-Tap to DC cable 30USD/PCS (B-Tap must be a typo)
DC to DC Cable 30USD/PCS
Motion Control Cable (2 total) 50USD/PCS
Baseplate 45USD/PCS
Top Plate?
Universal Mounting Plate for tripod, jib?
I would love feedback from the experiences of other users!
Jeffery Anderson
Well-known member
funny, need to repost those messages!
Mike Bailey
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Power Cable Armor Man to Gravity Available yet?
Power Cable Armor Man to Gravity Available yet?
Does anyone know if the cable exist yet? I've got both units but zero info if it's available.
Power Cable Armor Man to Gravity Available yet?
Does anyone know if the cable exist yet? I've got both units but zero info if it's available.
Aaron Marquette
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It definitely exists because I had it in my hand yesterday!
It measures 70 inches with four pin Lemo to DC coupler.
Find our Facebook group for more info and photos:
Tiltamax Gravity Users
It measures 70 inches with four pin Lemo to DC coupler.
Find our Facebook group for more info and photos:
Tiltamax Gravity Users
Mike Bailey
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So it does! Saw the photo on FB. Unfortunately it's not available through Tilta, or Ikan. I've been an owner for over a month now and am frustrated by the overseas gap. Even with direct contact with Ikan (phone and emails) they cannot pry out the part information from Tilta. It's been almost a month since I started my request for the cable.
Nathan Balli
Well-known member
Does the QR plate ship currently with the gimbals that are in stock or shipping now by chance? We have a shoot next week in LA and want to mount it on a Black Arm we haven't been able to get any information from Ikan/Tilta or dealers. It's been a little frustrating.
Best Regards,
Nate
Best Regards,
Nate
Jason Bodnar
Well-known member
A little concerned on shipping now that I have paid. Original shipping info stated- "Shipping to USA/Canada addresses will happen from within the USA after it has been received from China." and "USA addresses will NOT have to pay import duties/taxes since it will be shipped from within the USA." I attempted to confirm this with Tilta and Yang replied back stating they are sending it directly to me but declared value would be less on CI so no import fees to me. It is shipping via DHL and I have had to pay crazy import fees in the past for simple Xmas gift of soccer jerseys for my son from England. Has anyone else received similar communications regarding shipping? Thought this was being handled once gear was on US soil.
Chris, any additional insight on this? I am afraid after paying 360 bucks for shipping DHL is going to hold my gear ransom to the tune of 1k+ based on duty fees if full value is somehow declared. Little nervous based on latest communications.
Chris, any additional insight on this? I am afraid after paying 360 bucks for shipping DHL is going to hold my gear ransom to the tune of 1k+ based on duty fees if full value is somehow declared. Little nervous based on latest communications.
- Thread starter
- #320
Chris McKechnie
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Checking on this for you.
Yea, I spoke with Yang at length about this as I too was under the impression from our initial conversations that they would ship on a pallet from China, then from within the USA. However, they have run into issues with Abel, and are now having to ship direct, which means it gets to you a lot faster. I told him that it was communicated that there would be NO import charges and that can't change. He stated that they've never run into issues before regarding this, and they are declaring it a low value. Do keep
me posted on it though if you get hit with an invoice for customs.