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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Letus Gimbal

We have looked into the option of providing the mounting point for the V-lock battery plate (or AB). However, it's not possible even for side way position, it will cover all the function buttons/Lemo input on the back of the Helix.

I understand the point of not wanting to get the Juice box. And i think the best of option for that is to use the D-tap cable with the belt-clip. The cable is pretty long (6.5 FEET :) ) so I don't think hand-off is a problem at all.

You can even get an intern and have him carry the battery for you :)
 
I shot the ACL festival the last 3 days straight and got by mostly on V-mounts, with some juiceboxes mixed in for various situations. From a power perspective, the juiceboxes are definitely superior at distributing voltage appropriately. They are also just a nicer option ergonomically than running off a battery belt (or in my case, out of a backpack). I feel like I am doing a better job balancing however with offboard power, so I am going to have to experiment a bit with tuning to get it where I like it in each config.

That said, this was one of the most difficult environments I can think of to be running around with a gimbal in, and I got some of the best footage I've ever gotten using the Helix & my Dragon. I can't imagine the nightmare it would have been having to recalibrate a MoVI over and over for lens changes in that environment, or god forbid trying to carry a Ronin around 6-8 hours a day in 90 degree weather. I'm very sore today but pleased with what I was able to get.

My footage is mixed in with a variety of other sources (including some glidecam stuff you'll see) but there is quite a bit of it to be found here (including the cherry picker shot-- definitely not enough space to do with another gimbal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNwOmwGUcs&list=PLx3MYpvwCtDX8SrAZ4rdtjxdjISJByqB_ (and some in both the Friday and Sunday recaps too).

The Helix is great and only getting better with time.
 
Thanks Scott. Also, is the bluetooth something worth looking at? I'm not sure if the wifi connectivity is enoguh, what is the key benefit of the bluetooth?
 
Scott C said:
I shot the ACL festival the last 3 days straight and got by mostly on V-mounts, with some juiceboxes mixed in for various situations. From a power perspective, the juiceboxes are definitely superior at distributing voltage appropriately. They are also just a nicer option ergonomically than running off a battery belt (or in my case, out of a backpack). I feel like I am doing a better job balancing however with offboard power, so I am going to have to experiment a bit with tuning to get it where I like it in each config.

That said, this was one of the most difficult environments I can think of to be running around with a gimbal in, and I got some of the best footage I've ever gotten using the Helix & my Dragon. I can't imagine the nightmare it would have been having to recalibrate a MoVI over and over for lens changes in that environment, or god forbid trying to carry a Ronin around 6-8 hours a day in 90 degree weather. I'm very sore today but pleased with what I was able to get.

My footage is mixed in with a variety of other sources (including some glidecam stuff you'll see) but there is quite a bit of it to be found here (including the cherry picker shot-- definitely not enough space to do with another gimbal): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNwOmwGUcs&list=PLx3MYpvwCtDX8SrAZ4rdtjxdjISJByqB_ (and some in both the Friday and Sunday recaps too).

The Helix is great and only getting better with time.
Click to expand...

Scott, there are some pretty amazing shots in there. Well done!!!

best
 
As a cinematographer, once you establish a 'style' for the camera, you're going to shoot that all day.

3xRed Bricks + Red Charger is $1900. (not even including the Red V-Mount Adapter) ...$970 is cheap
($1065 for three generic Red Bricks 160mAh and charger)

what a lot of other gimbals REQUIRE is a separate battery for the camera, which means investing in smaller batteries and side mount...e.g. FreeFly V-Lock, which you'll need for any accessories, e.g. Follow Focus, Monitor... too
 
Jeffery Anderson said:
As a cinematographer, once you establish a 'style' for the camera, you're going to shoot that all day.

3xRed Bricks + Red Charger is $1900. (not even including the Red V-Mount Adapter) ...$970 is cheap
($1065 for three generic Red Bricks 160mAh and charger)

what a lot of other gimbals REQUIRE is a separate battery for the camera, which means investing in smaller batteries and side mount...e.g. FreeFly V-Lock, which you'll need for any accessories, e.g. Follow Focus, Monitor... too
Click to expand...

it's cheap if you have not yet bought the 3xRed Bricks + Red Charger, or in my case, 4x V-mount batteries + 2 Dual Chargers
 
Enrique Blein said:
Thanks Scott. Also, is the bluetooth something worth looking at? I'm not sure if the wifi connectivity is enoguh, what is the key benefit of the bluetooth?
Click to expand...

Enrique, load up the Helix with every option, relative to the cost of the 3 axis unit they are all cheap and will prove useful, and it is much easier for Letus to install when building your unit. If you must save money at the beginning don't get the 4th axis. I have it and use it, but you can live without it at first and get it later. Also get Foolscontrol IOS when it ships and Hotlink. I am dropping my Helix off to Mark at Offhollywood soon to figure a way to best use Foolscontrol on Helix which I will share here.
 
GT Le said:
We have looked into the option of providing the mounting point for the V-lock battery plate (or AB). However, it's not possible even for side way position, it will cover all the function buttons/Lemo input on the back of the Helix.

I understand the point of not wanting to get the Juice box. And i think the best of option for that is to use the D-tap cable with the belt-clip. The cable is pretty long (6.5 FEET :) ) so I don't think hand-off is a problem at all.

You can even get an intern and have him carry the battery for you :)
Click to expand...

This is disappointing. It seems like there's an engineering/architectural impediment to making this happen. Can I assume then that this is being completely ruled out?

Please note that the very FIRST post in this thread asked about a v-mount… so its not like this is a shocking ask. As far as all the other options, yes, I get it, they are options and I'll consider them all, but the question is whether a v-mount is possible and it sounds like a solid "NO". Fair?
 
You are correct. Like you said, the feature has been requested before. However, like I said, it was not possible unless we make the Helix a lot bigger which then defeat it's compact advantage.
 
Note Suwanchote said:
Love the Juicebox and the batteries. Holds VERY well, charges quickly and very versatile/light.
Click to expand...

What is it about the batteries that would make them so much better than the REDVOLTS, for eg? I find the redvolts are insufficient for my working style and they are running JUST the camera. I can't imagine these batteries running the camera, the letus, the accessories - teradek bolt, wireless FF, wireless audio receiver - and still have any usable duration. Are these batteries more powerful in some way I don't understand?

Not a facetious question, but this is really important to me as the Helix is a product I was really excited about (and have a deposit in), but it will likely get scratched off my list given this impediment.

Thanks.
 
Nikhil - if that issue is an insurmountable "impediment" then you probably should move on now. As GT has explained, the design just won't accomodate the battery configuration you want.

The JuiceBox batteries are not so much "better" than alternative power supplies, it's just that they are custom designed to fit. It does so happen that they are fairly powerful, reasonable cost, and manageable weight. If they aren't ideal for some people, those folks are using an external power supply on a belt clip or in a backpack. That works, too.
 
I find the juice boxes do well & power Dragon / Helix for a "pretty reasonable" amount of time (45 min guesstimate may be wrong). That said, they do seem to take a while to charge and so getting 1-3 more + 1-2 more chargers seems necessary for round the clock operation. Volts btw last a hot 10-25 (camera only of course) min depending on condition. On a side note, I was able to balance & power Dragon w/ volts in side handle on Helix when juice box was low enough to power gimbal but not camera. while I wasn't initially thrilled to add a third battery type to our kit, I'm glad to do so as an alternative to AB extra weight on gimbal. If you really want v mount or AB on helix, it can be done via Freefly side mount carbon plate or similar rigging.

Thank you,
 
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