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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 Helix - Not for Red

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Duane Shrode

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Just a quick note about the Helix as there doesn't seem to be a lot out there about it.

We tried to fly our Scarlet mx with Leica r's but it seemed really overburdened - this was the full size Helix, not the Jr. we were powering the Scarlet with the Helix batteries (no heavy v-mounts) and had stripped everything off the Red to keep it light (side handle, monitor etc.). It balanced fine, but the weight forced it to continuously over-compensate - leaving to this perpetual wobble and just really unusable shots. We called Letus and worked with their techs - who were very helpful and supportive, but just couldn't ever get it as stable as our experiences with other comparable gimbals. Just FYI - probably steer clear of these guys until they make a model with beefier motors.

Kinda frustrated that they promote this on their website as being able to handle Red - say it has a 16lb payload and all that (the 15% restock fee doesn't help the situation either).
 
Thanks for sharing this. I have been eyeing that one for a while, mostly because I am tired of waist level POV shots from other gimbals. I'm sure some Helix owners will pipe into this thread.

David
 
Sorry but there are a lot of people around, including myself, that would dispute your claim. Balance is the key and it takes awhile to achieve. There is nothing inherent about the Helix that won't handle a RED set-up. Mine is in the area of 19 lbs.
 
Hey Terry!
I figured there'd be some other stories - just sharing my experience. I've flown a couple other gimbals and comparatively - there really is no comparison. They were much easier to set-up, sturdier, and were just more robust overall. I'd love to hear your technique for stabilizing, but at this point, The Helix is on its way back to Letus.
 
It is a shame that you gave up *Before* asking here for advice, there is a wealth of knowledge, experience, and opinions to be shared.
 
Hey Todd!
I actually put a lot of time and research into this, dropping 5k is not a matter I usually take lightly. The Ronin and Movi have sooo much more evidence out there boasting their proficiency... there's (again) not much about the Letus, but I wanted to give them a try - local company and all. We've worked with the Ronin quite a bit, and it takes about 10 minutes to set up (but it is heavy). The Letus took an hour just to get it stable - and then - as I stated earlier, it still had issues (the handle "throbs" for lack of a better term, and those pulses transfer to the image).
 
I've shot many projects on my Dragon + Helix. I don't feel I'd want to go a lot heavier but I've had no issues flying:

Dragon
Xenon FF or GL Optics 18-35
HDMI Transmitter
Wireless Follow + Motors + MDR
Juice Pack Battery on Gimbal

The key is to really tune the motors. The new ios Helix app is pretty killer at dialing in for different set-ups.
 
I have to take serious issue with the OP's assertion that the Helix is not suitable for RED use.

I have done numerous successful shoots with Epic Dragon on a Helix. My typical setup includes either Xenons, Leica-R or Zeiss Contax lenses, a wireless follow focus (Cinegears or occasionally a Preston MDR2 with Hedèn motor), a 7" Touch LCD, and a Teradek Bolt 300 transmitter.

Meticulous attention to proper balance is the key. I can set up a properly balanced Dragon/Helix system is less than 10 minutes now. And the new IOS app makes setup and adjustment a snap via WIFI.
 
Duane Shrode said:
Just a quick note about the Helix as there doesn't seem to be a lot out there about it.

We tried to fly our Scarlet mx with Leica r's but it seemed really overburdened - this was the full size Helix, not the Jr. we were powering the Scarlet with the Helix batteries (no heavy v-mounts) and had stripped everything off the Red to keep it light (side handle, monitor etc.). It balanced fine, but the weight forced it to continuously over-compensate - leaving to this perpetual wobble and just really unusable shots. We called Letus and worked with their techs - who were very helpful and supportive, but just couldn't ever get it as stable as our experiences with other comparable gimbals. Just FYI - probably steer clear of these guys until they make a model with beefier motors.

Kinda frustrated that they promote this on their website as being able to handle Red - say it has a 16lb payload and all that (the 15% restock fee doesn't help the situation either).
Click to expand...

Hi Duane, sorry to hear about the experience. I can get you a free different demo unit and help you out with the balancing setup, app, and software. That is if you want to give it another try.. Check your PM's, I'll send my contact info.
 
I'd respectfully disagree as well.
Yes dialing the Basecam settings is more involved than Movi or Ronin but once you've got it tuned, it really is quite pleasant and the ergonomics are way nicer to work with than the underslung gimbals.

Have you had a Skype call with Ken? He's a true Jedi and will spend as much time as is necessary to get things working properly. Without being snarky or sardonic, try getting DJI or Freefly folks on the phone - I've tried both and they are marginally helpful. I reached out to a REDUSER last week citing some frustrations with getting my unit dialed and he was quick to get back to me with some input: start with the RED preset, apply the "Moderate EPIC Build" and tune from there. I'm not a "preset" person and it's been the root of much of my frustration; those are there for a reason and ignoring them is effectively taking the longest way possible to getting stellar results.
 
The helix can handle a Red setup without any issues. To me, it also feels much more comfortable than a Movi or a Ronin. If the motors have to severely overcompensate than it sounds like your balance is off. It took me a while to to figure out how to get everything right but once I did it was smooth sailing with my unit.
 
I've had a helix for a while - probably one of the first 10 out of the red group buy. The helix is more than capable of handling a scarlet with top plate and sidehandle weight added - It does require balancing though and requires making sure your unit is calibrated.

Actually in my experience, the helix is one of the most "forgiving" gimbals when the camera is not in perfect balance... And I think it has some of the highest power motors in the gimbal market -

Not only that, but you can store 5 "profiles" in body and the stock epic profile is great as is. Doesn't require a lot of fudging.

Not only that, but if you follow the balance steps, you can do it in about 5-10 minutes after initial setup (initial setup would take 30-60 minutes to familiarize).

Not only that but you can hold it closer to your chest and not get fatigued as quickly...

The only "gotchas" I have with my rig - not having a right angle lemo connector for power forces me to push the camera forward another inch than I'd like to... AND the bottom plate SHOULD BE A DOVETAIL...
 
Matthew, you didn't get your update 90 degree RED power cable? We changed this in 2014 with the feedback we got from the Seal team :) Please email me your shipping address and I will take care of this.

info@letus35.com
 
I've used my Epic Dragon on the Helix for a year now with fantastic results. Using it without the forth axis I mount everything on the camera, wireless focus motor, Paralinx TX, 5" Touch screen and it handles the weight just fine. Also, with the "juice box" battery wired right into the gimbal all the accessories get power without any cables swinging around. Add to that, when you add the forth axis you get the added stabilization when using support rigs. Lastly, you cannot beat the tech support that Letus offers it's users, Ken has worked with me via Skype and I now have a great profile to use with my fully built Epic.

Duane, I think you may have bailed to soon.......
 
Duane Shrode said:
Just a quick note about the Helix as there doesn't seem to be a lot out there about it.

We tried to fly our Scarlet mx with Leica r's but it seemed really overburdened - this was the full size Helix, not the Jr. we were powering the Scarlet with the Helix batteries (no heavy v-mounts) and had stripped everything off the Red to keep it light (side handle, monitor etc.). It balanced fine, but the weight forced it to continuously over-compensate - leaving to this perpetual wobble and just really unusable shots. We called Letus and worked with their techs - who were very helpful and supportive, but just couldn't ever get it as stable as our experiences with other comparable gimbals. Just FYI - probably steer clear of these guys until they make a model with beefier motors.

Kinda frustrated that they promote this on their website as being able to handle Red - say it has a 16lb payload and all that (the 15% restock fee doesn't help the situation either).
Click to expand...

Hey Duane - If you're ever up in the bellingham area and wanted to swing by our studio, I'd be happy to show you how we have our scarlet dragon rigged when in Helix mode. Just PM me.
 
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