Nicholas Austin Skinner
Well-known member
I'm curious to know any of your thoughts re: Tilta's new "TiltaMAX" product line, especially the new Gravity gimbal, and how you think it will stack up against the Ronin.
I'm in the market for a new handheld gimbal that can support heavier, longer camera/lens setups, plus wireless follow focus and a support system. Ultimately, I would like to be able to fly the gimbal and heavy setup on a heavy lifting UAV/drone, too. So far, I've had my eye on the Gremsy H16 and the DJI Ronin, leaning more towards the more widely used Ronin. Yesterday I learned about the new Tilta Gravity gimbal while looking for info about their new Armor Man 2 support system, which I'm planning on picking up once it becomes available (there are a few listings on eBay already, but it's not for sale on the Tilta website yet). From what I've found, the Gravity looks like it could be a great heavy-lifting alternative to the Ronin, at a price which is only about a thousand dollars more (rather than many thousands more for a Movi M15, for example). I had been looking seriously at the Gremsy H16 as well, although now I'm more focused on the Gravity vs the Ronin.
Ronin: I've been leaning more toward the Ronin, mainly because so many people I respect have made outstanding work with the Ronin, and have been fairly outspoken in support of it. I'm a bit reluctant, however, about the Ronin's abilities to fly heavier, longer rigs, especially setups that I would like to include wireless FF, matte box on a larger camera like an Alexa or Kinemax 6K, which can get a bit long when rigged more up front. I feel like the Ronin is better suited to the more cube like DSMC and DSMC 2 cameras, with shorter lenses. Any Ronin users care to comment?
Gravity: I own a Tilta shoulder rig, matte box, follow focus and some other rigging that I use with my crane. More to the point, I never work without my Tilta gear, which is extremely well built and ergonomic. Granted, the Tilta gear is heavy, but nothing I mind handling. I typically value functionality and durability over lightness of weight. My Tilta rigs have proven essential to my workflow, and 100% dependable. This gives me confidence in the otherwise untested Tilta Gravity gimbal. Another plus is that since I am going to be using the Armor Man 2, I can power my gimbal, camera and monitor from a single V-Lock or even AB battery mounted on the back of the Armor Man 2.
Vital specs: The H16 seems to be the lightest, at just under 3kg. I say "seems to be" because while the Tilta Gravity is listed as 4kg on the Tilta website, the Tilta rep at IBC 2015 said the weight is 3kg. I'm thinking it's 4kg, but perhaps that 4kg includes a batt, which can be replaced with the back-mounted batt for lighter weight when working with the Armor Man 2. The 3.99kg weight still puts the Gravity a bit under the Ronin's 4.2kg. The Tilta website doesn't mention the max payload weight, although their rep at IBC said it can fly up to 15kg, or about double what both the Ronin and H16 can fly. The least expensive of the three is the Ronin at around $2500USD, while the lightest weight gimbal, the H16, is the most expensive at $3,995, with the heavy lifting champ, the Gravity, coming in at $3,550.
The Tilta Gravity looks like the winner for users like me who need that heavy lifting ability, although I wonder if the Gravity is as adaptable to use with heavy lifting UAVs as the Ronin. I wonder which is easier to balance, and which is more easily knocked out of balance, the Ronin, or the Gravity?
Thoughts?
Here are some useful links for the new, heavy lifting Tilta Gravity handheld gimbal:
IBC demo of Gravity and Armor Man 2 (plus their new wireless FF and video transmitter)
https://youtu.be/cudwH1wnLH4?t=26s
Tilta store listing for Gravity:
http://tilta.com/shop/gravity-3-axis-handheld-gimbal-system-gr-t03/
I'm in the market for a new handheld gimbal that can support heavier, longer camera/lens setups, plus wireless follow focus and a support system. Ultimately, I would like to be able to fly the gimbal and heavy setup on a heavy lifting UAV/drone, too. So far, I've had my eye on the Gremsy H16 and the DJI Ronin, leaning more towards the more widely used Ronin. Yesterday I learned about the new Tilta Gravity gimbal while looking for info about their new Armor Man 2 support system, which I'm planning on picking up once it becomes available (there are a few listings on eBay already, but it's not for sale on the Tilta website yet). From what I've found, the Gravity looks like it could be a great heavy-lifting alternative to the Ronin, at a price which is only about a thousand dollars more (rather than many thousands more for a Movi M15, for example). I had been looking seriously at the Gremsy H16 as well, although now I'm more focused on the Gravity vs the Ronin.
Ronin: I've been leaning more toward the Ronin, mainly because so many people I respect have made outstanding work with the Ronin, and have been fairly outspoken in support of it. I'm a bit reluctant, however, about the Ronin's abilities to fly heavier, longer rigs, especially setups that I would like to include wireless FF, matte box on a larger camera like an Alexa or Kinemax 6K, which can get a bit long when rigged more up front. I feel like the Ronin is better suited to the more cube like DSMC and DSMC 2 cameras, with shorter lenses. Any Ronin users care to comment?
Gravity: I own a Tilta shoulder rig, matte box, follow focus and some other rigging that I use with my crane. More to the point, I never work without my Tilta gear, which is extremely well built and ergonomic. Granted, the Tilta gear is heavy, but nothing I mind handling. I typically value functionality and durability over lightness of weight. My Tilta rigs have proven essential to my workflow, and 100% dependable. This gives me confidence in the otherwise untested Tilta Gravity gimbal. Another plus is that since I am going to be using the Armor Man 2, I can power my gimbal, camera and monitor from a single V-Lock or even AB battery mounted on the back of the Armor Man 2.
Vital specs: The H16 seems to be the lightest, at just under 3kg. I say "seems to be" because while the Tilta Gravity is listed as 4kg on the Tilta website, the Tilta rep at IBC 2015 said the weight is 3kg. I'm thinking it's 4kg, but perhaps that 4kg includes a batt, which can be replaced with the back-mounted batt for lighter weight when working with the Armor Man 2. The 3.99kg weight still puts the Gravity a bit under the Ronin's 4.2kg. The Tilta website doesn't mention the max payload weight, although their rep at IBC said it can fly up to 15kg, or about double what both the Ronin and H16 can fly. The least expensive of the three is the Ronin at around $2500USD, while the lightest weight gimbal, the H16, is the most expensive at $3,995, with the heavy lifting champ, the Gravity, coming in at $3,550.
The Tilta Gravity looks like the winner for users like me who need that heavy lifting ability, although I wonder if the Gravity is as adaptable to use with heavy lifting UAVs as the Ronin. I wonder which is easier to balance, and which is more easily knocked out of balance, the Ronin, or the Gravity?
Thoughts?
Here are some useful links for the new, heavy lifting Tilta Gravity handheld gimbal:
IBC demo of Gravity and Armor Man 2 (plus their new wireless FF and video transmitter)
https://youtu.be/cudwH1wnLH4?t=26s
Tilta store listing for Gravity:
http://tilta.com/shop/gravity-3-axis-handheld-gimbal-system-gr-t03/
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