In-Depth Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal Review

Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal

The secret to stable GoPro footage

Click below to watch some footage we captured Paragliding in Nepal using Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal.

Whenever you are using your Go Pro it has exceptional video and photo quality but when on the move often your footage can come out shaky and inevitably unable to be used.As a trail running videographer I needed to capture stable footage while on my runs and so was looking for a product to assist with this.

My search brought me to Feiyu Tech and I have recently been testing their New Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal (WG) Which they state has been created to resolve this issue.

First impressions of the Feiyu Tech wearable Gimbal (WG)

It is a very clever and compact piece of kit that allows you to capture fully stabilised footage while on the move.It is one of a number of gimbals that Feiyu Tech have release in the last year to support their very popular handheld gimbal, the G4 for GoPro.

The Concept

The concept of a gimbal is to place your GoPro into the device and once activated the motors inside the gimbal work together to allow the camera to be held in a steady position, even when you, the camera person, are moving.

This type of technology has been used in drones for some time now to negate the vibrations from the motors and it is fast becoming very popular with skiers, cyclists, mountain bikers, skateboarders and runners to mention just a few.

The reason is Vibration and film is always an enemy of each other and it seems Feiyu Tech really have come up with a great solution for high quality stabilised footage.

As with the handheld version, the WG is a 3 axis gimbal combining 3 motors that allow it to control the 3 main axis of movement.Up & down, Side to side and rotation.

At only 188 g this gimbal is significantly lighter than the hand held version.Also due to its compact design it can easily be attached to yourself via a body harness, helmet, bike handlebars and with any number of accessory that can use their 2 x 1/4" tripod mounts attachments.It is compatible with the GoPro HERO4 and 3 series of cameras(and also provides longer screws for the fastening bracket is you want to use the GoPro LCD BacPac)not to mention any other cameras that have taken advantage of the GoPros dimensions.

So let have a look at the gimbal itself

As you can see the gimbal comes with a handy carry case with all the accessories (GoPro not included)

Including

4 x Batteries, USB cable and charger
Video output and camera charging cable
Two T-clamps - Used to attached the gimbal to any accessories supporting the GoPro three pronged mount.
Allen key and screws - Used to attach the T-clamps
Curved adhesive mount and 3M adhesive
Along with instructions. All neatly contained within its foam interior.

The gimbal itself is powered by two rechargeable 16340 batteries ( of which they provide a secondary set) along with a charger, cables and the afore mentioned larger thumb screws to accommodate the LCD Bacpac)

I currently use a GoPro 4 silver and so have a built in display, which I find incredibly handy for shot framing and to change settings.

The gimbal batteries last around 2 hours which is more than my GoPro and they have actually provided a cable that you can use to connect to the GoPro and charge it from your gimbal which is quite handy.

Build quality

The WG is built from aluminium and all sections of the gimbal is of a high standard, so it is light but tough.The thumb screws and bracket are easy to attach your GoPro securely and effectively to the gimbal.

Note: Due to the size of the gimbal you are unable to place the GoPro in its waterproof case out the box(However there are hacks to modify it but I am not sure how secure it would be)

I recommend buying a lens cap to protect the GoPro lens from scratching or accidental damage.

Functionality

It makes use of a single button function that allows you to power the unit on/off along with toggling between its main settings.This is based on the number of times you tap the button.

The main setting are

Long Press 2 sec - Power on Press 3 Secs - Power off

Single Tap - Panning mode: Its pans left and right only

Double Tap - Panning and Tilting : Pans left and right and up and down

Triple Tap - Inversion mode: This flips the gimbal 180 degrees and it great for using the gimbal upside down.

Long Press 1 sec press - Lock Mode: Camera stays in its current orientation and all pan, tilt and roll are restricted.

Mounting Options

One of great features of the wearable gimbal is its ability to attach to a variety of accessories and orientations.It has two quarter inch screw holes to mount it on a tripod or other handheld accessories.

Beside both these are two holes to allow you to attach the two T-clamps using the screws and allen key provided.These T-Clamps can be used to attach any accessories that accomodate the 3 pin GoPro Bracket.[

Setup / Usability

The WG gimbal comes pretty much ready to go out the box.All you need to do is attach the GoPro bracket via the two thumb screws, insert the GoPro, add the batteries and then on a flat surface turn on the gimbal.It automatically levels itself and you are then ready to attach it to yourself, a tripod or accessory and start filming super smooth footage.

If you find that the gimbal is not aligning itself properly you can update the firmware by downloading the latest drivers and firmware update software from their site: www.feiyu-tech.com

They provide instructions and a USB connector to do this and as well as updating the firmware it also gives you have the ability to fine-tune the alignment of your gimbal.

Note: Unfortunately at this time it is only available for PC

As I am a Mac user it is quite frustrating having to either find a PC friend to install the updates or install boot camp and windows to allow me to have this feature.

I hope there is a Mac version soon as there are quite a few customers that have requested this feature.

Testing

On a recent trip to Nepal, I took the Feiyu Tech wearable gimbal WG with me and captured a few videos.

One via the chest strap while paraglidingAnd one using a handheld tripod while on a trek to Annapurna base camp.

Below are the videos showing the footage.

Pricing

Currently, the WG is priced at US $319.00 - AUD $442.00

Conclusions

The WG is a great inclusion to the Feiyu Tech range as it fills the demand for a small yet stable gimbal that can be used either handheld or wearable.

It provides an excellent stable point of view footage and a selection of mountable options.I would like them to release a Mac version of their software but that being said the Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal is a fantastic solution for anyone who has a GoPro and is looking to capture stabilised footage.

I have seen fantastic results first hand with this device and I am exceptionally happy with the end product.Just as GoPro is leading the way with the quality of its footage in a compact design so too Feiyu Tech is fast becoming market leaders in stable footage gimbals.

Update Jan 2018: I have found that this device is not the best for mountable on the body.. it is too large to use while on the run and moves too much on the chest strap while running, jumping and general trail running.

I have moved back to using the handheld version as it gives much better results and much easier usability.

I believe this would be best suited to POV snow skiers, snowboarders, skateboarder or any activity that there are fewer vibrations and smoother surfaces.

To see the full range of gimbals and for more information on their wearable gimbal please visit their site

Happy filming

Douglas