I've been authorized to post these images I took in my studio of the M5 that I received today. Here's the contents removed from the box: 1. Check out the camera frame. It attaches to the camera both by the 1/4 x 20 tripod mount and also via an attachment to the hot-shoe so the attachment is really solid which will mean that you can get higher gains. 2. The LiPo charger is the same as the M10. The LiPo's themselves are 4S, 1,300 milliAmp hour, you get two of them. 3. There are four countersunk camera mounting screws, two ball-end hex drivers and a tuning stand. 4. Here's the rear view of a Canon 5D Mark III with the 24-105 IS L lens. I did not have to make any changes to the default settings -- my AC and I just had to balance the camera, which seemed to be faster than balancing on the M10 (but that could be because we've sweated through it a few times on the M10). Note the different style of knuckles. The M5 worked like a charm. It was all I could do to resist doing a mirror selfie, but a guy has to have some dignity, right? ) Also note, I put a LiPo voltage monitor on the LiPo -- that did not come in the box. The LiPo is mounted right underneath the voltage monitor. It's actually powered up in this image but the strobes swamped the LEDs. And finally here's the front view: Bottom line: All indications are this is another extraordinary piece of equipment. Enjoy. Andy.
Oops....I forgot....if you want to see what Santa actually brings you. Check the attached. Don't know why it will not show in-line with this text. Andy
If anyone knows, what are the outside dimensions of the assembled Movi M5, so I can start looking for a case: Should I collapse it for travel or look for a case that holds it assembled? In other words, how hard it is to assemble and tune each time?
So pretty. Thanks for posting these. Did you get the Freefly ‘MR’ kit, too? Very anxious to see how the M5 performs in the air!
Nice! How do you balance the Roll without the side arms tilting up? I had this problem with another Gimbal I had that had fixed parallel side roll arms.
Gary take a look at the setup videos over at the main Freefly site. You can see how all 3 axis get setup and balanced.
Thanks, I must be missing something? This is a problem I have with a BL gimbal I have that has level straight side arms. If I balance the tilt exactly, by moving the camera up and down vertically, then the Roll axis is slightly bottom heavy. If I balance the Roll exactly then the camera is slightly top heavy. I ended up balancing the Tilt exactly, which caused the Roll axis to be slightly bottom heavy and want to return to level. It seems to work OK. I would think a slight tilt up, like the Cinestar gimbal would be able to compensate easier? This explains it:
If it (ever) stops raining in Portland, Oregon, yes. Actually, it looks like this afternoon might be dry. Andy.
Gary, just to clear my confusion are you asking about balancing a M10/M5 or the Radian Gimbal. I was thinking of the videos for the M10. With the vertical tubes there is no reason to have the tilting of the arms like there was with the previous gimbal.
Gary: I don't have the M5 or M10. I've been trying a less expensive alternative with "Straight" sides just to get my feet wet. I was just trying to figure out how you "could" balance a gimbal with sides that are similar. I can't get the balance perfect for the very reason explained in this Cinestar gimbal video. I can't tilt the side arms up at an angle to perfectly balance the Roll. I would think the M5 would have a similar problem.
I think what is going on is that the roll is already balanced with the movi itself, and so when you have the tilt balanced properly, the roll will then be balanced too. And since the camera will always be balanced on the same line of the tilt axis, even changing the weight of the camera does not throw out the roll. The only thing that could mess it up is if you put anything on the fork bottom or top.
Um. I think Freefly should offer us M10 guys the ability to upgrade our rigs some of the components on this M5.
Thanks Tim, I'm trying to get a handle on that.... How it can be that way? I sure had trouble balancing my cheap gimbal, on the roll axis without the upward angle of the tilt arms (like on the Cinestar gimbal). So it surprises me that the M5 doesn't have that.