We found a case made by Gator Cases for $240. It's the GMIX 1921-6-TSA. We took the foam that came in the original freefly box, and just used that, plus the packing that comes in the gator case. Good luck! www.unblind.net
Hi Matt, Thanks for sharing, this looks like exactly what we need as well! Have you traveled by plane with this case? Is it too big to carry on?
Very nice. Too bad it wasn't just an inch or 2 bigger to support the toad-in the hole with the handle bars installed.
Nicolas looking at the picture it might still fit if the MoVI packing foam was removed at the top of the handle bar. You'd still have the foam around the perimeter of the case.
Hi Matt, Your post is a little old but I do have a question. Can you tell me if your are able to keep your tuning settings when fitting the Movi in the case or it has it to come back to its original position ? Thank you !
Hey Nicos, I really haven't paid attention to that. That is if I'm understanding you right. Our tuning settings need adjustments all the time. So we re-tune after each time we remove the movi from the case.
There're two Matt's here so I guess you get a bonus answer. I think what you are asking is do I have to reset the camera cage to something other than what I use it at with my camera to get it to fit into the case, which means when going to use the gimbal having to re-adjust / re-balance all three axes before being able to use it? If so the short answer is no, but it may depend on the camera you have (I'm using a GH4). I don't have it in front of me so I'm going from memory on the info below (I will double check tomorrow and make corrections if needed). Probably the tightest fit is the upper horizontal bar, if you normally have it perfectly centered in relation to the camera cage then it won't fit in the original foam cutout, the handle will extend just past the edge of the foam. I messed with it until I found a spot where it gave me enough clearance on both sides of the camera cage while still (just) fitting into the original foam. It's kind of the same thing for the camera cage, I think mine is shifted down slightly from center and so it presses against the original foam a little, but not so much that it doesn't fit (this could vary depending on your camera). Probably the biggest modification I had to make (and by biggest, it really wasn't) was to cut out a small channel for the LCD mounting bracket to fit into. I have the screws in it snug enough that it won't shift when the LCD is on it but not so tight that I can't rotate it by hand, so when I'm done using the gimbal I can rotate it around to lay flat in the foam, facing down like the handles. I don't leave the LCD attached, though if I wanted to do a bunch more cutting I probably could. I will also take off the top center handle, but that's quick and easy and I don't think that counts as re-tuning. So summing that up, when I take it out to use it I will re-attach the top center handle, put the camera into the camera cage and get it balanced front to back for the lens I'm using. I don't have to re-balance the vertical or horizontal axes, unless I'm not using an external LCD in which case I will have to re-balance it horizontally. And I haven't made any changes to the software settings since I first got it all setup, which was many months ago. All that said if you are going to go with this case I would recommend getting some new foam that fits the case in once piece, and cutting it to fit the M5. The original foam isn't a perfect fit with this case, specifically I don't like that I need to use the cardboard riser that is in the original box (otherwise the gimbal doesn't sit well inside the case) and there is a gap on one side that needs to be filled so that it doesn't slide around. Plus the aforementioned issue fitting the top horizontal bar (and slightly tight fit of the camera cage) could be resolved by cutting the foam to fit the gimbal based on where you adjusted everything for your camera, there is plenty of room in the case it's just the original foam cutout that is a bit limiting. There is even enough room in the case to leave a GH4 size body mounted on the gimbal, though it is a bit tight with a lens (I'm using a Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 and 7-14mm f4). Granted, I don't plan to leave a camera on it all the time since I don't have a camera that can be dedicated to staying on it.
Hey Matt(s) ! Good to know that I can find support from fellow filmmakers here. Yes I was meaning to rebalance each time you take the Movi out of the case. Sorry for not being clear in the first place. But anyway you totally answered my question. I was as well thinking of buying a new foam and have it cut for a perfect fit. "Great men think alike" or something like this... Thank you for your precious input, I will try to make that case work as it is quite cheap compared to the other solutions around. Ps: I am also using a GH4 on the M5. Hope we can share tips and knowledge in a near future.