As I'm sure we all know by now, gyro-stabilizers have been popping up left and right since the MōVI first came on the scene (as many of you predicted.) Developed by filmmaker Jesse Spaulding of SIC Visuals, the Ghost is the latest brushless gimbal camera rig, and it looks like it's more affordable and has a longer battery life than some of the rigs that we've covered thus far. From the videos I've watched, it looks pretty solid, allowing for nice and smooth movement over difficult terrain, but this rig is only stabilized on 2 axes with a 3rd controlled manually. Does it show in the footage?
"Developed, machined, and fabricated" in Spaulding's shop in Missoula, MT, the Ghost are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to go into production. The Ghost looks and operates like other rigs -- with one exception: it only has 2-axis programmed stabilization, while the third access is manual. The developer says that they will offer a 3rd axis in an upgrade kit somewhere down the road.
Check out what the Ghost can do in the video below, and see if the lack of a 3rd programmed axis shows or not. This first video comes from its Kickstarter campaign.
Specs:
- Weight: Approx. 39oz/ 1105 grams
- Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx. 18 x 12.5 x 8 (450 x 320 x 200mm)
- Startup time:Approx. 5 seconds
- Runtime: Approx. 2.5 hours/battery
- Maximum Camera Dimensions (W x H x D)Approx. 7 x 8 x 8 in. (18 x 20 x 20 cm)
- Camera Weight: Up to 3.5lbs/ 1500
- Materials:Carbon Fiber Construction
- Adjustable Axis:Fully adjustable in all 3 axis to achieve perfect balance
- Firmware: Open Source
- Motors: Rewound Brushless Motors
- 100% designed and assembled in the USA
According to the information on Kickstarter:
[The Ghost] supports cameras like the Canon 5D Mark III, or Nikon D800. The system can support up to 3.5lbs. This is about equivalent to the Canon 5D Mark III with the 24-105mm Lens.
As of right now, the Ghost's Kickstarter is already 70% of the way to their $20,000 goal with 46 days to go. This is due to people snatching up the $1,595 and $1,995 perks, which get you the Ghost unassembled or pre-assembled, so I think it's safe to say that is what you can expect to pay for the rig.
The Kickstarter ends in August, and the developers have plans to produce, assemble, and then ship the Ghost in December.
What do you think of the Ghost? Does it lose some fluidity since that 3rd axis is manual? Let us know in the comments.
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