Handheld gimbals make up a competitive space with many entrants trying to stand out from the pack. Filmpower has found an innovative way to make its gimbal more useful to filmmakers: let the user see the camera screen. It's a simple improvement in the design, but it provides a big user advantage when you can keep the unit small by using the on camera monitor and not requiring a larger external unit.

The Nebula 5100 Slant also uses its twist design to support a larger payload of up to 3.2kg, or 7 pounds, which is substantial for a hand held gimbal.  Of course,  a seven pound camera with a two pound gimbal adds up to 9 pounds, which can be stressful to operate one handed for long periods of time. If you will be flying the full load most of the time, it's worth considering one of the accessory arms, either with or without a mobile phone mount, to spread the weight out to two arms and make complicated moves easier.

Nebula_accesoryCredit: Filmpower

Filmpower has also introduced a focus tool for gimbal shooters, the Nebula focus. Designed to mount to the top or bottom of a DSLR and to work with a remote to enable an operator to control the gimbal with one hand and the focus with the other. While the ideal scenario is generally having both an operator to worry about framing and a first AC pulling focus, on small productions and with one-man-band style shoots it's increasingly useful to have tools that can be operated effectively by a single user. The focus unit also comes with sonar readings for subject distance which don't currently support auto focus, but might in the future. 

Nebula_slantCredit: Filmpower

The Slant is available now from Filmpower for $999, with the follow focus shipping soon for $650.

Tech Specs:

  • 360° of rotation
  • 8-10 hours of battery life
  • Built in encoder
  • 3.2kg/7lb payload capacity
  • 900g/1.9lb unit weight
  • Expansion handle 
Filmpowernebula slantgimbal
Cinematography & Cameras