The motorized gimbal market has exploded in the last few years and it often feels nearly impossible to keep track of which gimbal will work effectively with your camera package. While it might be easier to buy from market leaders like MoVi or DJI, unfortunately, those get pretty expensive, and if you are flying a smaller camera package, they might be overkill. With the new online tool from the UK rental house GripUp, you simply enter your camera/lens combination and it gives you three suggestions that help you narrow down choices for which gimbal options are available that will meet your needs.
Credit: GripUp
The app currently offers a lot of flexibility with a large inventory of cameras and lenses (starting with smartphones and going all the way up to the Alexa 65), along with the ability to work in both pounds (lbs) and kilograms (kg). Currently, the app focuses primarily on the weight of the unit, which is a key factor in the gimbal shopping process, but not the only one. One key with gimbal selection is actually the size dimensions of the camera and if it's possible to balance the gimbal properly without running into the mounting arms. Hopefully, future versions of the tool will include the ability to add some accessories (like follow focus motors) to the weight calculation, and also judge whether the gimbal is physically capable of carrying the camera beyond just weight.
Credit: GripUp
GripUp's tool is also interesting because it really highlights the new way that camera stores and rental houses are keeping themselves relevant. A vendor has never been just a place to get gear. It's also been a place to get information. Will this camera work with this tripod? Can I use this lens with this camera body? Can I plug in these Kino Flo's in Peru? All of these are questions that rental houses can answer. Relationships with sales and rental houses bring you back to the same vendors over and over, not just because you knew you would get great gear there, but also because you would also get the information and support to execute your projects properly. Building tools like this, bringing that knowledge to the web space, is a wise move for any company—it not only helps users find the right gear, it also creates the halo effect of knowledgeability.
For more info, and to find the gimbals that work with your camera, check out GripUp for yourself.
