How about a shoulder mounted brushless gimbal for smaller cameras? The Shape company has released a series of gimbals called iSee. These are two-axis brushless gimbals for a variety of cameras. Shape is not the first company to offer this. Other shoulder-mounted gimbals include the much larger Gimbalgunner, which can carry a heavier camera such as a RED with a large lens. That runs about $3,600. A Berlin company called HDvideoshop also offers a number of competitive gimbals.
The design from Shape is simple for the operator to set up. One of their innovations is rotating quick-lock handles which allow a quick change from shoulder-mounted to handheld in a minute which is ideal for run and gun shooters. One negative is that the iSee series are designed as two-axis rather than the more common three-axis designs. The Shape gimbals stabilize on the roll axis and the tilt axis.
The iSee 1 is intended for Go Pros and similar sized sports cameras. The iSee+ can handle a larger phone, a Black Magic cinema camera or a DSLR.
A common challenge for brushless gimbals in general is touching the focus barrel or iris when shooting. Any touching of the lens is likely to create a vibration. So the only way to change focus would be to use a wireless remote focus system. These are expensive and add weight. Hopefully your camera’s auto-focus will do the job. The Shape iSee gimbals are all single-handed and can hold up to three pounds. Prices run from $499 to $699.
For more information visit the company’s pre-order page.
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