MOZA Mini-S Smartphone Gimbal – First Impressions
Chinese manufacturer Gudsen have been gaining a good reputation with their MOZA stabiliser systems for types of filmmaker: those doing it for fun and those those wanting to get paid for it. But for smartphone stabilization, the Moza Mini MI Smartphone Gimbal has been one of the better gimbals produced.
Gudsen have recently revealed their latest smartphone gimbal: the MOZA Mini-S.
It’s a foldable gimbal. It’s also a selfie-stick.
They’re not the first to add these features to a gimbal but they may be the first to combine them. The built-in selfie-stick pole telescopes out to a total length of up to 18 inches.
Another design element which makes this gimbal a little different is the slightly slanting handle. The purpose of this is to give the user a more comfortable hand position when you’re using it. However, it has also been noted this can could cause an issue when used with the included tripod legs which attach to the bottom – the legs are quite small so add this to a leaning design and… it looks a little unstable.
Let’s hope they fix that and make longer legs.
And how about the gimbal in shot issue. I have had this problem with other gimbals and it depends how wide the lens you are using (or is inbuilt) on your smartphone. But it also depends on the design of the gimbal, as the further away the front pivot is placed from the camera, the more likely it is to get into shot. And I think with the Mini S the front pivot is further forward than other designs.
However, in selfie-mode with the front camera being used, this is not an issue. So I would say that pushes this gimbal more towards the selfie-stick which is also a gimbal.
This image from Mauro below demonstrates the difference between filming your self with the gimbal arm normal and extended. certainly for vloggers and the like there are definite advantages to have more distance.
The Mini S allows you to shoot vertical and horizontal (again aiming at the vlogger – consumer market). The MOZA Mini-S also features a selection of shooting modes: hyper-lapse, slow-motion, inception, sport gear and vertigo. Vertigo mode allows you to try out a shot that was made famous in Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Spielberg’s Jaws… sometimes known as the Trombone Shot.
The Mini S works with the MOZA Genie App (as does the Mini MI), which is used to configure, control and update the gimbal. It’s also a camera-app. The app is available both for iOS and Android.
It’s interesting to see kit manufacturers stepping into camera app development. Moment are also producing a camera app to use with your smartphone in combination with their lenses. Other gimbal makers, like DJI and Zhiyun, also produce their own camera apps. So far, none have matched FiLMiC Pro but I think it’s exciting to see so many developers trying to squeeze a little bit more juice out of that small sensor.
Check Price of MOZA Mini- S on Amazon
Mauro has given the gimbal a run out here, using the FiLMiC Pro camera app:
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