Easyrig Minimax STABIL Light Gimbal/Camera Support System

I was on the fence for some time. I waited and saved. I am sure glad I did. I was doing a commercial for a Lube Center with the owner waking in front of 6 car bays. I was walking sideways and trying my best to bend knees and not bounce etc. I was moving quite a bit. I played back the 25 sec walk and talk and was blown away. It was what I have been looking for a long time. It is 90% of a gimble on an arm. The 10% is a plus because I did a 180 degree turn to end the commercial. The arm does really eliminate the Z or up and down motion. It is still present but with fluid motions. The client was very happy and I have a new sales angle. I can walk around an entire business to show their products. I called easyrig to ask a couple of questions. Yes, I did have to call Sweden. They answered the phone and all my questions. Great product with excellent customer service. I have and Tilta advanced ring on it and the combo works fabulously. It is all mechanical and will last for a very long time. It is a big investment. I have shot with the DJI RS 3 pro with two side handles. I can tell you that you will never be able to get the shots fluid smooth shots without the stabil arm and the gimbal. The one outstanding feature of the rig it that it saves your arms and back. Wow oh wow. I finished the shoot and put the rig down and was not sore. My back, forearms, chest and back were saved. I would usually be sore and feel it the next day. The rig is going to save me from a LOT of soreness and pain.

I really love using this easy rig. I have used it as a more handheld look with just the camera and a monitor and also used it with the tilt a ring on a full gimbal. It really helps take the weight and pressure off your neck and shoulders and allows you to operate for much longer periods of time. I do wish it was a little bit higher up above your head, and that the upgrade to the one that absorbs the bounce wasn't so much higher of a price point.

If I were to play my grumpy old man card, it would be to complain about how cameras used to be these big shoulder carried affairs with big viewfinders and stuff. I have a Canon C70, and it's fantastic, but you need an external monitor to focus. That's heavy. I can say though after two long days of shooting stuff that this rig is a game changer for me. I just don't get tired. I labored over the decision to buy, but I can assert that it's totally worth it. I can't say for sure, but I bolted on a quick-release ball to the angle handle on a Ronin RS-2, and while you will get some Z-axis bounce, more measured movement is possible and fairly smooth. It isn't perfect, but gimbal slinging hurts in a hurry, and this does help. Just don't expect a smooth shot if you try to run with it.

I spent several weeks researching the Easyrig and similar less expensive alternatives, then finally decided to invest in the original. I've only been testing it so far but I instantly loved it and already feel it was money well spent. Years ago I worked with large ENG type video cameras and felt comfortable using those on the shoulder, but ever since I started shooting video with hybrid DSLR and mirrorless cameras (about 10 years ago) I'd been unsuccessfully looking for a shoulder setup that really felt right for me. I never arrived at a configuration that was truly comfortable and balanced, or that I could rig in a way that would make going from tripod to handheld and back to tripod a simple, quick operation, with no need to attach or remove too many different parts. The Easyrig has given me just that and I can now be much more versatile, getting better coverage faster even while working solo. I'm using it with a fully-rigged Nikon Z6II on rails with follow-focus, matte-box, Atomos Ninja V, shotgun mic, remote Nikon grip, batteries and other accessories. Taking it out of the included bag, strapping it unto my body and attaching my camera to it felt easy and natural right away. The Easyrig feels solid and well made. I love working from a tripod but had long been looking for a setup that would allow me to react faster in documentary type situations to achieve better compositions and get more ample coverage in a given amount of time. Now, instead of having to lift my Sachtler tripod, then walk to a new position, set it down, level the camera and THEN start shooting again, I can do whatever coverage I want from the tripod and/or switch to the Easyrig in a brief moment. Just put on the Easyrig, clamp its suspension line to the top handle of my camera rig while it's still on the tripod, then slide the complete rig off the tripod via its quick release plate (with rails, baseplate and all accessories still on), and off I go, mobile in just a few seconds. Want to go back on the tripod? No problem, the reverse operation is just as easy. The only bit of kit I need to reconfigure in my particular case is the Nikon MC-N10 remote grip, which I attach to an ARRI-type rosette on my tripod's handle but switch to another rosette on the right side of my camera's cage when going mobile. Doing that also takes just a brief moment, so it's no big deal. I now feel more willing to go back and forth between both shooting modes, plus it helps take care of my back and enables me to work handheld for longer periods of time. As others have pointed out, this is not a stabilizer or meant to be a substitute for a gimbal for those buttery-smooth walking shots. You may do some walking depending on your technique and aesthetic intention, but the Easyrig is NOT a substitute for a gimbal. Having said that, it actually is a great way to carry a camera that's already on a gimbal, as it takes the weight off the arms, something I'm looking forward to trying soon. But as far as enabling the camera operator to achieve much more steady or slightly swaying shots while being able to switch positions quickly, this thing rocks. It's a brilliantly simple and straightforward piece of kit that only does what it's meant to do and does it quite well. No batteries needed either. The Easyrig has a long established reputation for durability, something I'm counting on but haven't the opportunity to confirm yet. Should this turn out not to be the case I'll be sure to post an updated review complaining about it here, but I doubt it. Is it overpriced? Well, I haven't tested the cheaper alternatives, for all I know some of them might be fine as well. But it feels good to know my camera rig is hanging from a contraption that has a long standing reputation for solid materials and build. Finally: was quick and efficient, as usual in my experience, and shipping to my location in Mexico was fast with no issues whatsoever. So thumbs up to the product, its manufacturer in Sweden, and.

Great camera support system. Others have written much already about how great it is for camera work. But, it can even do more. As the attached photo will show, I hooked up my leaf blower to it. The leaves in the heavily wooded area where I live in the Pacific Northwest can be a bear on the back. I hooked up the Easyrig to my leaf blower and wallah what a great support system for leaf blowing!

Great tool to save your back. Been using it with fx9, 4 days a week, and could not see myself not have this. Equipped with 70-200 sony oss mark II, at 200 you can get awsome handheld shots. Great product