beernardo

Besteady is looking good: https://vimeo.com/73139817

  Something like this I believe: http://youtu.be/7k8Z0C4spAE?t=1m30s   Don't these lenses still have elements moving inside even though you don't don't have anything moving outside the barrel? you only need 1 gram moving 1 milimeter to put a stabilizer out of balance.

This will help you understand better: http://vimeo.com/72858560

What I've been reading is that you have to balance the camera on all 3 axis (height, side to side and fore and aft) for an optimum performance, which means you will put less stress on the motors or even avoid burning them if the camera is to heavy on one side.

Which party? the vast majority still use traditional steadicam systems these days because the most of them don't have the time to DIY stuff like this, you need a company that can offer ready to use tools and still be there to give you support when needed.   Yep, if Freefly didn't hire V Laforet perhaps Movi wouldn't be as popular as it is know, but they did and there's merit to that.  Now we just have to wait and watch the prices go down as new companies start to do these gimbals.    2014 will be a good year to buy a steadicam system on ebay, just watch.

  The closer your hands are to your waist, the easiest it is to carry a rig for long hours, I've done it, and I've also carried a light steadicam setup for almost an entire wedding many times and I would choose handheld any moment.   I would try to fit one of these gimbals into a shoulder rig with long handles for those moments where there's not much action and the use the top handle for the fast action ones.   Anyways, I think in a couple of months we'll see lots of review videos. According to their facebook sites, Defy gimbal is already shipping  their smallest rig and Bestady will on mid September.

  We'll if you ever have used a steadicam for long hours, you'll understand how this can be a very attractive option to try out. Your back will thank you for it in the long run.

I wouldn't go as far as call it a hobbyist gimbal based only in the payload capacity. You can have a gimbal with a higher payload capacity but with cheaper materials/design/programming/customer support/etc. and that won't make it a Pro piece of equipment.   Each brand has different models depending on the payload. BeSteady is working on the bigger model which will fly a RED and a BMCC. I think it will hold up to 11 pounds.

I think http://www.besteady.pro/ are the best option so far.