Honest Zhiyun Weebill Review

[webrunner5]

I sort of like Pie!

 

 

 

[mojo43]

7 hours ago, Márcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

The Fstoppers review says that the gimbal is very good - but you need to balance it very well, or it behaves poorly.

https://fstoppers.com/originals/fstoppers-reviews-zhiyun-tech-weebill-lab-gimbal-imperfect-brilliant-321196

This is what I said in my review as well.

6 hours ago, Walter H said:

also from four days ago on Fstoppers -- Moza Air 2 raving:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3C0fw_8kAc

Need a proper comparison. 

I handled the Weebill Lab, Air 2, and the Crane 3 at B&H a bit more than a week ago. I loved the feeling of the Lab and it's compactness in hand. The Crane 3 was  heavier in-the-hand but the ergo's were even better, I thought. Worth an additional $300 over the Air 2 -- I'm doubtful. 

I am pretty sure they are being paid to say that, but from what I have seen it is a good gimbal, but much heavier that the weebill.

 

3 hours ago, UncleBobsPhotography said:

Hopefully the negative feedback is mainly because they are comparing it with gimbals which are quite a bit heavier like the Ronin-S. About half of the negative comments I have read is about the lack of motor power, however, the other half is about half-finished firmware and app support. 

Also, if you look at the comments on my review, there are people telling me that I am not praising it enough and people who are asking me if I am sponsored because I am praising it too much. The truth is that most of these people have no idea what they are doing with a gimbal so take their opinions with a grain of salt. The other day I received a message about someone who was having a problem with a gimbal and I asked for a video to demostrate the problem. It was a kid of probably 10 years old who was pointing the gimbal up at the sky (maybe shooting clouds and birds) and waving it around like a gimbal should not be waived around. I learned something valuable that day. Just an example...

 

Last thing is that Zhiyun did add a new firmware and now you can change modes in the app so it is possible to have full follow while on a monopod.

On 12/30/2018 at 7:15 AM, Walter H said:

@mojo43 Thanks for this review. Really appreciate how straightforward and "non-hype" you are. As you mentioned, most youtube "review" content is pretty unbearable. 

I am interested in this gimbal for my X-T3 and Fuji primes for a project in the next few months. Seems ideal for size/weight (although the Moza Air 2, etc. would also be effective obviously). This would be my first serious use of a gimbal in video production. Mostly panning and crane shots, not a lot of following thru spaces. 

Curious if you have used the subject tracking at all? Whether a person of a static object that you are moving around? Panning/tilting?

Thanks. 

Honestly Walter, I am pretty sure you would be happier with the Zhiyun Crane v2, plus or Moza air 1 or maybe 2 depending on how good it is. I would never use the Weebill as my A gimbal on a paid shoot. That being said I am flying a heavier cam than you. If you are looking for examples I did a pan+tilt example half way through my video.

[Kisaha]

@mojo43 have you worked with the Ronin S?

Happy new year by the way!

[mojo43]

2 hours ago, Kisaha said:

@mojo43 have you worked with the Ronin S?

Happy new year by the way!

You too! Coming up soon! No I haven't tried that one yet, but I have tried others that are similar (ish) like the AK4000 and Crane 2. They are all a bit too big for the setup I use so I haven't totally been paying attention to those. Do you like it?

[Kisaha]

12 minutes ago, mojo43 said:

You too! Coming up soon! No I haven't tried that one yet, but I have tried others that are similar (ish) like the AK4000 and Crane 2. They are all a bit too big for the setup I use so I haven't totally been paying attention to those. Do you like it?

Never used it before. It should be here next week probably.

I used the Crane 2 with the Pocket4K and it worked ok, but it wasn't a match made in heaven! Weebill seems to need some - not very straightforward - adjustments.

I will write a few words as soon as I use it on a paid job.

Keep up the good work!

[Zak Forsman]

On 12/30/2018 at 9:23 AM, webrunner5 said:

On the B&H website it has some pretty piss poor ratings. Might be a Red Flag. You can buy a DJI Ronin-S for less money. I don't get it. The DJI Ronin-S weighs 4.1 pounds. I can't even find the weight of the  Weebill Lab?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1430269-REG/zhiyun_tech_weebill_lab_handheld_stabilizer.html

My Weebill Lab weighs 2.5lbs, or 2lbs 8.2oz.

[webrunner5]

Thanks. 1139.65083g for our misguided friends LoL. That is really not a lot less than a Ronin-S or a Crane 3. 1 1/2 pounds less. That adds up over a long period, but a lot more useful for more camera options going with the bigger ones. But how do you like the Weebill Lab since you have one?

Things that weigh a pound LoL.

https://www.bodyrock.tv/weighs-one-pound/

[Zak Forsman]

57 minutes ago, webrunner5 said:

Thanks. 1139.65083g for our  misguided friends LoL. That is really not a lot less than a Ronin-S or a Crane 3. 1 1/2 pounds less. That adds up over a long period, but a lot more useful for more camera options going with the bigger ones. But how do you like the Weebill Lab since you have one?

Things that weigh a pound LoL.

https://www.bodyrock.tv/weighs-one-pound/

It has been a solid performer for me. I don’t use the app for anything other than firmware updates and settings so can’t comment on complaints there.The focus servo is awesome and a big plus to me because I prefer flying with manual lenses. I use it in underslung mode most of the time and it’s really well balanced when held by the rear/top handle. I’m usually following people/characters, or doing little moves, when i use it and it’s been very smooth turning corners, or craning up from the ground to the subject while moving. I’ve only experienced jitter once and fixed that by rebalancing quickly.

I wanted something that would be more compact and lighter than gimbal setups i’ve had in the past because you do get tired quickly. With the GH5s and the Weebill, I find I can make it to the first meal break before really needing to rest my arms. And I credit that more to the new design. You can lock each axis with a flick of a switch and carry it at your side. Whereas before, I was always holding it out in front of me between shots. So yeah, between the axis locks, the weight, and the rear handle design, it’s my favorite gimbal I’ve owned. Makes my job easier, not harder.

I don’t know if there are bad early units out there but I saw more of that kind of thing before I received mine. With no real evidence, I suspect there might have been problems with some of the first units shipped based on motor strength issues others have complained about that I’m not experiencing. But who knows?

[webrunner5]

Sounds like a nice Gimbal for your needs. Thanks for the help.

[Zak Forsman]

One fun thing I did with it on a short film was to mount it to my Rock n Roller cart and use it as a makeshift dolly. The cart eliminated the z-axis bounce handheld gives you, while the Weebill absorbed vibrations from the cart. The combo gave it a very professional feel by eliminating those slight visual cues that it’s on a gimbal. 

[webrunner5]

Your getting up there in age to maybe take advantage of one of these. Plenty of room for your gear in that bag. I love mine.  I love how the wheels look like Canon L lenses.?

 

 

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

I think that most gimbal manufacturers have very poor operational / app instructions.

Don't know about the Weebill, but have a Crane M and now a Feiyutech A1000 and their instructions are both terrible - and missing crucial features. When first using the A1000, even balancing perfectly the gimbal, the camera starts shaking with a minimal gimbal movement and never stops. Saw a lot of similar remarks online.

But one person said that it an initial shake is normal - is a gimbal feature to measure the camera weight and auto-adjust the strenght of the motors; but it have just to do it in start, and about 1 second max. With this information, entered in the Feiyu app to see how the motors were calibrated and found a disabled checkbox (do not remember now the label), related to it. Marked the checkbox, and after that the gimbal was rock solid both with a GX85 or with a DSLR (put my S5Pro just to check it). The gimbal shakes briefly at the start, and after that works perfectly. And this checkbox was not mentioned anywhere in the Feiyu documentation.

[UncleBobsPhotography]

I put in my order for the Weebill about a month ago, but all the stores in my country have been out of stock. Today I got an email going something like this:

"As you have probably heard, this model has been recalled from the vendor due to technical issues. It is therefore uncertain when we will receive the product and we would therefore like to know if you wish to cancel your order."

I haven't heard about a Weebill recall anywhere else. Does anyone know what the issue might be?

[thebrothersthre3]

On 1/2/2019 at 1:24 PM, Márcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

I think that most gimbal manufacturers have very poor operational / app instructions.

Don't know about the Weebill, but have a Crane M and now a Feiyutech A1000 and their instructions are both terrible - and missing crucial features. When first using the A1000, even balancing perfectly the gimbal, the camera starts shaking with a minimal gimbal movement and never stops. Saw a lot of similar remarks online.

But one person said that it an initial shake is normal - is a gimbal feature to measure the camera weight and auto-adjust the strenght of the motors; but it have just to do it in start, and about 1 second max. With this information, entered in the Feiyu app to see how the motors were calibrated and found a disabled checkbox (do not remember now the label), related to it. Marked the checkbox, and after that the gimbal was rock solid both with a GX85 or with a DSLR (put my S5Pro just to check it). The gimbal shakes briefly at the start, and after that works perfectly. And this checkbox was not mentioned anywhere in the Feiyu documentation.

My Beholder DS2 does that shake randomly as well, has ruined so many shots. I wonder if it's a similar issue.

[Kisaha]

7 hours ago, UncleBobsPhotography said:

I put in my order for the Weebill about a month ago, but all the stores in my country have been out of stock. Today I got an email going something like this:

"As you have probably heard, this model has been recalled from the vendor due to technical issues. It is therefore uncertain when we will receive the product and we would therefore like to know if you wish to cancel your order."

I haven't heard about a Weebill recall anywhere else. Does anyone know what the issue might be?

What country?

A friend recently was buying a gimbal, and the shop adviced him to buy the Crane 2, as a more certain buy than the Weebill.

He bought the Crane 2 and is happy, but I am not sure if there is really an issue with them.

In a lot of internet reviews there are negative comments, but they are a few in this forum happy with their purchase.

[UncleBobsPhotography]

11 hours ago, Kisaha said:

What country?

A friend recently was buying a gimbal, and the shop adviced him to buy the Crane 2, as a more certain buy than the Weebill.

He bought the Crane 2 and is happy, but I am not sure if there is really an issue with them.

In a lot of internet reviews there are negative comments, but they are a few in this forum happy with their purchase.

I'm located in Norway. I talked with the store today and the supplier had picked up all the WeeBill units from all the stores in Norway to return it to the vendor for upgrades/adjustments.