Gimbals help create stead, tripod free videos — but what about stabilizing those action shots of water sports? FeiyuTech, a China-based manufacturer of gimbals and drone accessories, unveiled on Wednesday its WG2 waterproof gimbal designed for action cameras.
The WG2 counteracts the camera’s movement along three different axes, creating steadier action shots even when shooting handheld or mounting the camera on a moving object. Unlike most other gimbals, however, the electronic components that make that stabilization possible are sealed in a waterproof housing.
The WG2 isn’t as waterproof as an action camera with only a fresh water rating and a low-depth rating of a half meter or less than 2 feet — the gimbal isn’t designed for underwater shots but for activities like stand-up paddle boarding and other sports where there’s a good chance of getting wet, but minimal submersion.
Along with the electronics to keep video steady, the WG2 also integrates a hands-free autorotation feature that allows the user to set the camera to rotate at varying speeds — FeiyuTech says the feature can be used, for example, to create a time lapse that follows the sunset across the sky. The gimbal can rotate the camera 360 degrees along both the tilt and roll axes, and its settings are controlled through an app, compatible with both iOS and Android, making the settings adjustable remotely.
FeiyuTech says that their developers created advanced algorithms to develop an anti-jamming system, enabling the gimbal to work even in scenarios with vibration an frequent movements, like attaching to a moving vehicle.
The WG2 uses a mountable design — the company says it can be mounted on helmet and chest mounts, as well as on bags, bikes, cars, motorcycles, paddle boards, and kayaks. It can accept any action camera that weighs less than 4.5 ounces, including the GoPro Hero 5, Hero 4, and Session as well as the Yi 4K and other lightweight action cameras. The gimbal itself weighs less than 10 ounces and is powered by a battery rated to last for up to 2.5 hours.
FeiyuTech is the same company behind the Feiyu G4, as well as being the first company to develop both the first sports cam stabilizer and the first smartphone stabilizer. The Feiyu WG2 retails for $299 and includes a tripod as well as an extension pole to use the gimbal handheld.
