2013Gimbal forum
Gimbal drift and balance issues caused by exceeding weight limits
13 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A gimbal may develop directional drift when the rig is tilted at angles if it has been subjected to loads beyond its design capacity.
- Gimbal drift manifests as the camera slowly pointing toward a specific direction regardless of operator intention, requiring continuous balance adjustments to compensate.
- Overloading a gimbal can cause it to become the weakest component in a Steadicam system.
- Professional rebalancing at a service facility can restore gimbal function after it has been stressed by excess weight.
- Gimbal rebalancing may need to be performed multiple times if the equipment continues to be operated near or beyond its weight limits.
Depends on
- The issue was observed with a Flyer LE model gimbal, a specific older system.
- The drift problem was most noticeable in Low Mode or when the rig was tilted at 45 degrees, but not when the post was vertical.
- The operator was relatively inexperienced and may not have understood the rig's weight capacity limits.
- No resolution is documented for whether the gimbal was ultimately serviced, replaced, or how successful the repair was.
Gear in this thread
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