Zhiyun has announced the Weebil 3 camera gimbal, what it describes as a portable and high-performance camera stabilizer that has improved ergonomics, a long-lasting battery, and a built-in microphone and LED light.
The company says the Weebil 3 has improved ergonomics in what it calls its “Sling 2.0” design that has three key upgrades. First, it has a restructured L-shape handle that Zhiyun says is more stable when it is standing on its own. It also has a new wrist rest and a repositioned, extendable sling grip that it says provides over 40% more support to the user’s wrist by shifting the weight onto the arm.
Zhiyun says the extra support is significant enough to notably reduce fatigue and allow a filmmaker to use the gimbal for more extended periods of time. Additionally, its choice to move the sling grip to the bottom of the gimbal supposedly provides better stability and shake prevention when shooting at low angles.
The grip also has integrated controls, like thumb buttons, a mini control stick that adjusts the movement of the gimbal head, and a finger trigger and wheel that can be customized to specific preferences of shooting modes and movement parameters.
The Weebill 3 has a large 7,800 mAh internal battery that the company says will last up to 21 hours, easily surpassing filmmakers’ needs for all-day camera support. The battery also supports fast charging (it can go from zero to 100% in two hours) and can pass through power (5V/1A) to attached cameras.
The gimbal uses Zhiyun’s quick-release system that includes a dual quick-release plate with an embedded magnetic wrench. The company says that attached camera only needs to be balanced one time, after which it can be repeatedly mounted and secured without the need to rebalance it.
What makes the Weebil 3 stand out more than anything, however, is the built-in microphone and LED that can crank out 1,000 lumens. The microphone is positioned facing forward and Zhiyun says it features a type of noise-canceling functionality but doesn’t provide any further details.
“The microphone provides forward focused cardioid recording, with noise-cancelling functionality, while the bright fill light offers color temperature adjustment to meet the requirements of each scene,” the company says.
The Zhiyun Weebil 3 is available for $450 starting today.
Author: Jaron Schneider
Source: Petapixel