Feiyu-tech MG v2 Gimbal Review

So if you are in the market for a small camera gimbal you probably heard about Feiyu-tech. Feiyu-tech has been gaining popularity in the last few years by offering a variety of gimbal at a budget conscious price. In this article, we will go in detail over the Feiyu-tech MG V2 gimbal camera stabilizer.

Starting with the packaging, this gimbal comes in a small hard-shell case which has everything packed neatly and has plenty of protection to keep your gimbal secure. The case size is also perfect for travelers or people like me who don’t have a lot of storage space.

Now, let’s talk about this gimbal’s built quality. The gimbal is made out of CNC aluminum, which feels solid and would be able to sustain a bit of a beating. All the rods, handles, motor adjustment wheels, and the baseplate, are carefully manufactured with no sharp edges. The tolerance between each part is good, on my unit I have one side rod that is a little loose. When the rod is screwed in all the way it is not a problem, but hopefully, it doesn’t get worst with time. Another minus on the built quality is the baseplate fastener, the chrome plating started flaking off 2 days after I started using it, nothing major but I am telling you in case you get bogged down by these things.

The baseplate has a nice anti-skid rubber surface, that way the camera doesn’t slip when it’s on there, which is particularly helpful when you are trying to balance the gimbal.

The gimbal features a few 1/4″ mounting holes to mount a monitor, a microphone or any other accessories you may need to mount. At first, I wasn’t sure of the sturdiness of the mounting hole on the main handle but I tested it by dangling the whole gimbal with a heavy setup to it and I am glad to say that it wasn’t a problem at all, and I’m sure it could hold way more weight.

This gimbal is meant to have the tilt motor on the left side, which means you will lose access to your ports. So, if you are not using a long lens setup like I do (Sony a6300 with a Nikon adaptor and a Tokina 11-16), which in that scenario you will clear the side plate and can use a ribbon HDMI cable, you won’t be able to use a monitor. BUT, for some reason, looks like no one on the internet tried to flip the setup, and put the motor on the right side, which I did. By doing so you won’t be able to use longer lens because of how the baseplate is built, so my setup doesn’t work that way, but I tried it with a Nikkor 50mm, again with the lens adapter which makes the entire setup longer than any native lens, and that way it was absolutely fine. So if you are using a light and short kit lens with your setup you will be able free up the ports by flipping the motor side.

The gimbal has a thumbstick that controls manually the pan and tilt, which can also be controled via the app. There is only 1 function button, in which you can cycle between the 3 modes, Pan Mode, Pan and Tilt Mode and Lock Mode.

Another neat feature is that this gimbal is “tool-less”, you have motor adjustment wheels that are easy to operate, they don’t require a lot of force to lock and unlock. Same goes for the side rods, they have wheels to screw in the gimbal itself, and for the baseplate, all the fasteners have a D ring so you can adjust the gimbal on the fly, although, I suggest you use a screwdriver to tight those fasteners. One of the motor adjustment wheels locked on me for some reason, to unscrew it I had to use a lot of force to get it free, I was a little bit disappointed about that issue, but it was the only time I had any issue with it since, it may have been a fluke.

The gimbal is also newbie friendly, anyone can just pick it up and go. No need for long stabilizing process, or balancing cycle in the app that takes 30 minutes to an hour the first time you use a gimbal. You literally balance the 3 axis, a quick initializing and you are flying!

If you have any issues with the gimbal, like the gimbal shaking, which a lot of people report, you can easily fix that with the app (see video below). Within the app, there are few functions to explore so you can tweak your gimbal the way you like it.

The gimbal is rated for 1.6 kg and it seems to be accurate. I have tried it with my Nikon D610 and Tokina 11-16 lens which is about 1.4 kg and the gimbal didn’t have any issues, but I felt that it was a little less nimble than with my Sony a6300 and Tokina lens (about 900g). At a lighter payload, the gimbal seems a little bit more forgiving, but in a pinch, I can use a heavy setup and I know it will do the job. So if you have a Sony a7 series, a6000 series, Panasonic GH3, GH4, GH5, Canon T2i, T3i, this gimbal will be able to handle pretty much everything you throw at it. If you have a Full Frame DSLR, you just need to be wary of what lens you will be using with it, and even then, with the proper operator technique, the footage will be smooth.

Overall, I really like this gimbal. I wanted something that can hold my full frame DSLR, something that is versatile and light, and something hassle free. For me this one meets all the criteria.

If you are interested in this gimbal, you can find it here:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ffbrT0
Ebay: https://goo.gl/Dw3L8E