Phantom 4 Pro gimbal not balanced?

[trwalp]

In the world of 3DR Solo enthusiasts the conventional wisdom is to ensure that the gimbal with GoPro mounted should be relatively close to balanced. When we add a filter we counteract it with added weights. It's just as one would with a motorized gimbal for small DLSRs and M4/3 cameras.

I noticed my new Phantom 4 Pro's gimbal with camera is totally not balanced when at rest without power. I assume when I add an ND filter it'll be even worse. What's the thinking here?

Thank you!

 

[jdwarren]

How do you tell if the gimbal is balanced?

There is an option to calibrate gimbal in the settings.

 

[trwalp]

Thank you for replying, @jdwarren . With 3DR Solo's and the Zhiyun Crane M4/3 camera gimbals -- to cite two examples -- it's purely physical and obvious. With no power applied the camera should remain in whatever position and angle you place it. If it stays put at any angle then it's balanced.

The gimbal with camera on my new P4P rests in the position shown in the picture, and returns there if moved. That ain't balanced.

Maybe this doesn't matter, but I am curious.

 

[DroneOnNDP]

Thank you for replying, @jdwarren . With 3DR Solo's and the Zhiyun Crane M4/3 camera gimbals -- to cite two examples -- it's purely physical and obvious. With no power applied the camera should remain in whatever position and angle you place it. If it stays put at any angle then it's balanced.

The gimbal with camera on my new P4P rests in the position shown in the picture, and returns there if moved. That ain't balanced.

Maybe this doesn't matter, but I am curious.

It's going to sit like that when it's off... does not mean it's unbalanced. Only thing that matters is how the gimbal performs when it's in the air and it's awesome. You can always correct for straight horizon, etc. if you have to. How does it perform underway?

 

[trwalp]

Thank you for replying, @DroneOnNDP . The P4P gimbal works beautifully.

Having come from the 3DR Solo world, where correcting its gimbal's balance after adding an ND filter to the GoPro (as well as balancing props) is considered important, I am curious why neither appears to be an issue here.

But then we Phantom users have to do the "compass calibration dance", so each has its idiosyncrasies (or requirements, conventional wisdom, practices... whatever! ).