A gimbal is one of the most valuable tools for photographers, especially for keeping a camera steady when moving it around during action shots. The advantages of gimbals over other tripod attachments lead many photographers not to bother getting any different types of attachments. But your gimbal is only useful if it’s correctly balanced. So, how do you balance a gimbal?
To balance a gimbal, you must mount the camera and carefully check all the axes. There are screws on the relevant motors and joints that you can loosen to adjust how the camera sits inside the gimbal, then tighten again once it stays in the correct position without you holding it there.
There are a few things that you have to check, both while you’re balancing the gimbal and before you start. Failing to do so won’t just make your job much more challenging, but it could also damage your very expensive equipment, so let’s look at the steps for balancing your gimbal in closer detail.
Things To Do Before You Balance Your Gimbal
There are certain pre-checks you have to do before you start to balance your gimbal, as they are crucial for ensuring that the balancing process goes smoothly and achieves its purpose.
Check That Your Gimbal Is Rated For The Correct Weight
Cameras alone aren’t often very heavy, but their attachments are different. Some telescopic lenses, for example, can weigh much more than the cameras they attach to, and your gimbal must be rated for the correct weight; otherwise, the balancing process will be pointless.
Most gimbals can easily take approximately 2.5 kg (around 5.5 pounds). Weigh your camera with its battery, SD card, and lens that you will be using. This will ensure that the weight is within your gimbal’s rated limit.
Get Your Camera Ready To Operate Before Balancing
You must balance the gimbal with your camera in the same state you will be using it, as even a slight change in the center of gravity can throw the balance out. So, before you balance the gimbal, check the following things on the camera:
- Attach the lens that you will be using.
- Insert the SD card.
- Insert the battery and close its hatch.
- Remove the lens cap.
The camera must be ready to start taking photos before you begin to balance the gimbal. This way, you know there won’t be a variance of even a few grams that could throw out the balance. It may seem inconsequential, but even a slightly off-balance gimbal can have a pronounced effect on photos, especially with strong telescopic lenses.
Check For Firmware Upgrades
If you’re using a gimbal that uses intelligent motors, like the Moza Air, it’s a good idea to check for updated firmware before balancing it. Manufacturers often release updated firmware that adds more precision, fixes bugs, and generally makes your life easier. You can check the user manual that you got with the gimbal for instructions on how to do this for your specific model.
How To Balance The Gimbal
Balancing the gimbal isn’t complicated if you follow these steps carefully.
1. Attach The Camera To The Base Plate
Your gimbal has a base plate that’s intended to mount the camera. It will have a quick-release button or a screw attachment, though you can install quick-release systems on most of them. Whichever method you use, attach the camera to the base plate, but don’t tighten it too much.
If your base plate has two rails, which most do, the most important rail is the one closest to the motor. You only have to use the other rail if your camera is exceptionally wide.
2. Balance The Pitch Axis
The pitch axis, also known as the tilt, deals with the up and down movement of the subject. You use the pitch axis when aiming your camera higher or lower to catch something above or below the current field of view.
You will see that your camera will pitch forward or backward, depending on its center of gravity. That will give you an indication of how to adjust it.
Loosen the screw underneath your base plate (the one you used to mount the camera), move the camera forward or backward on the rail, then tighten the screw slightly to check. Adjust as much as you have to, and once you see that the camera is no longer tilting up or down, tighten the screw completely. Note that some of these adjustments require fine movements.
Once that is done, you must adjust one more tilt aspect. Start by tilting the camera back, so the lens faces straight up towards the ceiling at a 90-degree angle, then carefully release it. It will likely tilt forward or backward.
To balance it, loosen the screw on the front of the gimbal’s motor near the camera’s lens. Once it’s loose, adjust the camera until you see that it stays upright, then tighten the screw. This is often the process that requires the finest adjustments.
3. Balance The Roll Axis
The roll axis, also known as the Dutch angle, allows you to change the sideways angle for shots that might be off-center or unleveled.
The easiest way to adjust this axis is similar to balancing the pitch axis. Start by checking the direction in which the camera’s falling. It should either fall to the left or the right. Then you can loosen the appropriate screw, which in this case is usually at the top of the gimbal, above the camera’s lens.
Adjust the camera by moving the roll arm slightly in the opposite direction that the camera was falling, then tighten the screw and test it. Adjust and repeat until the camera stays in the correct position without you holding it there, then tighten the screw completely.
4. Adjust The Yaw
The yaw has to do with left and right movements, which is usually the easiest to balance. The best way to check the yaw is to pick up the tripod and hold it in your hand, then move it forward or backward at a slight angle. You should see the camera automatically moves to the left or right, which means it’s not balanced correctly on the yaw axis.
To adjust it, loosen the screw on the motor located at the lowest point of the gimbal. Adjust the gimbal’s attachment slightly and test it again until the camera maintains its position no matter what angle you move it in, then tighten the screw.
5. Repeat All The Checks
Unfortunately, it’s possible that an axis you’ve already balanced may change as you balance others. So, once you’re done, run through all the checks again and make adjustments as necessary. The adjustments should be slight this time, so it should go much faster.
Conclusion
Balancing a gimbal isn’t difficult, but it can be a complicated and frustrating process. However, it is worth the effort, mainly if you often use the same camera and lenses. Just remember to do your pre-balancing checks, follow the steps carefully, and repeat the process if you replace a lens or use a different camera.
