FeiyuTech SCORP Mini 3 Pro Kit 3-Axis Camera Stabilizer,Built-in AI Track,All in One Handheld Gimbal for Mirrorless, Pocket Camera,Action Camera, Phone, 2KG Payload

This is a review of “FeiyuTech SCORP Mini 3 Pro Kit 3-Axis Camera Stabilizer,Built-in AI Track,All in One Handheld Gimbal for Mirrorless, Pocket Camera,Action Camera, Phone, 2KG Payload”.I will start by saying that I’ve never own a full-sized camera gimbal before, so I really don’t have any baseline for comparison when it comes to reviewing this one. I have a Nikon Z6III which is one of the camera bodies that this model is deemed to be compatible with and, although my main interest is in still photography, I am keen to explore the video capabilities of the camera, for which a gimbal is really essential.This kit comes beautifully packaged and presented, in fact the quality of the presentation is on a par with the like of DJI. In the box is the gimbal itself, plus all the accessories listed in the description – there is no point in me re-listing them all here but the storage case in particular deserves a mention – it’s light yet rigid, with a handle, and is perfect for safely storing and transporting the kit.Moving onto the gimbal itself, this is beautifully manufactured, it really does feel and look like quality kit. It did take me some time figuring out the initial set-up – I suspect that it would have been a lot easier – and quicker – had I had any experience of using a full-sized gimbal previously – there is much more to this one than the phone gimbals that I have previously used. The instructions are mainly graphical, although there is an instructional video available online which you can access via a QR code. There are also other third-party reviews of the set-up available on YouTube, some of which i found very useful in terms of learning about the this gimbal's capabilities.So far, I have only been experimenting using the gimbal with my Z6III – there is a mount included for a GoPro, which I also have, but I can’t see myself using it with this. Likewise, there is a smartphone mount included that I could use with my iPhone, but I already have an even more lightweight phone gimbal for that (although my dedicated phone gimbal doesn't have the little built-in cooling fan that this one does).The lightness of the unit is a bonus and the little touchscreen is clear and very easy to navigate.The AI tracking feature works phenomenally well and would be of obvious interest to proper vloggers, although probably not something that I will personally make much use of. The little mini tripod that is included on the other hand is something that I’m excited about – I intend to experiment making ‘vertoramas’ (vertical panoramas) inside churches and cathedrals and can see the set-up being really useful in this regard.All in all it’s a very impressive package. I’m still very much on an upwards learning curve with the kit but am really enjoying using it.- - - - - - - - - -Note: As a member of the Vine program I was supplied with this item free of charge. I will always provide an impartial and fair review of the product in question. My rating system is as follows:5 Stars – an exceptionally good, high quality product with no perceived shortcomings4 stars – a very good product that met my expectations3 stars – a product which could be better in some respects, but is still fit for purpose2 stars - a product with significant shortcomings, one which disappointed1 star - an absolute disaster of a product that should not be on sale

As someone who makes films on a semi-professional basis, I was happy to be able to have the opportunity to be able to review this FeiyuTech SCORP Mini 3 Pro gimbal. I own and use a Panasonic GH, for which this gimbal is designed. This gimbal will support mirrorless cameras like the GH5, as well as smaller videography equipment, including action cameras, compact cameras and even smartphones. It does all feel a little overkill perhaps for a smartphone, especially when it’s possible to get much smaller and more compact gimbals for smartphones these days. I suppose that if you’re carrying this for your main mirrorless camera, then it’s good to be able to have the option of being able to attach your smartphone. I just wouldn’t carry it specifically for my smartphone. It does, though, come with a smartphone mount, which includes a built in fan - especially useful if you are shooting at 4k in pro-res format and your phone is liable to get quite hot. The smartphone mount has a metal construction and feels like really good quality. Personally, I probably won’t use it, as I tend not to use my phone for b-roll footage as part of my filmmaking work.Out of the box and I was immediately impressed with the presentation and build quality. Pretty much the whole package feels incredibly well thought out and manufactured. I say ‘pretty much’, because there was one accessory that feels slightly under par in terms of the manufacturing - back to that shortly. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything comes packaged in a zipped hard case. I say ‘surprised’ because the listing states that this is a ‘storage bag’. The manufacturer really needs to change this, as they are selling themselves short. The actual included hard storage case is a much better inclusion than the stated ‘bag’.Into the storage case - the zip is good quality, which gives you a sense of security. Each side of the case has spacing for different components. On one side, there is spacing for the actual gimbal, as well as the included tripod stand attachment, the LED light and its mount. On the other side of the case is a zipped section that holds a plethora of different leads in separate compartments. It’s all well thought out and everything is safely and tidily stored.Let’s go back to that LED light for a moment. Remember at the start of the review when I stated that ‘there was one accessory that feels slightly under par in terms of the manufacturing’? Well, here it is. The LED light. It just feels very lightweight and plasticky. It doesn’t have the feel of a higher end, premium product at all. Rather, it feels like a bit of an afterthought and the type of light that you often find in a cheap and unbranded lighting set here on Amazon. This does stand out from the other accessories and the gimbal itself, which all feel very well made.So, what of the gimbal itself? It’s built from a mixture of plastic and metal. Whilst the handle is primarily plastic, the camera fittings are metal. The plastics feel good quality on this. The fact that the body is plastic means that the gimbal isn’t overly heavy in weight. It still feels good in the hands though and really does feel like a quality item.This is a three axis gimbal. Each axis has its own manual lock switch. These will need to be set to the unlock setting before attempting to balance your camera. Also be aware that you need to balance the camera before turning the gimbal on. This is made very clear in the instructions. The instructions themselves are a little too small for my liking. I was unable to read them without my glasses on. Even with glasses on, the font size was quite small. I possibly would have liked to see the initial gimbal set up instructions printed on a separate piece of paper and maybe stuck to the inside of the case where they are easy to see. This would mean that you don’t have to go looking for them if you need a reminder when setting up your camera.Setup isn’t the clearest by any means. The pictoral instructions aren’t the clearest to follow and I struggled finding the mounting plate and the mounting screw - everything arrives in random bags and I had to go through them to find what I was looking for. Clearly labelled random bags would have been preferrable! Top tip at this stage - stand the camera on the included tripod stand. Job done! I like to keep the camera strap attached to my camera. Not possible when on the gimbal. The strap deffo needs to come off. I might shop around for some quick release clips so I can re-attach the strap quickly when its not on the gimbal.Even once I’d found what appeared to be the mounting plate, I was still struggling…..I then found the card with the QR code to the YouTube mounting tutorial. As I said in the previous paragraph, this could and should be a lot clearer, rather than just thrown in with other pieces of paper and cards. The setup really should be front and centre of the experience. Whilst this isn’t hardware related, the manufacturer could do better here and massively improve the initial experience.Even once you get to the video, things don’t get any easier. Even then things were confusing as the instructions for attaching the camera to the gimbal were hard to find. After scrubbing through the video, I finally found them under the chapter heading ‘Horizontal Camera Installation’. The first thing this shows are the required accessories. None of these are explained and one part isn’t even used in the video! Once you’ve found and followed these instructions, you’re expecting the next stage of the video to cover ‘balancing the gimbal’. Not the case. The video then jumps to ‘Switching the Camera to vertical mode’. Twenty minutes later and I was still struggling to find the video instructions on balancing the gimbal. Again, there are infographics in the paper instructions, but they are very hard to follow. Eventually, I gave up on the dreadful video instructions and did a generic Youtube search. This turfed up another official manufacturer video which didn’t even come up when I scanned the QR code in the case. This was for a different model and while it helped a bit, it wasn’t ideal. It seems that it wasn’t just me who was confused and the frustration is reflected in the Youtube comments section! The whole thing was totally shambolic and a horrendous experience.After about an hour, I think I had the camera balanced, although not completely convinced. What had started off as a really positive experience during the unboxing, had degenerated into a hair pullingly frustrating set up experience. I am pretty technically minded, but this experience was (and still is) pretty bad. Had I purchased this, I might well be considering initiating a return at this stage. If the set up is this long winded every time, then it’s certainly not a particularly user friendly product.Once turned on, there is a small screen on the handle. There are also small LEDs on the handle labelled P, R and T. The assumption is that these relate tompan, roll and tilt. The lights can be toggled on and off using the power on/off button next to them. I couldn’t discern what difference they made turned off or on. None of this is made clear in the instructions.Once you’ve finished using it (assuming that you actually manage to get it set up in the first place), you will need to deconstruct everything in order to pack it down - That includes the plate that is screwed to the bottom of your camera, as well as all of the plates that attach to the different axis. The gimbal won’t fit back in the case with these attached. This will add even more time to your setup and takedown before and after a shoot.This really does feel as if an okay product is completely spoilt by the user experience. The paper instructions are confusing and missing certain information and the online video instructions are all over the place. As this is an integral part of the experience, I am inclined to mark this product down because of this. After about an hour and. half of my time wasted, I don’t really feel any more confident in how to use it. If I was taking this on a shoot, I would want to be able to set it up and go, without having to think too much. As things stand, I really wouldn’t feel comfortable or confident relying on this. It’s a shame, as I really wanted to like this. If I was spending my hard earned money on a mirrorless camera gimbal, I’d probably be inclined to opt for DJI. You know where they are as a manufacturer. I never did find an official gimbal balancing video guide for mirrorless cameras on the SCORP Mini 3 Pro. Brain officially boggled!!!