It’s likely that you’ve seen or used it at one point when shooting an outdoor footage. A gimbal is a handheld camera accessory that prevents your device from shaking when taking action images in a tense outdoor. It features an adjustable system with powerful motors. Whenever the device detects motion in form of vibrations, the motors clear them right away. This means that you are able to shoot stable and quality action pictures amid the shakiness.
There are different gimbals out there and they come in different designs. One important factor that separates the designs is the axis system. Generally, there are two designs: the 2-axis and the 3-axis gimbals. When looking at the 2-axis vs 3-axis camera handheld gimbals, there are features that the latter possess, and this makes many users assume that its designs are better than the former. This is a misconception that needs to be corrected. Having said that, here are the basics that separate the two designs:
- Axis and Motor
The 2-axis gimbals feature two axes (roll and pitch) and two motors. The axes enable the device to roll and twist while maintaining stability. On the other hand, the 3-axis gimbals have three axes (roll, pitch, and yaw) and more motors.
- Control and Monitor
The 2-axis gimbals are generally easier to control and monitor when shooting footages. You can control the movements in a more flexible way. This is slightly hard when using the 3-axis gimbals in the initial stages but you can get used to it after a while.
- Weight and Cost
Due to the extra motors, the 3-axis gimbals are generally heavier than the 2-axis designs. They also have more powerful batteries, which at times affect their prices (making them costlier). For example, the best 3-axis GoPro gimbals weigh more than their 2-axis counterparts and costs much more.
- Video Stability
The 3-axis gimbals are known to enable better and efficient video stability. This is because of the three axes. The 2-axis gimbals do not have the extra axis (yaw) to facilitate improved footage stability.
Bottom-line
Like any other item or product out there in the market, both the two axes have their fair share of pros and cons. So, your best DSLR handheld gimbals may not be someone else. The choice of whether to use 2-axis or 3-axis camera handheld gimbal, therefore, boils down to your personal preferences.
