Cinema-quality videos with your phone - Funsnap Capture 5 gimbal test
If your phone's camera is suitable for normal 4K recordings, but vibration reduction is useless. If you want to add a little extra creativity to your shots, a normal gimbal is a difficult investment to avoid. In this article, you were introduced to such a structure.
Don't miss my video test either!
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Introductory
I remembered that he used to visit me with a Funsnap gimbal, and he really did. In addition, I was surprised to see that it was practically my last classic gimbal test, which will be 6 years since it was completed this year.
It's amazing how time flies, recalling the test, I remember that I went with him to the Budakesz wildlife park, I was still pushing my sons in strollers. Now they go to school in the fall. It's really strange to think how much time has passed.
But these almost six years left a visible mark not only on my children (and on me), but also on the world around us. Phones have developed a lot, but not only them, gimbals too. I read the Funsnap Capture 3 test with a smile, and while I was thinking about how poor the technology of that time was in today's eyes, and of course how much lower our expectations of a gimbal were back then.
I'm not saying it was a bad machine, but you understand, it was different. To say the least, its engines were so weak that the unfortunate machine could no longer cope with the weight of the slightly larger Xiaomi MIX 3.
It's also interesting that the list of abilities didn't increase in a crazy way. However, it is certainly a big change that some of the capabilities that were then only available through software (via the phone software) are now available as gimbal capabilities (that is, half as much hardware). And, of course, the number of controls on the handle has increased, which shows the massive expansion of possibilities in the field of video recording.
After reading the article from 6 years ago, I came to the conclusion that, in terms of hardware, the 3rd series was not unpleasantly bad, even with today's eyes. However, I recalled the memories of the software, which had a few orbital suctions. For this reason, in the case of Capture 5, I was not interested in the hardware, but rather in the software. Of course, during the test it turned out that it will be worth paying attention to the hardware, but I will write about this in the experience section.
For this article, I will stick to the usual structure, i.e. after the just completed introduction, I will write down the list of abilities, the experiences will come at the end!
Specification
Just like the triple version I had in the past, the fifth version is also a three-axis gimbal. Two-axis cameras are relatively rare, but if you come across one, avoid them, because I think 3-axis cameras are the best when it comes to moving the camera (i.e. the phone).
The piece I received was labeled "with AI Active tracke module", which means we get a motion tracking module supported by artificial intelligence. Of course, this is the more expensive part, the software-only solution without AI is cheaper by about HUF 18, so you can consider whether you need advanced gesture control, even more advanced object or face tracking.
This structure already has very strong motors, of course, by strong you should understand that it is strong compared to a phone gimbal. Along with this, the weight of the used phone can reach 450 grams, which already means a rugged phone category. It can be used for many types of phones, the width of the device can be between 50-90 millimeters, and the thickness is a maximum of 13 millimeters. In other words, the device is compatible with the majority of smartphones available today.
It is quite strange that we find such a text in the specification: Embedded LCD function display screen, 6 shooting modes visualized display. On the other hand, there is not a single broken LCD display on the device. On the other hand, there is a mode indicator with a green light behind the inscriptions, depending on the mode in which the device is used.
From the English text above, it can already be guessed that we have to choose from 6 modes. These are the following:
- Heading follow (PF)
- 2 Axis follow (F)
- Lock (L)
- All follow (POV)
- Sports (S)
- Inception modes (V)
Later I will tell you which one is what, for now it will be enough to say that the gimbal has 6 operating modes.
Of course, it can be used with our phone via a Bluetooth connection, for which you need to download the program called Capture 2. This is available for both Android and iOS. The above 6 modes affect the operation of the gimbal, in addition to these, we get another 9 operating modes that can be selected from the software. These are the following:
- Automatic recording,
- Gesture control,
- Face/person/object tracking,
- Photo
- Panorama video
- Move in and Move Out effects
- Times sheet
- Template mode
- Live tracking
Don't be afraid, I'll write about these as well, because not all of them are clearly understandable just by seeing the name.
Let's get back to the actual hardware. The weight of the Capture 5 is 550 grams, which is a little more than half a kilo. Added to this will be the weight of your phone, which you will have to use while holding it in one hand. It could be less, but knowing that there is also a 5200 mAh capacity (5V) battery in the product, it would have been difficult to get it out of a smaller weight.
The manufacturer says that this 5200 mAh capacity will be enough for the gimbal to work for 18 hours. For this, of course, it must be well balanced. I will write about this later (the later is getting a bit much, I will be forced to go into the experiences soon).
Accessories are coming!
The first and I think the most important in this package is the tracking module, which is a small gray box with an optical sensor (aka. camera). It has a USB Type-C connector (male), which must be connected to the upper arm of the gimbal (female). It can be turned towards us or in the opposite direction, depending on the direction of the face or object to be followed, or from which direction we want to control with our hand signals.
We also get a whole French lamp, which is held in place by a magnet. We also get two small steel plates that can be glued to different parts of the gimbal, so the lamp just needs to be snapped on with the magnet. This is a good little lamp, the brightness can be adjusted in 5 levels and the color temperature in 5 levels (2500-7500K). The lamp itself is battery-powered.
We also get a mini tripod on which the gimbal can be set up. Anyway, there are 2 standard threads on the gimbal itself, with which we can put it on a pole or screw other accessories, plus a support arm, a microphone stand, etc.
Last but not least, we also get a free bag in the package, which protects our gimbal from bumps and dust, this is also a really good piece.
So far, I think we are good, we have a lot of skills, a lot of opportunities, we just have to use them.
First of all (although I think this is clear), we need to clarify that if your phone has a crappy camera, a gimbal will not help. With such a phone + gimbal pair, you will achieve a stutter-free recording, but if the quality of the picture was crap, it will remain as crappy as before.
It is also important to remember that you will only be able to use all the capabilities of Capture 5 if the application is running on your phone. Running the application is resource-intensive, that is, if you have an old and already weak, stuttering phone, then running the extra app will eat up the resources and will result in completely unusable recordings, if the phone does not freeze before the recording is started.
To sum it up, 3-4 or a maximum of 5 years older, stronger mid-range phone, or 1-2 year old lower mid-range phone is the minimum.
Let's see the specific use!
- The first thing we should do is to download and install an app called Capture2 on our phone. This, as I wrote, is available for both Android and iOS. I will not describe the installation process, there is nothing extra that would complicate the matter.
Of course, Bluetooth must be turned on on the phone, after that, if the app is running and the gimbal is turned on, the pairing will take place and the party can begin. But before you turn on the gimbal, the second important step comes!
The second thing we should do is balance the gimbal with our phone. The point is that the upper arm that holds the phone should be horizontal even when the motors are not working. I mentioned above that according to the factory data, the thing can work for many, many hours on a single charge, but this requires balancing, because if you do this, one of the motors hardly needs to work, so it doesn't really consume electricity.
Balancing consists of loosening a small lever, then moving the upper part that holds the phone, sliding it to the right or left. If the horizontal position is established, the small lever is pulled.
- Two and a half steps is the placement of the motion sensor, but as I wrote above, this only consists of connecting the sensor to the Type-C connector.
- As a third step, I recommend that you screw the tripod onto the gimbal, put the phone in place, set the whole thing on the tripod on your desk, and turn it on NOW.
So now it stands comfortably on the table, you don't have to hold it with one hand, you can comfortably try the settings.
What's worth seeing?
First of all, I recommend the software settings, here you can try face tracking, object tracking, gesture control and the various effects. You will also find scene modes, these are templates. Similar to this, Xiaomi phones also have pre-programmed cuts and leads. In other words, you just start the recording, the cuts and effects are inserted into the recording by a software. You can easily make spectacular videos this way.
I may have to explain the Timelapse, Photo and Panorama modes. However, there is a Move in and Move Out effect, which are interesting. In short, the name covers the fact that, for example, while you move the camera away from the subject, the zoom constantly approaches it. It's hard to say this verbally, but imagine something like that, even if the camera moves away, the size of the object or face does not change due to the zoom, but the background does due to the greater distance. In this way, a special depth effect can be achieved in the videos. It's really quite spectacular!
Live Tracking, which essentially means live broadcasting on various social platforms, remains interesting. In other words, you start the live broadcast, and then standing in front of the phone's camera you can move around, come and go, the gimbal and thus the phone's camera will follow you. It's a bit like having a complete crew take you on the air while you're working all by yourself.
Of course, there are many other software things, you can set the white balance manually, you can use automatic modes, and there are a lot of other little things that are all worth trying. Among the filters, I liked the sketch the best, it's as if everything that comes in front of the camera is drawn. You too, and this can even be done live, or you could even record a video this way. Interesting!
Let's move on from software things to hardware things, that is, to the controls!
On the left is a scroll wheel. With this, you can zoom very finely and evenly or set the focus distance manually. You can switch between the two modes by pressing the dial. There is a small joystick in front of you, with which you can manually turn the phone in four directions. There's a button you can use to switch between selfie mode and traditional mode, or more simply, it flips the phone so the rear cameras face you.
If you press this button not once, but twice in quick succession, the phone will go into portrait mode, i.e. this is the typical TikTok view. On the front above the grip there is a small trigger, the operation of which already takes you to the typical gimbal modes, at least if you press it twice. Once, it just resets your phone. On the other hand, if you press it once, the movement changes from closed to open, and when you press it again, it switches back. This function is very useful, because you don't have to stop the recording if you want the phone's camera to be completely stable, looking in one direction, or to turn horizontally and vertically together with your hand.
Among the 6 typical modes of use mentioned above are fully open, semi-open and fully closed modes.
- In the fully open mode, no matter how you turn, no matter how you tilt your hand, the camera will always be in one direction.
- In the half-open mode, the lateral movements will be open, that is, in this case, even if you tilt your hand to the side, the camera position will not change, but if you want to "look" up or down, you can do so with the camera. So the horizontal direction is open, the vertical direction is closed.
- In fully closed mode, wherever you turn your hand, the camera will follow the movement, so it will be almost as if you were holding the phone in your hand. Almost!
Almost, because even if the directions are half or completely closed, the gimbal eliminates the angularity and shaking of the hand rotation. If you turn with the gimbal (and your phone), the phone follows your or your hand's turn a little later and with a gentle movement, if you stop while turning, the phone, camera, and recording do not stop suddenly, but slow down nicely and stops.
These methods are necessary for your recording to look cinematic, for the camera to float in the air following the subject or subject.
You may be wondering what it was like to use the Funsnap Capture 5 gimbal!
Maybe I won't surprise anyone by saying it's good! This gimbal is no longer just a toy, if you have a phone with a really valuable camera, you can make truly professional shots. I've been making videos myself for a few years now, I've watched a lot of YouTube tutorial videos on the subject over the years, and I can say that Funsnap Capture 5 can even be interpreted as a semi-professional solution.
It is very important to mention that a gimbal is not a panacea by itself. In order to achieve fabulous results, it will not be enough to turn on and start the recording, it will be worth looking into whether you will be able to create perfect transitions and effects that require minimal editing. Because with the help of Funsnap Capture 5, you will be able to do just that. It's worth looking at different types of movements, such as holding your hands, walking, squatting or standing up while recording. Proper movement and proper gimbal movement will be the key to making sure that using Funsnap Capture 5 doesn't just consist of not swinging your footage while running or walking.
In this article, I didn't talk about the obvious capabilities such as vibration reduction and the elimination of undulations while walking, but these are basic things that every normal gimbal should know. Funsnap's structure also fulfills these tasks perfectly.
It is also very important that the phone software is finally good. Fortunately, the anomalies experienced in my previous Funsnap test are now a thing of the past. the program is clear, essentially like a good camera software on your phone, but of course with a thousand special features added to a basic camera app.
Summary
I won't write much anymore, just that Funsnap Capture 5 is a very well done piece. If pin-point face tracking, object tracking, and precisely functioning gesture control are important, then don't save, buy the more expensive package. I warmly recommend this to those who, like me, want to delve a little more seriously into the creation of video materials for social platforms. For them, this gimbal can replace an extra cameraman.
The price is good. I'm not saying it's the cheapest, because there are cheaper gimbals out there, but compared to its knowledge and capabilities, it's definitely worth considering among the cheap ones. In short, the price-performance ratio for Funsnap Capture 5 is excellent!
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