In this article, we are going to be going over our Feiyutech A1000 review. Although it is a relatively newer gimbal to the market it is quickly managing to grow its own core customer base of photographers pulling them away from the other brands such as Zhiyun, DJI, and Moza.
It’s attractive low price, excellent build quality, high amount of functionality, and continuous customer support that goes above and beyond that of competing brands has managed to earn the Feiyutech A1000 an excellent reputation within the photography and videography communities very quickly. At the time of writing, the Feiyutech A1000 is available in the two following configurations:-
- The FeiyuTech Feiyu A1000 Single Grip (Click here to check for product prices and availability).
- The FeiyuTech Feiyu A1000 Dual Grip Frame (Click here to check for product prices and availability).
If you do choose to initially go with the FeiyuTech Feiyu A1000 Standard Handle variant you are able to purchase the dual grip frame (Click here to check for product prices and availability) at a later date anyway should you choose to.
Although the FeiyuTech A1000 is kind of seen as a budget competitor to the DJI Ronin S (Click here to check for product prices and availability) due to it currently costing around a third of the price of the DJI Ronin S we don’t think that this is a fair way to look at the A1000. Yes it is much cheaper than the DJI product but for the majority of entry-level, amateur, and part-time photographers/videographers, the functionality of the FeiyuTech A1000 will be able to meet the vast majority of your needs while leaving you with plenty of cash in your budget to spend on other equipment such as lenses.
Table of Contents
What Does The FeiyuTech A1000 Work With
Getting on with our Feiyu A1000 gimbal review, we will now be taking a look at the various camera setups that the gimbal can work with. With a maximum operating load of 1700 grams, you can use either of the following products as well as some pretty hefty lenses without having any issues with stability of vibration compensation.
At the time of writing, the FeiyuTech A1000 will natively work with:-
- Sony A7s
- Sony RX100 Series
- Sony A6000
- Sony A6300
- Sony A6500
- GoPro Hero 5
- Go Pro Hero 6
- Yi 4k Action Camera
- Panasonic Lumix GH4
- iPhone 6 through to iPhone X
- Android Smartphones with 4.7-5.7 inch displays
In addition to these there are also a number of third-party adaptors that can increase the number of cameras the gimbal works with but at the time of writing, there are no official camera adaptors released by FeiyuTech. You can click here to check if any new cameras have been added to the supported list at the time you are reading this Feiyutech A1000 review.
There are also a number of hacks being published online each month for various cameras that allow you to use the Feiyutech A1000 with cameras that are officially not supported. The video below is an example of one such hack that will get the A1000 to work with the Fuji X T2 that is not officially supported at the time of writing. If by chance, you are a Fuji X T2 user then our full guide on the best gimbal for the Fuji X T2 may help you choose the right gimbal for you.
What’s In The Box
No Feiyu gimbal review would be complete without covering what’s actually included in the box as standard with your purchase.
At the time of writing, the box contains the following:-
- Feiyu A1000 Gimbal
- Gimbal Handle
- Hard storage and transport case
- 4 x 18650 Batteries (2 active, 2 spares)
- Battery Charger
- Mini tripod
- Mini tripod mount for GoPro Hero 5/6
- Smartphone bracket (iPhone 6-iPhone X and Android screens 4.7-5.7 supported)
- USB cable
- HolaFoto Magic Arm Adapter
- S2 shutter cable for Sony cameras
- L1 control cable for Panasonic cameras
- N3 control cable for Canon cameras
- Instruction manual
Show Us Some Sample Footage
The independent video below shows some excellent examples of recording video using the FeiyuTech Feiyu A1000 as well as some comparisons to other cameras too.
Tell Us About The Gimbal Handle
One of the most popular things about the Feiyutech A1000 is the fat and short gimbal handle that helps balance your rig well. The handle is rubberized, comfortable, and easy to hold for extended periods of time without the need to keep taking breaks for continuous recording.
The handle of the gimbal is easy to attach to the actual gimbal frame too. All you have to do is line up the four prongs on the handle, push them into the gimbal frame and then screw the two together to secure and lock them in position.
The tripod attachment at the base of the Feiyutech A1000s handle is even easier to use. Simply line up the threads of the handle and the included mini tripod and screw them together. Additionally, if you want a wider tripod, there are various third-party ones that will work with the Feiyutech A1000 directly.
The handle also contains the two 18650 Batteries that are required to power the gimbal at any given time. Two fully charged batteries are able to power the gimbal for up to twelve hours without the need to charge or swap out the batteries. Keep in mind, a heavier camera/lens rig on the gimbal will run the batteries down quicker.
We have also seen a number of third-party power pack solutions starting to enter the market for the A1000. In our honest opinion, we feel you should just use the battery system supplied with the gimbal. There are too many horror stories going around about third-party power systems for all types of products. Although the Feiyutech A1000 is at the cheaper end of the gimbal price points, it’s better to keep it then have problems with it due to using a $20 power pack trying to get a few extra hours of usage out of it when you get a set of spare batteries in the box anyway.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of The Feiyutech A1000!
Click Here To Check For Prices Of The Feiyutech A1000!
Tell Us About The Controls On The Handle
One of our favorite things about the Feiyutech A1000 is its control system and how it has managed to keep up with the DJI Ronin S’ “next-gen” control system of everything being easy to reach and easy to do without letting the price of the A1000 increase.
The handle of the A1000 comes with a four-button control system. Three buttons are on the front of the handle (as shown in the image below) and one button is on the back. On the front of the handle from top to bottom of the button system, you have the gimbal joystick, the power/mode button, and the capture button at the bottom.
The joystick button is actually very responsive and allows you to control where your camera is pointing using just your finger on the handle. Additionally, the joystick buttons controls can be switched to reverse the joystick controls for people who prefer the inverse control system.
The power/mode button is used for the on/off power functionality of the gimbal as well as flicking through the various modes quickly. The gimbals default mode, when powered on, is mode 1, the pan and tilt mode where the gimbal will follow your pan and tilt while keeping your camera stabilized.
Mode 2 is the lock camera mode and is achieved by double pressing the mode button in quick succession. This will essentially lock the camera in position allowing you to move the gimbal handle around while keeping the camera locked in position giving you more direct control.
For example, you may be using the Feiyutech A1000 to record a wedding and you follow the bride down a hallway before she walks down a spiral staircase. You follow her down the hallway with the gimbal in pan and tilt mode, she starts walking down the stairway and then you swap to camera lock mode to look down over the top of the staircase to look directly down while she walks without the gimbal trying to correct the recording.
Mode 3 on the gimbal is selfie mode and you achieve this by treble pressing the mode button in quick succession. This will quickly flip the camera through one hundred and eighty degrees to face you allowing you to record yourself.
An example of when you may want to use this is if you are vlogging and recording something in front of you while walking. You can then treble press the mode button to focus on your face and talk about what you have just recorded.
Capture button on the handle is used to activate some of the controls on the camera you have attached but will require you to have either the S2, L1 or N3 cables attached to both the gimbal and your camera.
The reset button on the read of the handle is used to correct the modes. For example, say you are running the A1000 in selfie mode, you can press the reset button on the rear of the handle to have the gimbal flip the camera through one hundred and eighty degrees again to face forward.
Tell Us About The Gimbal Frame
Moving on with our Feiyutech A1000 gimbal review we will not be taking a look at the actual gimbal frame/head. As we mentioned earlier, the gimbal is officially able to support a camera and lens load of 1700 grams but we have seen people push this and report no loss of stabilization.
The gimbal itself when fully built with the handle attached only weights 2650 grams so it is light enough for most people to use for extended periods of time without any discomfort. Unlike many other three axis gimbals, even at higher price points, the angled camera support arm allows you to view your cameras LCD screen without blocking it.
It couldn’t be easier to attach your camera to the gimbal head either. Simply press the main button on the frame to release the plate. Place your camera on the plate and then place it back on the gimbal head and tighten the screws as required. Full instructions are in the provided instruction manual if you require any further assistance.
The Feiyutech A1000 couldn’t be easier to calibrate either. The top of the range algorithm is able to quickly calibrate the gimbal on startup within seconds. All you have to do is power up the gimbal with your camera and lens mounted and wait five to fifteen seconds. The automatic identification algorithm will detect the weight of your camera and lens and adjust the amount of motor control applied by the gimbal.
The anti-shake algorithm is also second to none and has recently been improved via a patch to improve the energy requirements of the Feiyutech A1000 when in use. It allows you to record some extremely smooth footage with minimal vibration or shake very easily.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of The Feiyutech A1000!
Click Here To Check For Prices Of The Feiyutech A1000!
Tell Us About A1000 App Support
Next up in our Feiyutech Feiyu A1000 review is the mobile phone app that you can download to your phone. The app allows you to quickly and easily edit a number of settings and parameters for your Feiyutech A1000 on the fly.
The app also can be used as a virtual remote control for the gimbal allowing you to take control of your camera in a similar way that you would use the joystick on the handle. If you notice any vibration in your video recording then you are able to quickly load up the app and adjust the motor dynamics as required.
Finally, there have been a number of comments about the translation of the app into English. Some of the wording in places can make it a little difficult to understand what you are about to do but a patch to improve the wording on the app has been confirmed and is expected any time now.
The image below is of the main screen of the Feiyutech A1000 smartphone app. Although it looks basic, it gives a surprisingly high amount of control over your A1000 considering it is such a cheap gimbal. There are more expensive gimbal on the market that at the time of writing at least don’t even have app support.
Our Conclusion
We hope that our Feiyutech A1000 3-axis gimbal review has helped you better understand this little covered and underrated gimbal system. We feel that it is the perfect entry level or budget gimbal for anyone using one of the supported devices.
It is much cheaper than the current competing products at the time of writing while offering plenty of functionality that will meet the majority of entry-level videographers needs for a third of the price of some of the other gimbals out there.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of The Feiyutech A1000!
Click Here To Check For Prices Of The Feiyutech A1000!
