I had a chance to get my hands on the newly announced Moza Mini Mi smartphone gimbal, so I have to show you guys how it looks and share my first thoughts 🙂 Lately I was on a small 4 days trip shooting for Explore Poland project and I was able to make a few shots with the Mini MI, too. We got some nature and animals, but you’ll see everything in the video 😉
Unfortunately there is no Android App yet for the gimbal so I have to wait with the full review. There are tons of cool features in the app like object tracking, focus control, timelapse etc. For now, they released only iOS app. It’s always easier for developers to make an iOS app so it’s first. However the gimbal is totaly usable without the app, so I was able to get some footage. So, check out the video and then below I listed all the advantages and disadvantages I found in the first few days of using.
You can also check out my previous review of the Moza AirCross gimbal: Pan-Tilt Timelapse Head Replacement? Moza AirCross REVIEW
As you should know (and if anyone is trying to tell you that it’s different – he’s lying ;)), every gear has strong and weak points. Let’s talk about the Mini Mi. What are the advantages of this gimbal over the other devices?
- Comfortable, ergonomic grip. That’s my no. 1. Seriously, I was really impressed with that. Before I got the gimbal, I’ve seen only the pictures on the Internet – and let’s say I wasn’t a fan of how the grip looks from the front 😉 It was kind of weird, like a regular grip that got too fat 😛 As soon as I got the gimbal I finally saw why it’s like that. They were trying to do something different from the others. The grip, that’s really comfortable to hold – and I love that 🙂 Every one hand gimbal should have such handle.
- Wireless phone charging. You can wirelessly charge your phone while working with the gimbal. And for me it’s huge, because in such setup it’s important to keep it simple – without additional cables. Unfortunately I can’t test it, because my phone doesn’t have it, but for sure my next will have wireless charging 🙂 Of course I can use a standard USB cable to charge the phone from the gimbal.
- External power source while working. Just like in the Aircross gimbal, but simplified 🙂 In AirCross you need some specific cable to charge the gimbal during the work. Here, you just plug any powerbank (with micro USB cable). The battery of the gimbal is very good, however I assume that it can be useful if you power your phone with the gimbal 😉
- Price. It’s one of the cheapest gimbals priced at 109$. Of course just like any other gimbals at this price point (Osmo Mobile 2 or Zhiuyn Smooth 4 or Q) the grip and a few parts are made with plastic to keep it cheaper.
That were the strong points of this gimbal. Now, what I think could be better?
- No Android app yet. As an Android user I will always complain if someone doesn’t release both apps together 😉
- Roll arm can’t hide behind the yaw arm making the gimbal small and flat (shown in the video). I just wish it could be done, so the gimbal would be a little smaller to carry around. Still I was able to put it inside my pocket (the handle was outside ;)), but then the case would be smaller.
- No 360 degrees working range for pitch and roll & plastic handle – these two I group toghether, because those are things that I don’t mind 😉 For this price I don’t need 360 deg in pitch and roll. Also, if the handle would be aluminium it would be of course more expensive and it wouldn’t be such ergonomicly designed.
So, that’s all for now. I hope to get the Android App as soon as possible, but there is no release date yet. Don’t forget to enable notifications, so you won’t miss the full review! Just click the little red bell in bottom left corner.
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