Feiyu Tech MiNi3D Pro gimbal review

I have heard for the first time about Feiyu Tech a few months ago when they announced this MiNi3D Pro 3 axis gimbal. Frankly, at least in photos, it seemed to be a product of high quality. I started to search for more information about it by looking for Feiyu Tech FY MiNi3D reviews and YouTube test videos. I almost never purchase a product without reading about it.

I received this 3 axis qimbal last week but I had to postpone my review because I went on a 3-days “team building” with a few of my friends fooling around with our quadcopters. I must admit that I had some risky flights among the walls of a medieval fortress and I almost lost my favorite quadcopter when it suddenly changed the flight direction. It was still worth it because finally, I had enough time to play with my X380 till I became bored and thirsty for a couple of beers :)

According to the number of motors, the camera gimbals can be categorized into 1, 2, or 3 axis gimbals. At the moment, the 2 axis gimbals are the most commonly used because they have the best functionality/price ratio. For high-demand aerial filming is absolutely recommended to use 3-axis gimbals like this MiNi 3D Pro.

Basically, a 3 axis brushless gimbal has 4 parts:

• Acceleration and gyro sensors;
• Mainboard (logical unit, power unit, and connectors);
• 3 pieces of brushless motors;
• Metal, carbon fiber of plastic frame.

A “Brushless Gimbal” has roughly two main functions: to keep the camera as stable as possible, to achieve motionless steady videos, and to allow remote control of the position of the camera in order to get the best point of view (POV).

FeiYu Tech FY MiNi3D Pro review. Best 3-axis gimbal?

This product was offered by Towns from Banggood for a fair review, thanks again for their professional attitude. On our preliminary discussions regarding the possibility to review a 3-axis gimbal, we talked about the previous non “Pro” version of the MiNi3D gimbal. There are only a few minor differences between these two models. The most visible differences are the smaller base mount and larger panning motor.

Feiyu Tech MiNi3D Pro review – First impressions

Inside the box I found the gimbal well protected by the sandwich of two smaller accessory boxes which contain the following:

• Metal strap for camera installation;
• Mounting base and 8 pieces of damping balls (6+2 extra);
• Micro USB cable and USB adapter for firmware upgrade;
• Main connector cable (Power, Video out, Mode switch, Tilt and Pan control)
• Female JST power cable;
• 2 pieces of 58-60 mm rail hooks (V hangar);

Holding it in my hand it feels extremely well built and lightweight. The designers from Feiyu Tech definitely made a good job because the neat wireless design and black finish offer a very professional look for this gimbal.

In order to obtain the best vibration reduction, instead of 4 rubber damping balls, the FY MiNi 3D Pro gimbal comes with 6. BTW, the package includes 2 extra of them, in case you lose one.

The MiNi3D Pro allows two different methods of installation. It can be installed using screws or two 58-60 mm rail hooks when the aircraft is equipped for this purpose with fiber carbon tubes.

Regarding the orientation of the gimbal, this can be installed in regular mode (hanging), vertical (inverted on the top of the aircraft), and frontal (forwarder). I just saw a video where this gimbal together with a GoPro 4 camera was installed reversely on a small racing quadcopter allowing to capture some truly amazing footage.

The camera frame is designed for GoPro 4, GoPro 3+, GoPro3 cams, but will accept any other action cameras with similar size and weight.

When is installed directly under the belly of the aircraft, the minimum ground clearance is about 95 mm. If you are planning to use the included rail hooks, you will need some taller landing skids because the required ground clearance will be approximately 130mm.

Although the package includes a USB cable and USB adapter which allows upgrading the firmware of the gimbal’s controller board, I didn’t find any updated file on the manufacturer’s website.

MiNi3D Pro 3 review – Operation modes

When the gimbal is connected through the “Mode switch” cable to the aircraft receiver board, it can be remotely switched between the following working modes:

• Panning follow mode (Heading mode) – This is the default working mode when the gimbal is powered ON and probably the most used one. The camera is permitted to pan left or right but vertical tilts and rolls are restricted. If you have the compatible hardware (free channel on TX/RX) the tilt angle of the camera can be adjusted remotely.
• Panning and tilting mode – The gimbal keeps the roll angle fixed while following the pitch and yaw angles of the aircraft. Again, the tilt angle is remotely controllable.
• Lock mode – All panning (heading), tilting, and rolls are restricted. The pan and tilt angle can be remotely adjusted. If your quadcopter is equipped with retractable landing skids, this is the best working mode to take some amazing 360-degree aerial panoramas.

MiNi3D Pro 3 review – Testing

The MiNi3D Pro gimbal accepts a wide range of input voltage (7-17V) and can be powered with 2s, 3s, or 4s Li-Po batteries. In order to test it, I installed on the gimbal my BlackView Hero 1 camera and I powered it up with a 2 cell Li-Po battery. After short initialization, the camera leveled perfectly and surprisingly quiet. In order to test the tilt and panning angle adjustments, I used a cheap servo tester which did a perfect job. Next time I’ll install the gimbal on one of my quadcopters to check how it performs in the air.

Because tomorrow is Christmas evening I should finish my review (for now) and help my son to decorate the Christmas tree. I promise that next week I will update this post with some test videos and more impressions regarding this gimbal.

Feiyu Tech FY MiNi 3D Pro review – Final words

This is my second gimbal and I can tell that the difference between the “Cheap FPV 2 axis Gimbal” and this MiNi3D Pro is significant. It is much better built, the mainboard is encapsulated in a metal box and no more wires around the motors. Also, it can be freely installed in almost any position. Of course, all these features have a price. For those interested to invest $176 in a high-quality 3-axis gimbal, it can be ordered from Banggood website here. In my opinion, if the price will drop a bit more it will definitely be a well-sold model.

FY MiNi 3D unboxing and test video

Pros

• Neat design;
• Suitable for multi-rotors, airplanes, and helicopters;
• Wide range of input voltage (7-17v);
• Control wires for tilt and panning;
• 3 different working modes;
• Working mode can be remotely switched;
• GoPro power and video cable;
• 6 dumping balls;

Cons

• None yet.
• No mode switch button;
• No calibration tool.

Images with the MiNi 3D Pro 3 axis gimbal