Zhiyun Z1-Rider-V2 3-Axis Multi Function Gimbal for the GoPro (Black)

I desperately wanted to give this gimbal 5 stars, but I did have the same issue that other reviewers have had. About a month after using the gimbal, the blue light on the controller stayed steady blue and would not respond.. If you moved the cable near the base of the gimbal, it would start functioning fine.So why 4 stars instead of 1-3? Well, I contacted the seller about warranty and/or repair and they referred me to the manufacturer. I contacted Zhiyun through their website and received a response a day or two later. After several emails back and forth requesting pictures, serial #, etc., I was told that I could send it back for repair (shipping at my cost) or they could send me another cable to repair it myself.I opted to have Zhiyun send me the cable figuring I was somewhat handy at these things. The gimbal came apart without any issues and I was pleasantly surprised at the build simplicity. When I came to the two ends of the cable at the base of the gimbal and controller, I found they were simple pin connectors. No soldering or anything.Now I am just waiting for confirmation that they will send the cable. Once received, I'll update.As far as the gimbal goes. I loved it. I set it up on a selfie stick with a small clamp to hold the controller and took it on a cruise. I had more people stopping me and asking what I had and where I had gotten it from. The gimbal and GoPro worked like a charm......when it worked. Prior to the cable issue, I had also rigged it up and put it on my motorcycle. That took a bit of engineering with the controller and the cable, but it also worked well.You Tube videos of it in action:Testing Gimbal:[...]Motorcycle: [...]So with that being said, I still love the gimbal, I wish the cable would not have malfunctioned. However, Zhiyun has been good about keeping in touch with me and working with me to get it repaired.Update:Zhiyun made good on their cable issue. They sent me a new cable at no extra cost and since installed, the gimbal has been working perfectly.

If you want to check out the awesome views I got check out this video I posted on my youtube channel, [...]. It's very smooth and lasts long enough to capture a days worth of hiking however there are times when the gimbal goes apes*** and starts flipping around crazy because it tries to go a full 360 degrees and gets stuck then doesn't know what to do. sometimes the buttons dont work for a few minutes and I mess around with the cables to make sure it's not the wires and then it works fine again. not sure whats up with these little glitches but when that's not happening and it's on a full charge Its amazing. i love the smoothness of the video, almost looks like the Phantom drones and the way they shoot. I haven't tried it with the hero4 since i use the hero3 but it's still good enough for me at the moment. I would have given this product 5 stars if it wasn't for the minor glitches im having.EDIT: It's now Oct and my return window has run out for this product. I believe something is wrong with the wired because the buttons no longer work which means I can't make the gimble go fully on. It's no longer functional so I'm going to see if I still have a manufacturers warranty - otherwise my next option will be maybe putting new wires on there to see if it will help.

Have been using this constantly with the Hero 4 Silver, primarily affixed to a 'chesty' mount. The pair of 18350 batteries easily outlast one GoPro battery in the camera. I especially like the fine control with the hand held remote and the 37 inch long control cable. Have been out tearing up forest trails on the 4x4 atv and the video I've shot is incredibly smooth and pleasant to watch. This totally removes any annoying jitter, wobbles and bouncing. The video looks like the camera is floating with the horizon. Definitely one of the best accessory items for the GoPro Hero 4 Black or Silver.**Addendeum - after 60 days of use, the gimbal just went haywire. It's never over-heated, never been exposed to rain/moisture or high humidity. I've never used it longer than 90 minutes (about the time it takes to fill up a 32gb micro SD card with GoPro video. It simply cannot be calibrated using a manual method, because the handheld remote 'blue light' is all funky acting now. No repetitive blinking/flashing as indicated in Zhiyun's horribly written calibration procedures. Also, their calibration software (version 1.1.3) never actually allows me to enter into the calibration mode. My computer(s) can connect to the application through COM port 4 or 3, but the application itself is a major fail. Don't expect much assistance from China either. So, far, they are suggesting I ship it back to them and basically hope for the best. for 60 days, it was perfect - helped with gorgeous fluid video collection. Then POOF...it quits working and cannot be recalibrated. So, if it can't be calibrated and it no longer works... is that a good thing? LOL, learned my lesson on this technology - too soon, and too cheap and too China.

I found this Z1-Rider2 a very well engineered gimbal and made to a very high standard. It worked straight out of the box with my GoPro Hero4 Black. The instruction manual is in English and very easy to follow. I have used it a couple of times so far and am very pleased with it's performance and have a lot of plans for it in up-and-coming projects. Having the standard GoPro fitting makes for a very flexible rig. Haven't tested the batteries to see how long they last but so far haven't stopped me from getting a good 2-3 hours of continuous shooting, except for the GoPro's batteries which had to be changed twice. A lead is supplied with the gimbal to attach the camera to the gimbal battery supply, but haven't tried that yet. The only gripe I have is when I attempt to go on the Zhiyun website to download the calibration software my anti virus warns me it's a dangerous site and won't let me on. I don't know what the problem is but Zhiyun really need to do something about this ASAP. Other than this little gripe, the gimbal is superb and takes GoPro shooting to the next level, giving me beautiful silky smooth shots. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending anyone to buy this gimbal, especially considering its low price.

I use this at every opportunity and it is so much fun! From vlogs to music videos (I haven't dared to use it on any extreme sports yet, but I will) this item is fantastic, especially for the price! I have used it with my GoPro hero3 with and without the attachable screen and also my soocoo F23. The controller is so easy to use and change with settings you have it on or tilt the camera. It comes so naturally after a short while.I'm building up the confidence to use it for something more extreme. I've used it to record my band practice attached to a GoPro head mount and that works really well. Want an excuse to try it on my chest mount now. In actual fact I just want an excuse to use it at every opportunity. I love this machine and for the price you can't go far wrong!

This gimbal is absolutely brilliant. It makes my videos so much more stable and watchable.I chose this 1 so I can attach it to my existing mounts, but I mainly use it on my gopole with the remote zip tied to the handle

Works well so far, have managed some stunning shots that would not have worked without the stabiliser.

This is a great gimbal for the price. We use it for mountain bike videos and it does a great job