Gimbal for Poweshot SX740 HS

[Emilio2000]

I understand that there are several gimbals available that might accommodate my Powershot SX740 HS, but are there any gimbals that would allow me to start and stop the video recording using a switch on the gimbal itself? Without that, it is very cumbersome to operate the camera.  I need it for skiing.  If I have to operate the camera directly, that means I first have to take off my ski gloves, start the recording, then put my gloves back on and then start the actual shooting. This means a lot of wasted footage that I will have to cut out later in editing, and all this is time consuming.

I found a 3-in-1 gimbal that works with light cameras, a smartphone or an action camera, but for most cameras it's just a dumb stabilizer. The control buttons on the gimbal work only with Sony cameras.  Why can't Canon come up with a gimbal that can control a Canon camera?  Or is there one on the market  that I don't know about?

The gimbal I am talking about looks like this. It's perfect for my needs, but it only controls a Sony camera. It is from hohem.  

Is there something like this for Canon Powershot cameras?

Gimbal controls Sony camera

[Commercial link removed per forum guidelines. Thanks for including the screenshot!]

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

The model you chose, hohem i-steady multi will hold your camera, but as you discovered, is otherwise useless.

I'd consider another canon camera model.  One that supports remote control, focus, on/off control.  DJI makes some of the best gimbals in the industry.  Also Zhiyun-Tech, Feiyu and Manfrotto.

Your camera is the limiting factor here.  In the end, you are going to need another model if you want a gimbal to control the camera.   

[Emilio2000 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your reply, Rick.   I suspected that the Powershot SX740 HS doesn't have the capability to be controled by a gimbal.  But there is no way of knowing if any other Canon camera has that capability, because gimbal control is never ever mentioned in any of the cameras' descriptions.

Also, I really don't need a top of the line large professional camera.  The Powershot cameras are perfectly good for me.  It's just a pity that they cannot be controled with a gimbal.  That's a big weakness of compact portable Canon cameras.  

I hope somebody at Canon will read this, because I will never buy a larger camera that doesn't fit in my pocket, but I will always need a gimbal, .... and Canon doesn't seem interested in providing this capability.  So, it seems that the obvious solution is to look for a Sony camera, which does work with the gimbal.  Notice that the Sony camera in the picture is a small camera comparable to the Powershot SX740.  If Sony can do it, why can't Canon?

I would prefer to get a Canon camera, because I have been a Canon customer for decades, but if Canon doesn't have anything to offer, there is no other solution but to go with Sony.

[Waddizzle]

“I would prefer to get a Canon camera, because I have been a Canon customer for decades, but if Canon doesn't have anything to offer, there is no other solution but to go with Sony.”  

I think you that just need to use a camera that supports remote shooting, which is what a gimbal is effectively doing.  Nearly all current Canon cameras with interchangeable lenses support remote shooting.  

BTW, this is true across the board for all of the major manufacturers.  Cameras with interchangeable lenses will usually support remote shooting.  Cameras without interchangeable lenses typically do not support remote shooting.

[EDIT]. You need to check with the gimbal manufacturer to see which cameras are compatible with a specific gimbal.  The camera manufacturers are not responsible for compatibility with third party products.

[Emilio2000]

Thanks for your input Waddizzle. I appreciate it.

The problem is that Canon assumes that only people who own cameras with interchangeable lenses would be interested in a gimbal.  But I don't want a big camera like that.  I needa camera that can always be with me in my pocket or attached to my belt, and that means a camera such as the Powershot series.

I need the gimbal to steady my video when engaging in action sports, especially skiing.  The current Powershot series of cameras always produve a very shakyt video no matter how gently I try to ski.

I thought about purchasing a Hero action camera, but that one seems a bit too specialized for me.  I am really looking for a more universal camera that I can use for both stills and videos, and the Powershot seemed perfect for that, until I realized that it cannot be remotely controlled.

The gimbal in question works with the Sony RX100 M7, shown below.  Why can't Canon produce a camera like that?

[ICANCANNONBALL]

Hey Emilio2000, (and anyone else willing) your comment... "it's just a dumb stabilizer."  IS WHAT I WANT!!!  Can I ask you if you learned what model brand will work on your Canon as just a dumb stabilizer?  Need to shoot stationary items for commerce.  Currently because the footage is so shaky, my potential clients are blowing their cookies.  Crazy how watching that can make you so dizzy.  I can appreciate how you need access to the controls, but all I need is to stabilize.  Can you share what you learned thus far?  Thank you.

[Emilio2000]

Hi Icancannoball,

The gimbal stabilizer I posted in the original question above will work with any small camera such as a Canon Powershot.  It is the "All in one Gimbal Stabilizer - 30Axis Gimbal for Samrtphone, Compact Cameras, and Action Cameras" from Hohem.  In fact, they specify that this gimbal will work only for cameras that are lighter than 0.9 lbs.   There are other gimbals made for heavier cameras.  Just search the internet for "gimbal for cameras".

But please note that a "dumb gimbal" without remote control might not do you any good if you have to press the shutter button on the camera.  The act of pressing the shutter on the camera will probably shake the camera a bit, and that is a bif feal for still images.

For videos, it might be better, though still a little awkward.  You still have to press a button on the camera to start recording a video, and that may shake it a bit, but then you let go of the camera and just hold the gimbal while recording.  Later, in editing, you have to erase thosr first few seconds of the video.

[ICANCANNONBALL]

Oh THANK YOU SO MUCH!  You provided great insight all of which we hadn't thought of!  My husband is operating the camera and he is resistant to change...meaning he prefers not to learn how to operate and run another new device.  Holding the camera (which he just mastered) stable was his only plan.  But it is as you say, more to it than just holding. Thank you again for your time, direction and insight.  It was quite generous of you.   

[WJO]

É, meu problema é o memso do Emílio. Comprei a câmera, e depois de avaliar as indicações de gimbal para a SX 740 HS comprei este mesmo gimbal, mas a indicação infelizmente se refere apenas ao tamanho da câmera para o gimbal e não para as funcionalidades automáticas do gimbal nela.

Então, pelo que li aqui nesta sequência, não há um gimbal que fucnione numa SX 740 HS, correto?

[Emilio2000]

Hi WJO,

Yes, it is true. There is no gimbal that will be able to control the Canon Powershot SC 740 HS because this camera simply doesn't have the input for a remote control. But, I decided to keep this camera, because I like it and I am familiar with it. I will have to start and stop the rcoeding manually on the camera itself, and then later, in editing the video, I will have to discard the first and the last few seconds.