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Review: Gudsen MOZA AirCross Handheld Gimbal for Mirrorless Cameras



Overview : The ultralight MOZA AirCross 3-Axis Motorized Gimbal Stabilizer is designed to stabilize handheld capture with your mirrorless camera, producing smooth, professional-looking footage. The AirCross supports up to a 4-pound payload, and features a universal quick release system compatible with both Manfrotto 501PL and Arca-Swiss plates. Create eye-catching time-lapse shots using the downloadable MOZA app. The integrated, two-button handgrip control provides directional control and mode selection at your fingertips. Multiple operating choices include inverted, re-center, and four follow modes.

Features :
  • For Mirrorless Cameras
  • 4 lb Load Capacity
  • 360° Continuous Yaw & Roll
  • -175 to +135° Tilt
  • DC Output to Camera, DC Input to Gimbal
  • Inverted, Re-Center & 4 x Follow Modes
  • Create Time-Lapse Shots with MOZA App
  • Optional Dual Handle and Wireless Thumb Controller
  • Automatic Tuning via App
  • Battery Lasts up to 12 Hours

Quality/Usability : I reviewed the Gudsen Moza Air and was a big fan of it. It was perfect for bigger camera setups such as the Canon 5D Mark IV. However, I also own a Canon EOS M5 which is Canon's mirrorless camera. Putting the M5 on the Air would be overkill and I wanted something that was a little smaller and didn't require a bigger payload.

Gudsen released the Moza AirCross for those with smaller and lighter cameras. I would assume that the setup and features would be the same across the board. So instead of trying the AirCross with my M5, I thought I would test it out with Canon's new 4K mirrorless, the M50.


The MOZA AirCross comes in a nice box and inside that box is a hardshell case. Inside this hardshell case houses all of the MOZA AirCross components with padded foam for protection as well as a instruction pamphlet. Everything is nicely laid out and protected.


Here is with all the gimbal contents removed. You have your gimbal with handle, battery charger, batteries, lens support and screw, USB cables, Manfrotto 501PL plate, Arca Swiss adapter and tripod legs. Unlike the Moza Air, the dual handle and thumb controller is sold separately.

Almost every component of the gimbal is made of solid metal.


The included tripod let lets you stand the gimbal up which makes balancing easy. This also gives you extra length when folded to hold onto.


Included with the MOZA AirCross gimbal are three 26350 rechargeable batteries. They are 2000mAh each. Gudsen states that the gimbal can last 12 hours on a single charge. You can purchase additional batteries from AmazonB&H Photo and Adorama, if you feel that you need an extra set.


The charger that comes with the gimbal is a 4-bay. It uses USB cable which is tucked away in order to charge the batteries. Considering that the charger is fairly big and finding an outlet can be hard, USB is great since we all have some sort of USB charging devices with us whether it be a power bank or USB to wall adapter.


If you are using a long lens, the lens support mount offers support to the lens. This attaches to the front of the base plate on the gimbal.


Included are three USB cables and they come in a drawstring pouch. Two of the cables are for connecting and controlling your Panasonic GH or Sony A Series cameras to the gimbal. The third cable is just a basic USB cable to let you update the firmware on the gimbal

These cables let you control the camera directly from the optional thumb controller such as the START and STOP of recording.

These are some of the supported cameras:

Canon: M5, M6, M50
Nikon: 1-V3
Panasonic: Lumix GH5, Lumix GH4, Lumix GH3, G7, G85
Sony: a7S, a7SII, a7 III, a7R, a7RII, a7RIII, a6000, a6300, a6500, a99
Fujifilm: X-T2, X-T20

  

The included plate is a their own version of the Manfrotto 501PL. These are very popular with videographers and video setups.


The MOZA AirCross comes with a universal quick release system. The baseplate for mounting camera is compatible with any quick release plates ranging from 50.5mm to 55mm, making it the world's 1st gimbal that fits well both the Manfrotto 501PL and Arca quick release plate. So it is easy to remove your camera from a stabilizer, tripod, or rig without detaching the quick release plate.


The MOZA AirCross has a ON/OFF power button and a joystick to control the gimbal. The joystick is used when you're using it as a single handle. You can also change how you want to control the gimbal with a few clicks of the joystick.

One quick press - Yaw-follow mode (The Yaw Axis follow the movement while the Tilt and Roll Axes are locked)
Double quick press - Tilt-yaw follow mode (The Tilt and Yaw Axes follows the movement while the roll Axis is locked.)
Triple quick press - All-lock mode (All three Axes are locked.)
Four quick press - Roll-follow mode (The Roll Axis and Yaw Axes are follow the movement while the Tilt and is locked.)

Pressing the power button a few times also offers some features:

One quick press - START/STOP recording
Double quick press - Photo taking - takes a photo
Triple quick press - Auto-center
Four quick press - Roll control

The single handle which houses the three batteries also attaches to the gimbal right under the power button.


To the left and right of the joystick, you there is a 1/4"-20 screw thread to allow you to attach microphones, lights and other accessories to the gimbal. On the opposite side is a micro USB port that lets you plug in a USB cable. This lets you perform firmware updates.


The MOZA AirCross has the name "MOZA" on the side of the gimbal. There is also a label to tell you the orientation of how the gimbal should be placed.

There are three screws that lets you adjust the position of the gimbal. On the back, this lets you adjust the left and right. On the side near the base plate, this lets you adjust the height of the cameras position. The third screw is at the very bottom of the base. This lets you adjust the forward and back position.


With the gimbal all setup, it weighs approximately 1.9lbs. The MOZA AirCross can hold a payload of up to 3.9lbs. I tested the Moza AirCross with Canon's EOS M50 which has a articulating screen and it shoots in 4K.

Anytime you mount a camera to the gimbal, you'd want to make sure the camera is balanced properly on the gimbal. This is very important so that the motors does not overwork itself to get it balanced.

You can also put the Moza AirCross in an inverted mode where the handle is now above the camera instead of under it. This allows you to get that very close to the ground shot if needed.

Optional Accessories

 

Unlike the MOZA Air, the dual handle is not included. It can be purchased separately from Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama or eBay. The case does not have room to carry the dual handle so it would have to be carried separately.

The two handles attach to the center rod and is tightened using the red knobs. The center rod wraps around the handle on the MOZA Air and uses a single screw knob to tighten it.

  
  

The thumb controller is an optional accessory and attaches to the dual handle. The thumb controller retails for $120, if purchased separately from Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama or eBay. I personally recommend the thumb controller when used with the dual handle. It make controlling the gimbal a lot easier and within reach.

You can control the gimbal with the joystick, START/STOP recording (when used with the included USB cables) as well as change settings directly from the thumb controller for the gimbal. With a double click of the roller knob on the back, this re-centers the gimbal. The knob can also control focus on some Canon USM lenses.

There is also a micro USB port that lets you charge the rechargeable battery on the thumb controller as well as perform firmware updates.

Not only does the thumb controller control the gimbal, but you can actually control the gimbal from a distance using Mimic Control. The MOZA thumb controller utilizes quick-responsive sensors to allow for mimic control of the gimbal movements. After pairing the thumb controller with your AirCross, you can pan, tilt, roll to move it, the gimbal will mimic and follow the movements. It gives the operator the most responsive control. You can see it in action in our unboxing and overview video on YouTube.

 

If you don't want to purchase the thumb controller but still want to control the gimbal wirelessly, you can use their free MOZA Assistant app. The app is available for iOS through iTunes and Android through the Google Play Store. Check out our video below for a more in-depth look at the app.


Conclusion : Overall, the Gudsen MOZA AirCross Handheld Gimbal for Mirrorless Cameras is a nice lightweight gimbal for lighter and smaller cameras. It's the perfect size and weight for them. I love that it includes a quick release plate system unlike the bigger brother, the Air.

I highly recommend purchasing the dual handle and thumb controller. The dual handle will make handling the gimbal a lot easier and much more comfortable. The thumb controller will just make controlling the gimbal/camera easier as well as it will be within reach when using a dual handle.






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