Overview
Gudsen Technology is a China based manufacturing company, that specializes in high-precision motion control products that have revolutionized the film making industry, by making professional grade film making tools at affordable prices, changing the once high costing barrier of entry into the field, to be much more accessible to students, vloggers, and small production firms.
Their latest addition to their production line, the Moza Air 2, remains the best solution in its price point at $599, featuring the highest payload of 4.2 kg / 9lbs, while maintaining features like 4-axis stabilization with 8 follow modes, the unique “Inception” mode, a 45-degree roll arm position for unobstructed view, and an ecosystem of accessories to adapt to any filming style and workflow.
The stabilizer will keep up with the most demanding situations with 16-hours of battery life using an included 4x 18650 batteries and charger. For those not familiar with the 18650 batteries, they are commonly used in eCigarette mods, with additional batteries and chargers easily replaceable at your local stores. All though with 16-hours of battery life, a film maker can easily operate this from sunrise to sunset with plenty of battery to spare for night shoots if necessary.
Construction and Build Quality
The Moza Air 2 is constructed of high-quality aluminium alloy with the buttons, interface and battery cover made with durable resin. The craftsmanship, fit and finish of the product is to low variation tolerances and everything fits together precisely. The construction quality is indicative to be able to withstands the rigor of professional use in a variety of situations and environments.
With the stabilizer in hand, it gives a sense of quality manufacturing with solid design and strength in materials. This is not a product that will fall apart for years to come and it deliver performance to get even the most difficult shots.
The Moza Air 2 includes a low profile aluminum alloy tripod stand, allowing the device to be placed on the ground unsupported for when you need to make adjustments to the balance of the stabilizer and camera combination or a simply solution to set the unit down for a break.
Design and Features
The Moza Air 2 remains at the top of the competition because of the innovative design features that cannot be found on other motorized stabilizers in its price range. Tools for the trade are there to assist you in getting the shots you need for your production, making the task easier – which Gudsen has designed this product from the ground up to accomplish.
The most influential factor incorporated in this product is the design choice of the 45 degree angle of the roll motor bracket. Unlike other motorized stabilizers out there, this provides a clear and unobstructed view of the back LCD located on most SLR style cameras. This allows for easier composition and framing while allowing constant monitoring of exactly what you are shooting at all times. This design allows allows for easier access to different shooting positions, especially when shooting inverted for low angle shots. This makes transitions from low to high angles more fluid, decreasing the work flow disruptions and maintaining the creative momentum and groove.
Another factor to choosing this product is the design of how the camera mounts to the stabilizer. Using a dual mounting Manfrotto 503 style plate, it allows for a camera to be swapped quickly from stabilizer to tripod and back to stabilizer without having to once again balance the camera combination. The way this works is that the Manfrotto 503 plate mounts to your camera, as it would normally, but the camera 503 plate mounts to a 503 adapter where the adapter is used to balance the vertical forward and aft weight of the rig. This allows for seamless transitions for your camera to tripods, booms or stands – allowing you to mount back onto the stabilizer and be ready to go in an instant.
A big advantage over the competition is the maximum payload of 4.2 kg or 9 lbs for this motorized stabilizer. I am personally a Nikon shooter and generally use my Nikon D850 with a Tamron 15-30mm F/2.8 DI VR lens. The camera and lens combination is a bit more hefty than your traditional mirrorless setup. The combined weight is around 4.5 lbs, but the forward and aft weight shift provides a bit more stress and requires the motors to be set to approx 80% to keep the camera stable. Despite this, the stabilizer performs flawlessly in not only stabilizing the camera movement, but holds it in position when rolling, panning and tilting. I would no doubt believe it could handle a heavier setup if need be.
Aside from these key advantage points to the Moza Air 2, the product includes many thing that are expected in stabilizers today.
It has internal customization options like motor power which can be auto calibrated; with the roll, pan and tilt motions to be set to follow or locked. The follow options also allow for individual speed settings to personal taste and to adapt for camera movements for the subjects you shoot. The speed can be turned up for fast sport action or nullified for buttery smooth cinematic movements.
The stabilizer also has 1/4″ mounting points on the bottom and sides of the device for additional accessories or mounting points, with also the option to adapt to the 3/8″ mounting points as well. The bottom can be mounted to a traditional tripod or boom, or mount it to the included aluminum alloy tripod legs, which when folded closed, acts as an extended handle to provide more leverage and height when shooting. The included tripod design is ingenious way to increase the use case of this accessory.
Gudsen also has a full ecosystem that works with the Moza Air 2. It has a range of accessories like MOZA thumb controller, dual handle gimbal support, and much more. You can find the accessories in the link below.
If you camera and/or lens does not support follow focus, it can be adapted using their iFocus accessory, which can be controlled directly on the stabilizer using the wheel or with an additional accessory that makes the follow focus wireless with a remote controller.
Pro and Con
As with everything else in the world, nothing is perfect. But the goal is to have the pros outweigh the cons and the Gudsen Moza Air 2 accomplished that admirably.
Pro
- 45 degree roll arm for an unobstructed view of the rear LCD screen for composition and framing
- 16-hours of battery life for sunrise to sunset filming with plenty of power to spare
- Simple and intuitive controls to use with auto calibration
- 4.2 kg or 9 lbs max payload to use with pretty much any SLR setup
- One step balancing with the dual Manfrotto 503 style plate
- 4x 18650 batteries can be removed without removing camera
- 8-follow modes with an included Timelap mode
- 1/4″ -20 mounting points on grip and bottom for accessories
- Plethora of accessories to adapt to any system or shooting style
- Responsive and helpful customer service, quick to solve problems
Cons
- Weight – 3.5 lbs is a bit heavier than the competition
- Minor QC issues as my first draw had a busted motor that vibrate if the power was set above 10% power
- Cannot be folded down so logistics for transportation should be considered
If you are in the market for a stabilizer, I would highly recommend taking a look at the Moza Air 2. There are other stabilizers that are cheaper, but nothing comes with as many features and benefits as the Moza Air 2.
The only situation where I would steer you away from the Moza Air 2 is if it is a weight or transportation issue. If you are using a lighter mirrorless setup or have limited space for transportation, there are other solutions that may suit you better.
For more information about the Moza Air 2, please check out their website linked below.
https://www.gudsen.com/moza-air-2
If you are looking for a quality place to purchase the Moza Air 2, I recommend Amazon. When purchased through those channels, you can get extra gifts for the regular price.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MJJYTV7
I have no affiliation with Gudsen and have not been paid or compensated for this review. This review is solely my opinion only and your experiences may vary. I do not get compensation from the links, so feel free to purchase how ever you choose.
