The Ultimate Feiyutech G6 Review!
Note – This is a review of the Feiyutech G6 gimbal stabilizer designed for use action cameras only. If you are looking for a review of the regular Feiyutech G6 Plus that supports action cameras smartphones, point and shoot cameras, mirrorless cameras, and lightweight DSLR cameras then we have a review here.
It’s no secret that the action camera gimbal space is becoming more and more competitive as more action camera enthusiasts look to add a gimbal to their collection of camera accessories to help improve the level of image quality that they are able to capture. On top of this, due to the small size, lightweight, and excellent image quality most modern action cameras such as the GoPro Hero range are able to provide, many travel vloggers are also turning to action cameras to capture their adventures too.
Using a handheld gimbal stabilizer when recording with your action camera can provide you with excellent image stabilization to ensure that your video footage is as smooth as possible. In the competitive world of YouTube and social media, having the best image quality possible can really help your content stand out against the competition and help your channel grow.
Due to this, we are seeing more and more people reaching out for advice on the best gimbal for action cameras with a steady number of people asking for a dedicated Feiyutech G6 review each month. Due to this, we have decided to make the Feiyutech G6 the subject of today’s article and publish our review of the gimbal.
Since its release onto the market, the G6 has managed to carve out a solid core customer base for itself while also having earned a solid reputation for itself amongst the community. On top of this, it also supports action cameras from the GoPro, Sony, Yi, and AAE ranges as well as having a smartphone mount available for it too. This ensures that you are able to use it with a large number of popular devices to capture your video footage as required.
That said though if you are using a GoPro and want the best image quality possible then the GoPro Karma Grip offers some great performance but it does have the price tag to match while also being a GoPro only unit. If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option then we would also recommend that you seriously consider picking up the Zhiyun Smooth 4 along with the action camera adaptor plate over the Feiyutech G6 as we feel it is a much better option.
That said though, the Feiyutech G6 is still a decent handheld gimbal stabilizer and as we have seen multiple requests for a review of the G6, we will still be publishing our thoughts on it below. As we mentioned, the gimbal does have a sizable customer base that is steadily growing too and many people use it as their action camera gimbal of choice.
Performance And Functionality
That said, there are a number of cheap GoPro alternative cameras available on the market that essentially duplicate the GoPro action camera dimensions meaning that they too can fit in the amount of the Feiyutech G6. On the flip side of this though, many of these cheaper, entry-level action cameras use cheaper materials to help keep their costs down that are usually heavy. If you are using one of these entry-level action cameras then it may come in with a payload of above 0.286 pounds of payload weight meaning it will not work with the G6.
As the vast majority of people we see reaching out about the Feiyutech G6 seem to be using a camera from the GoPro range or the increasingly popular DJI Osmo Action range (needs an aftermarket mount to fit the G6) we are confident that the gimbal can support your payload. Now, as we mentioned earlier, there are a number of smartphone mounts available for the G6 and unfortunately, the load capacity offered by the gimbal is not enough to support the weight of the larger and heavier smartphones as they are usually around the 0.4-pound mark.
Moving onto the maximum battery life of the gimbal and in all fairness to Feiyutech they have done a great job of keeping the gimbal so small and pretty light for its price tag while fitting a twelve-hour battery in it. We would imagine that twelve hours of battery life for each charge would be plenty for most of our readers but there are ways to extend this even further.
More and more vloggers and videographers are starting to carry a USB power bank in their backpack with them while they are out and about to recharge their devices on the go. Provided you get a high capacity power bank, you can recharge the Feiyutech G6, your action camera, and your smartphone while on the go to extend the battery life as much as required.
Although the G6 is not the quickest gimbal to recharge taking around four hours when plugged into a regular wall socket, it is still respectable, especially when you factor in that it is recharging around twelve hours worth of juice. If you do choose to pick up a USB power bank then the recharge time of the gimbal will depend on the output of the power bank so there are a bunch of different units all with their own recharge time.
Although the Feiyutech G6 is starting to show its age against gimbals like the Zhiyun Smooth 4 with the action camera adaptor plate, it is still a solid little 3 axis gimbal. That said, in our opinion, it does need a slight price reduction due to the newer gimbals having better sensors and motors.
Even back when it was released, the sensors on the G6 were a little over-sensitive and could some times overcorrect the stabilizing action of the gimbal motors. Thankfully though, Feiyutech has been quick to push out a firmware update for the G6 to correct this issue as well as update the balancing algorithm used in the gimbal. If you do choose to purchase the G6, ensure that you update it to the latest firmware build as soon as possible to avoid this issue.
As we mentioned earlier in the article, the G6’s customer base is slowly growing even though it is an older gimbal and it has had a number of independent glowing reviews published for it from third-party owners of the gimbal. Considering that there are an absolute ton of action camera gimbals on the market, the G6 is definatley one of the better options out of the bunch.
User Interface And Control System
The vast majority of people who are looking to add a 3 axis gimbal stabilizer to their action camera accessories are not likely to be professional-level videographers. Due to this, there is no point in having an advanced, highly customizable interface on the gimbal as it can simply be a waste of time for the user to learn it. Thankfully, Feiyutech identified this in the design process and have managed to create a very simple, easy to learn control system for the G6.
We would guess that the vast majority of our readers, even if you have no prior experience with gimbals will be able to get to grips with the control interface on the G6 within minutes. This allows you to put as little time as possible into learning how to operate the gimbal to maximum efficiency while allowing you to spend more time doing your action sport of choice or vlogging.
If you are an advanced videographer then the higher end gimbal customization for the Feiyutech G6 is limited and this is what some other reviewers are seeing as a negative of the system. On the flip side of this though, we would imagine if you are an advanced gimbal user or professional videographer, you would probably be going with something like the GoPro Karma Grip over the G6 anyway.
Smartphone App
Simply getting basic connectivity between your app and your gimbal can be hit and miss with the app sometimes just refusing to even try and connect. Then, if you are able to get the app to initially sync with the gimbal it can also just randomly disconnect and drop its connection. At the time of writing, the Feiyutech smartphone app is a waste of time and not worth downloading in our opinion. That said, by the time you read this, we hope that it has been totally overhauled and had all of these problems corrected.
Build Quality And Design
Due to the tough nature of the gimbal and its low price point, there does have to be a trade-off and that is in the weight of the gimbal. Compared to the other entry-level action camera gimbal stabilizers on the market right now, the Feiyutech G6 is pretty heavy. That said though, this should not cause you any issues when it comes to using as it is still light enough to hold in your hands for as long as need without getting aches or cramps.
The area where the heavier weight of the gimbal may cause you issues is if you are using it for travel vlogging or anything else where you will be traveling via air. Although it can fit into a minimalists luggage with ease, it may push you over your baggage allowance if you like to travel heavy with lots of items. If you know that you will neven need to take your Feiyutech G6 on a plane then this is not an issue though.
Our Verdict
That brings our ultimate Feiyutech G6 review to an end. We have done our best to point out both the strengths and weaknesses of the gimbal throughout the article to help any of our readers who may be looking to purchase the G6. Although we feel the Feiyutech G6 can b a decent addition to your collection of camera accessories, we definatley feel that the Zhiyun Smooth 4 with an action camera adaptor plate is a much better option.
If you have a higher budget available and want the best image stabilization and best image quality possible then the GoPro Karma Grip is another solid option. It is one of the best handheld gimbals for GoPro action cameras on the market right now but it does have the price tag to match so needs a much higher budget than the Feiyutech G6.