The Ultimate Removu S1 vs Feiyu G5 Comparison!

After covering a few articles based on the Removu S1 hybrid gimbal a few weeks back we have noticed a steady stream of people reaching out with various questions about the gimbal. Now, for some reason, we are seeing a pretty consistent number of people reaching out about a Removu S1 vs Feiyu G5 comparison article so have decided to make it the focus of today’s article. Our hope is that this article will be able to help any of our readers who are considering adding either of these gimbal stabilizers to their collection of action camera accessories.

That said though, it’s not really fair to compare these two gimbals to each other as although they are both action camera gimbals, they have both been designed to do slightly different tasks to each other. The Feiyu G5 is a dedicated handheld gimbal that has pretty restricted functionality whereas the Removu S1 is a hybrid gimbal that offers both handheld and wearable gimbal functionality instantly pushing it ahead of the G5.

Since its release, the Removu S1 has pretty much been the dominant force on the market when it comes to hybrid 3 axis gimbal stabilizers that offer both wearable and handheld gimbal functionality. Still to this day, it holds the dominant position in the hybrid niche and its customer base is steadily growing. In addition to this, it has also managed to earn an excellent reputation for itself amongst the community since its release.

The Removu S1 also has some solid technology in it with its gimbal sensors, gimbal motors, and balancing algorithm all being much better than what the Feiyu G5 is able to offer you. On the flip side of this though, at the time of writing, the Feiyu G5 is around half the price of the Removu S1 meaning that it can be considered a more budget-friendly action camera gimbal stabilizer but the G5 is definatley starting to show its age.

Speaking about the age of the Feiyu G5, Feiyutech has since released their upgrade to the G5, the Feiyu G6 and by modern standards, even the G6 is starting to show its age too. That said though, at least the Feiyu G6 is from the same generation of gimbals as the Removu S1 and has a decent reputation for itself but we would still rathe the S1 as the superior gimbal.

In all honesty, if you know for a fact that you are only looking for a handheld gimbal and will never use the wearable gimbal functionality that the Removu S1 offers or if you are on a tighter budget, we would recommend the Zhiyun Smooth 4 with the action camera adaptor plate over both the Feiyu G5 and Feiyu G6 as it works out to be a similar price but offers better performance for your action camera than either of the Feiyutech gimbals.

That said though, as we mentioned at the start of the article, we have seen a number of people reaching out for a dedicated Removu S1 vs Feiyu G5 comparison article so that is what we will be doing. We have our regular comparison table below that offers the key specs of each gimbal and then we have our full in-depth breakdown of the key areas for gimbals throughout the rest of the article.

Comparison Table

Last update on 2022-05-25 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Although on paper, the Feiyu G5 has the advantage of better battery life over the Removu S1 one thing that is harder to show on paper is the advantage in the performance and better image stabilization that the S1 provides. Thankfully, we have some sample footage in the section below that does a great job of showing this.

Performance And Functionality

Moving onto the performance and functionality of the gimbals, due to both products having been designed to be action camera gimbals, they both have the same maximum load capacity of 0.3 pounds. This ensures that at the time of writing at least, they are able to support the payload weight of all of the cameras from the standard GoPro action camera range. Additionally, although a third-party, aftermarket mount is required, they can also mount the GoPro session range too.

Additionally, there are a large number of unofficially supported cheap GoPro alternative cameras that both gimbals are able to support too provided the camera is under the 0.3-pound load capacity limit. So many of the entry-level action camera brands essentially just rip off the dimensions of the GoPro cameras and make a cheap alternative. Due to being the same size as the GoPro range, these cameras will fit mounts for the official GoPro cameras too.

That said though, the majority of these cheap alternative action cameras tend to use heavier materials for their build as they are cheaper than the lighter weight alternatives. This means that although the cheaper entry-level action cameras may fit the mount of both gimbals, they could be over the 0.3-pound load capacity. That said though, most people who are looking to add a gimbal stabilizer to their collection of action camera accessories will already have a premium action camera to capture the best image quality possible anyway.

Moving onto battery life and the main let down of the Removu S1. The S1 is only able to support a maximum of three hours of battery life per full charge whereas the Feiyu G5 is able to support between six and eight hours depending on what you are using it for. This is the main weakness of the S1 and the only real area where the G5 is able to pull out ahead of it.

On the flip side of this though, many people now carry a high output power bank in their backpacks while out and about doing their action sport of choice. This means that when you stop for breaks you are able to use your power bank to top up the juice in both your gimbal and action camera to extend their battery life as long as required.

The YouTube video above has been recorded using the Removu S1 and does a great job of showing off exactly what kind of image quality the image stabilization from the S1 is able to provide for you. As you can see, the footage is butter smooth and the gimbal sensors are rapid at detecting even the slightest movement on the gimbal head ensuring that your action camera is kept steady at all times.

Although the video above was recorded using the S1 in handheld gimbal mode, you can expect the same levels of image stabilization when using it as a wearable gimbal too. This is due to the image stabilization being provided by the 3 axis gimbal head of the unit that is fully detachable from the actual handle on the gimbal.

As we touched on earlier in the article, the gimbal sensors, gimbal motors, and balancing algorithm that Removu has developed for the S1 are excellent for the time they were released. They all work together seemlesley to ensure that you are getting the best levels of image stabilization no matter what kind of action sport you are doing with the gimbal.

The YouTube video above offers a great insight into the performance of the Feiyu G5 and as you can see, when being used for something like travel vlogging it can provide a solid improvement to your image quality via its image stabilization. As more and more people are turning to action cameras for their travel vlogging recording, this is probably the only real use for the G5 these days due to it being such an old gimbal.

As we mentioned at the start of the article, the G5 really is starting to show its age by today’s standards and there is a visible difference between the level of image stabilization as well as the reaction speed of the gimbal when compared to modern gimbals. If you are using the gimbal to record any fast-paced action sports where you expect to be getting bumped around a whole bunch this will probably show in your footage and end up lowering the image quality.

The Feiyu G6 is a fair bit quicker than the G5 for direction and correction meaning your video footage could be a whole lot smoother if you go with the G6 over the G5 but the S1 still beats both in our opinion. The excellent levels of performance that the Removu S1 is able to offer in both handheld and wearable mode is probably the main reason that it is so popular and has had so many glowing third-party reviews posted about it.

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User Interface And Control System

Now, the Feiyu G5 doesn’t really have anything special about its control interface but in this day and age, this is pretty standard with the vast majority of handheld gimbals using a variation of the same control interface. It offers a solid, quick and easy way for you to control the gimbal head and ensure that your action camera is pointing in the direction that you need it.

Now, the thing that we love about the control interface on the Removu S1 is purely from the wearable gimbal side of things so if you are only looking for a handheld gimbal then this doesn’t really offer any advantage to you. Basically, wearable gimbals rarely have a control interface on them making it a total pain to tweak settings on them. As you can see in the image above, the head of the S1 has its own stand-alone LCD panel and control system. This means that even when being used as a wearable gimbal you are able to tweak the settings as needed.

This offers the Removu S1 a massive advantage over the other wearable and hybrid gimbals available on the market right now. Although it may not sound like a big deal, the ability to quickly and easily tweak your gimbal settings as required can be valuable for any advanced videographer or vlogger. As we mentioned though, as the Feiyu G5 is a handheld only gimbal, this does not score the S1 any points over the G5 when it comes to the user interface system.

Build Quality And Design

In all fairness to the Feiyu G5, it does have a solid build quality and it is just as tough as the Removu S1. This is assuring as both gimbals are designed for use as action camera gimbals and should be tough enough to come with the expected bumps that an action camera will inevitably end up taking during use. We are confident in the build quality of both the G5 and the S1 when it comes to their robust build and tough nature and are confident that they will be able to take their fair share of punishment without issue.

One area where the Removu S1 does managed to pull ahead of the Feiyu G5 when it comes to build quality is in the weight of the gimbal. The S1 is lighter than the G5 and although both of the gimbals are pretty lightweight when compaired to mirrorless camera or DSLR camera gimbals, the lighter weight of the S1 makes it easier to hold for longer periods of time in handheld mode without getting aches or cramps in your hand or arm.

Another feature about the Removu S1 that scores it points over the Feiyu G5 is the handle that is much more comfortable helping you grip it for longer sessions without getting pains in your hand. So many people overlook the importance of the handgrip on a gimbal but when you could be holding it for hours at a time is more important than most people give it credit for.

Our Verdict

That brings us to the end of our Removu S1 vs Feiyu G5 comparison and for the vast majority of action sport enthusiasts, the Removu S1 is going to make the better addition to your action camera accessories. It provides some excellent image stabilization and offers a quick and easy way to improve the image quality you action camera can capture.

As we mentioned earlier, the S1 is probably the the best hybrid gimbal available on the market right now and its popularity within the community just keeps steadily increasing. Many people who have purchases the S1 have also decided to publish their own dedicated review of the gimbal that you can read for an independent insight. Additionally, we also have our own dedicated Removu S1 review online that offers a deep dive on the gimbal.

If you are on a right budget then the Feiyu G5 does still have its place but in our opinion, going with the Zhiyun Smooth 4 and picking up the action camera adaptor plate will make a much better budget friendly gimbal.