I get the appeal of gimbals—smooth footage, looks fancy, all that. But honestly, for most inspections, I just want something that works every time and doesn’t need babysitting. Shoulder rigs aren’t perfect, but at least they don’t freeze up or need firmware updates. Has anyone actually had a gimbal survive a full day on a steep roof without some kind of hiccup? I’m skeptical. Maybe for controlled environments, but in the field, simple usually wins for me.
I get where you’re coming from—nothing beats the reliability of a basic shoulder rig when you’re scrambling across tiles or trying not to slip on metal. But I’ve gotta push back a bit on the gimbal skepticism. I’ve used my Ronin on a couple of 10/12 pitch roofs for solar inspections, and as long as I took the time to calibrate it before heading up, it didn’t give me any grief. Yeah, there’s the occasional firmware nag, but honestly, those updates usually fix more than they break.
The footage difference is night and day, especially when you’re trying to document subtle dips or warping for warranty claims. If you’re careful with battery management and don’t cheap out on the hardware, a decent gimbal can actually make long days easier—less shoulder fatigue, smoother pans, and fewer retakes. I’ll admit, if you’re in a hurry or dealing with rain or snow, manual rigs are less hassle. But dismissing gimbals entirely feels like throwing out a pretty useful tool just because it needs a little TLC now and then.
Had a similar debate with my crew last year when we started doing more drone inspections and needed better footage for insurance claims. I was stubborn about sticking to the old shoulder rig—just felt safer, especially on steep metal roofs after a rain. But one of the guys brought his gimbal out for a big tile job, and honestly, the difference in video quality was wild. It did take him a few extra minutes to set up, and he had to baby the batteries in the cold, but we caught a couple of dips in the ridge that I’d have missed otherwise. Still not my go-to if it’s icy or I’m rushing, but I can’t knock it anymore. Sometimes new tech actually helps... as long as you don’t drop it off the edge.
I get the appeal of the gimbal—smooth footage is nice, no doubt. But honestly, I still trust my old shoulder mount more when things get sketchy.
That’s exactly it. I’d rather have a slightly shaky video than risk fumbling with batteries or settings while I’m trying not to slide off the edge. Maybe I’m just old school, but sometimes simple is safer, especially when you’re up high and the wind picks up.“just felt safer, especially on steep metal roofs after a rain.”
Had to laugh reading this—reminds me of the time I tried using a gimbal on a windy morning, standing on a 10/12 pitch metal roof. Battery died right as I was lining up the shot, and there I am, one hand swapping batteries, the other gripping the ridge for dear life. I’ll take a little camera shake over skidding down to the gutter any day. Guess there’s a reason my old shoulder rig is still covered in tar stains… it just works when things get dicey.