Letus Helix Jr. - with encoders

I feel like I'm a fairly smart person, as are the 4-5 video professionals I asked for help with this gimbal, but none of us could figure out how to make it work with a Canon C-100 (or any one of the DSLRs we have here). The video and written tutorials I managed to find, along with the other reviews on this site, only served to make me feel more stupid. What am I missing? Why doesn't Letus respond to my message for help? Why did I buy this instead of a more user-friendly gimbal? All questions I don't expect to be answered anytime soon.

I hate the excessive robotic feel of other gimbals. It's too structured and rigid. What I love about the Helix is the organic feel it has, it's perfectly stabilized, yes, but the fact that the finger moves the handle for tilting and the sway of your body guides the horizontal framing makes it a unique experience that translates to the way you shoot. People are missing out on the greatest gimbal, just because of hype or laziness to explore other options, and this is THE best option I've found.

Lets say that the gimbal is average (its absolutely not). The customer support is amazing. They really care and they want you to get the most of the product. Ordered the Jr friday evening local time and got it monday lunch time. And I live in Stockholm, Sweden. I love Letus. Everybody should use a letus stabilizer.

I've had the Helix Jr for over two months and more and more I think it is AWESOME! There is a learning curve as well as developing shooter muscles due to weight. Well worth it. I want to use an onboard monitor because my 1DXmkII is tight up against the gimbal... but adds more weight. The Jr can handle it, I not so well. My friend shoots for HI-50, and major productions here in Hawaii and just today asked if he can borrow it. ;) They are super great at getting the items shipped and enjoyable customer service. I'm looking to get a Ready Rig, which Letus suggested, and then I'll need some things to mod the Jr.

The initial thoughts I have for the helix Jr has been that is has great functionality and ease of use. I really love the ability to move the camera precisely with the right hand and keep my sight line even with the helix setup. Great for framing and less fatigue than other systems I've tried. Only hiccups I've had are in relation to initial setup but once I setup the gimbal specifically for my kit the helix jr follows and operated like butter. I think this is a great no nonsense setup that can pack down into a backpack or small pelican case. Easy on the back and easy on the wallet! I will be purchasing the bigger battery pack to increase runtime in the field. Definitely would recommend to anyone looking to get into a professional 3 axis gimbal system.

I have been a working , professional still photographer for 25 years. I am new to motion. I have dabbled in motion many times in filming the active lifestyle subjects that I'm accustom to in my still work but I'm often bogged down buy the constant tripod work that is necessary for professional, quality motion. I realize that real motion production will always involve good blocking but My Helix Jr. has really opened up my motivation to shoot! It's so steady and smooth that I can just grab it, point it and yell action! I'm a work on the run type of shooter and this little machine is easy to move through crowds with and light enough to use all day. The initial set-up and balancing is intuitive and easy. I'm using it with a 5DIII, it steadies every thing I throw at it very well! Thanks Letus35 GT you're a gem. thanks for all of your great customer service.

I have experience with the Movi M5, dJI Ronin, Nebula 400 and Stedicam Merlin. The Movi was my favorite for it's lightness and smooth performance, until I tried the Helix Jr. First off, the customer service at Letus is over-the-top. After receiving the Helix Jr I had some confusion over initial setup but Letus walked me through the problems over Skype promptly(Thanks GT!). They seem like nice folks that love what they do and care about making a great product. The Jr. handles the FS5 great. Due to it's long body the full-sized Helix mounting plate is required. I would also recommend the full sized batteries for the counterweight as well as long runtime while powering the camera and a monitor. I have been leaving the FS5's top handle attached for internal mic scratch audio, and it also makes handling the setup easier. The heaviest lens I have tried is the Canon 35mm f/2 IS on a Metabones Speedboster. It works great. Unlike the Movi, other gimbals I have used, the Jr. requires it's operator to invest some time learning the software and technical side. For me it is well worth it and I feel like a much better operator now understanding how to tune and create profiles for top performance. I think of it like learning to drive stick vs automatic. With smaller cameras it would be easier and the default profiles would work. The Good: No Stand! It is a joy being able to turn it on and off with the joystick at will. Powerful. It seems much stronger then the M5. I can swing smoothly from pointing straight at the ground to straight at the sky. Ergonomics. The Jr. feels much lighter then it's weight compared to other gimbals because I can hold it close to my chest ,or straight down at my side in briefcase mode. After a 4hr shoot I was nowhere near as sore as shoots in the past. Portability and setup speed. This is the first gimbal I would consider using for doc work. With a quick release plate attached, I can have my rig mounted in under a minute. The Bad: Steeper learning curve Letus' support website is currently a mess with several dated iterations that are easy to land on from google and end up with incorrect software. The joystick wire juts out backwards awkwardly and gets in the way. I solved this my adding bends and coiling to the cable with a hair dryer and 15mm rail. I would recommend the Helix to anyone willing to invest time learning its ways. The other shooters I have shown were impressed, and one is returning his Ronin M for a Jr.

I buyed the Letus Helix Jr after selling another gimbal that i found difficult to handle, first it was bigger and heavy on my arms and back. Second you could not lay it around but need a base to hang it on. The Helix Jr is simple to handle and you can place it where you want,the stabilization is fine and the assistance support is immediate, If you need a gimbal for run&gun i reccomand tht Helix Jr