Initial look at the Moza Air 2 gimbal and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Today I revealed a video where I tested the new Moza Air 2 gimbal versus the DJI Ronin-S.

You can see that video here.

In it I also show that I was able to mount the new Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera on the gimbal without the need of any extra quick release plates etc. In fact it seems like the Moza Air 2 was made perfectly for the Blackmagic Pocket 4K camera because the gimbal also comes with iFocus motor which is a wireless follow focus system. This allows me to pull focus using the wheel that is on the side of the gimbal. This is truly a necessity since the BMPCC4K doesn’t have continuous auto focus.

You can get the MOZA Air 2 Gimbal on B&H or directly from Gudsen the manufacturer.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K is available right now on eBay. Also Pre-Order it on B&H, Amazon & Adorama.

By looking at the initial tests I did with the Moza Air 2 you might think it is not as smooth as the DJI Ronin-S. In fact both gimbals are very smooth but each have to have the settings adjusted depending on what you are trying to do and what camera setup you are using. Since in my first tests I did not adjust any of the original settings, it is showing when I was getting shots with the heavier Canon 1DX M2 camera. I have since had time to play around with the settings in the Moza Air 2 gimbal and I shot this test also using the BMPCC4K, which you can watch below.

As you can see in this quick test, the gimbal can produce very smooth shots even when I was using with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with cinema lenses (which doesn’t have any image stabilization) and while moving the gimbal in small precise movements trying to simulate detailed slider shots.

I am shooting more tests with both the Moza Air 2 gimbal and the Blackmagic pocket cinema camera 4K. So make sure you stayed tuned to see more.

If you haven’t yet, then please subscribe to my newsletter so I can let you know when the new tests come out.

Special thanks to Ken Volpe for coming out with his DJI Ronin-S to help me do the test. You can check out his amazing work here: www.transposure.com

19 thoughts on “Initial look at the Moza Air 2 gimbal and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K”

  1. Hi Tom, love your videos! I was wondering if you’ve tried charging the bmpcc through the power output from the gimbal. Moza said it works but never really showed how long it would last.

    1. Yes I tried it a few times and it powers the camera great. I haven’t used it for a long time on a job yet in this configuration so I can’t say how long the batteries work. I did power the camera through the gimbal last time for around 2 hours. Looked like there was still power left but don’t know how much longer it would last. I will update everyone once I use this configuration for longer and know how long till the batteries drain.

      1. Hey Tom, do you have to order any special cables that are not included with the Moza to power the BMPCC4k from the gibmal? Also…did the MOZA come with the small rail to attach the follow focus motor to the gimbal? If these items were not included, where did you order them? Thanks for any insight!

        1. Hi Mike, I made a cable for a few bucks that goes from the moza gimbal to the 12V plug on the side of the BMPCC4K. It’s very easy to do and I explain how to do it in this post: https://tomantosfilms.com/18549/battery-solutions-for-the-blackmagic-pocket-cinema-camera-4k/
          I also use that same cable to connect to the original DC adapter that comes with the camera and also if I want to use any other external battery. It’s the best and cheapest way I found to do this. Now thanks to this simple cable I have all these different ways I can power the camera.
          As far as the follow focus motor I attach it using the rails that came with the Moza Gimbal. I also found that when using the camera with a speed booster adapter like the one I got from Metabones and any average lens, I dont need anything else to mount the BMPCC4K to the Moza Air 2 gimbal. But if you are going to mount it using a small native M43 lens then you might need to get a baseplate to offset the camera to the left so it goes past the pitch motor on the gimbal. That is because with a longer or heavier lens to balance on the gimbal you will need to put the camera back so far that it won’t ever touch the motor but otherwise it will get in the way.

  2. Hi Tom, I’ve got this setup (Moza Air 2 and BMPCC 4k with SmallRig full cage). My struggle is with the high and low shots pulling focus without a flipable screen. I’ve considered adding my FeelWorld EVF/monitor, but this rig is already quite heavy. I noticed you did a video about a year ago on the VuFine+. I know it only accepts a 720p signal and the BMPCC 4k outputs 1080 to hdmi. Have you tried the VuFine with the BMPCC 4k? I can’t find any information that says the BMPCC 4k will downsample to 720p. I’d love to know if the VuFine works before making the investment.

    1. I have not tried the viewfine with the BMPCC4K yet. Sorry. If I get some time I will but just have way too much work right now to do so plus I dont have the viewfinder in my studio with me since I lend it out a while back.

  3. Just bought a Moza Air 2 and a Nikon Z6. Had to buy a USB-C add-on to make the connection. Still, the Moza and Nikon don’t communicate. And the Gimbel Set – Motor – Switch keeps turning off. It stays on for 5 seconds and then goes off. What am I missing here?

    1. I am not sure that the Moza Air 2 is at all compatible with the Z6 in that it can connect to the camera and control it. It might be a limitation on the camera that Nikon put… have you heard otherwise?

      As for the motor going off on you sounds like you have the roll axis lock engaged. Make sure you slide that down to the off position before turning on the gimbal.

  4. Hello Tom,
    I use the same setup (BMPCC4K and Moza Air2). I dind´t get the camera control from the gimbal to work. Do you have any solution? Being able to start and stop the camera using the gimbals buttons would be a real gamechanger! 🙂
    Thanks a lot and keep up the great work!

    1. Unfortunately that can’t be done with this camera. BMPCC4K doesn’t have any plugs for external control. The only way that you can remotely trigger the camera and even change all the camera settings or adjust focus in real time is with the Blackmagic Camera app for iPhone. That connects to the BMPCC4K via Bluetooth. Not sure if that would be any more convenient if you are trying to fly the camera on a gimbal like the Moza Air 2

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