Weebill-2 Gimbal first impression

Zhiyun Tech released its new Weebill-2 2-axis Gimbal designed to help content creators film and shoot smooth professional-quality footage and photos. The Weebill-2 can handle cameras that weigh up to 7.3 pounds and joins Zhiyun Tech’s lineup of Gimbals for prosumers and amateur filmmakers. The Weeble-2 builds on the talents of its predecessors, the Weebill Lab and the Weebill-S, proving to be the next evolution for the company’s gimbal offerings. The Weebill-2 arrives with an integrated 2.9-inch flip-out touchscreen you can use for monitoring and making adjustments as you work. The Weebill-2’s new user interface uses an Infineon sensor chip to improve performance; the processor makes its movement more responsive for smoother footage.

With approximately nine hours of run time on a single charge, you will be creating smooth cinematic shots without the worry of running out of power. The Weebill-2 also supports fast charging, meaning you can charge the gimbal to 25% capacity in only 20 minutes, limiting downtime for recharging. Additionally, it takes only 40 minutes to get it to a 50% charge, and 75% takes an hour, with the ability to reach full charge in 1.5 hours. 

Weebill-2 pricing and configurations

You can purchase the Weebill-2 by itself for $549 or select a custom kit to fit your shooting style and needs. There is a Weebill-2 Combo kit with an additional tripod and carrying case; a Combo Kit, with Sling Grip, handle, and nice carry case for $649; and then there’s the $899 Pro Kit, which includes a wireless transmitter, a focus/zoom motor, and a Sling Grip. Lastly, a Weebill-2 Pro+ kit comes with everything the Pro comes with, plus a Zhiyun Master Eye Visual controller for $1,099.

Weebill-2 design

The Weebill-2 is aesthetically pleasing; it’s all black with silver accents and some lovely white design elements. The unit is a solidly built combination of metal and plastic. There are several locking points near its three-axis stabilization motors, which are used to hold the motors in place when setting up your rig or storing it in its case.

Just above the main grip is the 2.88-inch touchscreen in its retracted state. The black-covered display has an attractive white-painted Zhiyun logo on the back, and it is snuggly built into the unit. Once you’ve powered the Weebill-2 and slide it out, you’re met by the user interface, which is very user-friendly and straightforward.

At the bottom of the handle, you will find a USB-C port used for charging or connecting the unit to your computer to update the firmware. There are also three additional USB-C ports on the arm motor to connect to your camera so that you can control camera functions such as focus, ISO, Shutter, and the other ports that can be used for charging or a remote. 

On the left side of the handle, on the upper body of the unit, is a rolling knob, which can be used to control the focus motor, the side-to-side roll, and focus if you select to do so within the UI. In front of the roll knob is a mode switch for flipping between follow, pan, and lock modes. Next, we find the photo/video button used to take a photo or start shooting a video. I noticed it could be used to engage your camera’s autofocus as you set up your shot so long as your camera is connected to the unit via USB-C cable. Last but not least, we find the joystick controller that controls the unit’s movements. It’s sensitive and takes getting used to, but it works great.

The Weebill-2 gimbal isn’t the heaviest but it’s got a pleasant sturdiness as it measures 13.8 x 8.9 x 5.9 inches and weighs 3.2 pounds. The weight and size feel nice in hand, and with the included Sling Grip handle our review unit came with, it’s a joy to work with, especially when you’re using two hands. 

Sadly, I had my production partner, Peter Norman, go all day using just the main grip as I had left the Sling Grip home when we went out to shoot some footage. It’s only slightly over 3 pounds, but when fully rigged with a camera, it’s like holding a 10-pound weight all day, which can tire out your arm (sorry, Peter).

Weebill-2 ports

The Weebill-2 comes with a total of four USB-C ports that can be used for various things. On the bottom of the handle is the main charging port, which you can use to connect to your computer and update the firmware. On the arm motor, there are three USB-C ports. The one facing your camera is used to connect your shooter to the unit to control things such as focus. On the other side of the motor are two USB-C ports that can connect to and power the remote follow-focus motor.

Weebill-2 Performance

We took the Weebill-2 for a day of shooting at a recent Laptop Mag event and fell in love with its ease of use and, quite frankly, how long the battery lasted. We shot footage of several laptops and got some great footage.

We paired the Weeble-2 with a Nikon Z5 we recently reviewed, and it worked nicely. Sadly, I  forgot the additional handle, and poor Peter’s arm got quite the workout. Overall, the unit’s three-axis stabilization worked beautifully and handled everything we threw at it to create some creamy smooth footage.

I also used it with the Blackmagic 6K, and though heavier than the Nikon Z5, the Weebill-2 handled the additional weight without issue. I then switched over to my old trusty Canon EOS Rebel Ti6 and shot some great video I’ll share in our full review.

Weebill-2  software and warranty

The Weebil-2 is plug-and-play, and the unit’s touchscreen works wonderfully as you make selections from the user-friendly user interface. There is also the Zhiyun app for your phone, which lets you connect to the Weebill-2 via Bluetooth, control it remotely, and set up special functions like timelapse. 

The Weebill-2 comes with a one-year warranty.

Outlook

After testing the Weebill-2 Gimbal for a couple of weeks, I’m convinced it’s a huge step forward in Zhiyun’s lineup and can upgrade any content creator’s game. From its excellent build quality to the companion app, Zhiyun tech put a lot of thought into creating a robust gimbal that amateurs and prosumers alike can easily use.  As someone who often shoots run-and-gun, the Weebill-2 slips easily into my camera bag and, because its powerful motors can handle up to 7.3 pounds, I could use it with my Canon DSLR or our teams’ Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K and get amazing smooth footage. . If you’ve never used a Gimbal before, there is a learning curve, but you will have a blast learning all the cool things you can now do to level up your creativity.

The Weebill-2 is now available to order.