Zenmuse Z15 or The CineStar 3-Axis Camera Gimbal

Dax

Dax

Member
I presently own the S800 and looking to buy a gimbal, I was about to buy the Zenmuse Z15 but I found the CineStar 3-Axis Gimbal. I like to know if anyone knows anything about the CineStar with the 3-Axis Freefly Radian Stabilization Module? it's about $800.00 cheaper then the Z15. the big question is will the 3-Axis Freefly Radian Stabilization work on the Z15 Gimbal?
 


BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
DAX the question is what camera you are deciding on using ?

CS 3 Axis will be a great product but it will not touch the grounds of the zenmuse when it comes to giving stable footage and smoothing out the copter movements in wind etc.
Zenmuse on the other side for now will only let you use a NEX or a GH2.

Additional what is nice about the zenmuse is that you have an HDMI converter and the Cam remote trigger as part of it !

If you can deal with a Nex5 or Gh2 I would go for the zenmuse. If you need to fly a 5D i don't know RED etc. you will have to stick to the CS 3 Axis gimbal which is the best in the traditional sense based on normal hobby servos.

Boris
 

Dax

Dax

Member
Hi Boris, Thanks for the reply. I agree, after reading the manual for the Z15 no doubt it's a better gimbal. I plan to use the Sony Nex-5 Camera.
can I use a separate battery for the Z15 Gimbal ?
 

BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
theortetically you can. As far as i understood the zenmuse can be powered up to 12s. I would double check though with support or the manual since the WKM powered from one source and the zenmuse powered from a second source are connected via Can-bus that share a common ground, but they probably thought of it just go sure if plan on using two sources.

I don really see a reason though to use two lipo one for the zenmuse and your copter setup. One lipo is much easier to maintain you have a voltage feedback from the one lipo and if you system lipo is drained it won't help if the zenmuse sill has power.

Other systems have extra lipo for the gimbal is mainly to give the gimbal a real 360 turn possibility and to keep the power clean for the servos. All that docent have to be considered when it comes to the zenmuse. Out of the box working the way it should be !

Boris
 

Dax

Dax

Member
Am planing to have two 6s 5000mah for the S800 and one 4s 2000mah for the Z15 and tying all the grounds from the better's together. the thing I am concerned with is the Can-bus.
 

BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
hmm are you sure 4s works with the zenmuse and why do you want to have an extra lipo ? the less the better less to charge and deal with !
 

Dax

Dax

Member
Well, the way I see it if I supply separate power to the Gimbal there will be longer flight time more power for the S800. the reason for the 4s less weight, = more flight time.
 

BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
hmm you will have to check on that 4s 6s concerning the zenmuse I have no experience. The reason for the s800 to be using 6s is to achieve longer flight times of coarse in combo with the low KV motors and bigger props. If the lighter weight of the 4s lipo in combo with the zenmuse is more efficient hmm ? I wouldn't bet on it but try it out before buying all the lipo, or you find the right variables to do the math.

Regards

Boris
 

Dax

Dax

Member
I think you are miss understanding me. here is a sample of the battery wiring.

View attachment 5978
 

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BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
Dax the point is the following.

First it would be interesting to know what the Z15 draws with 4s or 6s. What it comes down to is that even if 4s lighter than 6s same mAh the question stays z15 has a bigger consumption with 4s or 6s and what does that mean at the end.

Than the question stays if you put on a 2000 mah 4s and its not completely drained from the Z15 at the end of a flight you are carry extra weight = mAh that is not used. If you have one lipo its drained from the system and you are not carrying any extra unused power that just ended up to be unnecessary payload. If you have to take the bird down anyways and change the main power source.

Boris
 

Dax

Dax

Member
Good point, makes sense thanks for your feed back. Ill just use one battery than. love this site lots of smart people.
 

B

blbills

Member
Hey guys,

Question for all you Z15 users. I know that it's mentioned several times in the manual that this system has to be used in conjunction with one of DJI's autopilots. But can this gimbal be operated independent of the flight system? Pg. 28 for the "2 pilot Solution" as well as the wiring diagram lead me to believe that it can be. I've just had bad experiences in the past with DJI flight controllers so I went a different route but I would be interested in using the Z15 as an independent system.

Thanks!
 

H

hugy

Member
Yes you can use the z15 as an independent system. But you still have to connect the wookong to it. It uses some sensors from the wookong for it's stabilization. So you can connect wookong and mount it on the zenmuse. And use another controller to fly the multirotor.
 


BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
simply put it won't work :)

I don't know if it really need the WKM IMU but for sure it want a can-bus connection to the WKM. Maybe only a sales DJI thingy that you need to have a WKM to use the zenmuse !

Boris
 

H

hugy

Member
I only know it uses the compass. Don't know about the imu. If you turn the compass/gps module from your wookong your zenmuse will turn to.
 


G

gtxkid

Member
Thank you for answering the same question i also had.
Zen 15 will work on something else as long as you have a WKM with it.
I eventually want to use it on my Octo
 

BorisS

BorisS

Drone Enthusiast
New info in that is that the Zenmuse only need the WKM IMU and the something that can make the can-bus connection between the Zenmuse GCU and the IMU. They have different plugs thus one would have to solder the can-bus together. Best way to go no risk is to also use the PMU. Thus PMU IMU and Zenmuse works standalone or up to now until they change the FW :) maybe !

Boris
 

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