Feiyu Tech Mini 3D Pro / FY-M3D Review (PROS & CONS)

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In this review, we are looking at the Feiyu Tech Mini 3D Pro or FY-M3D, a great 3-axis Drone gimbal.

This brushless motor stabilizer that is compatible with different camera brands and can fit to a variety of quadcopter drones.

A 3 Axis Drone Gimbal!

Although the 2 axis gimbals are quite commonly used at the moment for drone filming, 3 axis stabilizers are now becoming more affordable and, of course they provide greater quality aerial filming.

3 axis gimbals are not necessarily better than the 2 axis ones ( it really depends what you are going to be using your camera for), but they do provide better video stability as they stabilize it on the yaw, pitch and roll axis.

The Feiyu Tech Mini 3D Pro gimbal provides as stable as possible positioning of the camera in order to get motionless videos and also allows for a remote control of the camera in order to get the best point of view.

Having said that, the stability also depends on the number and quality of the damping balls that the gimbals comes with in order to be mounted to the quad-copter.

4 VS 6 Damping balls

The Feiyu Tech Mini 3D first came out with 4 damping balls and soon after a new version with 6 damping balls was released by the manufacturer.

If you decide to go for the Feiyu Tech Mini 3D make sure it is the 6 ball model as the jello is close to none. (click on the Orange links on this review, the amazon product we link to is the latest version).

What’s in the box

Let’s cut to the point and find out what the Feiyu Tech Mini 3D really offers, what can you find in the box and what features it comes with.

Once you get your Feiyu Tech Mini 3D what you will find in the box is the 3 axis brush-less gimbal itself that comes pretty much pre-assembled.

You will also find the top plate and the balls that allow you to mount it on your drone and a box with the needed cables to power it up and get the video and audio going…

The manual included has an English version that is quite clear and there are no crazy translation mistakes.

All you need to do is get down to business and put your camera in place and mount the gimbal onto your quadcopter.

Ease of use review

Now, talking about cameras we need to say that the Mini 3D Pro is compatible with a range of action cameras like the Turnigy HD Action Cam or Go-pro 4, 3 or 3+ type cameras or any other with a similar size.

The Feiyu Mini 3D weighs only 150 g without a camera on, it is one of the most lightweight gimbals available.

It can also be mounted in a regular mode (hanging), vertical mode and frontal mode.

The Feiyu Mini 3D Pro is designed to work independently of your flight control system, so all you need to do is to power it up and do the initial setup.

The set up is pretty easy, as the gimbal comes factory balanced and all you need to do is plug in your camera and the mode line, power line, yaw and pitch control line and video output line.

However, if you need to do a firmware update, you have a USB port and cable included as well.

Various modes available

Having mentioned the mode line, we just need to go through the three modes the Feiyu Tech Mini 3D can be used in, as this is a great addition to its stand-alone stabilization function.

The Feiyu Tech Mini 3D Pro offers:

• Heading Follow Mode – eliminates any unwanted buffeting by allowing the gimbal to follow the pitch, roll and yaw angles of your quad-copter or aircraft for line of sight video

• Heading and Pitch Follow Mode – follows the pitch and yaw angles while keeping the roll angle fixed

• Heading Lock Mode – locks heading, pitch and roll to position while allowing that position to be controlled from your radio.

Gimbal features

Features:

3 stabilization modes
6 point damping
Integrated control and motor units
3 Axis stabilization
Yaw, Pitch and Mode control from transmitter
Can be mounted inverted for aircraft use

Specs:

Input voltage: 7~17V
Overload protection: 800mA
RC Input: Yaw, Pitch, Mode
Pitch angle: +/-150°
Roll angle: +/- 45°
Yaw angle: +/- 120°
Dimensions: 120 x 76 x 88mm (without camera)
Weight: 149g
Included:
FeiYu Tech Mini 3D gimbal
Video output cable
USB cable
USB adapter
Anti-vibration mounts
Hanger mount
Control/power harness
JST type power lead

Feiyu Mini 3D Pro overall review

Apart from being packed with tons of great features, the Feiyu Tech Mini 3D Pro also has a great built quality and a sleek design.

It looks great once fitted to the quad-copter, aircraft or drone and you do not need to worry about flimsy parts and poor quality materials.

There are no wires hanging around the gimbal body and everything you need comes in the box.

If you need to make a firmware update, you can find the download links here: Mini 3D Pro firmware updates, updates are done via USB easily.

Overall, the FY-M3D might just be the best 3 axis drone gimbal available on the market.

It is lightweight and allows longer flying time. It is easy to set up and mount to your craft and at the same time is packed with features that will help you get the high quality, professional video that you are looking for.

Have a look at this sample video footage by youtube user Tava Kessler, shot on a DJI Phantom 1:

The Feiyu Tech Mini 3D has a polished look and quiet operation and it is a great investment if you are into aerial filming.