PolarPro Cinema Series still problematic to gimbal?

[MavicKhan]

Ok, so a couple of hours ago I went on to test both the Art profile (...which had already disappeared from the app the first time around I flew the Mavic...) and the PolarPro Cinema series NDs, which PolarPro was kind enough to send me as replacements for the original ones, for a very reasonable fee.

The main problem I had with the previous ones resided in the fact that they had to be removed for gimbal initialization and this was a major pain, since every single battery swap required the filters to be removed from the lens.

Now these new ones are supposed to able to be left on the gimbal during initialization and, in fact, I only read positive reports about this.

...but, in this first session with them, my Mavic reports a gimbal motor overload during the initialization (tested with the ND32 and ND16, multiple times with shallower and deeper filter fittings to the lens).

It seems I will still have to remove them between battery swaps...

Anyone else with this problem?

Thanks.

 

[joet]

Can't speak to the Cinema series, but the Vivid series works just fine on my Mavic.

 

[greginfinity]

I just picked up the set from Best Buy (Model Number: MVC-5001 SKU: 5707614) and flew yesterday with no problems. I put the filter on before initialization, and it went through it with no issues. I don't have a scale here but Jeff from Polar Pro said they weigh 1.1g on the ND and 1.3 for the CP. These are the $50 plastic set of 3, not the Cinema series. He said the gimbal starts to have issues at 3g from their testing (depends on lever arm lengths and all that but you get the idea).

 

[MavicKhan]

I don't think it is the weight.

I think it is some kind of measurement tolerance with either the filters or the gimbal/camera head, themselves.

I can hear the filter knocking on the mast when turning right, during initialization.

It unpractical for me to do a new exchange...I guess I am s.o.l...

MK

 

[greginfinity]

Do you have a part number on the packaging? Yes, the old ones knocked against the gimbal on power up, or so I assume from what I saw on youtube. Maybe you didn't get the newest model?

 

[MavicKhan]

...I am wondering...

I have, "Gimbal Mode - Follow", "Enable Synchronized Pan Follow" and "Enable Upwards Gimbal Tilt Limit" all enabled.

Could some or all of these modes allow for wider latitude movements during initialization and be the culprits?

I'll try to do rule these out with some testing.

 

[MavicKhan]

Do you have a part number on the packaging? Yes, the old ones knocked against the gimbal on power up, or so I assume from what I saw on youtube. Maybe you didn't get the newest model?

No, the Cinema series are the newest ones. They shouldn't have this problem.

MK

 

[greginfinity]

Oh yeah, sorry, I missed that you have the Cinema ones. Are you sure they are all the way on? With the Mavic off, can you move the camera around and see where it hits?

 

[MavicKhan]

I figured it out...I wasn't pushing the filters all the way in to the back and that's what was limiting the clearance.

...but I can understand why I wasn't pushing them all the way...The resistance going in is very high and it is even higher now to take it off...I have to balance the (strong) force of the fingers pulling the filters with that of the couple of ones holding the gimbal and, since there's not much room to hold the gimbal, I am afraid the fingers holding it just slip and that a strong jolt is induced by ones pulling the filter.

All this force, pulling and balancing can't be good for the gimbal...

MK

 

[MavicKhan]

It took me 20 minutes, extreme care, patience and, finally, a set of long nose pliers with twisting motion while pulling gently but firmly to remove the ND8 from the full aft sit-in position, here, at home, under controlled and comfortable conditions.

This is no good.

PolarPro has great customer support but they keep missing what is actually needed to work with the Mavic.

(...I wonder if they're ready to assume compensation costs if a gimbal is damaged during filter removal?...)

 

[Andrew F]

Ok, so a couple of hours ago I went on to test both the Art profile (...which had already disappeared from the app the first time around I flew the Mavic...) and the PolarPro Cinema series NDs, which PolarPro was kind enough to send me as replacements for the original ones, for a very reasonable fee.

The main problem I had with the previous ones resided in the fact that they had to be removed for gimbal initialization and this was a major pain, since every single battery swap required the filters to be removed from the lens.

Now these new ones are supposed to able to be left on the gimbal during initialization and, in fact, I only read positive reports about this.

...but, in this first session with them, my Mavic reports a gimbal motor overload during the initialization (tested with the ND32 and ND16, multiple times with shallower and deeper filter fittings to the lens).

It seems I will still have to remove them between battery swaps...

Anyone else with this problem?

Thanks.

Just got PolarPro Cinema Series Vivid's today and I am getting Gimbal Overload as well. I'm VERY disappointed. I don't want to have to remove between battery swaps. They say on their website that they can be left on. ARGH!!!

 

[Andrew F]

Can't speak to the Cinema series, but the Vivid series works just fine on my Mavic.

PolarPro Vivid are not working on my Mavic. I get the gimbal overload.

 

[delray]

They worked on mine (CInema Vivid) just received them last week. Easy on and off also. Sorry to hear about this. I bet they are quick to take care of you.

 

[Andrew F]

They worked on mine (CInema Vivid) just received them last week. Easy on and off also. Sorry to hear about this. I bet they are quick to take care of you.

I will report back. I've submitted two emails on their support site and sent their resident rep here a private message.

 

[SkyRider]

They are working fine for me. Many flights, no problems.

 

[nzdrone]

I have the new polar pro series too. They feel very difficult to put on and off and you really have to make sure they're pushed all the way on. I have yet to see the gimbal overload though so they work well. I saw on another post someone has a video of pulling out the small black band inside the filter with tweezers and then snipping them a little less than half. That seemed to fix the overly tight fit. I haven't tried it myself just need to find some cutters to give it a go.


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[Andrew F]

I have the new polar pro series too. They feel very difficult to put on and off and you really have to make sure they're pushed all the way on. I have yet to see the gimbal overload though so they work well. I saw on another post someone has a video of pulling out the small black band inside the filter with tweezers and then snipping them a little less than half. That seemed to fix the overly tight fit. I haven't tried it myself just need to find some cutters to give it a go.


Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

Mine slip on and off well. Wouldn't really want them any looser. But the gimbal overload really sucks. Have tested multiple times and same result. Hopefully I hear back from them tomorrow with some miraculous cure.

 

[CactusJackSlade]

I guess I'm in with the lucky crowd... I have no issues at all, while my brother has to boot up first, then install the filter. I do not think it has to do so much as the filter, but the gimbal tolerances or something... my brothers makes a knocking sound every once in a while booting up even without a filter on it.

 

[Andrew F]

I guess I'm in with the lucky crowd... I have no issues at all, while my brother has to boot up first, then install the filter. I do not think it has to do so much as the filter, but the gimbal tolerances or something... my brothers makes a knocking sound every once in a while booting up even without a filter on it.

Yeah. I think there could be a tolerance issue with regard to weight. I weighed the PolarPro's I received and two of them weigh 1.2 g and the other weighs 1.34g. But the lighter ones cause it to happen too. According to one post the gimbal is supposed to handle up to 3 g. I'm skeptical about that. Anyway. As I said, hopefully the manufacturer will have some positive suggestions. I really want the polarization for maritime viewing. I don't care nearly as much about the shutter speed.

 

[joet]

Mine are pretty easy to put on, not quite so easy to remove.