Benro is entering the crowded gimbal market with a whole line of gimbals from small models for smartphones, all the way to the 3XD Pro for larger camera builds.
All of the gimbals have been designed for easier travelling, with foldable designs.
3XD & 3XD Pro
Key features
- Dual handle design
- auto rotation
- 45-degree offset
- internal audio cabling
- supports up to 8.3 lbs
- 13 hr battery life
- foldable design
The 3XD looks like all of the other single-handed gimbals around. What is different, is the collapsible handle which can pivot 90-degrees for low angle shots.
The main difference between the 3XD and the 3XD Pro, is that 3XD Pro comes with the collapsing dual handles. Unlike other dual-handle add-ons for gimbals, the display screen and gimbal menu buttons have been moved to the two handles so you can still operate the gimbal while holding it with two hands.
The top handle is pivotable into a third handle and also converts into a small tripod for balancing and placing the gimbal down.
Both gimbals have companion apps to be used as a remote head, automatic calibration and programmed modes for timelapse.
3XD – $499 USD
3XD Pro – $699 USD
At these prices, they are more expensive than the Ronin-SC, Ronin-S & Zhiyun Crane 2 but they do offer some unique features which are not found on the competing models.
3XM for Mirrorless
Key features
- Foldable design
- one press auto rotation
- multiple shooting modes
- built-in mic jack
- 24 hr battery life
- 3.9 lbs maximum payload
Just like the 3XD, the 3XM has the same pivotable top handle to rotate 90-degrees that also makes it more compact when travelling.
The maximum 3.9lb payload makes it suitable for many mirrorless cameras.
3XS & 3XS Lite for Smartphones
Key features
- Foldable design
- one press auto rotation
- multiple shooting modes
- built-in mic jack
- 24 hr battery life
To keep the phone charged, you can plug in the phone with the included cables or if supported, will be charged via the wireless pad built into the gimbal clamp.
The 3XS Lite is $30 cheaper but doesn’t have wireless charging.
To solve the issue of mounting & balancing a smartphone mic, the 3XS & 3XS Lite have 3.5mm mic jacks on the body of the gimbal, which are connected to the phone via the pass-through port. This makes it much easier to balance and gives more freedom of movement for the gimbal.
