Aetho Aeon offers another spin on GoPro stabilization
The compact motorized gimbal smoothes out your handheld GoPro video by combining thoughtful design and finely tuned electronics.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
GoPros are very versatile cameras, but can also make for some less than watchable video if there's too much camera shake or vibration. There are a few handheld gimbals -- devices that mechanically stabilize camera movement -- available for the little action cams such as the FeiYu Tech G4S and WenPod GP1, but the Aetho Aeon edges them out mainly for its design.
Like those gimbals, the Aeon uses three small motors to counteract camera movement on three axes. However, instead of putting the camera and gimbal at the end of a stick, the Aeon uses an ergonomically curved handle. The design makes it overall more compact and puts the camera naturally pointed forward when recording.
Another key feature to the design is the built-in screen for getting a live view from the camera. Thanks to the boom in smartwatches, Aetho was able to easily source round displays, which fit much better with the handle design. It's just enough screen real estate to make sure your subject is framed up.
Below the screen on the grip is a small joystick that falls under your thumb. With the stick you can pan and tilt the camera so you can smoothly track subjects. Plus, the Aeon has GoPro accessory mount at the bottom of the hand grip, letting you attach the gimbal to things like handlebar or pole mounts.
Beyond the design, Aetho has tuned the underlying software controlling the stabilization to react to high-speed movements, whether its running behind your kids playing soccer or following alongside skaters through a skatepark or biking down city streets.
The whole thing runs on a removable rechargeable battery that Aetho estimates will get up to five hours of run time. It charges via USB and is expected to take two hours to fully power up.
The Aetho Aeon is currently available via an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and is expected to ship in March 2016. The project has nearly doubled its $50,000 funding goal, but you can still grab one at the moment for $324 with free shipping to US and Canada.
The price converts to £210 in the UK and AU$450 in Australia. Add in another £50 and AU$105 for international shipping.