For just $299.99 USD the KARMA Grip is probably the first and last camera stabilizer you will ever need for your GoPro HERO cameras. While the KARMA drone might be temporarily unavailable because of a recall, you can now get just the KARMA Grip for shooting on the ground.
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Available practically everywhere in the world via shipping from GoPro directly, the KARMA Grip is reasonably priced, but it’s actually more in line with their competitor’s top tier 3-axis gimbals.
The KARMA Grip competes directly with the DJI Osmo though both offer distinct advantages. While the DJI Osmo offers more controls that video enthusiasts are probably looking for but in every regard the KARMA Grip hoists the HERO5 Black which has superior video quality. The KARMA Grip feels like it can also take more abuse than the Osmo.
On the handle you get buttons for power and changing shooting modes, adding highlight tags to your videos, starting and stopping recordings as well as a tilt-lock button that also gives you battery status.
Normally the camera stays pointed forward regardless of how you hold the handle, but pressing the tilt-lock lets you aim the camera above or below the horizon and keep it at that angle. Double tapping it will lock the camera to follow a subject, so you can move around someone while keeping them framed in your shot.
The camera’s Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) would have helped some users, but you have to drop the resolution to at least 2.7K and record at no more than 60 frames per second to use EIS. With the KARMA Grip, you can set the camera’s resolution and frame rate to whatever you want.
The Grip is already shipping with a case and melange of accessories. At $299.99 USD, the KARMA Grip is good value for owners of a HERO4 and above – who don’t necessarily need an upgrade until the HERO6 camera comes out. But for people who don’t have any GoPro cameras yet, at $299.99 plus the cost of an additional GoPro camera, that’s when the value diminishes. Basically, if you’re invested in GoPro cameras then this is the gimbal you will want anyway.
Attributes and Specifications:
KARMA Stabilizer
Length: 6in (149mm)
Width: 4.3in (109mm)
Height: 3.3in (83mm)
Weight: 8.5oz (242g)
KARMA Grip Handle
Length: 8in (205mm)
Width: 1.7in (43mm)
Height: 1.7in (43mm)
Weight: 8.62oz (244.6g)
Battery Life: 1 hour 45 minutes
Voltage: 5-15V, 3A
Charging Time: Supercharger 1 hour 50 minutes
Charging Time: Standard 1A Charger: 6 hours
The Good
In my opinion, the grip and the stabilizer are in excellent build quality and it is very intuitive. As a matter of fact, it is a better built gimbal assembly because the handle is also water resistant – but not waterproof. You can count on the entire composition to be less in travel weight than other mechanical gimbals in the market. Overall, the video you get from using the KARMA Grip and the HERO5 Black is stunning. It’s no joke on the super smooth footage with stability and GoPro prides themselves of this fact.
The Bad
It would have been really great to see the LCD screen at the back of the HERO camera, but since the HERO camera is mounted into the stabilizer, the touch screen is obstructed. Also when filming in 4K 30FPS there is no linear FOV. Users are basically committed to using wide angle view or medium, and narrow view.
Here is a video created by GoPro’s very own media guru, Abe Kislevitz. He does a very cool demo with the Grip, and without any stabilization at all. Trust me, you’ll want the gimbal after the video is done.
