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In the eye of the ikan Beholder DS1

Andrew Ward
Jan 2, 2017
2 min read

ikan have recently made waves in the market of affordable handheld gimbal stabilisers when they announced the shocking low price of the beholder DS1. At £470 it offers a very competitive alternative to other low cost gimbal systems.

I was toying with the idea of going for the EC1 however as it wasn't in stock I decided on the Beholder DS1. Upon first look the packaging was good quality and it also came with a nice carry case.

I started by installing the batteries and then mounted a canon 70d on the supplied plate and attached it to the gimbal. Balancing was an absolute breeze and very easy, to my surprise I didn't even need to look at the instructions!!

Within 5 minutes I was up and running and off filming and smiling at the same time. :-)

There is also a standard USB port, that you can use to charge your phone on and i am told can also power an LED light although thats not included in the box. The handle holds the three 2600mAh batteries, which can typically power the DS1 for approximately 2 to 3 hours.

The four stabilising modes: follow, lock, and headlock are difficult to explain however here goes…

Follow mode - follows hand movements Joystick can still control pitch and pan movements

Lock mode - camera can be locked onto a subject. Joystick can still control pitch and pan movements

Head-lock - head lock and yaw follow. Joystick can still control pitch and pan movements

You can even hold and use the DS1 in normal, inverted, or briefcase mode. This allows you to get a wide variety of shots in a many different situations using only one stabiliser.

So far the positives are

easy to setup
excellent price point
very simple to use
Mount easy on tripod 3/8”-16 tripod mount socket.
integrated Micro USB cable for charging

The negatives...

grip is slippery (may fix with tennis racquet tape)
takes some practise
instructions are not that easy to understand

I highly recommend the DS1 to anyone doing anything from weddings to home movies. Anyone thinking of going for the DS1 bite the bullet and go for it! It takes a bit of getting used to at first especially if you have never used a gimbal before however trust me on this!!! this thing is great!!!

AC Adapter with.

Features

Simple to Operate

Light Weight Durable Construction

Works with DSLR's and Mirrorless Cameras between 1.5 to 3.7lbs

Equipped with 3 Axis Gyro Stabilised Brushless Motors to Balance Most Mirrorless Cameras

Lithium Battery Powered- Low Maintenance, Eco-Friendly

Illuminated ON-OFF Switch/Battery Indicator

3/8"-16 Tripod Mount Socke