Feiyu WG2 – Wearable, Waterproof GoPro Gimbal

Feiyu WG has been around for a while – a compact and wearable gimbal for action cameras to get smooth shots mounted anywhere. Soon after the waterproof GoPro Hero5 black was released, Feiyu introduced the splash proof Feiyu G5 handheld gimbal to match Hero5’s new main feature. Now Feiyu extended their product line and introduces Feiyu WG2, a waterproof wearable gimbal the goes along perfectly with GoPro Hero5 to get smooth shots when mounted in wet environment.

Update: Feiyu released a newer version WG2X! Check out the new product here: Feiyu Wg2X
A comparison will follow shortly!

Video Review

Feiyu WG2 Specs

Feiyu WG2 offers a built-in 1500 mAh battery with a stated operation time of of 2.5 hours. The new version offers 360° rotation on the pan and pitch axis and 70° rotation on the roll axis. That’s another plus of the updated model as the old one was limited to 320° rotation! Feiyu WG2 supports a payload of up to 130g. A slide arm on the back allows it to balance various cameras easily.

Highlight feature is of course its water resistance. Feiyu WG2 is IP67 waterproof, which means up to 0.5 meter. Main use case won’t be underwater anyway, but this feature makes it ideal in combination with GoPro Hero5 black or Session, which are waterproof without a case, for all near water activities like surfing, jetski, skiing/snowboarding,… all situations where the gimbal could get wet.

Feiyu WG2 – Waterproof & 360° Rotation

Mounting Options

On the bottom and on the backside of Feiyu WG2 is a standard 1/4″ photo tripod screw. So you can either use a variety of mounts also in combination with a GoPro mount adapter (e.g. Wirst Mount, Suction Cup, Clamp,..). Or you can attach it to a tripod or selfie stick and use the gimbal handheld.

Feiyu WG2 – mounting options

Modes & Features

You can select the several different modes by pressing the power button on the side of Feiyu WG2. The LED on the front indicates which mode is currently active.

Feiyu WG2 – Power/Mode Button & LED indicator

Panning Mode
After powering up your gimbal it’s in Panning Mode. Tilt and Roll axis are fixed, the pan axis, hence the camera’s direction, will follow your side movements. Want to correct the up/down position of your camera? Simply grab the camera, point it to the direction it should film and hold it for about a second and it will stay in this position.
To indicate this mode the LED on the front is flashing once.

Locking Mode
You can switch between panning and locking mode by pressing the power button one time. Now alle axes are locked and the camera will always point in the same direction. Again, to position the direction of the camera (pan & tilt) simply grab it point it into the direction it should look and hold it for 1 second so the gimbal locks this position.
In this mode the LED is light steadily.

Panning & Tilting Mode
To enter this mode double press the power button. Now only the roll axis is locked and the gimbal/camera will follow your pan and tilt movements.
When in this mode, the LED flashes twice.

Turn 180° degree (Selfie Mode)
When you press the button 3 times the gimbal will turn 180° and is in panning mode.

Autorotation (Time-Lapse Mode)
This is a great new feature compared to the previous model. Press the power button 4 times, grab the camera and point it into start position. Press the button once and bring it into end position. When you press the button again, the gimbal will slowly move from start to end position. So you can create stunning time-lapses while the camera is moving.

In time-lapse mode WG2 moves automatically from a selected start to end position

Reset
When you press the power button 5 times, Feiyu WG2 will power down and up again and reset it’s position and level automatically.

Remote Control

You can either use Feiyu ON App or Feiyu’s remote controller to remote control the gimbal’s head. Within the app you can also change the gimbals speed or it’s dead angle (e.g. a few degrees where it shouldn’t move in panning mode so it’s not constantly following the position when there is only slight movement).

Feiyu WG2 Remote – Feiyu ON App & Feiyu Controller

Compatibility

Feiyu WG2 is compatible with serval action cameras including Yi Action Cameras, Firefly, Thieye, EKEN, SJCAM and similar shaped action cameras.You can’t mount them with underwater case tough. A frame mount for GoPro Hero Session is included in the package.

Feiyu WG2 with YI 4K+ Action Camera, Firefly 8S & Thieye T5

Feiyu WG or Feiyu WG2?

Feiyu WG vs Feiyu WG2

Feiyu G5 or Feiyu WG2?

Feiyu G5 handheld vs Feiyu WG2 wearable Gimbal

I was waiting for a wearable and waterproof gimbal as I want to be able to mount my waterproof GoPro Hero5 in wet environment. With Feiyu WG2 there is a compact solutions to do so, but you can still use it handheld when mounting on a selfie stick. On the downside the batteries are smaller in capacity compared to Feiyu G5 as there is less space because of the missing grip (WG2: 2.5 hrs; G5: 8 hrs).

Competition

There are lot’s of different gimbals available for GoPro Hero5 black. A currently available gimbal that is waterproof as well is Removu S1 which can be used wearable or mounted to a grip. Similar waterproof gimbals will hit the market soon, like SLICK or Sybrillo. Of course there is also GoPro Karma grip, which is made for handheld use in the first place, but you can also apply an extension cable to be more flexible when mounting the head. On the downside Karma is not splash proof.

Here’s my overview of GoPro Hero5 gimbals.

Retailer / Price:

Amazon:

Conclusion