Pilotfly Adventurer 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer

Pilotfly has consistently been innovative with their designs. They were among the first to release gimbals that don’t block the camera screen. With improvements in every area over previous Pilotfly gimbals, the Pilotfly Adventurer is a sleek gem in the handheld gimbal world.

The Adventurer supports up to 7 lb loads. It doesn’t block the camera screen. All three axes offer 360° rotation. You can record, focus, and zoom directly from the handle when using a Sony or Panasonic camera. The ergonomic handle can be removed and used as a Bluetooth remote controller for the gimbal head—a separate controller is not required. The handle features an OLED screen that displays all necessary operational details as well as battery life. There’s a lens support (which is removable). Motion accuracy has been increased by the addition of Pilotfly’s Digital Absolute Position Encoders on each axis over the full 360° range of motion. Plus, the Adventurer weighs about a half-pound less than the preceding H2-45 gimbal, which has a lower weight capacity.

A firmware update released for multiple Pilotfly gimbals adds a Dutch Roll Mode to the Adventurer. In this mode the roll axis continuously rotates 360°, allowing you to get uninterrupted, smooth roll shots. Dutch Roll Mode brings the total number of modes to six. In addition to these six, there are several special modes, such as the Selfie Mode, that are accessible by simply pressing the 5-way joystick a specific number of times.

The Adventurer’s increased payload is the result of upgraded brushless motors that support adjustable weight ranges. The different operational modes of the Adventurer, as well as the weight-range camera profiles, are all selectable right from the handle without the need for changing any settings in the software.

The Adventurer comes with two camera control cables, one for Panasonic and one for Sony, for controlling record/focus/zoom using the buttons on the ergonomic handle. As an alternative to using the intelligent handle for Bluetooth remote control, you can control the gimbal head with the optional Pilofly RM-2 remote control, the Pilotfly iOS app, or the Pilotfly ZA-2BA 5th axis dual handle.

With the preceding H2-45 being so powerful, you may wonder how the Adventurer and H2-45 compare. Well, the only leg up the H2-45 has is that it offers a 26-hour battery life in contrast to the Adventurer’s six hours. However, the battery on the Adventurer is removable, so you can get as many spares as you want, and replacing batteries is made more efficient by the gimbal’s Off Motor Mode, which turns off the motor without the rest of the gimbal shutting down.

The length of the Adventurer can also be extended for more comfortable control where applicable by attaching the optional PFY Mini Tripod into the 1/4″-20 threaded mounting hole on the bottom of the handle.