Motrr Galileo Robotic Gimbal with GoPro Mount Review
When I create content – especially as a one person crew – I’m always looking for ways to make my cameras do more. When I saw the Motrr Galelieo last year I thought this would be a great way to do that. But not living in an iPhone world, it wasn’t a device I could use.
Now, Motrr has come out with the GoPro mount to the Galelio. This compliments my video as I can now put the GoPro on a table or up on a tripod to pan audiences or get a timelapse of an event.
Get the Motrr Galileo Bluetooth at Amazon
About the Motrr Galileo
Lets look at the unit itself. The Motrr comes white or black and looks like a hockey puck. The Motrr can rotate clockwise or counter and its top can be twisted vertical so you can move the camera up and down.
The device charges via USB and can run on an iPhone or iPad using Bluetooth. There are connectors on the bottom and inside the cup-shaped area where the phone is placed. From what I understand, this connects a 30-pin iPhone 4 or 4s to the controller device. For iPhone 5 and above I do not see a lightning connector option, although some have used the 30-pin to lightning adapter to make it work.
The phone fits snug in these rubber cups. You place the cup that works best for you into the cradle area. These are all iPhone or iPod units – my Nexus 5 doesn’t seem to fit nor will an iPhone 6 or 6+. Motrr is working on adaptors which will house not only those models of iPhone, but also an iPad if the top is in its horizontal position.
However, with this special adapter, the GoPro HERO4 fits snug in the cradle and can be used almost just like the iPhone app could.
Let’s talk about the app and in-app store for a minute. This is a download on the iTunes store – there is no Android, Mac or PC version. When you install the app, simply twist the base of the Motrr to turn on the Bluetooth, and the app will see and pair with the device.
There are several apps you can get, some of them for purchase that will time-lapse, stitch photos for 360 and panoramas and more. These are iOS apps so the GoPro option won’t be much use in this case.
Pros and Cons: Motrr Galileo
There are a couple big issues with Motrr. First, if you put the device on a tripod up in the air, make sure your iOS device doesn’t lose bluetooth connection. The only way to re-connect is to twist that base, which isn’t easy and can ruin a panorama shot.
The idea is to download an app, set it and let it run until the recording is over. If you want to do anything more intense – such as self controlling video angles, then you may need another iOS device – especially if you are using your iPhone as the video camera.
There is no Android app. There is no way to connect to a PC/Mac. The iPad can be used if you download the iPhone app. I would even pay for a separate RC controller pad that I could use at a moments notice.
The design makes it harder to house anything more than an iPhone 5S. There is an adapter for iPhone 6, but any other device you have to close the vertical arm and find a way to mount it. Good news is if you have access to a 3D printer, you can make mounts for other cameras, iPad and more.
The GoPro mount works well in capturing video. The housing has access to the HDMI video port, but the USB is in the wrong place for HERO 3 and 4 devices. A small mod with my rotary tool and I could fix that. Also, those cables could inhibit movement of the Motrr, so if you are doing 2-3 hours of recording, make sure you have a fully charged battery and don’t use the Wifi connection.
In all, for a simple time lapse or Panarama, the device is awesome! Even for doing some simple GoPro movement, the Motrr does the job well. I can set the device at a snails crawl to capture some great shots, or set it at high speed to make you dizzy.
The Motrr is $149 and is available now.