okay so ive been running a pretty beefy hexacopter build for about two years now, its got maybe 8kg of lift capacity and right now im just using a GoPro Hero 12 in a cheap 3-axis gimbal which honestly feels like a waste of what the platform can do. the stabilization is fine for action cam stuff but the image quality isnt where i want it for the commercial work im starting to get into.

been looking at a few different directions ? either going with something like a Sony mirrorless on a Gremsy gimbal, or maybe one of the Zenmuse options if i can find a compatible setup, or honestly just going full cinema and mounting a smaller S35 sensor camera. the Gremsy T3V3 keeps coming up when i search around but i dont know anyone personally whos used one for extended shoots.

budget is somewhere around 3-4k for the whole camera plus gimbal combo. not trying to compete with a Movi Pro operator, just want clean 4K with decent dynamic range for architectural and some landscape work. any of you running heavier payload setups have opinions on this? feel like there's a lot of options and not a lot of honest takes out there that arent just sponsored content.

Gremsy makes solid gimbals, ran a T1 for a while with a Sony A7C and it was genuinely good once you get the tuning dialed in. the tuning part is where people give up i think ? it takes a few hours of messing with the motor gain settings before it stops fighting itself. once its right though the stabilization holds up even in moderate wind, which surprised me honestly.

for your budget and the work you described id probably lean toward a Sony ZV-E1 or even an A7 IV with a pancake lens, keeps the weight balanced better than a lot of people expect. the Zenmuse route is fine but youre kind of locked into their ecosystem and the image profiles arent everyones cup of tea for color work.

slightly off topic but what FC are you running on the hex? asking because some of the payload communication stuff and gimbal stabilization assist actually depends on how good your attitude estimation is coming from the FC. if youre on something older the gimbal is doing all the work itself which isnt ideal on a bigger platform. just something to check before you drop 3k on new glass and a mount