INKEE Falcon Plus 3-axis Stabilizer for Gopro Cameras

INKEE Falcon Plus is a new updated version of a versatile 3-axis gimbal that is widely compatible with a variety of action cameras on the market such as GoPro, DJI action or Insta360 etc. However, where this particular gimbal truly shines is that if you have GoPro 10/9/8 it is currently the only gimbal that can be used with GoPro Media Mod to record better audio and light up your face with GoPro Light Mod, all of this combined with a Selfie Mode + Reverse charging of the camera while recording a video makes it a really nice and interesting accessory for the price, so if you have a GoPro and looking to get some smooth cinematic footage then perhaps INKEE Falcon Plus might be something for you.

Pros:

• Wide compatibility + works with GoPro Media Mod
• Reverse charging while recording
• 360° unlimited Inception
• Vertical / Horizontal shooting
• Wireless Control

Cons:

• Short handle
• USB-C port is exposed to elements
• Weak LED lights
• Poor stabilisation without GoPro Hypersmooth
• Soft carry case

Things to consider before buying INKEE Falcon Plus

Nowadays latest action cameras have outstanding digital in-camera stabilisation designed to get rid of most of the unwanted shakes and vibrations while doing all sorts of sports activities, traveling or enjoying sweet family moments. So is there really any need for a Gimbal if GoPro Hypersmooth stabilisation is THAT good? I would say that probably in 80-90% of the cases the in-camera stabilisation is good enough for you, especially if you record lots of action-based content; pov perspective etc however having a gimbal helps keep the horizon perfectly stable and levelled throughout the shot no matter what settings you decide to use. For example, it is possible to use any field of view like Wide, Linear or even Superview in any resolution and frame rate keeping the horizon levelled, which isn’t possible to do with Hypersmooth. So it looks more professional while recording cinematic videos or travel content etc.  

Digital stabilisation crops in on the video in order to get extra space to stabilise it, as a result, you lose that resolution. Depending on your settings it can be around 10 % or even 22 % crop on your video and it feels zoomed in looking at the screen. On the other hand, mechanical stabilisation ensures that the motion of the camera is stabilized even if the one holding it is going up and down, left and right, front and back without wasting precious resolution so your 4k video is a true 4k file, there is no digital crop or zoom.

However, INKEE Falcon Plus gimbal still needs to be used with some basic Hypersmooth to get the best results out of it as without it the video isn’t stable enough. In combination with in-camera stabilisation, it offers rocksteady stabilisation as it eliminates most of the shakes while Hypersmooth takes care of the rest.

Who is INKEE Falcon Plus for?

Who is INKEE Falcon Plus for?

Well, INKEE Falcon Plus is definitely worth it if you want to get some smooth cinematic footage as it makes it easier to control your camera movements and keep it steady especially if you are just starting out. It can be used to reverse charge a GoPro camera while travelling so you can extend your battery life and record your trip.  Having a dedicated Selfie Mode can help you quickly point the camera at yourself with a single press of a button and vlog with it and whenever you need to share something on social media it is possible to record in vertical camera orientation, just like your mobile phone does. Lastly, if you want to get a little bit creative you can record 360° Inception mode for surreal effects in your videos. I think it’s a great accessory for everyday content creation, travelling, getting creative with your camera etc.

Who shouldn’t get it?

I don’t think it is gonna be the right accessory for you if you plan to record lots of action-based content, POV shots where you mount a GoPro on your body or to your gear, where it doesn’t matter if the horizon is levelled or not, believe me, the in-camera stabilisation can do a phenomenal job there. Additionally, this gimbal isn’t waterproof or even weatherproof like your camera, so it is not a good choice for any water or snow activities. If you are interested in that then I highly recommend GravGrip V2 accessory – more on that in the “Best Alternative” section.

Before you make a Purchase please ask yourself the following questions

• Do you need a 3-axis stabilisation for your camera? Maybe all you need is Linear + Horizon Leveling?
• Do you want to use GoPro Media Mod and vlog with GoPro?
• Do you need to extend your camera’s battery life?
• Are you creative? Is 360-degree inception mode for you?
• Do you want to record both Horizontal and vertical videos?

Features and Benefits of INKEE Falcon Plus

The camera assembly and compatibility

Falcon Plus – Mounting thumbscrew design

INKEE Falcon Plus uses a traditional „GoPro” thumbscrew design to install a camera on its mounting base and thanks to that it is compatible with the majority of action cameras including GoPro 3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10, Insta360 ONE R/RS, DJI Action 1/2 etc.

Though it takes a moment to mount the camera in and out, the camera is tightened securely with a screw at the bottom just like in any typical GoPro accessory. This design is quite future proof and as long as the newer cameras are going to keep the similar shape and form factor, not exceeding 200g they should be compatible with the Falcon Plus. This gimbal needs to be calibrated with your camera’s weight before it can be used for the first time and every time you change a camera you need to repeat that process. Typically such calibration is done to find a perfect balance, using gravity and counterweight to keep the camera stable supporting the motors of the gimbal so they don’t have to work that hard.

Wireless Camera Control

Control Panel – The joystick, Mode Button, Power ON/OFF + LED status indicator

Now let’s take a closer look at the control panel as we have a couple of buttons here. INKEE Falcon Plus can wirelessly connect with GoPro via Bluetooth thanks to that you can power ON/OFF the camera when you press and hold the red dot button for 2-3 seconds. Don’t mistake it for the shutter/record button though it may look like it. NOTE: insta360 one R, Osmo action, and other action cameras can be physically fit, but Wireless control is not supported.  To the left side, there is a Mode button designed to switch between different modes of the gimbal, a single press on it cycles between the modes and small blue LED light indicates which mode you are currently in.

Joystick Control

   In the centre part of the control panel, the joystick lets you control your camera movements horizontally or vertically. It can come in handy for precise camera movements such as smooth panning shots where you focus on the horizon or a landscape. However, I do recommend slowing down its sensitivity within the mobile app as the default settings are way too fast. It is also possible to use the mobile app as a joystick and wirelessly control the camera’s movements, though there is no preview of your scene and it’s not as precise as doing it manually.

Full camera control – Photo, Video, Timelapse Buttons

On the left side of the handle, there are 3 buttons to wirelessly select a specific mode on the camera. It’s quite convenient and intuitive as you hold the handle and press on the buttons with a thumb, a single press sets your camera into Photo, Video or Time Lapse mode and another press takes a photo or starts /stops the recording. It’s a helpful feature that you don’t have to physically touch the camera or use voice commands to change it because it’s faster and more reliable. Voice commands do not always work especially in loud environments and physically touching the camera may damage the motors of the gimbal in the long run.

Multiple Modes to Control the camera

INKEE Falcon Plus offers up to 5 different modes to control your movement. The first one by default is “Pan Follow” which helps you stabilise your footage focusing on smooth horizontal movements from side to side while locking all other axes. It is especially helpful in eliminating undesired camera movements if you slightly raise or drop your arm, the horizon stays locked no matter how you move your gimbal. It is possible to adjust the angle of the camera with a joystick for more control. I personally use it for 90% of my recordings as it offers everything you need most of the time, it is perfect for cinematic, travelling, sports, or everyday content so if you want to record a smooth side-to-side motion or a follow-up video I highly recommend it. If you press the Mode button once, you can switch between the modes, and a blue LED light shows which Mode is currently being used.

On the contrary, the second mode “Pan&Tilt follow” allows moving the camera horizontally but also vertically at the same time while keeping the horizon level. This mode is particularly helpful whenever you need to point the camera up in the sky focusing on a subject like a statue or a person or you can slowly lower the camera revealing the beautiful scenery etc which gives more creative control and flexibility than the first mode. I did experience some unwanted movements to a side while testing this mode though. It happened when I focused the camera on the ground and slowly raised it up in the sky, it was quite persistent and irritating on that day.

The third mode on our list is called “FPV mode” which unlocks all 3 axes of INKEE Falcon Plus and lets you move it freely in any direction you want with no restrictions at all. The camera just smoothly glides just like an FPV drone, it can be rotated or turned upside down etc, and the horizon is not levelled in this mode so you can pretend it wasn’t shot on a gimbal. It has some potential for certain shots though I didn’t find this mode particularly useful to me. I guess if you attach the gimbal to some long selfie stick you could get nice fake drone shots but I honestly prefer to use other modes.

         The fourth mode is called “Portrait Mode” which automatically turns the camera to the side and lets you record a vertical video in a 9:16 aspect ratio. It is the ideal mode for recording videos and taking photos for social media, viewing it on your mobile phone because your footage is taller and fills more space on the screen this way. Portrait mode can only be used if the gimbal is held like a flashlight and it is possible to tilt the camera up or down. It is super easy to set it up, all it takes is just a double click on the Mode button to enable it and 1 click to return to the previous mode. Whenever you plan to shoot videos for Facebook, Instagram or Twitter it is gonna do the job.

         Once in horizontal mode, another double click on the Mode button unlocks “360° Inception” mode in which you can rotate the camera either to the left or right side controlling it with a joystick. This rotation is unlimited, meaning there is no dead end and the camera can spin as long as you like in both directions. I personally love using this mode with slow motion while quickly moving forward it helps to create this surreal dreamy effect and gives me more time to select the best moment. While doing the 360° inception it is possible to point the camera up in the sky or lower the camera and the speed of the rotation can be adjusted within the mobile app, depending on your needs it can be slowed down as the default speed is a bit too fast.

360° inception in slow motion

360° inception can be used while recording a video or timewarp so if you want to stand out from the crowd and make your footage unique just give it a try and experiment with it. It works so well in narrow tight spaces with columns or corridors and not so much in the open areas though.

GoPro Media Mod for GoPro 10/9

         INKEE Falcon Plus is currently the only GoPro gimbal that’s compatible with GoPro Media Mod.  This accessory is mainly used to record clearer audio because it has a micro jack connection so it’s possible to connect an external microphone to it etc The reason why most gimbals are not compatible with Media Mod is that its size is simply too big for them. INKEE redesigned their newer Plus version with this issue in mind making the mounting base wider than in the previous model. Though it is not possible to use an external microphone on the top of it while using the gimbal it definitely helps to reduce the wind noise thanks to the winds layer foam.

Another interesting feature is that with the media mod attached to the GoPro camera it is possible to connect USB-C to USB-C charging cable between the camera and Falcon Plus’ USB-C port. If you do that it’s possible to directly reverse charge the camera from the Falcon Plus when you quickly press the Mode button 5 times. It can extend the battery life of your camera it’s just that there is a cable hanging loose if it is too long so it’s smart to pick up the right length. Without the media mod, it isn’t possible to reverse charge GoPro 10/9/8 cause the USB-C charging port is on the very right side of these cameras, there is no space for the charging cable to fit in there while mounted on the gimbal. What’s more, you cannot use Falcon Plus as a power bank while the gimbal is turned off, it needs to be powered on to recharge your camera even when you don’t need a gimbal at the moment.

         On the right sight of the handle, there is a USB-C port where you can plug in the charging cable, the power input is 5V 2A. The thing is that the charging port is entirely exposed, there is no seal to protect it from moisture, dirt or humidity so it is advised to be extra careful as Inkee Falcon Plus is not waterproof or splashproof.  Once the charging cable is plugged in 4 blue LED lights start blinking until it’s fully charged, every blue dot represents around 25% of the battery capacity which offers up to 9 hours of battery life.

INKEE Falcon Plus – Trigger button

On the front side of the handle, there is a Trigger button that has 3 main functions and things get a little bit interesting here. If you press and hold it the camera stays locked in its current position no matter how you move the gimbal, it just stays in the same spot. In theory, it sounds great but it is really hard to keep anything exactly in the centre of your frame with this mode even during a simple walk and I rather recommend sticking to Pan follow mode where you can adjust your frame.

Trigger button – Reset Function

A double click on the Trigger button resets the gimbal meaning the camera returns to its default position facing forward no matter where it was before.  It is extremely useful if you want to quickly recenter the camera without wasting time doing it manually with a joystick or hand. It is also helpful when you record yourself vlogging to the camera and want to quickly focus on what’s in front of you in an instant.

A triple-click on the Trigger button quickly turns the camera around 180° so the camera faces you thanks to that you can quickly vlog to it, record yourself or simply take a selfie, etc. I highly recommend combining this feature with a double click that I have described above so you can reset the camera position. This way once you finish your vlog you can quickly focus on the surrounding in front of you. The whole process is extremely fast and easy.

Standard ¼ inch Screw hole

At the bottom part of the handle, there are a ¼ inch screw hole thanks to which it is possible to attach a small plastic tripod that comes with it in the package. It is possible to connect it to a much bigger tripod if you need to though. The reason why it is helpful to use it with a small tripod is that whenever you need to have your hands free you can simply put it away on the ground, insert your camera or recalibrate it etc. Additionally, you can use it to connect INKEE Falcon Plus to some kind of extension like a long selfie stick with ¼ inch screw thread connection.

I personally prefer to use it with a long selfie stick to get the camera closer to the subject or places where I can’t get myself to get the shot. Other times I mount it on the stick to record something that’s really high like a tall statue and it would be impossible for me to record it without some extension. I don’t have to worry about horizon levelling or proper camera angle everything is done by the gimbal as long as I hold the stick and don’t shake it too much.

What I don’t like about INKEE Falcon Plus

INKEE Falcon Plus – soft carry case for storage and protection

Unfortunately, there are a few things that I don’t necessarily like about this product. One of them is the soft carry case that comes with it in the package. It is possible to put a whole gimbal with a camera inside of it but the thing is it doesn’t offer enough protection. It should be enough to protect it from minor scratches but it is not safe to throw it at the back of your car or inside of your backpack and it will definitely not protect your equipment if you drop it. The stabilizer can freely move inside of it and since gimbals are so fragile I am quite surprised it doesn’t come with something more secure.

Weak LED lights during broad daylight

Another thing that I can complain about it is that whenever I used this gimbal on a very bright sunny day in broad daylight, the blue LED light isn’t strong enough. It is impossible to see which mode you are currently in unless you check how the gimbal responds to your actions. It’s not a big issue on a cloudy day or indoors though.

Lastly, let’s come back to the stabilisation once again here. I would really appreciate it if INKEE Falcon Plus stabilisation would be good enough without the help of in-camera stabilisation. The reason why most people decide to get a gimbal in the first place is that they need to stabilise their footage. Whether you want to use ND filters with it, record in low light or simply want to disable digital stabilisation to save resolution and record in true 4k etc.INKEE Falcon Plus stabilisation on its own isn’t that great and it really needs the help of Hypersmooth to work well. I tried bending my knees while walking doing the so-called ninja walks, locking my elbows etc but that didn’t help much.

I don’t know how it performs with ND filters or low light with enabled Hypersmooth but I guess there might be jitters in your footage due to the reduced amount of light and how digital stabilisation works in low light conditions. It is only my assumption and I haven’t tested it though. I tested Falcon Plus without hyper smooth in low light and it was a bit better though there were no jitters in the video it was a bit shaky.

Best Alternatives

Definitely, the biggest competitor of this gimbal is Hohem iSteady Pro 4 which has a couple of interesting features to offer. It’s a splashproof 3-axis stabilizer for GoPro, DJI action or Insta360 cameras. There is one feature in particular about iSteady Pro 4 which Falcon Plus cannot do even though they advertise it. Hohem iSteady Pro 4 can record a moving time-lapse setting keyframe within the mobile app. It’s just amazing what you can do with it to level up your content creation. Its key features are as follows:

• 14 hours of battery life
• Can be used as a power bank + Reverse charging feature
• Motion time lapse
• 360 Inception
• Wireless control
• Quick installation system
• IPX4 Splashproof
• compatible with GoPro hero 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3, DJI Osmo action, Insta360 one R (4K & 1-Inch), sony RX0 and similar size action cameras

However, if you don’t want to record a cinematic video perhaps GravGrip V2 can help you record awesome low angle shots. This thing works in combination with Hypersmooth levelling out the camera on a tilt axis. Basically, it helps transition your camera from a high angle to a low angle, very close to the ground while keeping the camera level. Though it’s not a gimbal Gravgrip is designed for action-based sports like skateboarding, skiing driving vehicles or other activities. Its key features include:

• Ultra low angle shots
• No battery or charging required / No electronic parts
• Waterproof
• Uses gravity and counterweight to stabilize the camera
• Compatible with action cameras / mobile phones

Finally, for those who still own older cameras from GoPro such as GoPro 4/5/6/7 and don’t think about upgrading anytime soon, I strongly recommend looking for GoPra Karma Grip which is the official accessory from GoPro. It is not a brand-new accessory as it was released a few years ago and it’s harder to find but it’s truly amazing. It doesn’t work with newer camera models and can only be used with their cameras but it offers phenomenal video stabilisation without the help from the camera. Its key features are:

• Outstanding video stabilisation without Hypersmooth
• Full camera Control
• Quick installation
• No calibration required
• 2 h battery life
• Reverse Charging feature
• Compatible with GoPro 4/5/6/7

Conclusions:

So if you are looking to record cinematic content and looking for an accessory that can help you get the shot then INKEE Falcon Plus might something for you. It’s gonna help hold the camera levelled and stabilise the horizon for you and in combination with GoPro Hypersmooth it can make a really smooth video.

Currently, it’s the only gimbal that’s compatible with the GoPro Media Mod accessory, if you already have it then extending battery life while vlogging to the camera or just recording your day can be a nice addition to your setup. You can use it with a dedicated Selfie Mode to quickly focus the camera on yourself or record a 9:16 aspect ratio to create better content for your social media.

This stabilizer may not be so great without the help of in-camera stabilisation but it offers some other great features like 360-degree inception mode, Vertical / Horizontal video + multiple shooting modes, and selfie stick extension for high/ low angle shots all of which can help you creating nice content with your camera.

If you are interested in this accessory please check it my youtube channel to see detailed videos and side by side comparisons to learn more about it.

INKEE Falcon Plus is quite affordable for a gimbal accessory as it costs 129$ and it can be ordered on amazon via the following link: https://amzn.to/3yKHzYe, Thank you for reading up to this point, I hope I managed to explain everything and answer all of your questions about this product.

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