Power Boost for Freefly Mōvi? Power Surge Beta Update Released

Gimbal News

by Francesco AndreolaOctober 27^th, 2023

Freefly Systems has just released a beta firmware update (version 2.3.5) for their gimbal lineup, including Mōvi Pro, XL, and Carbon. This so-called Power Surge update is claimed to bring a motor power boost to all models as well as better camera control on Carbon.

When Freefly Systems launched the Mōvi Pro back in 2016, they promised it would turn into a long-term investment for their customers. The company later expanded their Mōvi ecosystem in 2017 when they announced the heavy-duty Mōvi XL and the 5-axis Carbon stabilized camera system.

This gimbal platform received a major software update in 2018 when the company introduced tons of new features packed in the Blackjack firmware. Now, 7 years after the launch of Mōvi Pro, Freefly is still holding true to their word by releasing the Power Surge (Beta v2.3.5) firmware update. Let’s take a quick look!

Freefly Systems Power Surge update for Mōvi gimbals – overview

According to Freefly, most performance improvements brought by the Power Surge update are only available when using Maniac 2.0 mode and were largely made possible by the new SL4 SuperLight lithium-ion batteries. These were launched last year as a more efficient power solution compared to the original (now discontinued) LiPo cells.

Apparently, the gimbal team at Freefly went back to the drawing board to re-engineer the motor temperature estimator in their gimbals. This should allow users to operate their Mōvi at peak motor torque and maximum speed for extended periods of time, while still protecting the motors and also reducing recovery times. This is particularly useful for vehicle-based cinematography when long takes and aggressive camera movement can put a lot of stress on the motors.

Additionally, the update is claimed to improve peak torque on Mōvi Carbon by 20%, and also brings new camera control features to this 5-axis stabilized camera system. For example, with the upcoming Carbon Ember configuration, you will now be able to adjust the intensity of ND filters inside the Kippertie Revolva lens mount via the Mōvi Controller.

Price and availability

The new Power Surge firmware update for Mōvi Pro, XL, and Carbon is now available to download for free via the Beta Mōvi smartphone app. Please keep in mind that the firmware is still in Beta, so make sure you do your own testing before using the Power Surge update on a paid shoot.

Lastly, the Mōvi Pro Essentials Bundle, which includes the new SL4 batteries, is currently available to purchase from B&H and CVP for $7,750 and €7483 (excl. VAT) respectively.

For more information and the full firmware release notes, please visit Freefly Systems’ website here.

Are you a Freefly Systems Mōvi user? Do you think you can benefit from the performance improvements brought by this update? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!