For your situation, these helped me avoid strain: - DJI RS 3 Pro Gimbal Stabilizer
- Manfrotto MVH502AH Pro Video Head I’m happy cuz they feel really safe and smooth!

sooo i totally feel u... that Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM is literally a brick lol. even tho the Canon EOS R6 Mark II is light, that lens makes everything CRAZY front-heavy. i mean, i've seen guys struggle with gimbals just cuz of the length of that glass. here's what i recommend for a slightly different path: 1. Zhiyun Crane 4 Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer - its highkey powerful enough for that lens and has those balance indicator lights that are a lifesaver for beginners. 2. SmallRig AD-01 3751 Heavy-Duty Video Tripod - i think this is a steal for solo shooters. it's sturdy but not back-breakingly heavy, plus the fluid head is surprisingly decent for the price.
3. SmallRig Extended Quick Release Plate 1708 - honestly, you gotta get a longer plate to slide the camera back further or the front-heaviness will kill ur motors... it kinda depends on your budget, but these should handle the weight without breaking the bank. gl! 👍

sooo i once tried a cheap setup with a heavy lens and it literally almost snapped my wrist lol. Before I give advice, can u clarify a couple things?? - Whats ur actual budget for this kit? - Do u mainly do handheld or static work?? tbh i think that 28-70mm is like 1.4kg which is CRAZY... iirc most cheap heads struggle with that much front-heavy weight. be careful!!

Saw this earlier but just now getting a chance to reply... ngl that 28-70mm is a nightmare for balance. I tried to force it onto a lighter setup and the motors were screaming within ten minutes. You might want to consider the DJI RS 4 Pro Gimbal Stabilizer instead of the older versions. Its motors handle the torque better, but honestly, be careful even then. I had to go the DIY route and add a SmallRig Counterweight Mounting Plate 3125 with some 100g weights on the back just to get it level without stressing the axis. For a tripod, I would suggest looking at the Sachtler Ace XL Fluid Head over the usual entry-level stuff. The stepped counterbalance is way more reliable for that specific lens weight. TL;DR: RS 4 Pro with DIY counterweights for the gimbal, and Sachtler Ace XL for the tripod to handle the front-heavy glass. Dont skimp on the weights or youll kill your motors.

> I’m worried about gimbal motor strain and tripod fluid head smoothness. Honestly, that glass is a beast and basically shifts your center of gravity so far forward that standard balancing becomes a total nightmare. But before I dive into the DIY rigging side of things, I gotta ask: what kind of run-times are you looking at for your typical shots? Like, are you doing long-take documentary stuff or just short cinematic bursts? It really changes how you need to manage the moment arm and avoid cooking your gimbal motors. From a DIY enthusiast perspective, I have always found that adding some small counterweights to the rear of the camera cage is a much better fix than just sliding the baseplate all the way back. It keeps the rotational inertia tighter which helps the motors react faster and keeps the whole rig more compact. If you want to skip the tinkering and just get serious stability, honestly just go with anything from Sachtler or Miller. You basically cant go wrong with their systems because they use proper stepped counterbalance which is an industry standard for a reason. Plus, they are usually designed to be field-serviceable so you can maintain them yourself without sending them to a shop. Just think about these things:

• the total weight of your rigging vs the payload limit
• your tolerance for carrying extra balance weights
• how much you actually like to tinker with your setup

Can confirm this works. Did the same thing on mine and its been solid ever since.

No way, I literally just dealt with this yesterday. Small world.

👆 this