Although many smartphone video cameras already have stabilizers, Gimbal is still very important when you need to shoot very smooth and stable videos. How to choose a Gimbal that suits your needs? The article analyzes various factors that we need to consider when choosing a 3-axis smartphone Gimbal.
Shoot simple travel videos, or professional videos?
If you just want to take normal travel videos while traveling and your requirements are not high, then a portable and foldable Gimbal can basically meet the requirements.
You need to choose a more professional Gimbal instead of a foldable one if your requirements for the smartphone Gimbal are relatively high and the various functions of the Gimbal need to be complete.
Foldable, or unfoldable Gimbal?
Foldable smartphone Gimbals are generally compact, but their compact size results in some of the Gimbal’s shooting angles being limited, especially when the shooting pole is tilted downwards, which is very restrictive for shooting professional videos. When shooting rotating shots, the camera cannot rotate 360 degrees due to a folded shooting pole. But the advantage is that it is lightweight and foldable, and convenient to carry when going out, and takes up little space.
Since unfoldable smartphone Gimbals usually are not compact, they tend to be relatively larger and heavier than foldable ones, which making them less convenient to carry when going out. But the unlimited rotating will not compromise your creativity.
Balancing speed and settings
Many foldable Gimbals have relatively low setting requirements for balancing so the balancing speed is relatively fast, which is very convenient for shooting simple travel videos.
More professional Gimbal balancing requires a relatively high level of precision when setting. “Therefore, the balancing speed is slow, and balancing during travel demands some patience.
Gimbal’s own weight
The weight of the Gimbal itself often affects the experience when traveling and shooting because coupled with the weight of the smartphone, the more professional Gimbal is often heavier and requires greater arm strength.
The foldable Gimbal will be relatively lighter and is less likely to cause shoulder and arm pain when shooting.
Gimbal’s Payload Capacity
As the size of smartphones is getting larger and larger, the weight of the smartphone itself is also getting heavier and heavier. In addition, many people will use smartphone cases, which makes the weight of the smartphone close to the maximum payload capacity of some Gimbals.
Especially when some people add additional lights and filters to their smartphones when shooting, the total weight may exceed the Payload Capacity, making the Gimbal unusable.
Compatibility of Android smartphones and iPhones with Gimbal software
Currently, the Gimbal software for smartphones on the market is mainly compatible with IPhone. Since the software of Android smartphones cannot be fully matched with Gimbal, many functions cannot be used. Therefore, when an Android user buys a smartphone Gimbal, one needs to realize that he/she is buying a smartphone Gimbal that only uses part of the functions.
Budget and price
Foldable Gimbals tend to be relatively cheaper, while more professional smartphone Gimbals are more expensive.
Brands
There are many brands of smartphone Gimbals. Currently, I think the three better Gimbals on the market are DJI, Zhiyun, and Hohem. DJI produces the foldable smartphone Gimbal. Zhiyun and Hohem produce both more professional and foldable smartphone Gimbals.
Author:Hua
