Shaky footages are pretty commonplace especially when videos are captured on the go but it doesn’t always have to be like this. Major leaps and advancements in the world of mobile cinematography have trickled down to solutions that fit every need and budget. It doesn’t matter if your hands are made of jelly or if the earth is shaking beneath you, everything is going to look real stable on video with one of these handy-dandy stabilizers.
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The Zhiyun Crane-M is 3-axis powered hand-held gimbal stabilizer catered towards small mirrorless camera systems weighing less than 650g. It is one of the few in the market that has a dedicated control line (supporting Sony systems and most Panasonic models) that not only pans, tilts and rolls the connected camera but allows zooming and camera control directly from the integrated thumb control panel on the grip.
Powered by an efficient 32-bit microcontroller, the Crane-M stretches its batteries up to 12 hours of buttery smooth operation. It is entirely tool-less for adjusting and mounting your different camera systems or setups with scale marking and locating slots along the axes.
If your action camera footage looks like it came straight out of the Blair Witch Project, you’ll want the FeiyuTech G5 3-axis handheld stabilizer. An excellent alternative to GoPro’s official Karma Grip, the G5 has a 4-way joystick for gimbal control with a quick selfie mode button that flips the camera round to face you. It is also IP67 rated for light splash-proofing for all your outdoor adventure filming.
Perfectly compatible with GoPros and other action cameras in the market, it comes with a set of counterweights to perfectly match whatever you have to ensure the best outcome from its sturdy unibody arm and silent brushless motors. Feiyu On App connects the G5 to your phone for remote control, calibration and gimbal configurations on the fly. Good for 8 hours of use, the G5 is our pick for the best action camera stabilizer.
FeiyuTech’s SPG (Smart Phone Gimbal) is an amazingly remarkable 3-axis stabilizer that is splash-proof and well suited to iPhones and similar devices. Innovation found only from the specialized SPG, it does not add traditional counterweights but relies on the balance of your smartphone through a sliding cross arm that adjusts in vertical & horizontal axes to hold devices of varying sizes and weight to find its natural center of gravity.
Using a built-in slip-ring motor, the SPG has full 360 degrees of panning axis for seamless panoramas and smooth rotational tracking shots that is made even more useful with an accurate face tracking system on Feiyu’s On App software. Rated for 8 hours of shooting, the SPG expands your iPhone cinematography to new horizons.
Zhiyun’s Smooth Q motorized gimbal stabilizer fits larger smartphones like Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and devices with screen sizes up to 6” easily. Start capturing smooth handheld footage with your smartphone with one-button roll axis control for balancing. The Smooth Q has time-lapse, face-tracking and panorama modes built-in and quickly switches into a vertical mode for the occasional vlogging.
Its handle sports a 4-way joystick, power, and mode buttons as well as a zoom control switch, plus, using the ZY Play App gives full control over the gimbal on top of that. This stabilizer has batteries that are rated to last for 12-hours of continuous filming usage.
If that’s not enough for your marathon usage, you can even plug into its USB port for charge your phone while you’re shooting.
The Glidecam HD2000 handheld stabilizer is a traditional system that relies on a T-bar with counterweights but does not require power or motorized moving parts in its operation. This method allows for professional camera setups that are larger and heavier beyond the capabilities of smaller stabilizers. Suited for video cameras that are below 2.8kgs, capturing smooth floating images with excellent stabilization is easily achievable once you get used to its operations.
The HD2000 is bundled with plenty of weights to strike the perfect balance on any videography gear and uses a sliding screw mounting plate system for precise setups. Its quick release system allows fast switching of multiple cameras and quick disassembly. The Glidecam requires good old arm strength for manipulation of the floating camera and may require some effort to master but its professional results are undeniably worth it.
Machined from strong lightweight aluminum, the MG V2 by FeiyuTech is a well-built professional grade multi-mode 3-axis motorized gimbal stabilizer that is configurable to meet the demands of shooting in challenging environments. Capable of loads of up to 1.6kg, the MG V2 can be set up to hold large cameras and support them using a dual-hand setup to suspend the gimbal and camera in the center for maximum control and movement freedom without worrying about shake creeping in.
The 360-degree rotation in all axes allows full creative options and the sensation of steering the camera stabilizer grip is surreal. With the MG V2, you can fix the axis for pan/tilt following modes and manipulate the settings or angle adjustments through its onboard joystick control. At this attractive price, the FeiyuTech MG V2 gives competitors a run for their money when it comes to filming subjects on the run.
Drone makers DJI keeps on churning out the good stuff with the Osmo Mobile, a handheld motorized 3-axis gimbal video stabilizer that is a vlogger’s dream. The Osmo Mobile easily flips between portrait, landscape and reverse mode for extremely low-angle shots for dramatic effects in a fluid silky motion that really shines on footages.
DJI’s drone making prowess is clear in active tracking where you outline the object on your phone’s screen to automatically have the Osmo follow it as you move around, rotating its gimbal to keep your target in the frame.
Combine this mode with the app’s facial-tracking system to create the perfect vlogging equipment as you stand the Osmo Mobile on a table to have it follow you as you wander around the room. The DJI app supports live-streaming via YouTube and Weibo but unfortunately does not support Facebook Live.
Most professional gimbals start at the same price point, but DJI includes both an excellent 3-axis gimbal stabilizer and the Zenmuse X3 4K camera in the Osmo+ 4K to make their case. The Osmo+ 4K is the first camera to include a 22-77mm 3.5X real optical zoom that is supplemented by a lossless 2x zoom good for 4K/30fps video, 1080p/100fps when zoomed and 12MP photos without sacrificing quality while using your smartphone as a live view monitor with in-app controls.
The Osmo+ 4K builds on the advanced stabilization technology first seen on the original Osmo keeping the camera steady no matter how you move it. With a focal distance or merely 50cm, perfectly focused selfies or action selfies is just 3 taps away from its trigger button. DJI provides numerous mounts and accessories to further expand the Osmo+’s capabilities from tripods, bike mounts and clamps to get your Osmo+ shooting everything everywhere.
The most common issue with most handheld gimbals is that the roll-axis (rear) motor is often located in the same plane as the tilt-axis (horizontal) motor which places it unfortunately directly in front of the display of most dSLR and mirrorless cameras. Ikan’s Beholder DS2-A 3-axis motorized gimbal is designed to place this motor lower and at an angle to give you a clear line of sight of your screen when framing shots.
The DS2-A is made of machined aluminum alloy for all its parts including the buttons, thumbscrews and joystick. With a maximum capacity of 1.8kg, large dSLRs can sit comfortably on quick release plates that are compatible with universal mounting systems on most camera tripods for quick transitions between gimbal to tripod without any extra parts. An OLED status screen special to the DS2-A shows battery life and modes for quick status checks.
More: Top 13 Must-Have dSLR Cameras for the Aspiring Photographer
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