Gimbal Stabilizers for a smartphone – what is it? Which smartphone gimbal to choose? Here is our TOP 5 device ranking for 2023!
A gimbal stabilizer will always be more steady than your hand, and they can eliminate shaky or blurry footage to help your videos look better than ever before. Gimbals use brushless motors that keep your smartphone or camera steady during action shots.
Gimbal for a smartphone
There was a time when you needed a video camera in order to shoot good video footage. But that’s not necessarily true anymore.
While professional video cameras and stabilized OSS Lenses will always deliver the best video performance, the cameras on your smartphone are more capable than ever before.
Since most people have a smartphone, using the camera on your phone is a great way to start filming without spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a camera. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems with doing that.
Have you ever tried to take a cute video with your phone, only to have it ruined by blurry or shaky footage? That might be fine if you’re capturing footage of your baby’s first steps, but if you’re trying to produce Youtube videos or film viral content, you want your videos to look their best, even if it is just a video of a cat being silly.
You may have heard of gimbal stabilizers for DSLR cameras. Well, there are also gimbal stabilizers available for your smartphone or GoPro camera as well.
A gimbal stabilizer will always be more steady than your hand, and they can eliminate shaky or blurry footage to help your videos look better than ever before. Gimbals use brushless motors that keep your smartphone or camera steady during action shots.
This guide will cover ten of the best gimbal stabilizers and will cover both gimbals for smartphones as well as those designed to work with budget-friendly GoPro cameras.
Things to Consider
Gimbals do more than just keep your camera steady. Many of them have built-in features that elevate your game, even including utility software and Bluetooth capabilities that connect to your mobile app. When shopping for a gimbal for your smartphone, here are some features to keep in mind.
1. Axis Stabilization
The single most important feature in a gimbal is its ability to keep your camera steady. There are two different types of gimbals – two-axis stabilizers and three-axis stabilizers. Two-axis gimbals stabilize your Tilt and Roll, and three-axis gimbals stabilize your Pan. Two-axis stabilizers are generally more affordable, but three-axis stabilizers are better for shooting moving footage.
2. Batteries
Battery-powered gimbals come in one of two ways. Some models use standard alkaline batteries which have to be replaced in regular intervals. Others use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, but these tend to have shorter running times.
3. Weight
Most gimbals don’t weigh more than a couple of pounds, but even two or three pounds can get heavy if you have to hold it up for extended periods of time. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the gimbal the better, but make sure you’re not sacrificing performance just to save half a pound.
4. Software
Most gimbals come with installed utility software. This software can be a powerful tool enabling you to get more out of your not only your gimbal but your camera as well. That said, the software often only works with a particular operating system, so make sure your gimbal is compatible with your computer.
5. Compatibility
Even more than your computer, you need to make sure the gimbal you purchase is compatible with your camera or smartphone as well. If your gimbal doesn’t work with iOS and you have an iPhone, you’re going to be out of luck. In addition, many gimbals only work with specific phone models, regardless of operating system, so keep this in mind.
The first one on our list is Zhiyun Smooth X Gimbal Stabilizert, a smartphone gimbal that is flexible, packed with cool features, and smooths out the shakes to help you film the perfect video every time. It has a joystick on the control board and comes with a tripod.
It comes with the ZY Cami app, where you can control programmable filming techniques. What’s more, the stabilizer has a few shooting modes, such as the Gimbal Mode, the Selfie Mode, and the Tripod Mode, which help you take professional shots. It also has SMART modes like Face/Object tracking, Gesture Control, and Filmmaking Features, like slow motion and time lapse through the Cami app.
This stabilizerhas 2 axes, the Pan Axis and the Roll Axis. Its batteries last up to 4 hours for continuous use. It comes with a USB–C Cable for fast charging and a travel case. The greatest feature of this gimbal is its weight and compact design. At only 1.3 pounds, it can fit in any purse, backpack, or even a pocket.
You can extend its size, as well as rotate it to fold it.Zhiyun Smooth X is compatible with Android phones under 235 g, as well as with iOS phones.
The best feature is the option to extend it, which can work as a selfie-stick.
It has an integrated control panel with smooth instant controls that minimize the need for constantly touching the screen, as well as precise focusing with the handwheel. You can access the hotkey buttons such as the “Vertigo Shot” or “POV Orbital Shot” directly from it. You can alsozoom in and zoom out the footage easily. Moreover, Zhiyun Smooth 4 has the PhoneGo mode when you need instant scene transition.
Zhiyun supports advanced shooting techniques like motion lapse, moving time-lapse, and timelapse. Plus, it has an Object Tracking feature that helps you track human objects and faces and a Quick Standby mode by expanding or folding the horizontal arm.
The best thing about this cheap gimbal stabilizer is that it can run for up to 12 hours. You can charge it with a portable power bank. It also has a USB port on the tilt axis for phone charging. However, you won’t get a phone charger with the product. This gimbal stabilizer comes with a TRM03 tripod, type-C USB cable, carrying case, and a user guide.
We believe that the coolest feature is the handwheel for focus/zoom and the lock mechanism when you fold the gimbal.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 12 hours
Weighs 2.2 pounds
Works with iPhones and Androids
DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Lightweight and Portable 3-axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer
On the slightly higher price range, but still, a budget buy, DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Gimbal Stabilizer is the perfect ergonomic stabilizer with great features.
This gimbal stabilizer has intuitively-placed buttons and you can use it with one hand without issues. The 3 axes reduce any possibility of shaky footage while the convenient foldable design of this product makes it easy to take it with you anywhere.
Moreover, the EIS (electronic image stabilization) and the stabilization on the gimbal allows you to shoot Hyperlapse videos but also panoramas, timelapse, and slow motion. It also has a Sport mode.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 15 hours
Weighs 14.3 ounces
Works with iPhones and Androids
The ergonomic grip enables you to hold the stabilizer for long periods. The weight of only 405 g makes it extremely lightweight and you can put it in your pocket or in your backpack without worrying about how heavy it is. Mobile 3 also comes with Gesture control. Both front and rear cameras have it and it helps you to enable recording with a gesture.
The sleek, lightweight design of this gimbal stabilizer makes it portable and easy to use. Its three-axis stabilization offers 360-degree rotation and 360° Vortex, 360° POV, Vertigo, or timelapse pro modes. It also has a number of special features that will elevate your filming experience.
The Zhiyun Smooth Q2 works with Android and iOS native phone cameras with direct control. Plus, it has a new portrait gesture feature that requires less effort.
It connects directly to your phone’s micro-USB port for constant charging, and it comes with an app that adds a variety of filming features, such as automatic zooming, face tracking, panoramic filming, and time-lapse photography.
Batteries provide up to 17 hours of continuous running time, which is quite impressive and enables you to shoot without having to worry when you’re going to run out of power. The product comes with a phone holder, a wrist strap, a USB type C cable, and a quick start guide.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 17 hours
Weighs 13.4 ounces
Works with iPhones and Androids
Bomaker Gimbal Stabilizer
The Bomaker Gimbal Stabilizer is the perfect tool for all those who like to capture special moments in their life with smartphones. It is a lightweight, stable, and portable, weighing only 13.4 ounces. You can fold it and put it easily in your backpack or your bag.
The Bomaker is controlled by the iSmart Go app, which you can install on both Android and iOS. This 3-axis gimbal has multiple shooting modes, such as Timelapse, Panorama, Dolly Zoom, Landscape, 3D Inception Mode, AI Face and Object Tracking, and even Beauty Retouching.
The Bomaker has an anti-shaking feature that helps you to film smooth videos without shakes blurry image. It has a maximum payload of 0.55 pounds and the battery life of almost 6 hours.
The greatest thing about it is the wheel on the handle which enables you to adjust the focus/zoom, as well as the 4-way joystick control. Thegimbal can fit any iOS and Android phone that’s 4 to 7.2 inches long.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 6 hours
Weighs 13.4 ounces
Works with iPhones and Androids
Hohem iSteady 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer
The Hohem iSteady is made with heavy-duty aluminum and is compatible with action cameras, digital cameras, and smartphones. Due to its heavier frame, it offers excellent balance for your camera without any additional counterweights.
Like many other gimbals, the Hohem offers 360-degree rotation in pitch, roll, and pan, allowing you to film from almost any angle. A five-way joystick makes it easy to control the movements.
Alternately, the gimbal uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to an independent app on your smartphone, letting you control the gimbal remotely from your phone or to adjust the video settings. The gimbal also has a micro-USB port that allows you to charge your camera while in use.
The Hohem Gimbal app gives you features like Object Tracking, Zoom & Focus, Face Tracking, Motion Timelapse, and Panorama Mode.
The gimbal runs on a 3600mAh rechargeable battery and runs for around 8 hours. It also has 2 screw holes where you can attach additional photo accessories such as a tripod.
The best feature of the iSteady is that it gives extremely stable footage, even though it0s extremely lightweight.
The DJI OM 4 is one of the newest smartphone handheld gimbals on the market. It also enhances your smartphone camera with a wide variety of features that take your smartphone camera to the next level.
One of the things that excites me the most are is the Hitchcock effect, a creative zoom shot that gives your videos a Hollywood feel. The OM 4 lets you play around with time like never before, with 8 different modes:ActiveTrack, Gesture Control, SpinShot Mode, 240° Pano, and 3×3 Pano, DynamicZoom, CloneMe Pano, and Timelapse.
It can even charge a phone with the USB port on the right side. Other cool hardware features on this gimbal are the magnetic phone grip and the ring holder to attach our smartphone wherever you are.
What’s more, the OM 4has an incredible 15 hours of battery life, which enable it to serve as a charging station for your phone, letting you film for longer than ever before. This means that with your Bluetooth connection, you can stream live from your phone for long, uninterrupted live streams. It is more than enough for you to capture all special moments.
As mentioned, the gimbal has a magnetic phone grip and the holder, which is extremely useful if you expect a phone call during shooting or if you want to attach your smartphone to the fridge when you’re cooking.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 15 hours
Weighs 15 ounces
Works with iPhones and Androids
DJI Osmo Mobile Smartphone Gimbal Stabilizer
The Osmo Mobile DJI Smartphone Gimbal is one of the best smartphone gimbals on the market. Sleek, lightweight, easy to use, packed with great features and affordably priced, the DJI Osmo Mobile has everything you need.
The Osmo Mobile gives you creative control over your film footage, with a number of advanced features that customize and personalize the way you shoot footage.
Active face tracking lets your smartphone track the subject even when they move, moving the camera automatically so you don’t have to.
Ultra-smooth control eliminates shaking and wobbling for sharper, clearer footage. And you can connect with your mobile app for even more features, such as time-lapse, long exposure, slow motion, and live streaming. The Osmo Mobile will even filter your film footage so it looks as good as possible.
If there’s a problem with the Osmo Mobile, it’s that it automatically records all of your videos onto the Osmo Mobile app. Normally this would be fine, but since you have to transfer each video one by one, it can get rather time consuming.
If you can look past some frustrating software, however, this is easily one of the best gimbals on the market.
The gimbal runs on a 3600mAh rechargeable battery and runs for around 8 hours. It also has 2 screw holes where you can attach additional photo accessories such as a tripod.
Features:
3-axis stabilizer
Rechargeable battery lasts up to 4.5 hours
Weighs 1.1 pounds
Works with iPhones and Androids
Conclusion
On the one hand, a gimbal is a very useful addition to a smartphone, on the other hand, I am not entirely sure if there is a specific group of users that must have it. Top flagships with the best cameras offer stabilization at such a high level that the use of an additional motion fluidizer does not make much sense. Sure, you can connect the latest Samsung Galaxy or iPhone to the gimbal, but the effect will not be noticeably better than using the built-in, original camera stabilization. At the same time, smartphones that have poor stabilization do not impress with video capabilities, so the external stabilizer will eliminate only one of the problems.
It is also worth considering what we need very smooth camera movement for and whether it is worth dragging an additional gadget with you (and spending money on it earlier), since no one is shooting complicated video productions with smartphones. Here, the best use seems to be live broadcasts on the move – a smartphone is still the most convenient and easy-to-use device that can be broadcast live to the network. However, if you are convinced and you want to buy an external stabilizer, the above list of 5 gimbals should be helpful, because in their price ranges they are the best devices that will surely meet the expectations placed on them.
PTK is an accomplished writer and journalist, currently serving as the executive editor of The Web Noise, a renowned online publication. With a passion for exploring the digital landscape and a keen interest in technology, PTK has established themselves as a prominent figure in the realm of web journalism.
