Capturing smooth and stable footage is essential for any professional videographer or filmmaker. And that’s where gimbal camera stabilizers come into play. A gimbal stabilizer is a handheld or wearable device that keeps the camera steady while you’re shooting, allowing for smooth and stable footage even when you’re moving. Whether you’re shooting a wedding video, travel vlog, or action-packed sports video, a gimbal camera stabilizer is a must-have accessory for capturing high-quality footage.

But with so many options available on the market, choosing the right gimbal camera stabilizer can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you understand what to look for in a gimbal camera stabilizer and make an informed buying decision.

What to Look for in Gimbals?

  1. Payload capacity: The first thing to consider when buying a gimbal camera stabilizer is the payload capacity. This is the maximum weight the gimbal can hold, which includes the camera and any other accessories. Make sure to choose a gimbal with a payload capacity that can handle your camera and any other accessories you plan to use.
  2. Battery life: Another crucial factor to consider is battery life. You don’t want your gimbal to die halfway through your shoot, so make sure to choose one with long battery life. Look for a gimbal that can last at least 8–10 hours on a single charge.
  3. Stabilization performance: The whole point of a gimbal camera stabilizer is to get smooth and stable footage. Look for a gimbal with advanced stabilization technology that can minimize shaky footage and provide smooth movement even when you’re on the move.
  4. Compatibility: Make sure the gimbal camera stabilizer you choose is compatible with your camera and any other accessories you plan to use. Many gimbals are designed to work with specific camera models, so be sure to check the compatibility before making a purchase.
  5. Portability: If you plan to travel with your gimbal camera stabilizer, consider its portability. Look for a lightweight and compact gimbal that’s easy to carry around and doesn’t take up too much space in your luggage.

Best Gimbal Camera Stabilizer

We’ll start with smartphone stabilizers.

1. FeiyuTech SPG Plus

$264.90
Amazon
Most Gimbles have the same basic design with a vertical stack. The FeiyuTech SPG Plus GImbal offers something unique with a two-handle design. This offers a bit more control and some added stability. Of course, the two-handle design and the FeiyuTech smartphone stabilizer can also be seen as negative. Since you may not always have two hands available when filming a video. It’s easy to get some great shots using the 360-degree limitless panic, 320-degree tilting and 100 degrees rolling.

The motorized gimbal has an attitude sensor that will automatically shift from horizontal to vertical mode while tilting to keep the video stable. Another big advantage of this gimbal is the design which leaves a lot of room for accessories. There are five-quarter-inch screw ports to add things like a microphone and a flash. There’s no problem balancing the phone even when a lot of accessories are added because of the two handles design. You don’t need to use counterweights as you do on some other gimbals.

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You can also connect the gimbal to a tripod if desired. the SPG plus features a 22650 Li-ion battery that can give you up to 8 hours of power before needing to be changed. You can also connect it to a power bank while in use for some added juice. Unfortunately, you can’t charge your iPhone right from the gimbals battery. The gimbal has a one-year limited warranty.

Overall the FeiyuTech SPG Plus GImbal offers a unique design with some major advantages including great stability and flexibility. The design might not be ideal for those who want to be able to keep one hand free while shooting with their phone.

2. DJI Osmo mobile

$139.00
$85.00
Save: 54
Amazon
Live video is where it’s at today for many people. If you’d like to share a perfectly stabilized high-quality video on YouTube live or Facebook live. The DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal is perfect for you. The DJI Go app makes this simple. In addition to the option to live stream to YouTube and Facebook, this gimbal has a few other advantages. The Osmo handheld gimbal has a system that uses three motors that ensures that your camera is perfectly stabilized no matter how much of the handle of the gimbal is moved.

On the handle of the gimbal, a little joystick offers you the chance to manually operate your camera angles that can be panned from 320-degree ranges. Allowing for 35 degrees tilting down motion and 135 degrees in the up motion. It’s one of the smaller gimbals that you’ll find it’s nice for carrying around with you. The Osmo mobile stabilizer also has a comfortable ergonomic design that won’t strain your hand over long periods of shooting with your iPhone.

The battery of the Osmo mobile will last for around four and a half hours but you can extend this with an extended battery pack. You cannot change your phone from the gimbals power source. This gimbal has a one-year limited warranty.

Overall, we really love the DJI Osmo for one the design on this thing is stunning. It is incredibly easy to operate and once you learn the operational settings on the joystick your imagery will be taken to the next level. Once you hook the device up to your smartphone via the adjustable grip, you are ready to start filming literally in five minutes setup.

3. Zhiyun Smooth-Q

$149.00
$94.95
Save: 54.05
Amazon
We will finish the smartphone stabilizers part with the Zhiyun Smooth-Q. Despite coming in at a low price point the Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimble has a lot to offer. Making it a high-value choice for your iPhone 7. Even if you already have steady hands, it’s hard to shoot a handheld video that is smooth. The Zhiyun smooth-Q gimbal takes care of that and lets you shoot professional-quality video that’s always smooth and stable. Even when you move the gimbal, all around the picture will remain stabilized when you are in the gimbal’s default pan follow mode.

The battery life is one factor that makes this gimbal worth looking at. The 26650 Li-ion battery gives you 12 hours of operating time. A unique and helpful feature is that you can use the gimbals power supply to also charge your phone’s lightning port while shooting/using the USB port. Another thing that gives this gimbal a lot of value is its ability to withstand extremes in temperature and weather. You could shoot an epic snowboarding video for example without worrying about the cold or snow affecting the performance of the gimbal.

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The gimbal has a maximum payload of 220 grams so you can add on accessories like lenses, microphones, or lights. There isn’t a need to counterbalance even with the added weight from accessories. Overall, the Zhiyun Smooth-Q Gimbal gives you a lot of value for your money with a number of fantastic features. The performance of this gimbal is quite good with excellent smartphone stabilization smoothness and accuracy.

We would love to hear, which of the amazing stabilizers you would like to get put that in the comment box below and let us see what the majority of the readers would like the most.

Now we’ll continue with the camera stabilizers.

1. Neewer Crane V2 

The Neewer Crane V2 stabilizer is a DSLR Gimbal that offers a lot of value. It’s hard to find a DSLR gimbal with as many features in this price range. It’s compatible with DSLR and mirrorless cameras from all the major manufacturers. Cameras just have to fit within the weight requirements of 350 to 1800 grams. You must take into account the weight of the lenses and accessories as well as the camera when considering the payload. To get superior stabilization with this gimbal thanks to the 3-axis 360-degree rotation and high-precision microcontroller units.

There are two different shooting position modes top-down and bottom-up. You also have three shooting modes locking mode, pan following mode, and pan, and tilt the following mode. You can also make adjustments using the 5-Way joystick. The app also allows for very convenient wireless control of the gimbal said some users have found the app to be less than ideal. If it works it’s great but it might be buggy on some phones.

Although Neewer doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to customer service this gimbal does offer a ton of value. It is solidly constructed and does everything you want to gamble to do and then some. This gimbal is particularly helpful when it comes to challenging shooting requirements like positive grip, upright shooting, low angle, or even high-flight photography.

To keep your gimbal protected it does come with a nice carrying case. This is a piece of camera equipment that could be with you for the long haul as long as you take care of it.

2. Ikan MS1 Beholder Gimbal

The Ikan MS1 Beholder Gimbal is particularly designed for mirrorless cameras. So if you happen to have one then this might be just the right one for you in order to make your videos stable and incredibly smooth. The Ikan MS1 Beholder Gimbal with its 1.7 pounds is very lightweight but at the same time, the construction is extremely durable made entirely out of aluminum. The maximum weight of the cameras that the Beholder Gimbal MS1 can support is 1.9 pounds or 860 grams. Although it’s not designed to support big and heavy cameras.

The range of the ones that it can fit is still quite big and some of the supported models are Sony a7s, RX100, almost the entire NEX series, Panasonic GH4, Samsung NX500, Blackmagic pocket camera, and more. A big part of the design is the 5-way joystick that you can put in different modes like follow and lock and give you completely full control over pan and tilt. The shooting angles that are put at your full control are of up to 45 degrees roll and 90-degree tilt. At the bottom of the joystick, you’ll be able to find a quarter-inch 20-thread mount to attach different accessories or even to mount the gimbal stabilizer to a monopod or tripod.

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On the joystick, you will also find a USB port to connect a small light or a smartphone for instance. Behind the smart design, sits integrated the actual reason for getting perfectly stable and smooth videos and these are the three gyro-stabilized brushless motors. They work in balancing your mirrorless camera and achieve a smooth image capture no matter if you’re walking or the way the camera itself is moving. All this is powered by a Li-ion battery that will give you up to two to three hours of shooting time.

3. Glide Gear Geranos 3-Axis Gyro Motorized Stabilizer

Now we’re entering into pro territory. This top-rated stabilizer is made to allow the user to shoot videos for hours without feeling tired. Its chest strap system is made to carry even the heaviest DSLR camera like the Canon 5d Mark for effortlessly. If you’re looking for a professional-grade 3-axis gimbal stabilizer then do not miss out on checking out the Gear Glide GNS 100 Geranos 3-axis gimbal stabilizer. It is packed with features that will allow you the perfect smooth video shooting that a professional would look for.

The compact design of the Gear Glider nose gives you the chance to actually carry it in your backpack. Including a five-way analog joystick and the ability to make any adjustments and attach accessories completely tool-less. Having that the glide gear is a double handgrip gimbal stabilizer. You are offered the possibility to fit more full-sized cameras. The range of cameras that this gimbal can support is actually quite big and the full list of suitable models can be found on the manufacturer’s website.

In general, almost every camera of up to 2.6 pounds in weight would be a good fit. A Li-ion battery that allows up to 6 hours of continuous video shooting, which is just enough having in mind you are handling heavier professional cameras powers the Glide Gear.

What is the base of giving you smooth and flawless movement in your videos are the dual IMU sensors combined with three 32-bit microcontrollers and automotive encoders that will work following an advanced floating-point algorithm that is the key to perfect stability. Of all these products, about 80% of the people have chosen glide gear Geranos 3 and bought it from Amazon.

Conclusion

A gimbal camera stabilizer is a must-have for any videographer or filmmaker who wants to get smooth, steady footage. When choosing a gimbal camera stabilizer, you should think about things like how much weight it can hold, how long the battery lasts, how well it stabilizes, how compatible it is, and how portable it is. By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the right gimbal camera stabilizer that meets your needs and helps you capture stunning footage.

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