What is a Mobile Gimbal? Your Ultimate Guide to Stabilizing Smartphone Videos
If you are a smartphone videography enthusiast, you must be using a mobile gimbal or thinking of buying one. But what is a mobile gimbal? We will answer this question in this article.
A mobile gimbal is a useful smartphone or camera tool that helps you take smooth, stabilized video footage from your smartphone.
Viewers are 80 times more likely to stop watching a video if the footage is shaky or unsteady.
If you’ve noticed a decline in engagement on your videos, it could be because your footage lacks that professional touch.
Suppose you are a budding smartphone videographer, content creator, or someone who wants professional-quality videos. In that case, a gimbal stabilizer is a great utility tool to improve the quality of your content.
It’s an excellent tool professional photographers and videographers use for capturing dynamic movements, such as walking, running, or panning shots, without that annoying shakiness.
So, have you ever wondered how people capture those buttery smooth videos with their smartphones, even while on the move?
The answer is… it’s not magic. It’s a mobile gimbal. Yeah, it’s a mobile gimbal. It doesn’t matter even if you are starting vlogging or content creation, or you are already in the game, knowing what a mobile gimbal is seriously enhances your game.
Smartphone cameras have evolved, but shaky footage is still a big problem. But you are lucky. Yes, lucky because mobile gimbals are here for you to save the day.
Did you know that 80% of viewers will click away from a video if it’s shaky or unstable? Yeah, that’s a big deal!
In this guide, we’ll discuss everything about mobile gimbals, from what they are, to why you need one, and how they transform your video-making experience.
Table of Contents
What Exactly is a Mobile Gimbal?
A mobile gimbal is a handheld stabilizing device that ensures smooth video footage, even when you’re in motion.
No matter how steady you think your hands are, human movements are rarely stable. Whether you’re walking, running, or even just standing, there’s always some degree of shake in your hands.
This is where a gimbal is a very useful tool. It compensates for those small or even large shakes and movements and ensures that your footage remains steady and smooth.
Key Components of a Mobile Gimbal:
- Motors: The gimbal uses brushless motors to detect and counterbalance movements.
- Axes: These determine the direction the gimbal can stabilize. Mobile gimbals typically come in either 2-axis or 3-axis models.
- Handle: This is where you hold the gimbal, often equipped with easy-to-use controls.
- Clamp: This holds your smartphone securely in place.
- Sensors: These sensors detect movements, sending signals to the motors to adjust accordingly.
A gimbal operates by stabilizing the camera on multiple axes, reducing vibrations and jitter caused by hand movement.
Essentially, it acts as an advanced shock absorber for your phone’s camera. It’s particularly useful for on-the-go shots. Whether you’re walking, running, or filming dynamic action sequences, these smartphone videography tools are your best companions.
How Does a Mobile Gimbal Work?
A mobile gimbal works with its advanced technology. While it looks like a simple handle with a phone mount, there’s much more behind the scenes.
The gimbal is equipped with gyroscopic sensors that continuously monitor and detect movements in real-time.
Whenever there’s an unintentional movement, like a hand tremor or the jolt of walking, the gimbal’s motors instantly react by making small adjustments to counteract the motion.
2-Axis vs. 3-Axis Gimbals:
- 2-Axis Gimbal: This type stabilizes your phone in two directions—usually pitch (up and down movement) and roll (sideways tilt). It’s great for basic stabilization, like panning shots.
- 3-Axis Gimbal: The 3-axis gimbal adds stabilization in the yaw direction (side-to-side movement), making it ideal for more dynamic shooting situations. This provides the most comprehensive stabilization and is recommended for professional-level video content.
The result is footage that feels smooth and fluid, even if you’re walking up a hill, moving through a crowded street, or filming while riding a bike.
The gimbal’s ability to neutralize jerky movements is what makes it an essential tool for any videographer or content creator.
The Science of Gimbal Stabilization:
The gimbal’s motors work based on the signals from the gyroscope. When the gyroscope senses motion, the motors move in the opposite direction to cancel it out. It’s a process similar to what happens in a drone camera stabilization or high-end movie cameras, but scaled down for your smartphone.
Another element that helps gimbals work effectively is inertia. By maintaining a steady center of gravity, the gimbal’s weight acts as a buffer against sudden movements, giving you smoother pans, tilts, and rotations.
Why You Need a Mobile Gimbal for Smartphone Filmmaking
If you’re serious about making content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok, a mobile gimbal is a must-have tool. The handheld gimbal stabilizer allows you to capture cinematic smartphone videos with ease, offering smooth gimbal shots even in challenging environments.
- Perfect for vlogging with mobile gimbals on the go, whether you’re walking through a city or hiking in nature.
- Essential for travel vloggers who want stable footage without carrying heavy equipment.
- Whether you use an iPhone or Android gimbal, the versatility and portability are unmatched.
Smartphone cameras are very powerful today. They offer 4K video and professional-grade features. Sometimes even the best cameras struggle with their stabilization.
That’s why mobile gimbals have become so popular among filmmakers, vloggers, and casual videographers alike.
But why exactly do you need a mobile gimbal? Here’s a breakdown of the benefits.
Eliminate Shaky Footage Once and for All
A gimbal takes away that jerky hand shake, resulting in smooth and steady footage that your viewers love to watch.
Even if you’re walking down the street, shooting a video while on a boat, or filming action sequences, a gimbal helps you control every movement you capture.
Transform Your Footage into Cinematic Footage
Smoothness is the key difference between amateur and professional-looking footage. It can be your Instagram reel or square videos, panoramic YouTube videos, or even professional projects. Your idea of investing in a gimbal will give you that polished, cinematic look.
Achieve Stunning Creative Shots
Mobile gimbals allow you to perform creative shots that are otherwise hard to achieve with just a handheld smartphone. Think about sweeping panoramas, dynamic tracking shots, and smooth transitions that make your content stand out.
Perfect for Vlogging, Travel Videos, and Action Shots
Gimbals are an essential tool for vloggers who need to capture their daily lives without worrying about shaky hands.
They’re also great for travel enthusiasts who want to document their adventures in stunning detail. If you’re into action filming, gimbals allow you to capture the excitement without compromising on video quality.
Key Features to Look for in a Mobile Gimbal
Not all mobile gimbals are created equal. Depending on your needs, the features that matter to you may vary. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, here’s a list of key features to consider when buying a mobile gimbal.
Portability & Weight:
For on-the-go filmmakers, portability is key. Lightweight, compact gimbals are ideal for travel and outdoor filming, as they’re easier to carry and won’t weigh you down during long shoots.
Battery Life:
The last thing you want is your gimbal dying in the middle of a shoot. Most gimbals offer anywhere from 4 to 12 hours of battery life. Look for a model that has a battery life that suits your filming needs.
App Integration:
Many high-quality gimbals come with companion apps that allow you to control features like object tracking, time-lapse, and hyperlapse directly from your phone. These apps often give you more control over your shots and enhance the overall filming experience.
Compatibility with Smartphones:
Before buying a gimbal, ensure that it’s compatible with your smartphone. Most gimbals support a wide range of phone sizes, but it’s always good to double-check.
Additional Features:
Some gimbals come with extra features like object tracking, which allows your phone to follow a subject automatically, or time-lapse modes that add a creative flair to your videos. Others offer gesture control, zoom capabilities, or focus tracking, which can help add professional touches to your footage.
How to Use a Mobile Gimbal: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Using a mobile gimbal may seem intimidating at first, but with a little practice, you’ll be capturing smooth footage in no time. Here’s a quick guide on how to get started with your new mobile gimbal.
Step 1: Balance Your Smartphone
Before you start shooting, it’s important to properly balance your smartphone on the gimbal. Proper balancing ensures that the motors won’t have to work too hard, which prolongs battery life and improves stabilization. Here’s how:
- Mount your smartphone in the gimbal’s clamp.
- Adjust the gimbal arm until your phone remains level, even when the gimbal is powered off.
Step 2: Turn on the Gimbal
Once your smartphone is balanced, turn on the gimbal. It should immediately stabilize your phone, allowing you to move around without any shake or jitter in your footage.
Step 3: Experiment with Shooting Modes
Most mobile gimbals offer multiple shooting modes that give you control over how the gimbal responds to your movements. Here are the most common modes:
- Pan Follow Mode: Ideal for following moving subjects smoothly while panning.
- Lock Mode: Locks the smartphone in a fixed direction, useful for capturing static shots.
- Full Follow Mode: Allows the gimbal to follow your movements across all axes, providing fluid and dynamic camera angles.
Step 4: Master Cinematic Shots
Now that you’re familiar with the gimbal’s basic functions, you can start experimenting with cinematic shots. Try some of these techniques:
- Slow Pans: Move the gimbal horizontally to capture wide, sweeping landscape shots.
- Tracking Shots: Follow a subject as they walk, run, or move, keeping them centered in the frame.
- Dolly In and Dolly Out: This technique mimics the movement of professional dolly systems used in filmmaking. You simply walk closer or farther away from your subject while maintaining steady footage with your gimbal. It creates a dramatic effect that’s often used in film to build tension or introduce a character.
- Tilt Shots: Start by tilting your gimbal upward or downward to slowly reveal something new in the frame. For example, you can start with a close-up of a person’s feet, then tilt upward to reveal their full profile. This technique works great for showcasing buildings, monuments, or people in a creative and engaging way.
- Low-Angle Shots: Want to add drama or intensity to your shot? Try lowering the gimbal near the ground for a unique, low-angle perspective. This is especially effective for action sequences like walking, running, or following fast-moving objects.
- Orbiting Shots: Move the gimbal around your subject in a circular motion to create an orbit effect. It’s perfect for showcasing a person, object, or scene from all angles. Orbiting shots add dynamism to your videos and can make an otherwise static subject more visually interesting.
- POV (Point of View) Shots: Gimbals can also be used to create first-person perspective shots, giving viewers the impression that they are seeing things through the eyes of the subject. This is particularly effective for adventure videos, like walking through a forest or navigating a busy street.
Step 5: Editing Your Gimbal Footage
Once you’ve captured your stabilized footage, the next step is to fine-tune it during the editing process. Gimbals allow for smoother raw footage, but editing is where the magic happens.
- Color Correction and Grading: Adjust the color of your footage to make it pop. Gimbal footage often lends itself well to cinematic color grading due to its smoothness, which helps convey a more professional feel.
- Speed Ramping: Play with speed to add impact to your shots. For instance, you can start with a slow-motion shot of someone walking and then speed it up to show them quickly moving across a space.
- Add Transitions: Use the gimbal’s smooth footage to create seamless transitions between shots. For example, if you’re panning to the left in one scene, start the next scene with a leftward pan, making it feel like a continuous motion.
- Stabilization in Post: Although your gimbal has already stabilized your footage, adding a final touch of stabilization in post-production can make everything look flawless. Most video editing software has built-in stabilization features that you can use to smooth out any remaining jitter.
Common Mistakes When Using a Mobile Gimbal (And How to Avoid Them)
Even with all the benefits, there are common mistakes many users make with their gimbal stabilizers. Here’s how to avoid them:
1. Not Balancing the Smartphone Properly
Balancing your smartphone is crucial for effective stabilization. If your phone is off-balance, the gimbal’s motors will work harder, leading to decreased battery life and less effective stabilization.
How to Avoid: Always take the time to adjust your phone’s position in the clamp and make sure it remains level when the gimbal is powered off. Most gimbals come with clear instructions on how to balance properly.
2. Overusing the Full Follow Mode
While the full follow mode is great for dynamic shots, it can lead to unwanted movements if overused, especially for beginners who may struggle to control the camera’s direction.
How to Avoid: Start with more basic modes like pan-follow or lock mode until you’re comfortable. Use full follow mode sparingly for complex shots.
3. Forgetting to Charge the Gimbal
There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of battery mid-shoot. Gimbal batteries can last for hours, but heavy usage (especially with extra features like object tracking) can drain the battery faster.
How to Avoid: Always fully charge your gimbal before heading out for a shoot, and consider carrying a portable power bank if you expect to film for long periods.
4. Ignoring Firmware Updates
Many gimbals come with companion apps that need regular firmware updates. These updates often include important bug fixes and new features that enhance performance.
How to Avoid: Regularly check the manufacturer’s app for firmware updates and install them promptly.
Top Mobile Gimbals on the Market (2024 Edition)
When it comes to choosing the best mobile gimbals on the market, the options are plenty. Here’s a list of the top picks for vloggers, content creators, and travel filmmakers.
1. DJI Osmo Mobile 6
- Features: 3-axis stabilization, object tracking, foldable design, gesture control
- Pros: Compact, user-friendly app, excellent stabilization
- Cons: Premium price
2. Zhiyun Smooth 5S
- Features: 3-axis stabilization, intuitive controls, powerful motors
- Pros: Advanced features for pro users, long battery life
- Cons: Slightly heavier than competitors
3. Hohem iSteady X2
- Features: Lightweight, 3-axis stabilization, budget-friendly price
- Pros: Affordable, portable, great for beginners
- Cons: Limited advanced features
4. Moza Mini MX2
- Features: Gesture control, time-lapse, ergonomic design
- Pros: Great for travel, easy to use
- Cons: Occasional connectivity issues with app
5. FeiyuTech Vlog Pocket 3
- Features: Foldable design, object tracking, app integration
- Pros: Affordable, compact, ideal for casual users
- Cons: Shorter battery life
Conclusion on What is A Mobile Gimbal
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to enhance your smartphone videography, a mobile gimbal offers endless possibilities for creativity and smooth video. From mastering cinematic shots to stabilizing vlogs and professional smartphone filming, a gimbal stabilizer helps you create polished, dynamic content that helps you stand out from the crowd.
With mobile gimbals like the DJI Osmo Mobile or Zhiyun Smooth, even casual users can produce better video content.
So why settle for shaky, amateur footage when you can capture smooth, cinematic shots with the right mobile gimbal?
FAQs on What is a Mobile Gimbal
A: A mobile gimbal is a handheld device designed to stabilize your smartphone while filming. It uses motors and sensors to counteract any unwanted movements, such as shaking or vibrations, which occur while you’re moving. The most common type is a 3-axis gimbal, which stabilizes along three different planes (tilt, pan, and roll). This allows users to capture smooth, professional-quality videos even in dynamic or unstable conditions.
A: A 3-axis gimbal provides stabilization along all three axes—pan (left-right), tilt (up-down), and roll (rotation), making it the best choice for those looking to achieve highly stable and cinematic footage. On the other hand, a 2-axis gimbal only stabilizes the tilt and roll, making it less versatile but lighter and usually more affordable. If you’re serious about cinematic smartphone videography, go for a 3-axis model for better control and smoother results.
A: For beginners, the following mobile gimbals are highly recommended in 2024:
- DJI Osmo Mobile 6 – Easy to use, with excellent stabilization and smart features.
- Zhiyun Smooth 5S – Great balance between price, features, and performance.
- Hohem iSteady X2 – Affordable and compact, perfect for beginners looking to improve video quality without breaking the bank.
These gimbals are user-friendly, lightweight, and provide high-quality stabilization for all kinds of content creation.
A: Absolutely! Many vloggers and content creators use mobile gimbals to stabilize their footage while live streaming or vlogging. Most gimbals, like the DJI Osmo Mobile or Zhiyun Smooth, come with features such as object tracking and easy integration with live streaming platforms. This makes them ideal for creating smooth, professional-quality videos in real-time, even while on the move.
A: No, mobile gimbals do not drain your phone’s battery faster. In fact, most modern gimbals have built-in batteries that power the motors for stabilization, leaving your phone’s battery relatively unaffected. Some advanced gimbals even offer charging capabilities, where you can charge your phone directly from the gimbal while filming, which is a great feature for long shoots.
