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pensate for the shakes and wobbles of handheld
shooting. It’s made with anodized aluminum and
features precision bearings, a telescoping center
post and dynamic camera balance platform. The
Glidecam XR-PRO sells for $289.Best budget gimbal
Zhiyun Smooth 4
The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is designed to provide
stabilization to mobile phones. It features an
integrated control panel that aims to simplify
control of both the phone and the gimbal. This
makes it more convenient to zoom and pull focus
while shooting and also gives you quick access
to shooting modes like Pan Following, Lock-
ing Mode, PhoneGo mode and Following mode.
Timelapse and object tracking support add to
the Smooth 4’s appeal, and the gimbal can even
charge your phone as you shoot. Battery life is
estimated to top out at 12 hours. The Zhiyun
Smooth 4 is available for $140.tions make it easy to get a wide range of shots,
from straightforward shots in the underslung
mode, to over-the-crowd shots in the upright
mode. Briefcase mode helps get shots that need
to move through narrow spaces. The DJI Ronin-
M is priced at $1,099.Best one-handed gimbal
DJI Ronin-S
The DJI Ronin-S is a one handed gimbal with
a payload capacity of 8 pounds. Some gimbals
are hard to balance; this one isn’t. Plus, the rear
roll motor is smartly positioned so the user can
see the rear screen of their camera. When used
with certain mirrorless cameras, users gain con-
trol over focus via the built-in focus wheel, and
you can trigger recording through the handle.
DJI’s companion app — compatible with An-
droid and iOS devices — further expands func-
tionality. The Ronin-S is available for $749.Best non-motorized gimbal
GLIDECAM XR-PRO
The Glidecam XR-PRO provides stabiliza-
tion without the need for motors or batteries.
Instead relying on a brushless motor, the XR-
PRO uses a more traditional sled design with a
handle and counterbalance weights to com-DJI Ronin-S GLIDECAM XR-PRO Zhiyun Smooth 4
384 B02 Handheld Stabilizers.indd 24 3/19/19 2:14 PMVIDEOMAKER >>> MAY 2019 25
how to operate as far as making your camera
movements look smooth. They tend to require
more operator interaction than their motor-
ized counterparts. If you’re use to doing a lot of
handheld operating, then you’ll probably be get-
ting smooth shots fairly quickly and with ease.
Gradually, you’ll be able to get shots that you
might not have ever thought were possible even
with a stabilizer. In time, much like panning and
tilting on a tripod, you’ll find that the movement
becomes second nature.
On the other hand, once a motorized stabilizer
is set up and balanced, you can grab it and start
shooting. It doesn’t take long to get used to op-
erating a camera on a motorized stabilizer. The
stabilizer will maintain smooth level shooting;
you just have to frame the shots. Most models
will allow you to set up the camera with a tilt
up or down if you want to get high or low angle
shots. The stabilizer will maintain that angle for
you. The only drawback is that you sometimes
can’t deviate from this during the shot, or else
changing the angle will require a second opera-
tor controlling the camera.
Another advantage to a motorized stabilizer is
that you don’t always have to be right next to it.
You could use a cart or wagon as a dolly, mount
the stabilizer to it, and get shots that you might
have needed a dolly on tracks to get otherwise.
The biggest disadvantages that some motor-
ized stabilizers have is weight and battery life.
Some of the larger units can be very heavy
once your camera is mounted, so spending a
long day shooting handheld might be chal-
lenging. Likewise, since motorized gimbals
depend on battery power to operate, estimated
battery life and your anticipated needs may be
the deciding factors in your purchasing deci-
sion. Ideally, a single charge should get you
through a typical shooting day. Since battery
power is a limiting factor in how you can usepensate for the shakes and wobbles of handheld
shooting. It’s made with anodized aluminum and
features precision bearings, a telescoping center
post and dynamic camera balance platform. The
Glidecam XR-PRO sells for $289.Best budget gimbal
Zhiyun Smooth 4
The Zhiyun Smooth 4 is designed to provide
stabilization to mobile phones. It features an
integrated control panel that aims to simplify
control of both the phone and the gimbal. This
makes it more convenient to zoom and pull focus
while shooting and also gives you quick access
to shooting modes like Pan Following, Lock-
ing Mode, PhoneGo mode and Following mode.
Timelapse and object tracking support add to
the Smooth 4’s appeal, and the gimbal can even
charge your phone as you shoot. Battery life is
estimated to top out at 12 hours. The Zhiyun
Smooth 4 is available for $140.Factors to consider
When choosing a gimbal for your camera, your
first concern should be compatibility. You’ll need
to account for the weight that the gimbal will
need to accommodate. This includes not only
your camera, but also your lens and anything
else that the gimbal needs to support. You’ll also
want to look at compatibility, app functionality
and any special features the gimbal might offer.
Make sure the gimbal will work with the type of
camera you plan to shoot with and that it pro-
vides the functionality you need to get the shots
that you want. With this in mind, let’s take a look
at some of the defining features of any gimbal.Motorized vs. non-motorized
The biggest factor that sets non-motorized stabi-
lizers apart from motorized units is not cost but
control. You have much more control over the
subtle movements of the camera with a non-
motorized stabilizer. If you’re tracking a moving
subject with your camera on a non-motorized
stabilizer and you want the camera to slightly
lean into the turns to accentuate the action, you
can do this very easily with most non-motorized
systems. Trying to get that same shot on a mo-
torized stabilizer would be much more difficult,
if not impossible.
The drawback to having this type of control is
that non-motorized systems take longer to learnZhiyun Smooth 4
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