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your gimbal, you may want to consider stabi-
lizers that forego batteries entirely.One or two hands?
In addition to choosing between motorized
and non-motorized option, you’ll also need to
decide if you prefer operating the gimbal with
one or two hands. One-handed stabilizers are
designed for smaller camera setups with fewer
accessories and therefore work better in tighter
locations. If you want to follow your talent
through a small hallway or tour the camera
around a small room, a one-handed stabilizer
will be perfect for you.
While most smartphone gimbals have long
been designed for one-handed operation, it
wasn’t until more recently that one-handed
designs began to support larger and heavier
mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Larger two-hand-
ed stabilizer are built to hold much larger setups
with heavier payloads. Though newer stabiliz-
ers like the DJI Ronin-S and the Zhiyun-Tech
Crane 2 can hold your Panasonic GH5, Sony a7S
II or Canon 5D Mark IV, you’ll be looking for a
two-handed gimbal for larger cinema cameras
like a RED camera system, or if you plan to use
heavier lenses.
Keep in mind that if you plan on adding any
third-party tools and toys to your gimbal setup
such as monitors, microphones or lights, the
additional weight will affect the balance of your
gimbal and may even make it impossible to bal-
ance without counterweights. Note also that for
the smallest mirrorless cameras, you may need
to add some weight for proper results — makesure to look at the minimum payload as well as
the maximum, since a camera that is too light
will be just as difficult to balance as one that is
too heavy.Ergonomics
Ergonomics are another consideration when
choosing a gimbal — especially if you anticipate
long shooting days or want to capture smooth
moving shots of an extended duration. Most
single-handed gimbals will follow a similar
design with the handle extending down below
the camera, though there are some exceptions.
A two-handed gimbal will give you more stabil-
ity and control and will often support heavier
payloads. This form factor may also help stave off
fatigue since the weight will be distributed over
both arms.
Another upgrade is the addition of a quick-
release base plate. This allows you to switch be-
tween tripod and gimbal without switching plates
or needing to rebalance. Since rebalancing can be
a pain on any gimbal, this is a big advantage.
Ease of operation should also be considered
when choosing a gimbal — hard to use controls
will only make it more difficult to get the shot
you’re after. Some gimbals offer special features
and camera control depending on the camera
you plan to use. If these features are important
to you, make sure to double check compatibility
before you invest.
Finally, if portability is especially important to
your workflow, look for features that make it easy
to bring your gimbal out into the field — easy
setup and breakdown is a plus, as is an included
carry case.
Handheld stabilizers offer the ability to move
your camera in almost any way you want with
ease while keeping the shot stable. Thinking
about the types of shots you want to achieve,
you may find that you’ll want to purchase both
manual and motorized stabilizers. Likewise, the
best stabilizer for your DSLR may not work well
for your action camera and vice versa. There are
many different types of stabilizers to fit all kinds
of productions and budgets, but whatever style
you choose, remember that smooth handheld
shots are often what separates the amateurs from
the professionals.Contributors to this article include Antonio Pavlov, Morgan
Paar, W. H. Bourne and the Videomaker Editorial Staff.You can comment on this article by going on-
line: http://www.videomaker.com/?p=97049384 B02 Handheld Stabilizers.indd 26 3/19/19 2:14 PMSubscribe to Videomaker
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