If you’re a dedicated videographer, you’ll soon want a gimbal in your camera kit. Gimbals or camera stabilisers help keep your camera level and suppress vibrations and camera shake so your footage turns out smooth and cinematic every time.
The best gimbals can adjust your camera’s position fluidly so your footage won’t suffer the disruptions that often come with handheld recording. They usually have 3-axis stabilisation, which means your gimbal can move the camera left and right, up and down, and backwards and forwards.
In this post, we've showcased some of the best gimbals, whether you have a smartphone, a DSLR, or a mirrorless camera. Read about Comment start everything you need to know about gimbals Comment end and take your pick.
The best gimbals for iPhones and Android smartphones
The DJI Osmo Mobile 3 smartphone stabiliser
Affordable, yet offering amazing quality, the Osmo Mobile 3 clamps onto your iPhone or Android smartphone and captures incredibly smooth footage.
This gimbal has been designed for convenience, with buttons placed perfectly to allow for easy one-handed operation. A zoom slider on the handle enables you to zoom in and out with your smartphone camera.
This smartphone stabiliser uses 3 axes to reduce shaky footage and has a gimbal arm that can rotate 90 degrees so you can switch easily between landscape and portrait filming.
Using the Gesture Control mode, you can activate recording through both the front and rear cameras with a simple movement. Meanwhile, the handy Active Track feature automatically follows moving subjects for you.
Along with standard filming, you can also shoot hyper-lapse videos, panoramas, timelapse videos, and slow motion. These shooting modes - and plenty more - can be accessed with the free DJI Mimo smartphone app.
This is one of the best gimbals for videographers on the go. Its lightweight construction can be folded down to fit in your bag with ease while the rechargeable battery can last an astonishing 15 hours. An ergonomic grip also ensures you won’t tire while shooting.
Take a look at the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 smartphone gimbal online today.
The Zhiyun Smooth X smartphone gimbal
Zhiyun is renowned for its high quality, affordable gimbals. The Zhiyun Smooth X is a pocketable smartphone gimbal with an incredibly lightweight frame that can be extended to work as a selfie stick. It also comes with a tripod for added flexibility.
This is a 2-axis stabiliser, meaning it has an axis for panning and another for rolling. There’s a fun joystick to control the gimbal.
You can also control a range of SMART modes from the ZY Cami smartphone app. These modes include Gesture Control, Face/Object tracking, slow motion, and timelapse.
The Smooth X is compatible with both iPhones and Android phones and has a battery that can last up to 4 hours and be recharged with a USB-C cable.
Check out the Zhiyun Smooth X mobile phone gimbal online today.
The Zhiyun Smooth 4 iPhone gimbal
Another solid contender for the best smartphone gimbal is the Zhiyun Smooth 4. This 3-axis stabiliser has tilt and pan controls with powerful ranges incomparable to similar models.
The Smooth 4 has a handwheel to focus and zoom and an integrated control panel with a dedicated app that enables you to create time-lapses, moving time-lapses, and motion lapses.
An Object Tracking mode stays on top of your subjects while a Vertigo mode creates a dolly zoom effect that shifts perspective with ease.
Other features we love? The lock mechanism when the gimbal is folded and the Quick Standby mode activated when you expand or fold the horizontal arm. Just make note that Zhiyun favours iPhones - Android users have had some difficulty with the app.
The Smooth 4 is powered by a battery that can last up to 12 hours and can even charge your phone via a USB port while in use.
Show me the Zhiyun Smooth 4 smartphone stabiliser today.
The DJI OM 4 smartphone gimbal
A step up from the Osmo Mobile 3, the DJI OM 4 is smaller, more lightweight, and yet can carry more than the Mobile 3.
As with its predecessor, the OM 4 is a 3-axis stabiliser with a pocketable foldable design. We love the magnetic quick-release, along with the magnetic phone clamp, both of which get you shooting faster and accessing your phone in a snap.
With a decent battery life of 15 hours, you can also recharge your phone on the go thanks to the USB port on the right side of the gimbal.
The OM 4 comes with a range of features guaranteed to make filming fun, including a Hitchcock effect. There are eight shooting modes, including ActiveTrack, Gesture Control, SpinShot Mode, 240° Pano, 3×3 Pano, DynamicZoom, CloneMe Pano, and Timelapse.
The OM 4 is compatible with both iPhones and Android smartphones.
Check out the DJI OM 4 smartphone gimbal today.
The best gimbals for mirrorless cameras & DSLRs
The DJI RSC 2 gimbal
The DJI RSC 2 is an impressively sturdy gimbal for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Capable of carrying cameras weighing up to 3kg, this 3-axis stabiliser has everything you need to kickstart your professional videography journey.
There’s an OLED display, which means you don’t need to constantly go back to the companion smartphone app to make adjustments. You can also adjust settings via handy quick-access buttons, such as a front dial for precise focusing. A simple switch snaps the camera from landscape to portrait mode.
The gimbal can be folded to just 7 x 7.5 inches so you can easily transport it, while the frame has six handy configurations to make even complex shots easier to get.
The RSC 2 has an impressive battery life of about 14 hours but it’s important to note that it’s not compatible with every camera so you should do your research before you buy.
Take a look at the DJI RSC 2 mirrorless and DSLR gimbal today.
The Zhiyun WEEBILL-S gimbal
Suitable for most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, the Zhiyun WEEBILL-S is a lightweight gimbal with powerful features to ensure your footage is filmed smoothly, without a hitch.
The WEEBILL-S comes with a range of features that make this one of the best gimbals for any kind of filming. To start, a unique Sling mode captures fluid shots with a cinematic feel.
There are six separate shooting modes to help you film the precise shot you envisioned, along with a control wheel so you can make automatic and manual adjustments to your focus and zoom.
The WEEBILL-S comes with an OLED display and handle controls so you can view and adjust motor strength, smoothness, follow speed, and more, directly on the gimbal.
Taking it up a notch, the WEEBILL-S has a TransMount Image Transmission Module which enables live streams with 1080p HD video transmission.
Weighing just under a kilo, this gimbal can handle an impressive payload of 5kg, easily tackling DSLRs and their heavy lenses. A single battery charge gives you up to 14 hours of filming.
Have a look at the Zhiyun WEEBILL-S handheld gimbal today.
Zhiyun Crane 3S
What’s not to love about the powerful Zhiyun Crane 3S gimbal? It’s got a stunning 18 hours of battery life with its PowerPlus battery unit and can handle a whopping 6.5kg - more than any other stabiliser on the market.
This heavy-duty gimbal isn’t for the faint of heart, weighing a hefty 3.7kg. But it can be managed with two hands using the SmartSling handle, which also contains a few controls and a little OLED screen, or the ergonomic back handle.
An “F” button on the front re-centres the camera but can also act as a selfie button. There’s also a handy focus wheel, a joystick, and other physical controls on the gimbal itself.
The Crane 3S comes with a range of standard shooting modes as well as a few fun ones thrown in: The Vortex mode continuously rolls the camera for a spinning shot. This is a gimbal for serious videographers, capable of recording professional-worthy cinematic footage.
Take a look at the Zhiyun Crane 3S professional gimbal online today.
The heavy-duty FeiyuTech AK4500 gimbal
Another solid gimbal that will deliver stunningly smooth footage is the FeiyuTech AK4500 gimbal.
The FeiyuTech AK4500 can do 360° pan, 230° tilt, and 360° roll motion using an angled arm that makes sure you have an unobstructed view to your camera while you’re filming.
A useful multifunction handwheel on the side of the gimbal gives you control not just over the camera’s movements but also over focus, zoom, ISO, exposure, and more. There’s even a touchscreen LCD smart panel built into the handle so you can more easily compose your footage and read the settings information.
The AK4500 gimbal takes a payload of 4.5kg - enough for a DSLR camera with a heavy lens. Fortunately, the gimbal itself is impressively lightweight at just 1.6kg.
Though the camera and gimbal combined can make the gimbal a little unwieldy, FeiyuTech has compensated by providing an extension rod so you can operate the gimbal with two hands. The gimbal can even be set up on a flat surface, acting as a tripod.
Check out the FeiyuTech AK4500 gimbal today.
Shop gimbals for smartphones and cameras online
Found the gimbal you’re after? Browse our full range of stabilisers for iPhones, mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and more online at Camera House today or visit us in-store to receive expert advice on the best gimbal for your equipment and needs.
Discover more useful articles and tips on the Camera House blog. Our blog us curated by photography experts. See product reviews, get tips on improving your photography and more:
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