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Zhiyun's three-axis camera gimbal houses an LED light and small display
Zhiyun has just released the three-axis Crane M3 gimbal with some interesting new features like a tiny LED light and a built-in screeng.
The best Android and iPhone gimbal
By Signe Brewster This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to Android and iPhone gimbals. If you like filming video with your smartphone and are comfortable spending a little more than $100 to achieve more professional-looking results, a smartphone gimbal might be right for you. A gimbal is a handheld mechanical stabilizer that can help you shoot smooth, cinematic footage without the need for a larger tripod or an expensive dolly. After spending 30 hours researching and testing top-rated gimbals for smartphones, we found that the Zhiyun Smooth 4 is the best at reliably stabilizing video. It's also simple to set up and use, and it's equipped with the best apps of any gimbal we tested. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 offsets shaky hands and jerky movements, which comes in handy when you're snowboarding, vacationing, or shooting video for a social media post. The compatible apps offer more fine-tuning of settings, such as aperture and filters, than the competition. The apps also integrate smoothly with the handle's buttons (which are more numerous and configurable than those of DJI's Osmo Mobile 3) if you don't want to touch your phone screen as often. DJI's customer service responded to our requests within seconds, so we think that anyone who values technical help over app design and button layout should buy the DJI Osmo Mobile 3. It stabilizes video just as well as the Zhiyun Smooth 4 and is similarly able to track a subject of your choice or to handle cinematic shots such as hyperlapses and dolly zooms. The few buttons on its comfortable handle are simple to learn, and its app is clearly designed. We enjoyed using the Smooth 4 more because of how well its buttons integrated with its apps, but DJI's customer service was easily the most helpful of any of the gimbal companies we contacted. If you're willing to spend more to ditch the smartphone in favor of a gimbal that fits in your pocket, the DJI Osmo Pocket delighted us with its built-in camera and candy-bar size. To start filming, you have to push only two buttons, which means you can pull it out of your pocket and begin capturing important moments in just a few seconds. We found that it stabilized videos as effectively as the Osmo Mobile 3.
Fujifilm X-T3 camera update adds advanced gimbal controls
Fujifilm's X-T3 is shockingly good at video while also being a pretty lightweight mirrorless camera, so it makes a lot of sense to stick it on a gimbal. Thanks to an upcoming firmware update, it's going to be a lot more practical to do that, Fujifilm announced. It's been working with popular gimbal makers DJI, Shenzhen Gudsen and Zhiyung to give you very granular control over the X-T3 using the Ronin S, Crane 2 and other products.
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The best tech for improving your photography
Motorized gimbals are a big part of filmmaking these days, as they can smooth out dramatic camera movements or, if you're less adventurous, just help you capture clean footage while you're walking. Our top pick is the Zhiyun-Tech Crane 3 LAB, which packs powerful motors while remaining fairly lightweight. The handle design also makes it easy to carry in a number of different positions for creative shots. It can support the weight of most mirrorless cameras, and runs over seven hours on a charge. At $900, it's not exactly an impulse buy, so if you're looking for a cheaper option, the Crane 2 isn't as versatile and can't support heavier cameras, but it costs just $350. READ ON: The best tech for improving your photography
Tech can take your photography to the next level
Whether you're interested in taking better photos, video or both, the best thing you can do is to practice and take the time to get to know your equipment. But, if you're finding situations where you're struggling to get the perfect shot, or looking for ways to stretch creatively, there's a world of gadgets out there you can use to mix things up.
