A handheld stabilizer has become an indispensable tool to ensure smoothly cinematic professional-looking results for anyone shooting video today, whether with a compact camera, smartphone or action cam. They now come in a wide variety of choices, each boasting a broad range of features and functionalities, each targeted to a specific type of user.
Some brands do this better than others, and Zhiyun-Tech – a company known for its industry-leading stabilization technology – is an established leader in this category. With the launch of not one but three new models, Zhiyun has covered all the bases, ensuring there’s something to meet everyone’s needs at a price point to suit anyone’s budget. Which one is right for you?
Clearly targeted to serious-minded vloggers with its super-compact body design and optimized axis arm structure, the new Crane-M3 is also distinguished by the built-in fill light with adjustable colour temperature (2600 to 5400K) and included colour filters – red, yellow, blue and orange – so you can even adjust the colour of the integrated fill light itself. The beauty of the Crane-M3 is that you can use it not just to stabilize your camera but also to illuminate your subject with powerful 800-lumen output.
Like the Crane-M3, the next-gen Smooth-5 smartphone stabilizer comes with an LED fill light: this one can be attached via magnetic contact points on either side of the unit (to suit landscape or portrait modes) or both sides (to generate 360-degree all-around lighting) with 580-lumen output and stepless dimming controls. Zhiyun’s industry-standard 3-axis design allows for amazingly smooth movement in each direction, even at extreme angles.
The original Smooth-X smartphone stabilizer was marketed as “the gimbal for everyone,” but this budget-friendly series is clearly meant for general consumer use and the casual social-media content creator. Like its predecessor, this new model features a 2-axis gimbal and built-in selfie stick. The 265mm extension rod can be adjusted for use at any length, and a reversible latch can be used to lock the gimbal and turn it into an instant tripod. Like the Smooth 5, it also features magnetic attachment points, but the available fill lights are sold separately.
