To date, smartphones are also valuable tools for the multimedia side. Indeed, when you buy a terminal, you will hardly be influenced by factors other than the quality of the cameras. For this reason, one of the accessories that can be the most characteristic of a smartphone is the gimbal. Today we try Zhiyun's Smooth 4, really great considering the price, with some gaps in the software, which can be solved with alternative apps.
Unboxing
Opening the package immediately reveals a carrying case. Not among the most elegant, nor among the most comfortable, considering that there is no carrying handle. However, this is a particularly useful protection for storing the gimbal safely when carrying it in a backpack. Inside the case, in addition to the Gimba, also a tripod, really useful in the case of long-term shooting.
Already unboxing immediately gives an idea of the size of the gimbal. It's not exactly the most portable peripheral in this industry, and both size and weight aren't in the user's favor. Or rather, for the features it offers it is data in the norm, but those who want something more portable and light will have to turn to other gimbals: Zhiyun has in its line up the Smooth X and XS models, absolutely smaller and more manageable. You can read the review at this address.
How it's done
The massive handle is made entirely of matte plastic. In the hand it returns a pleasant sensation of stability and resistance; the clicks of the various buttons do not return a completely premium feeling, but they work very well and are absolutely responsive. The front panel offers a particularly articulated pushbutton panel, so much so that it will be difficult to use the gimbal without first reading the manual or seeing some tutorials.
In the center there is a sort of rotating crown, which will be used to move within the shooting or recording options, so as to be able to fully use the gimbal and app without having to touch the smartphone screen, thus avoiding touches that could make the video little. stable. In the same way, a large wheel positioned on the left of the main handle, will allow you to manage the zoom or focus in shooting, so as not to have to touch the device at all.
On the dorsal part of the stick, on the other hand, there are two trigger buttons, whose prolonged pressure will allow you to manage two recording modes: Full Follow Mode and PhoneGo Mode, which we will discuss later.
On the upper part, however, there is the sturdy hook in which to house the smartphone, inside which there is a soft rubber to accommodate the device in total safety, and avoid scratching it when it is in operation. Note that the hook must be adjusted according to the size and weight of the smartphone in use, so as to “help” in perfect balance. For most smartphones this manual balancing operation may not even be necessary, considering the gimbal motor is powerful enough to handle most smartphones. In any case, this is a setup that will allow for better stabilization.
On the lower part, however, as already mentioned, there is a classic screw to insert the tripod included in the package. Not a small detail, if we consider the multiple uses, such as time lapse videos, or panoramas.
Operating modes
Smooth 4 has no joysticks or pads that allow you to manually adjust pan or tilt. If initially the choice could be unsettling, after becoming familiar with the four operating modes, it will instead be a winner. The first mode to be set with the front button just above the power button is the PF, i.e. pan follow mode. In this mode the gimbal will follow the rotations of our wrist to manage the pan, and then move the smartphone horizontally. In this mode, the smartphone remains blocked on “tilt”, ie the up and down rotation of the smartphone on the Y axis. In other words, in this mode it is impossible to turn the camera to the floor or to the sky. To have a Pan Follow Mode with the tilt enabled, the rear low trigger must be kept pressed, which will activate Full Follow Mode: in this case the smartphone, in addition to following the rotation of the wrist, will also follow the inclination of the stick itself, albeit with gentle movements, allowing you to frame the ceiling or floor.
If, on the other hand, you activate the “L” mode, lock Mode (on the front), the smartphone will remain locked for both pan and tilt. In any case, by keeping the pressure of the upper dorsal trigger, the PhoneGo mode will be activated, which will allow snappy and sudden movements of the gimbal, and will give the user the feeling of being in. hand the smartphone without gimbal, being able to direct the camera where you want quickly.
Learning the operation of the four different modes, and becoming familiar with the movements that the gimbal will make the smartphone perform in each mode is absolutely necessary to fully enjoy the quality of the gimbal.
How does it work
Admirably. Image stabilization is excellent, although it obviously depends on the smartphone you use. We tested it with iPhone 12 and got a really positive result. The image is distinctly stable, free from any flickering. After getting familiar with the weight and size, and learning about the different operating modes, we were able to record for medium to long sessions with no problems whatsoever. Below is a video shot entirely with the help of Smooth 4 stabilization:
In this, the central dial helps a lot to scroll through the menus without touching the smartphone, as well as the large wheel for managing the zoom, which allows you not to destabilize the smartphone with unwanted vibrations possibly due to tap and slide on the screen.
The battery of this Zhiyun Smooth 4 is also excellent, which can easily ensure 10 hours of use. Too bad it cannot act as a portable power bank for the smartphone.
What disappoints a bit is the app, which lacks any real tools for fun. In this, for example, the Smooth XS does better. Furthermore, if with Android we have not encountered problems in panoramic modes, with iPhone there was no way to carry out a Pano.
Fortunately, the Filmic Pro app comes to the rescue, which supports the gimbal in question. This is a professional app for video lovers, which unfortunately is not free and costs 12.99 euros.
Conclusions
A really cheap gimbal, among the cheapest in the field of 3-axis stabilizers. Many, many functions and operating modes, to master which you will have to carry out some initial tutorial. After having taken the hand it will be absolutely natural to use this gimbal. Excellent wheel for zoom and focus management, as well as excellent back triggers for the PhoneGo Mode function. Infinite, or almost, the battery, while the application must be absolutely reviewed, not up to the quality of the hardware.
PRO
Against
It costs 89 euros on Amazon and can be purchased at this address, and at the moment you buy with a 5 euros discount applied directly to the cart .
