Phone Gimbal With Fill Light

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DJI is in all probability the emblem you’d bring to mind first when making an allowance for a phone stabiliser, however Zhiyun is definitely established and gives a excellent vary of its personal gimbals, together with the amazingly reasonably priced 2-axis Easy X, which has a integrated selfie stick.

If you need the stableness of a three-axis gimbal, then the Easy Q3 is Zhiyun’s solution. It doesn’t have the telescopic selfie stick, nevertheless it does have a integrated fill mild, which is helping when lights stipulations are lower than superb. Which they in most cases are for those who’re indoors.

Options & design

  • 3-axis gimbal
  • Rotatable LED fill mild
  • Tripod provided within the field

At a look you’d be forgiven for pondering you had been taking a look at an Osmo Mobile: the Q3’s designers have obviously taken a large number of ‘inspiration’ from DJI’s stabilisers, from the color of gray to the texture of the plastic itself. Even the peel-off stickers are precisely like DJI’s, even though there are some variations between the Q3 and the OM3 and OM4.

For one, the Easy Q3 has an integral phone clamp – now not magnetic – and as a substitute of a fold-out arm, it opts for a sliding observe that’s secured in position the use of a thumbscrew.

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 review

Chances are you’ll assume you’ll be able to use any place alongside the observe that you just fancy, nevertheless it needs to be totally prolonged because of {the electrical} contacts at its finish.

It’s fairly compact when collapsed, even though you will have to purchase the Combo package if you need a lift case to give protection to it. At 340g, the Easy Q3 is unusually light-weight, however construct high quality is excellent, and it feels strong.

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 review

The integrated battery lasts for 7 hours of standard use, and as much as 15 hours  and is recharged by way of USB-C.

In contrast to one of the crucial corporate’s different gimbals, the Easy Q3 has a joystick that you’ll be able to use to pan and tilt your phone’s digicam manually. Subsequent to it are Mode and report buttons and, at the reverse facet, the ability button and a cause button that has more than a few purposes. As we’ve come to be expecting from maximum phone gimbals, there’s a zoom slider  at the facet however this – as ever – handiest controls virtual zoom: it received’t change between more than one cameras in case your phone has them.

At the most sensible facet of the phone clamp is a fill mild which can also be circled to stand you, or face your matter for those who’re filming anyone else. It’s a touch-sensitive button: hang it for 1.5s to modify on or off and faucet to switch the brightness between 3 ranges.

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 review

By means of default the gimbal begins in portrait mode, however you’ll be able to rotate it to panorama manually or through urgent the tigger 3 times.

You’ll wish to learn the guide to know the other modes and the way they paintings in conjunction with the cause in an effort to get the type of movement you need: the PL L and F symbols received’t imply a lot. POV is the most obvious one: it strikes the clamp to reflect the maintain’s place, so that you get ‘perspective’ movement. It’s arduous to look the price of this mode because it’s the similar impact you’d get for those who simply held the phone on your hand.

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 review

There’s a tripod within the field – which additionally appears to be like similar to DJI’s – and is priceless for taking panoramic footage and timelapse movies.

Capturing modes & app

  • Dolly zoom
  • Hyperlapse + timelapse
  • Landscape
  • Sensible templates

Even though you’ll be able to pair the Q3 by way of Bluetooth after which use any digicam app you prefer – reminiscent of your phone’s inventory one – you get get right of entry to to the entire vary of options throughout the ZY Cami app.

Once more, there’s a lot similarity to DJI’s Mimo app right here, so you’ve gotten the method to observe and practice topics with SmartFollow 3.0 (DJI’s is named ActiveTrack 3.0), shoot photographic panoramas in 180 & 240° in addition to grid formations for super-wide perspectives.

There’s the Hitchcock-style dolly zoom which routinely applies virtual zoom as you progress forwards or backwards to stay the topic the similar dimension, in addition to timelapse (to be used with the tripod) and hyperlapse, which is the place you progress round with the gimbal and shoot timelapse photos.

Unusually there’s additionally gradual movement, however that’s a taking pictures mode that doesn’t in reality desire a gimbal for stabilisation.

Zhiyun Smooth Q3 review

If you happen to’ve fixed the Q3 on its tripod, you’ll be able to use gestures to start out and forestall recording, in addition to activating the practice serve as.

The problem is that none of those options paintings somewhat in addition to they do in DJI’s app. I attempted more than one occasions and did not get a usable dolly zoom shot, and likewise discovered that the Bluetooth connection between phone and gimbal would both take a very long time or fail utterly every now and then. At different occasions, it might attach routinely and in an instant once I tapped the digicam icon within the app to visit the taking pictures mode.

Different issues that cropped up had been mistakes when putting in issues between which to transport all over timelapse photographs. The app complained that the “Waypoint distance was once too shut”. In a while, even though, it labored as anticipated. I think it was once merely that the Bluetooth connection had dropped, but when that was once the case, the mistake message must have stated that.

Monitoring wasn’t overly a success both. It labored nice for slower, smaller actions, reminiscent of an individual speaking to digicam and shifting round a bit of. However for sooner shifting topics reminiscent of youngsters and pets, it gave the impression not able to transport fast sufficient to practice in the event that they left the body.

Sensible templates permits you to have some amusing with loopy actions all over or between photographs. Each and every template has a undeniable genre and instructs you to shoot a number of quick clips. You’ll make a choice for every how the gimbal must transfer, and there are many choices.

At the app’s house display you’ll see people’s video creations, and it’s additionally the place you’ll be able to use the entire and ‘Fast’ video editors. The total one will give you nice regulate over the whole thing, similar to Apple iMovie, whilst the short one routinely generates a video from clips you choose.

Annoyingly, they each put a ZY Cami watermark within the bottom-left nook of the exported video and you’ve got to pay for the High provider if you wish to export in 4K. If you are going to buy the Combo model, you get a card to turn on the High provider within the field.

There is excellent information even though. For basic taking pictures within the common video mode, which is the only you’ll use as a rule, the Q3 works in reality smartly. It gives the similar type of stabilisation you get from a DJI gimbal this means that great, easy motion whether or not you’re status nonetheless or strolling with the Q3.

As discussed, you’ll wish to learn the guide or watch the educational movies within the app to discover ways to use it correctly and use the right kind mode, however if you’ve were given that taken care of, it is going to ship the jerk-free effects you’re after.

One tip: urgent the Mode button toggles throughout the modes and loops again to the beginning. However press it two times temporarily and it is going to return to the former mode.

Worth & availability

At £89.99 / US$89 from Amazon, the Easy Q3 is unquestionably excellent price. It’s significantly inexpensive than DJI’s OM4, which makes it much more interesting. The Combo bundle prices £99 / $109 however was once discounted to £89 on Amazon.co.united kingdom and $99 on Amazon.com on the time of evaluate. 

Then again, the Osmo Mobile 3 was once simply £69.99 / $79.99 from Amazon on the time of writing. Even though this doesn’t have a fill mild, the truth DJI’s app is extra polished (in addition to the even cheaper price) makes it an much more sexy possibility for the general public.

For possible choices, see our roundup of the most efficient phone gimbals.

Verdict

The Easy Q3 is an excellent stabiliser, and might be precisely what you’re after for those who simply need to upload a little bit of polish to movies you shoot of your self, particularly for the reason that fill mild is an invaluable addition now not discovered at the DJI OM3 and OM4.

Stabilisation may be very respectable general, however it is important to discover ways to use the more than a few modes to get the most efficient from it. For individuals who need to shoot extra creatively, the ZY Cami app simply isn’t as excellent as DJI’s, so the Osmo Mobile 3 is a more sensible choice, as long as you don’t desire a fill mild.

Specifications

Zhiyun Easy Q3: Specifications

  • 3-axis gimbal
  • Weight: 340g
  • Dimensions (folded / spread out): 45x154x180mm / 90x127x279mm
  • Battery capability: 1300mAh
  • Battery lifestyles (usual / max): 7 / 15 hours
  • Charging time: 2 hours (USB-C cable provided, charger now not provided)
  • Weight of Suitable Phone: 150-280g
  • Width of Suitable Telephones: 55 – 90 mm (7-10mm thickness)
  • Bluetooth connection
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