Gimbals, also known as stabilisers (or stabilizers if you’re American and/or weird) have peaked in popularity over the last couple of years. With content creation ruling the internet, more and more people are wanting to film professional quality footage without spending a fortune. That’s where gimbals come in. If you own a smartphone or camera then you’re halfway there already.
Essentially, gimbals allow you to move your camera or smartphone smoothly, meaning footage has no unintentional bumps or shakes, which can look unprofessional. Below are the top five camera gimbals of 2021 that you can purchase right now!
DJI Ronin-SC – £270
The DJI Ronin-SC is an exciting gimbal that supports both cameras and smartphones. Below you can find some of the details of this gimbal:
- Dynamic stability – reliable grip and with optional ‘sports mode’ to improve the sensitivity of each axis
- Extra features – panorama, timelapse, motion control, Activetrack 3.0, and motionlapse.
- Heavy load – Supports weight up to 2kg
- Full control – Easy to use buttons and simple handling
- Accessories – Comes with built in battery, extended grip/tripod, quick release plate, phone holder, USB cables, adapters and screws.
Zhiyun Crane M2 – £199
The Zhiyun Crane M2 is a very popular choice of gimbal with the following features:
- Maximum compatibility – Can be used with a wide range of devices such as small/light cameras, smartphones and action cameras
- Creativity – Full-range POV mode, Vortex mode, Go Mode
- Easy use – Quick mount and demount
- Compact – Small and lightweight body that can be taken anywhere
- WiFi and Bluetooth – Control the gimbal through wireless technology
Manfrotto MVG220 – £315
The Manfrotto MVG220 gimbal packs a big punch with some stand out features:
- Anti-vibration – The independent locking systems stops unwanted vibrations and keeps that stability you’re looking for
- Easy mount – Easy to change and switch mounts quickly
- Touch screen – A touchscreen LCD display makes it easy to set the gimbal up how you want, with full control of rotation, focus and zoom
- Detachable arm – Being able to remove the arm of this gimbal means it can be used in a wide range of creative shooting techniques
FeiyuTech UK official AK2000S – £350
The FeiyuTech AK2000S is another mid-tier option with the following features:
- Free Tune up Kit included
- Detachable handle
- Touchscreen – LCD touchscreen display to manipulate settings which can be locked to avoid accidental touch
- Lightweight – At 1.2kg net weight, this gimbal is easy to take anywhere
- Battery – The gimbal can be fully charged in 1.5hours and allows for 14 hours of use after charging
- Quick start – The gimbal can be turned on in under 2 seconds
BONUS FOR IPHONES: DJI OM 4 – £119
The final option here is a bonus stabiliser for iPhones specifically. This offers a cheaper alternative and easier to carry gimbal than the others on this list, but of course when recording with a smartphone you will struggle to get professional film quality footage. Some features of the DJI OM4 are:
- Magentic quick release – quickly attach or detach your smartphone with the magnetic mechanism
- 3 axis-stablisation – Keeping your phone steady using three axes
- Shooting modes – DynamicZoom, CloneMe Pano, Spin Mode, Slow Motion, Timelapse, ActiveTrack 3.0
Conclusion
A gimbal is a great addition to your photography arsenal if you are going to be doing any half-serious filmmaking. There’s nothing worse than unintentional camera shake when watching your footage, especially if you’re then sharing it with an audience.
There you have the top 5 camera gimbals of 2021. To find out more about cameras, lenses and accessories read our latest articles here, or view the top selling products over here.
