ZHIYUNSmooth Q4 [Official] Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones iPhone 13 Pro Max 12 11 X XR, Phone Gimbal with 215mm Extenable Rod, Tripod for Vlog YouTube TikTok Live Video, Standard Package

Combo package, used with Huawei P30 Pro with Spigen Slim Armor Case.This is my first phone gimbal, so not an expert on the topic, but here it goes:I've used the gimbal for a month with the firmware version 1.79. While writing this, 1.80 update came, updated it, and the ZY Cami app again told me the same update, I did it again, once again completed successfully, then it asked me again, and I gave up.In general, I liked this device, high quality materials, good construction and good button / led interface that helps you to command the device without using the phone screen a lot. The led light (in combo package) is also useful, powerful, well thought. Since it is magnetic, you can attach it both ways, meaning you can use it for forward facing cameras or the selfie cameras.Pros:- Sturdy, feels good at hand, good grip.- Very nice to have switch between almost all modes from the gimbal and understand clearly in which mode we are in.- Good stabilization.- Very silent motors.- Nice to be able to switch between front and back camera (3 clicks on record) and between video and photo (2 clicks on record) in ZY cami app. Also between landscape and portrait (3 clicks on trigger, independent from app)- Standby mode is useful to keep the connection on but disabling the gimbal motors. There are two ways to do this, press and hold mode button, or rotate the roll or tilt axis to lock position.- The extendible rod is useful and feels sturdy. (Though it is not as long as a selfie stick but that's normal)Cons:- Only connects and works with ZY Cami App. Doesn't connect with StaCam app. Also FilmicPro app doesn't respond to gimbal buttons even though it connects to the gimbal. This is a semi deal breaker for me.- Huawei P30 Pro with Spigen Slim Armor Case (not a very thick case) does not fully fit. If I balance it so that the bottom doesn't hit the gimbal, top edges hit it. This is another semi deal breaker for me.- The top side of joystick button seems to work not that good. While the other sides (left, right, down) are responsive, the up needs a firmer push.- The lock - tracking feature is very unreliable. While using the front camera, if you track your face (draw green square around your face) it tracks you for a while, if you move your face quickly out of the screen, it looses track. The interesting part is that when you move your face back in to the screen, the green square continues to track your face but the gimbal does not move any more...- ZY Cami panorama feature is completely broken.- ZY Cami Dolly zoom is gimmick and quite bad.- ZY Cami can't use ultra wide camera of P30 Pro.- ZY Cami app video recording doesn't have pause option.- I wish the grip was wider, because with these narrow grips it is easy to place the phone misaligned. What I mean is that, even if the gimbal perfectly levels itself with the horizon, if the phone isn't perfectly placed (which is quite possible because of the narrow grip) then all shots will be unlevel with the horizon. (more on this below)- After attaching and positioning the phone carefully in to the clamp, as balanced and parallel as possible (it is not easy as the phone doesn't fully fit) there is no way to quickly detach the phone while keeping the positioning, then reattaching back without any positioning. The obvious answer to this is the magnetic clamp. This is the third semi deal breaker for me.---So; 3 x semi deal breakers >= 1 x full deal breaker. That's why I'll probably return this unit.--- I've ended up keeping the product. Will continue to use.Suggestions to ZHIYUN for the future ZHIYUN Smooth Q5 :- Definitely switch to magnetic clamp. This way once the phone is positioned in the clamp, it can be quickly detached and reattached to the gimbal. Think of people who needs to shoot with their phone, then use it for something else, (like talking) that is not comfortably possible while it is attached to the gimbal, and then continue shooting. So detach, then attach back, then detach again then attach again... this should be doable quickly (with perfectly positioned and balanced phone position)- The arm that connects to the clamp (from tilt motor to roll motor) should be at least 2 cm longer. Currently it is ~9cm- Have one side of the clamp to be much wider. So that it would be easier to place the phone perfectly parallel to the clamp. With narrow clamps, phone can be placed in the clamp with an angle, then all the recordings would be slightly rotated (in the roll axis). I know that there is the problem of covering and pressing the side buttons of the phone with clamp, and therefore narrow clamps are preferred, but these buttons are generally on one side of the phone. With an asymmetric design that has just one clamp long and also with the magnetic connection that allows attaching it also flipped (so that it is possible to choose which side of the phone, long clamp comes) this would be a perfect solution.- Maybe a second Bluetooth mode for the whole gimbal. For example if I turn on the gimbal while pressing the mode button, it turns on in the second mode. In this mode the gimbal will connect to the phone as a Bluetooth keyboard input device, just like wireless selfie sticks work. This way record button would send volume down command, which is used as record, photo shoot button in many phones native camera app.

This is a very capable gimbal with a wealth of features for the smartphone user. Multiple modes enable control in any situation likely to be encountered and, with the app, subject tracking works very well.With a modern phone (I use an iPhone 14 Pro) the resulting footage is silky smooth, and additional functions, such as hyperlapse, work well, allowing e.g. speeded up footage out of the phone, rather than needing to be created in post.Buttons are thoughtfully placed on the gimbal body, allowing quick access to the main functions during use. The extendable arm is very useful to get the right angles/framing and the combo kit includes a table-top tripod and a surprising powerful fill light.The app offers good control over the gimbal's features and a reliable, stable connection, although it takes a bit of getting used to - it's very easy to end up in the sharing/templates section when trying to set functions for a shoot.Overall a great piece of equipment and light/small enough to take anywhere with minimal effort.

Still getting the hang of it

It's good, and stable, but sometimes it starts shaking by itself and also locking mod gets off by itself after a minute, I don't know what is wrong. Although it looks perfect.

This was my 1st gimbal, so I am loving it by so far. I have Samsung S22 Ultra, it's well within the weight limit of the gimbal, but yes, sometimes I do face issue with the orientation - maybe because it is larger in dimensions. But that I can manage with few adjustments.Rest I am learning to use all the features available with the app, before I embark on my Euro trip later this summer :) - The best thing of the product is the option to select mode from the gimbal itself! - That makes it so ergonomic and that's the selling point, I believe, for this product lineup.

Didnt even work properly in more ways that one. Sent straight bk

Setup was very easy on Android and IOS devices. Would definitely recommend.

This gimbal is squarely aimed at smartphone users and performs exceptionally well. Multiple modes allow stabilisation in a variety of scenarios, and the auto track feature, which allows tracking of a specified person or object works very well indeed.The extendable arm is extremely useful, and the comes kit comes with a surprisingly powerful (adjustable) fill light (with some coloured filters) and a table-top tripod. Functions such as zoom, joystick control and flipping from portrait to landscape are well thought-through with the controls well positioning on the gimbal body and easy to use.The stabilisation itself is solid and when combined with a modern phone (I'm using an iPhone 14 Pro) the footage is silky smooth. The app takes a little bit of orientation and getting used to - access to functions pre-shooting could perhaps be more intuitive - it's easy to try to change a setting and end up in the sharing/templates part of the app, but everything is there and it pairs with the gimbal reliably every time.It's small and light enough to pack down into it's carry case and travel with anywhere - all in all an exceptional piece of kit for a very good price.