which then toppled down a comically large mountain range. Nothing like it. Unintentionally shaky footage can make a seemingly successful shoot become the bane of one's career. While there are certain measures one can take to mitigate the shakiness of footage in post, nothing will be as painless as simply stabilizing during production—hence the need for gimbals and camera stabilization systems. Today we’ll be going over a variety of camera stabilizers that can make your life as a camera operator a great deal more enjoyable.
To start, let's look at some gimbals. Just bear in mind there are other stabilizer options available that we will delve into later in the article.
DJI RS 5
When it comes to gyroscopic apparatuses that keep your camera stable—whether it’s flying around 400 feet in the sky or being driven through an off-road rally course—if you’re working with a DJI gimbal, you’re in good hands. The RS 5 is the latest and greatest of DJI’s flagship gimbals. At only 3.2 pounds, with a hearty payload of up to 6.6 pounds, you can easily load this absolute workhorse of a gimbal with plenty of camera and lens combinations and it will not falter. With this latest model from DJI, you now have access to second generation automated axis locks, automatically locking and unlocking the RS 5 when switching between On and Sleep mode. It may not seem like a big deal, but when you’re working with heavier rigs and you shut off your gimbal without immediately locking it, the powered-down motors make the rig susceptible to just dangling and banging into something.
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Vertical + Horizontal shooting modes
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Auto-Locking 1.8" OLED touchscreen
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Wireless shutter control
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Z-Axis Indicator
DJI RS 4 Mini
It's exactly what it sounds like: a mini version of the RS 4. This is a fantastic option for those who are working with smaller camera setups and/or travel a lot and don’t have luggage room to spare. It weighs only a teensy 2.0 pounds, which makes holding this for shoots an absolute breeze. With a payload of 4.4 pounds, it also carries more than double its weight. Although it is smaller, the RS 4 Mini still retains a phenomenal run time of up to 13 hours with its 3100 mAh battery. Horizontal and vertical modes make it an excellent option for content creation across multiple social media platforms.
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Bluetooth control
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Panorama & timelapse functions
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Tracking capabilities
Hohem iSteady M7
The iSteady M7 is an impressive flagship gimbal from Hohem. Yes, it can only be used with smartphones, but by narrowing the scope, Hohem is able to pack a ton of top-tier features, including gesture control, a detachable remote, an AI tracking module, a built-in extension pole, and more. Expect AI-powered iSteady 9.0 stabilization, high-torque motors that can handle even the heftiest of phones, and a bunch of unique shooting templates built into the Hohem Joy app. With iPhones now able to shoot professional log video, it makes sense to compliment them with a gimbal for buttery smooth tracking shots.
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12-hour run time
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Horizontal & Vertical shooting
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Bluetooth control
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AI tracker module with fill light
Ready Rig
While gimbals are an excellent solution for stabilizing your camera, it can make shooting for long durations rather taxing due to their added weight. The Ready Rig GS stabilizer is a stabilizing system that significantly decreases the burden of carrying a fully rigged-out cinema camera and gimbal in a vest-like apparatus. Instead of having to muscle through the day by carrying everything by hand, the Ready Rig essentially redistributes the weight of your rig throughout one's hips and core. It also further enhances the stability of your shot by reducing the amount of bounce that comes along with handheld shots. For capturing a more natural handheld feel that isn’t as robotically smooth as a gimbal’s, you can forego a gimbal with this and just attach it directly to your camera rig. This will get rid of micro jitters but still allow you to maneuver the camera with a naturalistic handheld approach.
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Supports up to a 30-pound payload
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Takes the load off your arms and extends shooting durations
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Can hold gimbals in over- or under-slung configurations
Wooden Camera Shoulder Rig v3
A massively underrated form of stabilization is the shoulder rig, which allows a camera to act as an extension of the operator's body, providing a tactile and precise feel all while removing camera shakes and jitters. Wooden Camera’s Shoulder Rig, when paired with an ARRI-standard dovetail, lets you mount and operate a variety of cinema and mirrorless cameras all from the convenience of your shoulder. An ergonomic shoulder pad lets you haul a camera around comfortably for long durations, and the non-slip leather handgrips are ideal for a busy shoot day. It’s a simple but incredibly practical method of stabilizing your footage.
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NATO rail crossbar adjusts left/right
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Rubber bumpers act as an integrated kickstand
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Shoulder pad mounts via hook-and-loop
While each of these tools vary and feature unique stylistic feels, from the robotic smooth motions that come from a gimbal to the more handheld, journalistic nature of a shoulder mount, they are all designed to help bring stability to your footage.
Which of these stabilizers would you like to work with? If you’ve worked with them already, which ones do you prefer? Let us know, below!
