Zhiyun Smooth Q 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

2020-06-24T08:13:52

This is an amazing addition to my video arsenal! Simple to setup and use right out of the box, the silky smooth motion made my iPhone 11 look like a pro camera. With the use of the free Zhiyun ZY Play app, making even hyperlapse videos is a snap. My friend tried it on his Android and now is buying one, too. The friendly Adorama associate made the purchase process smooth and fast delivery was a real plus as I had a project planned. Highly recommend Adorama and the Zhiyun Smooth Q!

GLEN I.

2020-06-19T09:17:10

No idea how this thing works.

Douglas T.

2019-06-12T08:32:40

Solid phone gimbal. Slightly larger than I expected, but reasonably compact. Purchased due to the price. I only wish phone film apps we’re as reliable as this hardware.

Robert P.

2019-03-28T11:32:54

Once you figure it out it’s worth it. Update as soon as you open the box for proper operation.

Zachary T.

2019-01-21T15:04:11

Very cool tool! Amazing what it can do to a shot that looked questionable when handheld.

JULIAN S.

2018-12-26T03:16:25

So far so good. I’m still learning how to use it, but I like it a lot. The one thing I would like to see is a mechanism to spring open the jaw to insert the phone. It’s just a little awkward and I feel like it’s not doing my phone any good. Maybe I just need a better technique.

John B.

2018-12-09T16:37:51

Nice hardware, decent battery life. Some controls didn't work on Android (zoom) PTZ. 2 versions of the phone App. the older one seems to be better. It may work better with apple products. Delivered by Adorama on time as expected.

John H.

2018-09-22T06:52:43

I wish i could say 3.5, over all its good but had a thumbstick fall off after a couple says of use in rome , outside of that it was pretty good having it on my trip

Timothy S.

2018-08-17T06:59:05

Awesome! Between the shopping experience and performance of this gimbal, awesome! I literally unboxed it and was making cinematic Home videos with a long press of the power button! SUPER easy to use, download the ap, slide in your smart phone, power it on, choose one of the three modes and boom! No more shaky videos. What I really like is now I can actually watch the Kids soccer games, dance recitals and music concerts through my own eyes and not through my smart phone.. With this gimbal I use the lock mode, press record and simply hold the gimbal and watch the show and just spot check on the recording. The battery life is incredible (I haven’t run out of power yet) and It’s also very portable light weight. Anyone is my house can use it with out issues. I’ve taken it to the beach, car shows, kids events and just hanging around the house, total win!! I find myself taking more videos because of it! Capturing more memories is always a great idea! Thanks Smooth Q!

Michael B.

2018-07-27T10:12:00

Great build quality and fairly easy to use. For those who aren't pros, this thing is perfect and will do exactly what you want it to do.

Ian D.

2018-04-17T11:38:58

Much improved videotaping without the abrupt bumps and jitters seen during handheld filming with an iphone and all is controlled using one hand. Couple this with the Zhiyun app or add one of the video apps and you've got smooth looking videos. Sure there are lots of other gimbals but would highly recommend this product due to its simplicity of operation.

ALFREDO S.

2018-03-24T02:22:09

I have recently started photographing real estate listings for realtors. I purchased the Zhiyun Smooth Q3 for my LG Android smart phone to do videos for my clients. I am very pleased with the performance; however, I did have a little difficulty in finding the application needed to control it. There are several applications in the Google App Store that indicate use of the stabilizer, and it took me several tries to find the right one. The price and performance is right for me, and I would recommend it to anyone that is just starting out in doing videos.

Allen D.

2018-03-23T11:27:00

Definitely worth it. It is incredible what 100 bucks can buy you nowadays. Got me into buying the Crane 2 as well.

Sorin S.

2018-03-14T05:21:00

Hard to believe the technology in a handheld gimbal at this price. After purchasing, I used it at Daytona Bike Week 2018. Pros: Amazing crowd video as I walked among thousands in attendance. Able to smoothly walk and elevate my iPhone X above crowds to shoot clean video. Awesome low shots while circling around custom motorcycles. The Zhiyun provided a “pro cam effect” in very tight spaces where pro equipment would never fit. Able to work live concerts, again getting shots that would be difficult with a larger rig. The built in battery provided all the power needed outlasting my iPhone. Shooting in 4K at 24 frames, with my iPhone in the horizontal position, the video produced is way beyond expectations. Adorama hits a home run offering the Zhiyun at such a low price. Con: The remote pan is too quick (in my opinion). I preferred to pan manually (the Zhiyun nicely smooths out the manual pan providing a professional effect).

Rodger R.

2018-03-02T05:28:53

I have a hand-held gimbal unit that work with my drone camera and shoots 4k video. Not the most convenient set-up and it disables my drone while I am using it. This combination with the Smooth Q and my cellphone is exactly what I was needing. I am extremely impressed with the stability, ease of use and the performance was surprising considering the price point. Very satisfied with my purchase.

Glen D.

2018-02-21T11:35:43

It does do well when locked looking forward. Following/tracking, it leaves a bit to be desired. If you're going to be doing mainly selfies or forward only shots, it's probably going to do what you want. The panning speed is a tad bit blazing also..... the picture is pretty blurred until you stop panning. It you have anything resembling a large phone, it won't fit. My Iphone SE just barely fit in this. Make sure you measure your phone. Forget tablets.

dave n.

2018-02-16T11:44:49

Great piece of equipment to have if you like to shoot moving shots. The pan follow setting is awesome. Its not difficult to operate. The only downside to it for me is that the zoom is choppy.

ROBYN J.

2018-02-02T07:44:21

I attached this to the end of a 6' monopod and got some very smooth 14' handheld jib arm moves. I used to run a 20' jimmy jib for broadcast, and this came surprisingly close, for just a few dollars and a little practice. Top recommendation.

Rick D.

2017-12-12T08:07:13

It would be a much better product at $ rather than the $ it normally sells at, but it feels great in my hand, and I have thick sausage fingers so I thought it my feel cheap and delicate, but no it really does work rather well. My phone is the note 5 and with a slimline case on the phone it BARELY fits in the jaws of the gimbal, but it is rather snug and never slipped free. Tha app is straight forward and for photographers it is a breeze but the face tracking only works on perfect contrast like a face against sky, or a face against a plain white wall. I was hoping to tag my daughters jersey number and let the gimbal follow her up and down the basketball court, but even with these drawbacks I have never charged it, and used it about 6 times so far including testing at home so battery is great... GREAT device.

ALEC T.

2017-12-11T10:26:32

Got this gimbal during the Black Friday sale. I had seen many reviews by many content creators and was really interested in how this would perform for the day to day uses of a video enthusiast. I was very please by the ease of use as far as the setting up and handling of the gimbal itself. It became almost second nature to pull it out and take smooth videos that would have normally been shaky and jittery. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is interested in taking their normal videos to a whole new level.

Fernando L.

2017-12-11T07:29:25

I love this thing. If I had one nit it would be the slick surface. It’s not that big of a problem but a stickier handle would make this a 6 star rating.

BOB V.

2017-11-01T18:42:54

This is so great, works with most of my phones. Quick peek at the manual and I was on my way to recording.

PAUL O.

2017-09-12T18:22:36

I love my Zhiyun Smooth-Q Gimbal! The key, especially f you're new to gimbals, is to practice. Then practice some more. Love follow feature provided when using Zhiyun Play app, as well as the ability to control it remotely from another device using the Zhiyun Assissant app. Check out my (billbooz) videos on YouTube!

William B.

2017-09-12T16:11:49

Amazing for the price.....extremely precise

Alfredo P.

2017-09-12T12:39:27

Been using the Smooth Q for a couple of months now and overall it's a good system. The battery life is unreal, and the controls are smooth, although sometimes too abrupt for smooth panning or tilting. I have also found the integrated app has a couple of shortcomings: if I leave the app and come back in to it, the controls on the stabilizer no longer work -- I have to quit the app and restart. Also, the app doesn't support saving images and videos directly to OneDrive or Google Drive, so I have to save them to the smartphone before uploading them elsewhere. Finally, I have noticed that using the gimbal in a moving vehicle will cause the horizon to tilt down in the direction of a turn, and it won't recover to level once the turn is completed. Other than that it has worked very well. I have shot some wedding footage, water skiing, and emergency vehicle response with it and everyone has been pleased with the resulting smooth video.

MICHAEL D.

2017-08-15T12:04:38

Great match to my new iPhone. The only drawback is you have to collapse the rig to store it back in the case and then need to rebalance it the next time you want to use it. I cut short wooden spacers (one for my camera, one for my wife's) and can quickly set the gimbal up before mounting the camera on it.

Edward H.

2017-07-25T10:40:06

My only complaint is joystick button being over sensitive (and ofcourse product being chineese). With little practice you can command it to turn slowly left-right-up-down. It does almost everything it claims to be capable of. will upload some videos in youtube 'zhiyun smooth q with lenovo zuk z2 chicago shoreline architecture cruise'

prakash s.

2017-05-26T14:22:32

If you're a beginner like myself this is definitely for you. It's simple to use and the learning curve isn't difficult at all. Also for the price you get your bang for you buck.

Nathanael V.

2017-05-12T13:05:14

The unit itself seems to respond well, but I am not sure that all responses are correct. I am still in the process of trying to learn how to use the item. The software that is provided by the manufacturer is buggy but usable. Hope they update it The manual is very complete for an item from china. The website tutorials are very basic and use many videos from You Tube. All in all, I am somewhat satisfied at this point and believe the problems may be more on my end in learning how to use the item. It is very easy to set up and I like many of the features.

JOHN R.

2017-05-12T09:44:09

I found that this gimbal Zhiyun Smooth Q functional OK. For me I have a little difficulty to operate this Smooth Q gimble. The handle is big and slippery. To use thumb for panning, tilting.. is a little out of reach. I have to use other hand. To change from "Lock" to "Follow" or vice versa..suddenly it rotates sideway, ruin the video..Those are my opinions. However, I still recommend this Smooth Q for skilled individuals who are good at taking videos.

JOHN N.