The Hohem iSteady Pro GoPro Gimbal is a 3-axis gimbal stabilizer that can be used with GoPro Hero7/6/5/4/3 cameras, but also with other similar-sized action cameras such as the Sony RXO, Yi 4K, AEE, and SJCAM sports cameras. The gimbal comes with a micro-USB charging cable, a tripod, a manual, and a semi-rigid zippered case. Note that this gimbal does not work with GoPro Hero8 cameras. The rechargeable 4000mAh lithium-ion battery allows for about 12 hours of filming, and with the USB-A port the battery can also serve as a power bank to charge your cell phone, for example. The micro-USB port and USB-A port are on the gimbal handle under a rubber panel–these ports are for charging only.
Your action camera mounts onto and is held in place by a C-arm that is adjusted with two thumb screws–this makes it easy to fit a wide variety of action cameras, though it does take time to unscrew the thumb screws each time you want to mount/unmount your camera. The gimbal controls include a joystick control to pan/tilt the camera manually, a mode key to change the stabilizer profile, a slider “hot key”, and a power button. One LED serves as a mode indicator while the second LED indicates Bluetooth status. The gimbal allows the camera to pan 640 degrees, tilt 320 degrees, and roll 320 degrees. The four default modes of operation are pan following (tilt and roll axes are locked, allowing the camera to move left or right smoothly), pan and tilt following (roll axis locked, allowing the camera to move left/right and up/down), all locked (the camera stays in its current orientation), and all following (tilt, roll, and pan axes all follow).
The tripod attaches to the bottom of the gimbal via a 1/4 extension screw hole in the gimbal’s base and allows the gimbal to stand by itself. The legs of the tripod retract, giving a slight extension to the gimbal handle length.
While the gimbal can be used just fine without the free app that is available for iOS or Android, the app connects to the gimbal via Bluetooth and allows you to operate the gimbal remotely, calibrate the axes (eg, so that the gimbal knows the true horizontal angle), customize gimbal motor speeds and angles of operation, and even create a time lapse path for the camera.
Overall, the Hohem iSteady Pro GoPro Gimbal was very easy to set up and use. I’ve enjoyed it more than the mechanical gimbal I was previously using–it is more compact than its mechanical equivalent. The gimbal handle allows the controls to be conveniently accessed and is long enough so that you can even take selfie shots. The gimbal itself performs smoothly, allowing you to capture professional-looking footage. The included app allows for even more customization and options, which makes this a great addition to your camera kit.
- Pricing and Availability on Amazon: Hohem iSteady Pro GoPro Gimbal
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