Tech Review – ZHIYUN Smooth Q3 gimbal.

ZHYIUN makes a fine range of gimbals to suit all pockets and they are an ideal piece of kit to have at your disposal if you are a blogger/vlogger. Much improved over the last model we tested the Smooth 2 this is a welcome product and a clean design with all the features expected and more..

Last week, DJI launched a new gimbal with extendable grip and available in different colours.OM5 will feature an extendable grip and be available in colours of grey, white and pink.

Sounds familiar? Back in May of 2020, which is over a year ahead, ZHIYUN  launched its SMOOTH X, a 2-axis phone gimbal that comes with a 26cm-long extendable pole and is available in grey, white, black; a few months later came the SMOOTH XS in pink, white and black. ZHIYUN was innovative in incorporating the convenience of a selfie stick with the stabilisation ability of a cellphone gimbal with a hope of better experience for beginners.

The multiple colour choices prove that it is an attempt to appeal to the general consumers. ZHIYUN is happy to see more products of this kind are offered in the market so cellphone gimbals can be more accessible and useful to general consumers. ZHIYUN keeps the SMOOTH X/XS at a very accessible price of £39/£82.48 (currently as 25% off). Before other gimbals, you could consider the SMOOTH X/XS, true ahead-of-curves cellphone gimbals you might have missed over one and half years ago. And also the 3-axis SMOOTH Q3 and its 17-hour battery life predecessor the SMOOTH Q2

Smooth Q3

The three-axis gimbal is an enhanced SMOOTH Q-series product, with a unique new compact and lightweight design. New functionality, including enhanced lighting features and smart templates, ensures more creative shooting possibilities, while a better button layout and design simplify user experience, all at a highly competitive price.

Uniquely, the gimbal features a 4,300k warm-toned integrated fill light with three levels of brightness adjustment and touch button control for 180°front and rear lighting; perfect for capturing clear portrait images in low light set ups.

The gimbal boasts an industry-leading 17 SmartMode built-in templates, speeding up creation of videos that are shot on a regular basis. With the ZY Cami Editor, users can spice up videos with customised templates adding an array of music, special effects and filters.

Additional new features include gesture control, SmartFollow 3.0 Object Tracking, an instant Dolly Zoom, and MagicClone Pano which is operated by a single press trigger button to mark the target and activate smart following.

The gimbal is a compact powerhouse, as it is easier to fold and lighter than its predecessor, SMOOTH-Q2, while boasting a higher maximum payload. It measures 45*154*180mm, while it weighs only 340g, and can handle a 280g payload.

Behind the sleek folding and sliding design, users enjoy power on and shoot control from the ergonomic super compact handle.

The new intuitive button layout leads to overall smoother operation. For example, by triple tapping the trigger switching between portrait and landscape modes could not be easier, while ultra-wide-angle shooting means that vast landscapes are just as easy to capture as low-angle shots.

Battery life is excellent on this model and during my testing it lasted much longer than the previous model which is vital for long shoots or a really busy day out on the field ..

Smooth Q2 – ultra-long 17-hour battery life and so small no need to fold it  £99

Smooth Q2 is the smallest mobile gimbal in ZHIYUN gimbal family. Unlike any other gimbal in the market, you don’t need to fold up Smooth Q2 to make it small. Measuring only 204mm long, Smooth Q2 is almost equivalent to a sunglass case that you can throw into your handbag. The aluminum-built miniaturized body is crafted for maximum solidity. Coated with soft silicone, the handle is comfortable in your hand.

SMOOTH-Q2’s professional features and ultra-long 17-hour battery life are ready to capture life’s important moments – the micro-USB port also allows SMOOTH-Q2 to act as a power bank for phones, cameras and other devices. SMOOTH-Q2 can directly control iOS and Android smartphone camera for photo and video taking. Professional filmmaking functions like time lapse, slow motion, object tracking and full-range POV mode make it easy to seize life’s beautiful moments and express them in your own personal style.

The SMOOTH-Q2 offers an intuitive mode indicator LED, a five-way quick mode switching joystick, a photo/video record button, and support for ¼ inch screw hole accessories. The SMOOTH-Q2 is a compact and lightweight gimbal built from aluminum alloy and features enhanced motor durability, reliability and longevity.

SMOOTH-Q2’s control zone conveniently offers an intuitive mode indicator LED, five-way joystick with quick mode switching, a photo/record button, and supports accessories with its 1/4-inch screw hole. The lightweight and easy-to-use gimbal is built from aluminum alloy material using precise CNC technology and it features enhanced motor durability and excellent reliability and longevity.

So there you have it you have multiple choices to pick from at affordable prices, which one depends on you..

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ZHIYUN sent us this to review with no input or payment and are seeing the review the same time as you..Distributed in EIRE via Barker Photographic https://www.barkerphotographic.ie/zhiyun-smooth-q3-combo-phone-gimbal/cameras/video

 

 

Review – The SJCAM SJ10 PRO Action cam. #SJCAM #Tech

If you are looking for a new device to capture images videos or action shots which includes underwater activities this might be one to look at with a simple to use UI and plenty of features to go along with it including slo mo 4K and multiple settings to toy around with you will not be short of options with the SJ10 PRO action cam.

Small and compact and a robust build that also comes with an exterior case and waterproof alongside the other accessories there is no limits to how you can use this and be creative there is also a dash cam mode too which is nice to have, One thing to note is you should get a high quality SD card that can handle 4K footage as anything less will freeze up the unit as I found out during my testing.

This can be placed on a tripod,gimbal a bike,helmet,selfie stick or handheld it is up to you how you use it and very versatile so there is no limits and it does work great underwater I might add. There is multiple options to change in the settings and an app to help you too and use it via your smartphone which we will see in the video review below,the only thing is it struggles with is battery life  but if you have a portable charger at hand well then this is no problem for anyone and anyone that does carry such would be inclined to be prepared by having a spare battery or a back up portable charger anyway. Night time images turnout a bit grainy or blurry but in the daytime it shoots well and overall I i find the video really excellent but on my test night it was cold the night of testing and perhaps had an effect on the results you can see for yourself down in the video.

What is nice with this too it is touch screen there is only one button on the unit to power on/off and take a video or photo so it is not a complicated  mess of buttons or hard to navigate UI and settings menu with no deeply buried material to find to get the full use of the product and most of all the price is  really competitive too in the market for such tech. You can also live stream your creations or take footage at events where allowed, it is really a one stop shop for vloggers,tech enthusiasts and You Tubers.

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