These days, phones come with a very capable camera setup. Take the latest iPhone 16 Pro, for example. The Weeknd’s camera team has used that phone to film the entire Dancing In The Flames music video. But if you want to create professional-grade videos, a gimbal is a must, and that’s basically where the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI steps in.
I’ve had the chance to test the AI gimbal out, and I found it to be the perfect fix for some of the problems you may face while shooting videos with just your smartphone. Let me give you a proper idea of what the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI mobile gimbal brings to the table.
What’s In the Box
The contents you get inside the box will vary depending on the package you’re selecting during purchase. ZHIYUN offers three options, and all of them have:
- Smooth 5S AI gimbal
- A tripod attachment
- USB-C charging cable
- ZHIYUN 1-year Prime account card
- Paperworks
If you choose the “Combo” package, you will receive an additional AI Tracker attachment. On the other hand, the “Pro” option adds an AI Tracker and a Fill Light attachment, a wrist strap, and a storage bag. The package that I have for this review is the “Combo” one.
A Quick Setup Guide of ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI
Like me, this might be your first professional photography gear. The good part is that setting your phone up with the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI is an easy task. You just need to adjust two key points. First is the tilting motor, which must be adjusted to balance the setup.
Attach your phone to the mount, move the tilting motor to unlock it, and slide the mount up and down. Get it to a position so that your phone can stay still in a horizontal position. Next is the vertical motor.
For that, first, unlock the lateral motor with the orange switch found on the body and twist the vertical motor to unlock it. Keep the gimbal on a flat surface, and unscrew the lock. Move the slider and check if the phone Smooth 5S AI is staying still. Once you find the right slider position, lock the screw.
Check whether the Smooth 5S AI is staying balanced when you’re putting it on a flat surface. If not, make the necessary changes on the two points. One important thing to note is that you should keep the gimbal turned off while balancing it. Only turn it on after you’re done with the adjustments.
Installing the App and Making Further Adjustments
For further calibration of the Smooth 5S AI, ZY Cami, the bundled app, has two advanced options. First, install the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Turn on the gimbal through the power button and get it paired with the app. Once paired, tap the three dots and navigate to the “Gimbal” section.
There, you will find two calibration options: Gimbal Auto Calibration and Motor Calibration. Use them to further get the Smooth 5S AI balanced and ready for some cinematic shots.
ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI Review – Capturing Smooth Cinematic Videos Made Easy
With the setup out of the way, let’s move into the main aspect of the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI: how it performs. Here are the key highlights:
Proper Stabilization for Smooth Videos
Even though high-end smartphones these days have EIS and OIS, capturing cinematic shots can get a little challenging. Fast-paced scenes require quick movements, which can introduce unwanted shakiness.
ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI fixes this issue with an orthogonal three-axis design. You get the full freedom to capture videos the way you want with this gimbal, and it won’t introduce any shakiness.
ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI Has Multiple Modes for Bringing Out Your Creativity
As a professional-grade gear, the Smooth 5S AI offers you multiple gimbal modes. They are:
- Pan Follow (PF) – When you move your hand from left to right, the gimbal will follow your hand movements. But it won’t move up or down.
- Lock (L) – The gimbal will keep the smartphone locked. It will not move even if you’re moving your hands.
- Follow (F) – This is similar to the PF mode. However, in this mode, the up and down movements of your hands are also followed.
- Point of View (POV) – This mode of the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI offers more movement. It doesn’t keep the smartphone locked and allows it to move more freely.
- Vertigo (V) – It makes the smartphone face up. In this mode, you need to hold the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI horizontally. It’s mainly for creating an inception mode video.
Easy Controls on the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI
You get full control over the capture with the control panel on ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI. This panel has multiple buttons that allow you to change different parameters easily. For example, in a couple of the gimbal modes, you can move the camera with the joystick. There’s a dedicated capture button as well.
The AI-tracker
One of the key highlights of the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI is the AI tracker. It comes bundled with the “Combo” and the “Pro” package, and it’s mainly there to make tracking easy. It works in any camera app, which means you can track yourself while using the native camera app of your smartphone.
Built-in Fill Lights for the Perfect Shots
You don’t need to worry about not having enough lights to get the shots you want. The Smooth 5S AI has built-in fill lights, which can get very bright. If you need more, you can install detachable fill lights on the magnetic connections found on the mount.
Premium Build Quality and Dependable Battery Backup of Smooth 5S AI
The overall construction of the Smooth 5S AI gimbal feels solid. While it doesn’t have any official IP rating, you can take it outdoors without worrying too much. The main body has a rubberized texture to it. This makes the gimbal comfortable to hold.
ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI can also offer reliable battery backup. In the standby mode, it can last for up to 26 hours. With the magnetic AI Tracker and the fill light turned on, the battery life is up to 7 hours. So, one full charge should be plenty for a full day’s worth of video captures.
Above the tilt motor is a USB-C out port. You can use it to charge your phone while filming. That is, the Smooth 5S AI can also act like a power bank.
But the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI Isn’t Perfect
While the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI is a great gimbal, there are some areas for improvement. To start with, it can’t hold a smartphone cage, which could’ve made video recordings even smoother and more stable.
Secondly, the ZY Cami app is feature-rich, but it doesn’t offer some features that you will get on your native camera app. For example, on my Android phone, I couldn’t find the option to record at 60 FPS.
The last nitpicky aspect is the power bank feature. I found that it can’t fast-charge devices, and when you’re shooting at 4K, your phone’s battery can go down pretty fast. But again, none of these are dealbreakers. So, if you want the features that the gimbal brings to the table, these shouldn’t hold you back from getting the ZHIYUN Smooth 5S AI.
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