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https://www.photoscala.de/2020/05/18/neu-von-zhiyun-smartphone-gimbal-smooth-x/

The Smooth X from Zhiyun is a folding powered gimbal that allows phone camera users to shoot smoother moving videos, and will support any smartphone
The gimbal can track a moving object and will start with a gesture, but is less steady than three-axis gimbals. It can run for eight to 10 hours on one charge

The Zhiyun Smooth X is the smallest powered smartphone gimbal in the world. It has an extendable “neck” like a selfie stick. Photo: Ben SinThe Zhiyun Smooth X is the smallest powered smartphone gimbal in the world. It has an extendable “neck” like a selfie stick. Photo: Ben Sin
The Zhiyun Smooth X is the smallest powered smartphone gimbal in the world. It has an extendable “neck” like a selfie stick. Photo: Ben Sin
A smartphone gimbal – a pivoted support that allows a phone camera to shoot smoother moving videos – used to be a bulky thing. While still portable, they can’t exactly fit into pockets or small bags.
Last year drone maker DJI introduced the Osmo Mobile 3, which shrank the gimbal’s size by folding in half. Now Zhiyun, a rival manufacturer based, like DJI, in southern Chinese tech powerhouse Shenzhen, has gone one step further with the Zhiyun Smooth X, which also folds in half but is even smaller and lighter, making it the world’s smallest gimbal.
Design and hardware
The Zhiyun Smooth X makes a compromise to achieve its petite size. It is only a two-axis gimbal, meaning it can “pan” (horizontal left or right) and “roll” (rotate); it lacks the third axis, “yaw” (looking up and down a vertical plane).

For some serious videographers trying to shoot cinematic footage, not being able to yaw will be a deal breaker. But the Zhiyun Smooth X is aimed mostly at a different crowd: the selfie-obsessed.
To that end, the Smooth X has an extendable “neck” – just like a selfie stick – that extends up to 260mm (10.2 inches). It can also support the phone in landscape (sideways) and portrait (upright) orientations; the latter is crucial for shooting Instagram Stories or TikTok videos.

The Smooth X’s grip has a small joystick nub to manually control axis movement, buttons to record, and a slider to zoom. The latter two buttons only work when paired with Zhiyun’s companion app.
The Smooth X weighs only 246g, and when folded up can fit into trouser pockets or a small handbag. Included with the retail package is a tripod leg that attaches to the base so the gimbal can stand up on its own.

Software and features
Zhiyun’s companion app is easy to use and works on both iOS and Android. It connects with the gimbal via Bluetooth, and once synced, the aforementioned record and zoom buttons can control the app’s native camera app.

The app also has smart features, such as the ability to track a moving subject, or to start a record remotely by making a gesture at the camera.
There are manual controls for changing ISO and white balance, which even the iPhone’s native camera app doesn’t offer.

Performance and battery life
I have no real complaints about performance after using it for two weeks. There’s a slight “jello effect” (jittery horizontal movements) in the footage when I walk too fast, but that’s a compromise of two-axis gimbals compared to three-axis ones. Footage is still significantly more stable than with handheld shooting.
The gimbal handled everything from a Xiaomi Mi 10 to a Huawei P40 Pro, and even the iPhone 11 Pro Max(one of the bulkiest and heavy phones on the market) with no issues.
The extendable neck is something I’ve never seen in a gimbal before, and it allowed me to capture videos from higher than usual vantage points. The real benefit of this feature is for selfie videos. A longer reach gets more into the frame. For example, a traveller could show more scenery instead of their face taking up most of the frame.
Charging is done via USB-C, and a fully charged Smooth X can operate for anywhere from eight to 10 hours, depending on the weight of the phone.
Conclusion
The rise of influencer culture on Instagram and TikTok means increasing demand to shoot on-the-fly videos. The Smooth X’s portability and low price of US$60 (HK$448 in Hong Kong) should make it a major hit.