The Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra is a new smartphone gimbal that we decided to test across real-world solo shooting scenarios. The foldable design, detachable 1.22-inch touchscreen remote with live AI preview, and true 360° pan make it one of the most capable compact phone gimbals we have used. It is not flawless: tilt clearance and payload geometry still limit heavy lens add-ons, and battery life shortens once the tracker and fill light are in play. But let’s dive right in – here is our balanced take. Let me get this out of the way: I don’t like to be tethered to proprietary apps when using a smartphone gimbal. The good news is that Hohem is leaning into a “no-app-required” workflow for tracking, and that choice pays off. Being able to lock subject tracking from the gimbal’s own module while running our preferred camera apps kept shoots simple and flexible. The V3 Ultra is a travel-friendly stabilizer aimed at creators who want to move fast without giving up control. The iSteady V3 Ultra gimbal shows how far smartphone gimbals have come. Image credit: CineD Why are we testing a smartphone gimbal? At CineD, we usually cover filmmaking tools built for professional workflows, ranging from mirrorless cameras to cinema rigs. Smartphone gimbals like the iSteady V3 Ultra are not our typical focus, because many of our readers do not rely on phones for their main productions. That said, times are changing: smartphones keep gaining serious video features, and a growing number of...
Published By: CineD - 2 days ago