Note: This article was originally posted on ValueQ, where may offer you an impressive discount. Make sure you check ValueQ before you make the purchase.
Introduction:
Blogging or video making are slowly becoming one of the top paying jobs in the world. Anybody who owns a smartphone or a camera can start blogging. With the rise in the number of filmmakers out there companies are making new innovations everyday and sending out new products to market to cater to the growing needs of filmmakers and Youtubers.
Zhiyun is a tech company, although not very popular, they have just released a new product called the Zhiyun Smooth 4 and this new product is definitely helping the company and vloggers make its mark on the market. The Smooth 4 is a gimbal controller. These types of controllers are normally very expensive costing at least $300. The smooth 4 gimbal controller costs a mere $139 in the market which is a lot less compared to other model in the market. The price which is a fraction of other gimbals on the market is one of the main reasons for its popularity and high demand.
The Zhiyun Smooth 4 has a 3 axis hand held gimbal designed specifically for smartphone users so that they can easily maneuver the phone and stabilize it so that the resultant image or video is not shaky or blurry. The Smooth 4 offers a lot of interesting, unique and useful features which go a long way in making sure the end product (be it and image or video) is high quality. The star features of the Zhiyun Smooth 4 include pull focus and zoom, object tracking, time lapse and my favorite, the dramatic vertigo effect.
The smooth 4 is very similar to the DJI gimbals particularly the DJI Osmo. The biggest difference between the two is the price; DJI Osmo is retailing for a whopping $300. Other than that, features on the two devices are more or less the same. The low price coupled with amazing of Zhiyun Smooth 4 gimbals can most certainly be a gamer changer for the manufacturer.
To give you guys a complete low down of the product we at ValueQ did an in-depth review on the product so that we could share all its pros and cons with you before you decide to purchase this product. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Design and outlook:
The product comes in a white rectangular box. Inside the box is a grey colored hard case which adds an extra layer of protection of the product. Inside, you will find a mini tripod, a USB to USB C cable and lastly the smooth 4 itself. It comes in two basic colors; black and white, we got the black one.
Zhiyun Smooth 4 packaging
Looking at the product, you can tell that it has nice built quality and that it is sturdy and durable. The hand held gimbal is made up of aluminum alloy and plastic. The gimbal itself is very light weight, weighing only 0.55 kilograms. It has a total length of 12.9 inches, a width of 4.84 inches and a height of 4.13 inches. On the very top is a holder which holds your smartphone in place. Below the holder is a panel which has a slider and multiple buttons on it. The back side has a trigger button which enables you to quickly and easily switch between different gimbal modes. When you hold down the lower part of the trigger, the gimbal moves left, right, up and, down. When the upper part is held down, the gimbal performs the same functions, only faster.
Durable built
Controls of Zhiyun smooth 4
The unique flip-up design allows for an easy transition between standby mode and startup mode by folding and expanding the horizontal arm of the gimbal, making it very quick to deploy and pack away for travel. Marketed as “Born for Mobile Filmmakers”, this new and innovated design of the control panel reduces the need to tap on the smartphone screen to adjust the image or video setting. The hot keys on the control panel helps users manage the smartphone camera as well as the stabilizer. It’s a big advantage to be able to access and change the settings without having to physically touch the phone. Pretty much all features can be adjusted by pressing the buttons on the grip. There’s even a button to turn of the phone’s light or to switch between the regular and the selfie camera which is a necessity for vloggers.
On the left side of the control panel is a scroll wheel which is used to zoom in and out in pictures or videos when and if you want to take close ups.
Wheel for zooming in and out
Although the design is smart and innovative, it is not exactly perfect. The panel is too thick and therefore becomes difficult to hold and causes slight discomfort especially for girls. Although the buttons on the panel are there for the users ease, they are kind of difficult to use. The reason being they are scattered all over the panel thus making it difficult to use them while holding the gimbal. You will probably have to use them with the other hand. Another thing which we didn’t like about the design is the extra large scrolling wheel. Yes it’s a nice addition but it could have been smaller. Another issue with the scrolling wheel is that when you spin move it a little faster it doesn’t zoom in or out or sometimes it just starts doing the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. For example if you want to zoom in on something and you start spinning the wheel quickly, instead of zooming in it might start to zoom out.
Features:
The smooth 4 is packed with fun tools and features that make it an ideal choice for vloggers or those wanting to experiment with film making. The Gimbal comes with a detachable mini tripod which makes it easier to hold and even helps with the stability of the image or video.
Zhiyun Smooth 4 with tripod
After setting up the gimbal, connecting it to your phone is the next step. And it is just as easy as setting it up. Download the App, ZY Play. Then all you have to do is to connect it to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
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