The dream of having a gimbal that can auto-track your subject while still leaving you free to focus on your own movement is finally a reality! I tested out Hoheim’s new iSteady M7 smartphone gimbal and it’s quite remarkable. If this is the future of gimbals, we’re in for a treat!
Lately, I’ve been shooting more and more video footage on my action cameras and my iPhone, partly because I don’t usually feel like lugging around my big mirrorless cameras. So when our office manager, David, sent me Hoheim’s latest motorized gimbal, I thought it might be a good time to see what I’d been missing in the world of smartphone stabilization.
It’s been a long time since I upgraded my years-old smartphone gimbal, I wasn’t familiar with the Hoheim brand or any of their previous products. Hoheim is known for their advanced full-size camera gimbals iSteady MT2But they also make smaller stabilization solutions for smart phones and action cameras iSteady Pro 4 And iSteady X3 SERespectively. however, iSteady M7 Gimbal This is their latest and most advanced motorized gimbal, built for the bulky smartphones often used by professional content creators, and it was recently released to celebrate Hoheim’s 10 year anniversary.
I outline some of my favorite features and criticisms of this brand-new gimbal in the hands-on video above, but I’ll summarize some of my favorite features below.
human and object tracking
The biggest upgrade of the iSteady M7 compared to the previous M6 model is the ability to track objects without the need for a third-party app. Whether you need your smartphone to track your talent in front of the camera, maintain a specific composition on yourself while vlogging, or keep up with your pets while you chase them around the yard, iSteady The M7 can handle all types of complex subject movements.
This tracking is accomplished using a tiny magnetic AI tracking camera that you can place or flip so that it works with your phone’s rear camera. Then, using very simple hand gestures, you can turn the gimbal’s follow tracking on and off and even adjust the overall composition of your framing. I was skeptical when I first saw the demo, but after using it for a few days, I have to say that it’s one of the most enjoyable implementations of visual hand gestures I’ve used so far.
The cool thing is that this AI tracker can be used with your phone’s native camera app, third-party video apps, or you can unlock additional video features using the dedicated Hohem Video app. As someone who gets overwhelmed with dozens of proprietary iPhone apps, I really appreciate being able to work with Apple’s native camera app as well as the Blackmagic Video app without needing to learn any other software. Of.
The AI ​​tracking camera also has a small RGBW LED light on the top, which can help your smartphone achieve focus in low light and can also provide different colored fill lights in low-light situations.
detachable touchscreen remote
If the tracking feature wasn’t a big enough upgrade, the iSteady M7 now lets you fully control the gimbal with a wireless remote controller. The M7 now has a 1.4-inch touchscreen LCD that can be removed, allowing you to wirelessly control your gimbal while monitoring the AI ​​tracking camera. If you want to start the tracking feature, all you have to do is tap the screen, and a green tracking box will appear over the subject you want to track. This wireless remote opens up a lot of possibilities and takes away any worries of filming yourself with improper framing. If you want to wirelessly control your camera and gimbal while setting it up in a hard-to-reach area or even allow a friend to control the framing while you focus on your own movement, it’s all now Is possible.
The touchscreen also makes it much easier to change settings on the M7 compared to previous gimbals that required pressing multiple button combinations that you had to remember. Now, if you want to change that Y, in just a short time of using the M7, I have to say that having an intuitive menu made learning this gimbal much easier than I thought.
Built-in selfie stick
There was a time when I thought selfie sticks were the most amateurish and ridiculous-looking device one could use. However, times have changed, and I’ve realized how convenient and useful a small extension arm can be when trying to capture interesting camera angles while running. Now, when I pack my camera bag – especially when I’m planning on shooting smartphone or action camera footage – I always make sure I pack a basic selfie stick so that I have options at my shooting location. Be available. Well, I guess I’ll start leaving that selfie stick behind since the M7 has a built in straight gimbal controller!
Unlike the older M6 gimbal, the new iSteady M7 now has a 7-inch extension pole ready at a moment’s notice. Last week, I’ve been filming my 2-year-old son running around on the playground as well as capturing him up on the slides, and being able to place the camera exactly where I want it not only captures my footage Looking good is much better, but it also saves my back and arms from awkwardly reaching and bending to get the right camera angle. I wish the extension pole was closer to 12 or 16 inches, but that still provides a lot more flexibility than nothing. It is also difficult to carry a separate extension pole for this, which I rarely carry with me when needed.
There are a few additional upgrades found on the iSteady M7 that are ported over from the older M6 and are not included with other gimbals I researched. Some of these notable updates are listed below:
- The entire device and attachments can be charged with a single USB-C cable
- 12 hours battery life
- Reverse charging if your phone’s battery gets low
- Full 360-degree “infinite” spin
- Includes attachable tabletop tripod
- 500g max payload
- Axis locks on all three arms to secure the gimbal during travel
overall effect
Normally, a new gimbal for my iPhone isn’t the type of production equipment that would get me very excited. As I mentioned in the video above, I have a box of old iPhone gimbals from 5-7 years ago, and they’re the most basic motorized stabilizers you can imagine. Maybe those old gimbals set my expectations too low, but the new iSteady M7 is by far the best smartphone gimbal I’ve ever used. Most of the time when I’m filming content with an iPhone or action camera, I have this preconceived notion that the footage is going to be pretty boring and often static, because it’s very difficult to get seamless looking footage on a smartphone while on the go. And it is going on.
That’s not the case anymore, and I’m looking forward to adding more dynamic movements and framing when shooting on my cell phone. Having my phone mounted on a tripod and easily confirming that I’m standing in the right spot and that my composition is acceptable would be a luxury I’m not accustomed to. Again, having a wireless remote that would allow me to adjust my framing while away from the gimbal would also be nice. If the gestures and tracking work as well in a location like indoors, it’s going to add another visual element to my cellphone footage.
If you’re simply looking for a new smartphone gimbal or want to enhance your video production by adding tracking to your smartphone footage, I definitely recommend Check out the new iSteady M7 by Hoheim available today,