The function of a camera gimbal is to smooth out a camera’s movements. It makes video footage look more professional. I have a couple of smartphone gimbals. And my DJI OM-5 lets me capture supersmooth behind-the-scenes video clips on location.
But the models in this review are even better. They can handle APS-C, full frame, and cinema cameras. And some versatile gimbals work with all devices, including smartphones, GoPros, and action cameras.
DJI is the leading manufacturer of gimbals. Others are Zhiyun, Moza (professional and consumer), and FeiyuTech. Our top pick is the DJI RS 5. It is DJI’s current mainstream handheld gimbal, with a 6.6 lb (3 kg) payload, a full-color touchscreen, and a one-hour recharge.
What Is the Best Camera Gimbal to Buy?
The best camera gimbal overall is the DJI RS 5. It carries a 6.6 lb (3 kg) tested payload, a full-color touchscreen, and a full recharge in about an hour.
Here is a summary of our other recommendations.
5 Best Camera Gimbals in Detail
Now let’s take a closer look at the gimbals, starting with our top pick.
1. DJI RS 5
| Brand |
Brand
DJI
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
9.7 x 4.6 x 10.2 in folded (247.4 x 115.7 x 258.7 mm)
|
| Weight |
Weight
2.6 lb (1,193 g)
|
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum Payload
6.6 lb (3 kg)
|
| Battery Life |
Battery Life
Up to 14 hours standby with the BG33 grip
|
| Screen |
Screen
Full-color touchscreen
|
| Best For |
Best For
Working pros who want one gimbal for everything
|
The DJI RS 5 is the gimbal most people reading this list should buy. It sits at the center of DJI’s Ronin line, above the compact RS 4 Mini and below the heavy-duty RS 4 Pro. DJI rates it for a tested payload of 3 kg (6.6 lb), which covers a full frame mirrorless body with a fast standard zoom on the front.
That payload is the number that matters for most video shooters. A mirrorless camera with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lands well inside it, and so does an APS-C body with almost any lens you would hand-hold. The gimbal itself weighs 1,193 g (2.6 lb) with both quick-release plates fitted, and it folds down to 247.4 x 115.7 x 258.7 mm (9.7 x 4.6 x 10.2 in).
Balancing is the part people give up on, and the RS 5 attacks it directly with fine-tuning knobs on the axes instead of plates you slide by hand. DJI quotes a full charge in about an hour using a 65 W PD charger, and a maximum standby time of 14 hours with the RS BG33 battery grip fitted. The optional Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module adds subject selection straight from the touchscreen and tracks a person out to 10 m, reacquiring them if they step out of frame.
The catch is that two of those headline features are extras. The 14-hour figure needs the BG33 grip, which is a separate purchase and is not sold in every market, and the tracking module is another add-on. DJI’s runtime is also measured with the gimbal balanced, level, and stationary, and real shots that pan and tilt drain it faster. And 6.6 lb is a hard ceiling. If your heaviest rig is a cinema body with a long lens, skip to the RS 4 Pro below.
Camera Stabilizer Controls
You drive the RS 5 from a full-color touchscreen, a joystick, and a trigger, with a briefcase handle giving you direct control when you carry the gimbal low.
The fine-tuning knobs matter more than they sound. Getting a camera balanced by shoving plates back and forth is the reason beginners abandon gimbals, and a geared adjustment turns that into a repeatable job you can do in a car park.
2. DJI RS 4 Pro
| Brand |
Brand
DJI
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
11.4 x 6.6 x 10.5 in folded (289.5 x 167.3 x 267 mm)
|
| Weight |
Weight
2.7 lb (1,242 g)
|
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum Payload
10 lb (4.5 kg)
|
| Battery Life |
Battery Life
13 hours maximum runtime
|
| Screen |
Screen
Full-color touchscreen
|
| Best For |
Best For
Cinema cameras and heavy lens setups
|
The DJI RS 4 Pro is the heavy-lifter of the group. DJI rates it for a tested payload of 4.5 kg (10 lb). That is half again what the RS 5 will carry, and the only figure here that comfortably covers a cinema body with a long lens and a follow focus hanging off it.
It is the gimbal you buy when the camera is the constraint rather than your arms. Owner-operators shooting weddings on a full frame body plus a 70-200mm, or crews running a cinema camera, are the readers this one is for. The gimbal weighs 1,242 g (2.7 lb) on its own and folds to 289.5 x 167.3 x 267 mm (11.4 x 6.6 x 10.5 in), so it needs its own space in a case rather than a spare pocket in your camera bag.
DJI quotes a 13-hour maximum runtime and a 1.5-hour recharge with a 24 W fast charger. Second-generation native vertical shooting lets you flip from horizontal to vertical without re-rigging the camera, which is the difference between delivering a vertical cut on the day and re-shooting it. It takes the same Focus Pro motor and image transmitter as the rest of the current Ronin line.
The honest drawback is that most people do not need it. It is the largest, heaviest, and most expensive gimbal on this list, and its 13-hour runtime is measured stationary, as with every gimbal here. If your heaviest setup is a mirrorless body with a 70-200mm, you would be paying for 3.4 lb of headroom you will never use, and the RS 5 does that job for less money and less bulk.
Camera Stabilizer Controls
The RS 4 Pro uses the same full-color touchscreen interface as the RS 5, with a joystick, a front dial, and a trigger.
The payoff for the extra size is clearance. A bigger frame means a long lens does not foul the roll motor, which is exactly the problem that stops smaller gimbals taking heavy glass even when the weight is technically within spec.
3. Zhiyun Weebill 3S
| Brand |
Brand
Zhiyun
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
12 x 8.3 x 2.9 in (305 x 210 x 72.5 mm)
|
| Weight |
Weight
2.3 lb (1,055 g)
|
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum Payload
6.6 lb (3 kg)
|
| Battery Life |
Battery Life
11.5 hours
|
| Screen |
Screen
0.96-inch display
|
| Best For |
Best For
Run-and-gun handheld work
|
Zhiyun competes with the RS 5 on payload and beats it on weight. The Zhiyun Weebill 3S handles 3 kg (6.6 lb) in the lightest body of the three full-size gimbals here, at 1,055 g (2.3 lb) with the battery in and the tripod off.
The Weebill shape is what makes it versatile. It folds flat to 305 x 210 x 72.5 mm (12 x 8.3 x 2.9 in), which is thin enough to slide into a bag alongside a body and two lenses instead of traveling in its own case. That is the practical reason to pick it over a DJI at the same payload.
Zhiyun builds a fill light into the arm, so you have a key light for a face at arm’s length without carrying a separate LED. It supports native vertical shooting, runs 11.5 hours on two 18650 cells, and recharges in about two hours over PD fast charging. It will also power the camera over USB at 5 V while it runs.
The compromises are the interface and the fine print on the battery. The screen is a 0.96-inch display, not a touchscreen, so you scroll menus with the wheel and buttons, which is slower than tapping a DJI screen once you are past the basics. Zhiyun also states plainly that running the camera off the gimbal’s battery shortens that 11.5 hours, and the figure is a lab number taken with the gimbal balanced and stationary. If you want a touchscreen, or you already own DJI accessories, this is not the one.
Camera Stabilizer Controls
The 0.96-inch bilingual display carries shortcuts to the features you use on a shoot, including motionlapse and V mode, so the common jobs are one press away rather than three menu levels down.
Everything else runs from the wheel, the joystick, and the trigger. There is a Zhiyun app for firmware updates and finer settings, but you can shoot all day without opening it.
4. FeiyuTech SCORP-C 2
| Brand |
Brand
FeiyuTech
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
11.8 x 2.6 x 10 in folded (299 x 66 x 253 mm)
|
| Weight |
Weight
2.9 lb (1,320 g)
|
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum Payload
7.7 lb (3.5 kg)
|
| Battery Life |
Battery Life
Up to 14 hours
|
| Screen |
Screen
OLED color display
|
| Best For |
Best For
Mid-size mirrorless bodies on a budget
|
The FeiyuTech SCORP-C 2 is the value pick, and the value is not marginal. FeiyuTech rates it for 3,500 g (7.7 lb), more payload than either the RS 5 or the Weebill 3S, at the lowest price of the five gimbals here.
It is aimed squarely at mid-size mirrorless. Canon EOS R bodies, a Fujifilm X-T5, a Nikon Z7 II, or a Sony a7 III with a zoom or prime lens all sit well inside its range, with room left for a cage and a microphone.
FeiyuTech’s own figures show how far the line has moved. Against the original SCORP-C, payload goes from 2,500 g to 3,500 g and quoted battery life from 10 hours to 14, off a 4,500 mAh cell. AI subject tracking is built into the gimbal rather than sold as a module, the three axis locks use buckles instead of knobs, and it folds to 299 x 66 x 253 mm (11.8 x 2.6 x 10 in) at 1,320 g (2.9 lb).
What you give up is modularity and screen. The underslung handle does not detach, a point FeiyuTech’s own comparison marks against the pricier SCORP 3, so the gimbal never breaks down smaller than that folded size, and there is no touchscreen, only an OLED color display. At 1,320 g it is also the heaviest body here despite not being the largest. If you want a rig you can strip down and rebuild for different jobs, buy a DJI instead.
Camera Stabilizer Controls
Control is by joystick and physical buttons placed for one-handed use, with the OLED screen reporting status and letting you adjust settings without a phone.
The buckle locks are the quiet upgrade. Knob-style axis locks are slow and easy to leave half-tightened in a bag, and buckles turn packing down into a three-second job.
5. DJI RS 4 Mini
| Brand |
Brand
DJI
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
9.3 x 2.5 x 12.4 in folded (236 x 64 x 316 mm)
|
| Weight |
Weight
2 lb (890 g)
|
| Maximum Payload |
Maximum Payload
4.4 lb (2 kg)
|
| Battery Life |
Battery Life
13 hours maximum runtime
|
| Screen |
Screen
Full-color touchscreen
|
| Best For |
Best For
Travel and compact camera or phone setups
|
When weight decides what comes with you, the DJI RS 4 Mini is the one that still fits. The gimbal body is 890 g (2 lb), it takes a payload of 0.4 to 2 kg (0.9 to 4.4 lb), and DJI builds it to hold smartphones as well as cameras.
That last part is why it takes the hybrid slot on this list. A compact mirrorless body on Monday and a phone on Tuesday is a real working pattern for social video, and swapping between the two on one gimbal beats owning two. Folded, it is 236 x 64 x 316 mm (9.3 x 2.5 x 12.4 in), a long flat shape that lies along the back of a bag.
Automated axis locks are the feature that earns its place. The gimbal releases and locks its own axes, so going from folded to shooting is not a three-knob ritual, and third-generation native vertical shooting flips the camera without re-balancing. DJI quotes a 13-hour maximum runtime and a full charge in about 1 hour 50 minutes with a 30 W charger.
The ceiling is the thing to respect. A full frame body with a fast 24-70mm sits right at the top of 4.4 lb, and a heavier lens puts you over it. At that point the motors fight you and the footage wobbles instead of floating. The intelligent tracking module is an extra here too. If you shoot full frame with heavy glass, buy the RS 5. If you only ever shoot on a phone, a dedicated smartphone gimbal costs a fraction of this.
Buying Guide: What to Look for in Gimbals
Start with payload, because it is the only spec that can rule a gimbal out completely. Weigh your heaviest body and lens together, add a cage or microphone if you use one, and shop above that number rather than at it. Motors running at their limit are the single biggest cause of shaky gimbal footage.
Size and weight come next. A gimbal you leave at home stabilizes nothing, and the folded dimensions decide whether it travels in your bag or in a case of its own. The Weebill 3S and the RS 4 Mini are the two here that pack flat.
After that it is usability, and it splits cleanly along this list:
- Do you want a touchscreen? The RS 5, RS 4 Pro, and RS 4 Mini have one. The Weebill 3S and SCORP-C 2 use a small display with buttons.
- Do you need subject tracking without an add-on? Only the SCORP-C 2 builds it in. On the DJI models it is a separate module.
- Do you shoot vertical? All five support native vertical shooting, so you never have to rotate the camera in a cage.
Three-axis stabilization on brushless motors is standard now, so every gimbal here can lock or follow on each axis independently. So are the creative shooting modes: panorama, timelapse, motionlapse, and the 360-degree roll that Zhiyun calls Vortex. Those are no longer a reason to choose one brand over another.
Battery figures need reading with care. Every manufacturer on this list quotes runtime with the gimbal balanced, level, and stationary, and some quote it with an optional battery grip attached. Treat the number as a ranking, not a promise, and carry a power bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need a Gimbal if My Camera Has In-Body Stabilization?
Yes, if you are walking. Image stabilization in the body or the lens corrects small shakes and micro-jitter. It cannot remove the up-and-down of a footstep or the swing of your arm. A gimbal handles that movement, and the two work together rather than replacing one another. If your shots are static, a tripod or a monopod is the cheaper fix.
What Payload Do I Actually Need?
Weigh the heaviest camera and lens you own, together, then add anything permanently attached, such as a cage, a microphone, or a monitor. Buy a gimbal rated comfortably above that total. A full frame body with a 24-70mm f/2.8 is typically around 3.5 lb, which points at the 6.6 lb class rather than the 4.4 lb class.
Can One Gimbal Handle Both a Camera and a Phone?
The DJI RS 4 Mini is the one here that DJI designs for both. Most full-size camera gimbals will physically hold a phone with an adapter, but they are heavy to carry for phone-only work. If that is most of your shooting, a dedicated phone gimbal is the better buy.
How Long Does It Take to Balance a Gimbal?
Ten to fifteen minutes the first time, and under two minutes once you have done it with the same camera and lens a few times. Gimbals with geared fine-tuning knobs, like the RS 5, make it faster and repeatable. If you switch lenses often, note where the plates sit for each one.
Conclusion: Best Camera Gimbals
Smartphones are good enough to shoot 4K video these days. But if you have moved up to a mirrorless or DSLR for video, a camera gimbal is what makes the footage look shot rather than carried. It adds a smooth, professional glide that no amount of in-body stabilization will give you.
Which one you choose comes down to the weight on the front and the size of your bag. Of the five, the DJI RS 5 is the one I would pick for most jobs. It has 6.6 lb of payload, a touchscreen you can actually drive, and a full charge in about an hour.
Go up to the DJI RS 4 Pro only if a cinema body and a long lens are what you shoot with. Take the Zhiyun Weebill 3S if packing flat matters more than a touchscreen, the FeiyuTech SCORP-C 2 if you want the most payload for the money, and the DJI RS 4 Mini if it has to fit in the bag you already carry.
