Better footage at the press of a button.
First off, let me explain that this is not a rough-and-tumble extreme sports accessory for professional adrenaline junkies or stunt people. This is a clever upgrade to the everyday selfie stick, and its party-piece is a single-axis gimbal that cuts down on the shake and shudder typical of handheld smartphone videography (especially at the end of a stick).
What you get is an 50cm telescoping rod with a tripod base on one end (that doubles as a hand grip then closed) and a spring-loaded smartphone gripper on the other. This gripper end also has a battery and motor inside, which charges via USB-C/USB-A and can stabilise your smartphone across one axis in either horizontal or vertical orientations.
Clever and functional
Taking video is a breeze - just choose your camera app, start filming, set your rod length, and away you go. Photos are also pretty easy, as you can use the detachable Bluetooth shutter button with most camera apps. You'll benefit from less wobbly filing, especially when slow panning and moving around. Useful for both selfies and event filming.
Alternatively, set up the tripod and go hands-free, with static footage also benefitting from the gimbal motor. Switch between vertical and horizontal filming modes with the push of a button and reap the benefits of the auto-levelling gimbal function.
Limits
One axis isn't going to solve all your shaking issues, and the motor isn't super powerful, meaning heavier phones will need to be balanced in the gripper jaws to function well. It is also possible to confuse or overpower the gimbal during vigorous movements, which generally requires a power-off reset to remind it of which way is up.
The manufacturer says you can get 2 hours of use out of the battery, but we found it was less capable in the real-world when holding up a Samsung Galaxy A53 - at least charging the 400Mah battery is fast.
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