GoPro lets you make great travel videos and captures incredible action sequences. When you want to give your filming a smooth, cinematic feel, then a gimbal is what you need. Recent GoPros have inbuilt stabilization called HyperSmooth, but adding a gimbal to these cameras takes your filming to an even higher level.
This is particularly evident when you are walking and creating content at the same time because it minimizes the up-and-down motion that you get with each step. GoPro models earlier than the Hero7 don’t contain HyperSmooth, and unless you attach them to a gimbal, the videos will be terrible.
To help you find the best gimbal for your action camera, we’ve compiled a list of the top 5 gimbals for GoPro. We’re starting with the Hohem iSteady Pro4 because it offers the best value for your money.
Table of Contents
Hohem iSteady Pro4
We like this gimbal because you can attach it to any GoPro Hero model. Action cameras are evolving rapidly, with many manufacturers trying to get into the scene, so this gimbal is excellent because it supports all kinds of action cameras, even non-GoPro models of a similar size, as long as they don’t weigh more than 150 grams.
However, it’s the filming features that set this gimbal above the rest, so read on for all the details.
- 3-Axis Stabilization: Like most gimbals, this model smooths out the panning, tilting, and rolling of your images, but when combined with its anti-shaking algorithm, you get superb results.
- Splashproof: GoPro cameras love being amongst the action, which means they will be splashed with water and dropped into the snow. You don’t have to worry about taking this gimbal into these conditions because it’s water-resistant!
- Long Battery Life: A day of adventure usually means being a long distance from a charging station, so the Hohem iSteady Pro4 gimbal’s 14-hour battery life is perfect for long treks in remote locations. And if your action camera becomes low on power, the gimbal can also be used as a power bank to charge it while shooting.
- Inception Mode: You can set the gimbal to rotate the camera over 360 degrees for a freaky effect that seems like an impossible barrel roll. It’s an excellent way to add a new dimension to your action sequences.
- Lightweight Unit: The Hohem iSteady Pro4 gimbal is made of plastic to keep its weight to 365 grams (12.9 ounces), but it seems robust enough for the perils of action filming. The handle is coated with rubber for a better grip, and the gimbal feels ergonomically comfortable in hand.
- Remote Time-Lapse Recording: You can pair the gimbal with your iPhone or Android to use it remotely. The smartphone app works like a remote control to direct the gimbal’s tilting and panning. This means you can program the gimbal to move smoothly during time-lapse recording for extra wow-factor. A motion time-lapse is a creative way to show the passage of time; for example, you can watch a city light up after dark, see storm clouds form on the horizon, and watch traffic zip along highways. Panning the gimbal while filming time-lapse also lets the viewer see across an extremely wide area.
INKEE Falcon Plus Gimbal Stabilizer
The Falcon Plus gimbal is compatible with various action cameras on the market. It has the same features as the iSteady Pro4, but they are incorporated within a metal body. It’s more resilient, but the aluminum casing makes it more expensive. Here is some extra information on what makes this gimbal a worthwhile investment.
• 360° Unlimited Rotation: With its angled shooting options, you can point it like a flashlight, making it ideal for zooming along at ground level to take eye-to-eye footage of pets. Then you can hit the button for Inception Mode, and it’ll spin around on its axis for unlimited 360-degree rotation in either direction while filming. It’s perfect for TikTok clips!
• Creative Modes: Portrait mode is handy for recording social media content. Vlogging to the camera is easy, too; just hit the trigger button on the gimbal three times, and the camera will spin around to face you for self-recording. The brushless motor responds quickly and silently.
• Wireless Control: You can control the camera through wifi from the gimbal. You can change the camera’s settings from photo to video to time-lapse. You can even start and stop recording from the gimbal.
• Light and Compact: Being made from lightweight aviation aluminum alloy, this gimbal’s weight is kept to just 292.5 grams (10.3 ounces), and it seems sturdy enough to handle all the situations you’re likely to face when filming action sequences. And when it’s folded for transport, its size is 235 x 125 x 37 millimeters (9.25 x 4.92 x 1.38 inches), so it ends up being compact enough to slip into the pocket of your jacket. And the 9-hour battery life gives you ample opportunity to capture a day of snowboarding, kayaking, or mountain biking.
• Inclusions: This item gets an extra star in the review for including a small but useful tripod in the package. This tripod is going to be essential for time-lapse shooting and self-interviewing. There’s also a charging cable and a quick start guide.
FeiyuTech G6-Official Splashproof Handheld Grip
The FeiyuTech G6 is compatible with GoPro Hero 8, 6, 5, YI 4K, and other action cameras of similar shape and size, as long as they don’t weigh more than 130g. It even has a smartphone mount available too. Keep reading to discover what else you need to know.
• OLED Screen: Because this gimbal has a built-in OLED screen, it’s easy to see the shooting mode, battery life, and Bluetooth connections.
• 12 Hours Running Time: You won’t miss essential footage with its large capacity battery. Although it takes about 4 hours to recharge, you’ll get 12 hours of action filming afterward.
• Specifications: This gimbal’s size of 271 x 119 x 38 millimeters (10.67 x 4.69 x 1.5 inches) is similar to the proportions of its competitors. But for some reason, the specified weight of 336 grams (11.85 ounces) is measured without the removable 5000mAh battery. When you take that into account, it’s slightly heavier than some of its rivals. Like the others, it’s also splashproof, with FeiyuTech saying it can even be used in the rain. However, because it is made from aluminum alloy, the manufacturer suggests you avoid splashing it with saltwater. When salt is in contact with aluminum, it causes a white coating of aluminum oxide.
• Disadvantage: The weakness of the FeiyuTech G6 is the mounting screws. Mounting an action camera becomes an awkward process compared to other gimbals that allow you to simply slip them on.
• Advantage: On the side of the handgrip is an external mic port. Content creators who want to include good audio can now plug in a decent microphone and avoid the tediousness of overdubbing the video during the editing stage.
Zhiyun Crane M2
Designed to fit action cameras, smartphones, and lightweight, compact digital cameras, the Zhiyun Crane M2 gimbal makes it easy to shoot silky-smooth footage on your favorite device. It has a simple snap-on mount, and after a quick calibration for balance, you are ready to start filming. Here are some of the features that make it stand out from the rest.
• Locking Mechanism: Now and then, so you don’t have to carry it between shooting locations, you’ll want to pack the gimbal into your backpack, but that used to mean rebalancing the camera on the gimbal when you want to start filming again. The Zhiyun Crane M2 overcomes this issue with a positioning lock switch on the roll axis. When you want to start your next video, simply clip the camera back into place with a single press of the lock button, and you are ready to film. And when you’ve attached your GoPro, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control module automatically pairs the camera to the gimbal as soon as it’s turned on. The OLED display will show which camera mode you are in, as well as details of its connection status and battery level.
• Many Creative Options: This gimbal has all the usual panning options and includes a Vortex Mode, which is the same as the other gimbals’ ‘Inception Mode.’ It allows you to make 360° barrel rotations in all dimensions. But it also has Go Mode, in which you can capture fast movement without missing a moment. Using Zhiyun’s free app to control the gimbal through your phone opens up other creative possibilities. You can capture wide views with Panorama, use Long Exposure for dramatic filming at night, stress a dynamic moment through Slow Motion, or be creative with the Time Lapse option.
• Size: At 500 grams (17.64 ounces), it’s one of the heaviest gimbals we tested, but it holds cameras and phones up to 717 grams (25.3 ounces) in weight. Its size of 267 x 138 x 69 millimeters (10.51 x 5.43 x 2.72 inches) was measured in its folded state. A hand strap and a mini tripod are supplied with this gimbal. You can extend the filming height of the gimbal by attaching the tripod to the base of the grip and using it as an extension pole.
• Disadvantages: The battery pack on this gimbal is not as substantial as some of the other gimbals listed. It only holds its charge for 7 hours, but during this time, it can be used as a power bank for charging your device as it’s operating. It’s also the heaviest and most expensive gimbal on this list. You also have to pay extra for an action camera mount.
GoPro Karma Grip
This is an average camera of average abilities. With its minimalist style, it’s simple to use the controls, but it doesn’t have many creative options. Attaching a GoPro to the gimbal is easy; you just unlock the harness, slot in your GoPro camera, and then lock it. But being simple to use and easy to attach are the only positive aspects of this gimbal. Keep reading to find out why we only gave it 2 stars.
- Specifications: With its size of 268 x 107 x 92 millimeters (10.55 x 4.21 x 3.62) inches, this is a standard size gimbal that is dedicated to the Hero5, Hero6 & Hero7 GoPro cameras, so you can’t use it with any other models of GoPro, or any other brand of action camera or smartphone. The weight is 458 grams (16.16 ounces).
- Battery Life: With a running time of only 1 hour and 45 minutes, the Karma Grip’s battery life is far below any gimbals we tested. And recharging with a standard charger takes 6 hours.
- Other Disadvantages:
- There isn’t an option to flip the GoPro backward on the grip for selfies. This will be a significant problem for content creators who want to speak directly to the camera.
- In calm conditions, we heard too much motor noise for our liking.
- Unlike most gimbals, the grip does not have a joystick to control the pan and tilt electronically.
- The Karma Grip only features two shooting In the Following mode, it will smoothly pan and tilt as it tracks a subject. And in the Pan Follow mode, the GoPro Karma Grip locks the tilt axis to keep the horizon level.
- For the price of this unit, you can get a superior gimbal, so shop around.
Things to Consider Before Buying Gimbals
With their built-in precision motors and sensors, a gimbal stabilizes your GoPro to capture smooth footage no matter how crazy your movements are during your adventures. Filming with a GoPro is becoming more common, and the opportunity to gain new viewers is more competitive than ever, but adding a gimbal to an action camera takes your videos to new levels of professionalism.
In this competitive era of social media, having the highest image quality is how your content can stand out from the crowd, and it will help you grow your audience. Here’s what you need to consider before making a gimbal purchase.
How to Use a Gimbal
Using a gimbal is as easy as attaching a GoPro, setting the balance, choosing a recording mode, and pressing ‘record.’ The gimbal does the rest by sensing the difference between your intentional movements and any random vibrations or shakiness. Inside the gimbal are silent, brushless motors that stabilize the unit and give you professional-looking videos you’ll be proud to share online.
How to Choose the Best Gimbal
Choosing an appropriate gimbal is easy when you know the type of videos you want to create. Some are designed solely for stabilizing your camera while you walk and talk to create an interview-style video, while others have sophisticated filming options to make action sequences even more dramatic.
These include time-lapse, slow-motion, and ‘Inception’ modes for producing creative content. It also depends on your budget, so make a list of the features you desire and see which gimbal fits your needs and purchasing power. The good news is that it’s a crowded market, and manufacturers are competing for consumers, so most gimbals have a lot of advanced features, they are well-made, and many are reasonably priced.
The Features You Need in a Gimbal
- Make sure your new gimbal has 3-axis stabilization. This steadies your GoPro’s tilt, roll, and panning A 3-axis gimbal produces a shake-free GoPro video experience under any circumstances.
- Battery life is another area to consider. The ability to hold a charge during a whole day of shooting is important if you are a long distance from power sources.
- Having an extended range of battery life helps your GoPro too. When the life of your GoPro is reduced by filming in high resolution and at fast frame rates, you can use the gimbal as an extra power supply. With their large built-in battery, you can power your GoPro through the gimbal and keep it recording until the end of the day.
- If your GoPro is used for action sequences in the ocean or rivers, make sure your gimbal is waterproof. At the very least, choose a gimbal that is splashproof.
- Don’t let the chance of rain make you turn away an opportunity to create an epic video of your adventures. A water-resistant gimbal is a necessity when filming snowboarding and skiing. A gimbal dropped in snow gathers ice particles in the gaps of the casing, which will eventually melt and seep into the internal mechanisms and electrical systems.
- Some action sequences involve so much movement that it’s worth investing in a gimbal that can track the subject, so you don’t have to worry about whether you have managed to keep them in the frame. With a tracking option, you can concentrate on keeping up with the subject while the gimbal does the rest.
Making a Decision
We narrowed the choice of gimbals to 5 excellent options. All have advantages and disadvantages, but we feel there’s a clear winner amongst these top 5 gimbals for GoPro.
With a host of features combined with a low price, the Hohem iSteady Pro 4 is a bargain. It even comes with a small tripod and a carry case. And having an extra-long battery life means this is a competent all-rounder that eliminates shaky footage forever.
Attaching this gimbal to your GoPro unleashes your creativity and produces a video that looks professional. Don’t delay; order it now and start planning sensational action videos!
