As an avid landscape photographer, I often stress that phones will never completely replace professional cameras. However, in an age where social media dominates and more photos and videos are taken on personal phones than ever before, it is important to acknowledge the innovations that are allowing phone users to capture great footage and photos. The Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI is one such notable innovation.
Ten years ago, the idea of content creators making money from everyday content created entirely on their phones would have been laughable. Phone technology has advanced significantly since the days of one-megapixel cameras that produced grainy images. Today, phone capabilities often rival traditional cameras, especially for social media content.
For video footage on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, where videos are often short, stable, high-quality footage is essential. Modern phones like the iPhone 15 offer great video quality and image stabilization, but sometimes they need a little extra help to get the best results.
AI Smooth 5S It’s more than just a stabilized gimbal; it comes with features that help phone users enhance their content. One standout feature is the built-in AI tracker, which turns your phone into a tracking device, allowing it to continuously follow subjects in the frame. This is especially useful for older phone users who want to upgrade their video creation capabilities. Another notable addition is the built-in light, which allows for shooting in low-light conditions. The additional light comes with four different color filters, allowing users to change the light color to suit different scenes. The built-in light provides 680 lumens of brightness and can be positioned for forward-facing or selfie-shooting, providing flexibility in a variety of shooting situations.
For many users who find traditional gimbals for mirrorless or DSLR cameras cumbersome, the Smooth 5S AI offers a lighter alternative. It fits into your phone, making it significantly lighter and easier to handle. The gimbal features familiar controls, including dedicated focus and zoom buttons for quick adjustments and the ability to seamlessly switch between multiple phone cameras. It also boasts 360-degree rotation, giving filmmakers more creative freedom.
Solo filmmakers will appreciate the gesture controls, which allow them to start and stop recording without touching the phone. While the gesture controls to start tracking work reliably most of the time, stopping can be intermittent. This feature simplifies the content creation process, making it more efficient. Additionally, having footage directly on your device makes for quick uploads to social media platforms.
To maximize the gimbal’s features, users will need to download the ZY Cami app from the App Store or Google Play. The app offers more control than the phone’s native camera app, allowing for live streaming and perfect panoramic shots. However, the app requires a subscription, which some users may find annoying. For those looking for even more advanced features, there is an additional app called StaCam, which offers professional features for €20. However, having multiple apps can add complexity for users with multiple products.
Using the Smooth 5S AI with my iPhone is much easier than using its larger counterparts, such as the Weebill 3S/3E. The lighter weight and built-in AI controls result in significantly improved video quality. The gimbal includes a 5D button for omnidirectional movement, speed control settings, a dedicated record button, and various modes such as lock, follow, POV, and spin. It’s easy to set up and balance, thanks to the automatic calibration tool. Additionally, the battery life is impressive, lasting up to 26 hours on a single charge. The gimbal uses PD charging over USB-C and can also charge your phone using the dedicated USB-C port, providing a payload capacity of up to 300g.
For content creators looking to enhance their videos with innovative controls and improved stabilization, the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI is a strong contender. It comes with a well-designed, handy carrying case that keeps all the components safe and organized.
Advantage
- Lighter and easier to handle than traditional gimbals.
- Built-in AI tracker for continuous object tracking.
- Fixed light for low light photography with four color filters.
- Gesture control for hands-free recording.
- Seamlessly switch between multiple phone cameras.
- 360 degree rotation capability.
- Easy setup and balancing with automatic calibration function.
- Dedicated focus and zoom buttons for quick adjustments.
- Impressive battery life of up to 26 hours.
- Use PD charging via USB-C and can charge the phone.
- Ability to live stream and take panoramic photos via the ZY Cami app.
- Load capacity up to 300 g.
- Built-in light has 680 lumens brightness.
Disadvantages
Disadvantages:
- ZY Cami app download and registration required.
- The application registration process can be quite complicated.
- Additional app (StaCam) for professional features costs 20€.
- Gesture control to stop intermittent tracking.
- It cannot be folded, making it less portable and unable to fit in a pocket.
The addition of LIDAR and the magnetically connected light is great, but I found that they can sometimes pop out, and this can be a deal breaker for users who need to be on the go all the time, and when you need the sensor or light, it might be after it falls out of your pocket or worse, gets lost. I think a good improvement would be to have this feature built in in the future.
In short, Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI is a versatile and powerful tool for anyone looking to improve their smartphone filmmaking. Its features and ease of use make it a valuable addition to any content creator’s toolkit. I’ve shot some video footage of this gimbal in use, which you can see in the video linked above, which will give you an idea of how easy it is to use and the end results that can be achieved. Would I turn to this gimbal for my video content? Probably yes, when I need to have a run and gun scenario, plus when I need to enhance my smartphone footage by adding more features that come with this gimbal. If you’re a smartphone content creator, this gimbal will meet many of your requirements. Will it meet all of them? Maybe yes and maybe no, but I’m not sure if it lacks any features that other products on the market offer. Maybe you can let me know in the comments section below.
