This gimbal is full-featured thanks to the included AI tracking module that doubles as a fill light. The motors stand up to even the heaviest iPhone 17 Pro Max, providing smooth movements. It is lightweight and folds into a compact, easy-to-carry unit that slips into the provided storage pouch. It’s built in 1600 mAh battery, which means it has to be in carry-on luggage for airline flights. It’s so compact that even on a three-week overseas set of flights, it fits nicely into my small backpack. It is quick to unfold, attach and balance the iPhone. The gimbal connects via Bluetooth and it remembers the connection. No more re-pairing. Nice! The gimbal controls all of my iPhone’s camera functions except zooming the lens. That requires the Hohem Joy app. When I used the app, it was jerky.
Additionally, the app only supported a 4x zoom, not the 8x that the 17 Pro Max has built in. The app does not support shooting in Apple ProRes or in the Cinematic mode on the iPhone’s video camera. It does shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second, which is a solid choice.
I really like this gimbal. My issues with it are minor. The hex key for tightening the joint at the top of the extension rod does not have a place to store it on the gimbal. I got caught with the (heavy) iPhone 17 Pro Max flopping downward when I tilted the extended gimbal for a view from above. For me, the Hohem Joy app lacks a steady zoom (I suspect there is a setting I’m unaware of for this), and it also does not support the full zoom range of my iPhone. I would like it to work with the Cinematic mode in the software. Really, though, these are nitpicky issues on my part. The iSteady V3 Ultra works nicely without the app, and without the app running, it works in Cinematic ProRes mode.
