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If you are in the field for quite some time, you would have seen a ton of photographers and videographers using a gimbal. But there stands a question, should you get a gimbal?
Well, the answer is a Big Yes. If you are an intermediate videographer or even a professional videographer who is willing to take your videos a step further, then a gimbal is a must for you.
That is not the reason alone to add a gimbal to your camera kit.
There are a few reasons that will decide whether you need a gimbal or not.
Table of Contents
Reasons to Get a Gimbal:
Handheld Video
If you are someone who is still sticking to handheld shots for most of your videography, it’s high time you should get a gimbal. If you are not using one of the professional cameras, you will have a lot of shakes in your videos. Thus, chances of getting the exact shot that you desire are often a hit or a miss.
Adding a gimbal to your shooting kit will help you add the necessary stability that your videos require.
The only time you should not be looking for a gimbal is when you are trying to shoot some shaky footage. The best use case for not using a gimbal can be for distant shots. When you are quite far away (or somewhat far away) from your subject, your camera won’t capture very noticeable shakes.
Other than that, if you are not having any other professional stabilizing equipment for your camcorder or your camera, getting a gimbal is the most affordable investment you can make for stabilization.
New Angles
Having a gimbal allows you to try out various shots without having to settle for less fascinating clicks. With a gimbal, you can easily squeeze through tight spaces that is otherwise not possible otherwise handheld.
Other Amazing Angles that can be tried using gimbals include:
- Classic Push-In:
- Classic Pull-Out
- Reveal
- Underslung Push-In / Pull-Out
- Moving Car Shot
- Push-In + Tilt Up / Down
- Pull Out + Tilt Up / Down
- Profile Shot
- Establishing Jib + Pan
- Freestyle Closeup
- Freestyle Wide
- Parallax
- Motion Time-Lapse
- Handoff
- Squeezing through a Tight Space
If you are a beginner, watching this video alone will help you learn a lot about the types of moves that are possible with a gimbal.
Smoother Footage and Movement
Having a gimbal amounts you to get much smoother up and down movements without any shakes to your videos. Plus, a gimbal allows for a smoother movement which is not possible in the case of a tripod.
Thus, for taking shots where your camera seems to be moving along with the subject, Gimbals are your #1 pick.
Fast and Versatile
If you have a Tripod, it can be a good pick for basic stability. But when it comes to speed and versatility they are nowhere near a motorized gimbal.
That is why a lot of sports & wildlife videographers prefer a gimbal when they want to track fast-moving subjects.
Better Post Production
Having Stable shots account for better post-production (editing). This might be a little bit of a bump to your performance for starters. However, when you are looking at the professional-grade videos, small changes to setups matter a lot. This is one of the reasons why many videographers have started using gimbal as an accessory from time to time.
Also Read: Best Gimbal for Sony A7iii
Do I need a Gimbal for my iPhone?
Well that depends, a YES and a NO.
The iPhone recording is very stable and has a much better recording output compared to android phones in a similar range.
With some certain add ons to your existing videography you might just get away with having one.
Check out this amazing video by Michael C. Gray Photography, where he explains various cinematic shots and how you can take them.
But again, having a gimbal will let you be stress-free without having much to worry about during the videography/cinematography. Using a gimbal also guarantees quicker completion of work.
So, it is really on to you. Work vs Money.
Do I need a gimbal for My DSLR?
When you’re starting out in filmmaking, and even later on, there’s always the problem of gear lust. You see that new thing that comes out and you’re like,” oh I wished I had that.” Or, “I would be a way better filmmaker if I had that.
But we all know that’s really only partly true and it’s really easy to get caught up in the gear lust.
So the question is, is a gimbal going to make you a better filmmaker?
And is it going to make your films better?
And the answer is yes, if.
Let me explain that if part.
So first off, you definitely need some sort of stabilization for your camera.
Whether it’s a monopod, a tripod, a steady cam or easy rig, shoulder rig, a gimbal, you need some form of stabilization.
There’s nothing worse than that little ugly micro jitter that you get from DSLRs when you’re just holding it in your hands.
It’s just really bad looking.
and it right away makes your films look really amateur.
So you definitely need some form of stabilization for your camera. Not to mention the movement that you can get with some of those tools.
Gimbals really are a great way to get really nice cinematic movement in your films.
So, if you are not really having any sort of stabilization for your DSLR currently, investing in a gimbal is a good idea.
Should I get a Gimbal for Vlogging?
If you are not having a tripod, YES.
Even if you are having a tripod, a gimbal will help you level up your vlogs to a whole new level.
Watch out this side by side comparison of tripod and gimbal to decide for yourself if you need a gimbal or not.
Reasons to Not get a gimbal
Added Accessory
Gimbal is an added accessory to your camera. This often means an increased weight to your existing videography kit. If you are not ready to add that unnecessary weight, it often becomes a burden that you have to carry around and most of the time it just lies in the back of your car.
Time to Setup
A gimbal needs time to be set up correctly to capture some beautiful smooth and glazing shots. But this setup takes a bit of time which can be annoying and irritating at times.
Often at rush times during your videography, you would see this as a burden.
Added Cost
Gimbal is equipment that will cost you money. This is normal. But many people ignore various other costs. For instance, it will take you time to assemble it, set it up and then bring it to the set. These all costs come in the form of time and if you are on a tight deadline for a particular project, it is better to overlook a gimbal.
Conclusion
Gimbal is one of my favorite piece of equipment for videography that has helped me improve my post-production a lot but often at times, the time to set it up before using it makes me avoid using it for projects with a strict deadline.
Anyone who is looking forward to purchasing an accessory for stability from handshakes, I would advise you to pick a gimbal over a tripod.
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Over to you: What are your thoughts? Let us know If you have bought/ will buy a gimbal or not in the comments below.
