Do You Need a Gimbal? In-Body Stabilization vs a Camera Gimbal for Smooth Video
Ten years ago, smooth handheld video meant a gimbal, a big one. Today most mirrorless cameras have in-body stabilization, many add digital stabilization on top, and the results walking with a camera in hand can look almost like a gimbal shot. So many buyers stand at the video counter, look at the gimbals on display and wonder if they need one at all.
Sometimes yes. Often no. It depends on how you move and what the shot has to look like.
Photo: Media Gallery
What in-body stabilization does well
In-body stabilization (IBIS) moves the sensor to cancel small shakes. Combined with lens stabilization and the electronic stabilization many cameras offer for video, it handles standing shots, slow pans and gentle walking very well.
The trade-offs: strong electronic stabilization crops the frame, sometimes a lot, and can cause a wobbly “jello” look at the edges with wide lenses. Fast moves and running shots still show bounce.
For vlogging, interviews, events and casual travel video, IBIS is usually enough. Cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5II and Lumix GH7 are known for particularly strong stabilization.
What a gimbal does that IBIS can’t
A gimbal holds the whole camera level with motors on three axes. It can make a running shot, a long walking follow, or a sweeping move around a subject look like it was filmed on a dolly. It also lets you move the camera smoothly on purpose, with a joystick or by tracking a subject.
Real estate walkthroughs, wedding films, product reveals, music videos and anything cinematic with motion are where gimbals earn their place.
The downsides
Gimbals add weight and setup time. You have to balance the camera every time you change lens. Your arms get tired. And a gimbal on a small camera turns a discreet setup into something people notice.
Choose a gimbal rated for well above your camera and lens weight, and favor light, internally zooming lenses that don’t shift balance. A power-zoom lens works especially well.
Smaller in-between options
A simple handheld rig with two grips steadies footage more than you’d expect, with no batteries.
Phone-style gimbals suit phones only.
Shooting at a wider angle reduces visible shake. A wide lens on a stabilized body is very forgiving.
Slowing down helps most of all. Walk heel-to-toe with bent knees, hold the camera close and keep your elbows in.
Buy it when a shot needs it
Start with your camera’s stabilization and good technique. If you keep losing shots to bounce, or a client wants flowing camera movement, that’s the time to buy a gimbal. For vloggers, read our guide to vlogging camera and lens combos first; a wide, light kit with good IBIS solves most problems without one.