Camera Gimbals

Gimbals come in all shapes and sizes, including those for phones, DSLR and Mirrorless cameras to Cinema cameras. They ultra-stabilize any and all footage. Check out our two best gimbals used for your smartphone. Want to save on your next gimbal? Become a Moment Member (It's free!) and get 3% back on gimbals, up to 10% on anything else.

Learn More About Gimbals

In between gimbals for large cine cameras and small (but mighty) smartphone gimbals, you’ve got a sweet spot. That sweet spot is where your SLR & mirrorless camera gimbal fits into the picture. Conventional camera gimbals or camera stabilizers, as they’re often interchangeably referred to, still come in various shapes and sizes, but, in any case, you can secure your mid-sized camera and capture impressive, velvety smooth footage.

If you don’t already know what a gimbal is, have no fear. Here’s the quick, two-sentence summary:

Gimbals are stabilizers for your camera that securely balance them in place while simultaneously enabling them to rotate smoothly among the pitch, yaw, and roll axes. They allow filmmakers to record steady footage while moving.

For a more detailed breakdown, refer to the main page for gimbals & rigs.

Now that we’ve got the definition out of the way, let’s talk about characteristics you want from them and help you find the perfect SLR or mirrorless camera gimbal to shoot your next video.

Notable Camera Gimbal Attributes

Weight and Payload. Your camera gimbal’s weight is one of the first attributes to pay attention to when selecting a handheld stabilizer. As mentioned above, gimbals come in all shapes and sizes so that you can film level footage regardless of your camera of choice. Smartphone gimbals, for example, can be tiny, weighing under two pounds.

While mirrorless camera gimbals are usually heavier than that (as many are compatible with large DSLRs), you should still be able to carry your equipment (camera, gimbal, lenses, and other accessories) relatively effortlessly. Likewise, your gimbal should be sturdy enough to hold all of your attachments.

Here at Moment, we carry camera stabilizers that can hold loads of over seven pounds, which gives you a massive amount of legroom when you think about the typical size of your average DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

Technical and Features. Just as gimbals come in various shapes and sizes, they come loaded with different features, functions, and capacities. Here are some quick points in regards to that.

Battery life or runtime is definitely a feature to bear in mind. Most videographers would agree that the longer the runtime, the better. Since we always put the person behind the camera first, we carry rigs with upwards of 18+ hours of runtime. Unless you go almost an entire day without breaks, this gives you spectacular legroom as well.

Folks assume that people who “do videos” are automatically insanely techie. Though there’s some correlation there, we still believe your gimbal should be easy to use from the get-go. So peep its controls -- how much do you need to do manually? When it comes to Moment’s selection, the answer to that question is “not much.”

Moment’s array of SLR & mirrorless camera gimbals are programmed to do all the heavy lifting for you (no pun intended) -- most equipped with small OLED displays for easy programming.

Other technicalities to keep an eye out for include tilt and roll mechanical range and pan axis movement angle range -- we won’t bore you with the details, but again, the wider the range of camera movement, the better.

If you want to learn more about the features and specs of the camera stabilizers we offer, you can explore the Photo & Video reviews section of our site for expert reviews and comparisons.

While you’re there, check out reviews, evaluations, and commentary on a heck of a lot more video gear we have in our inventory on our official Moment Reviews hub -- all curated by professional creators.

So we know what gimbals do, the features we want, and where to find rich information on both those things. Now, let’s share a couple of specific recommendations of gimbals that are highly esteemed and searched for in the industry.

Camera Stabilizers for the Beginner and Expert Filmmaker

It just so happens that some of our favorite rigs are some of the favorites of the industry at large.

Let’s dive right in:

Zhiyun Crane 2

The Zhiyun Crane 2 tends to be a gimbal stabilizer on the wishlist of so many content creators. It’s a 3-axis gimbal that gives videographers film-grade performance. The Crane 2’s breakthroughs in motion sensitivity and precision control put it in a league of its own. The Zhiyun boasts a sturdy follow focus controller on its body that was “previously unheard of in the industry.”

On top of its outstanding performance for filming, the rig is simple to use -- it features an OLED display to view current statuses and a quick-control dial that enables you to adjust its settings with the twist of a finger. It’s got a payload of over seven pounds and 18 hours of runtime out of its lithium-ion batteries. The Zhiyun Crane 2 supports mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

Zhiyun Crane M2

Another home run by Zhiyun is the Crane M2, a smaller, more portable, and affordable gimbal stabilizer. Use this gimbal stabilizer with your smartphone or more compact action cameras.

Features include effortless maneuverability, 360-degree pan, 310-degree tilt, and 324-roll rotation, seven hours of runtime + WiFi and Bluetooth built-in. The M2 is compatible with Moment camera accessories and can dual function as a tripod.

It may not pack as heavy a punch as the Crane 2, but it’s half the price and a lot more beginner-friendly. Perfect for helping produce videos for social media.

Camera Stabilizer Set

If you want everything you need to start producing world-class videos, we want to introduce you to the Zhiyun Crane 2S Combo Kit. The combo comes with one of the best (if not the best) gimbal stabilizers ever -- the Zhiyun 2S. It’s like the Crane 2 on steroids + a whole lot of cool gear including: a mini tripod, lens support, backing case, triple battery charger, and a few other goodies.

Those are just a few of our top pics. We carry superior gimbal stabilizers from other industry beloved brands like DJI -- great for DSLR, action cams, etc. Scroll up and peruse at your leisure. But first, let's knock out some common questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are gimbals good for photos?

Sure. If you only want to take sick photos with your gimbal, that’s perfectly fine. But you’d be leaving a lot of power and potential creativity on the table by not including a little filmmaking in the mix. If you want to record video and take photos, that’s even better.

What is the difference between a gimbal and a stabilizer?

A camera gimbal is a type of stabilizer. But you can say the difference between a gimbal stabilizer and others is that it's a handheld stabilizer with a lot going on. They use sophisticated sensors to help you capture footage that would otherwise come out blurry on other types of camera stabilizers.

Wrap Up

If you’re searching for a powerful gimbal stabilizer, then you’ve come to the right place. Moment sells camera gimbals for cameras of all types and sizes, but our gimbal stabilizers compatible with your SLR & mirrorless cameras are industry-leading and crowd-loved. Look through our list and pick up one of a videographer’s most essential pieces of gear.

Need a little more help? Reach out to one of our Gear Guides to make getting set up with a gimbal.