The cameras in smartphones these days are nothing short of awesome. The image quality now rivals some of the best digital cameras. However, keeping the smartphone steady when taking videos is difficult given its shape and lack of a grip. So, what’s the answer? It could be the new Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra, a smartphone gimbal that wants to be your own Steadicam.
The original Steadicam was first launched in 1976 and enabled movie makers to produce smooth and shake-free handheld images, changing movie making in much the same way that the invention of drones did in the last decade. Steadicams were expensive and cumbersome pieces of kit, but technological advances and innovation have made camera stabilizers smaller and more affordable than ever.
Hohem’s V-series gimbals produce smooth and steady shots. They have always included subject tracking for following a chosen subject. However, the newly announced V3 Ultra is the first that combines that function with a detachable color touchscreen for use as a remote. By simply snapping off the 1.22-inch screen, users can stand up to 10 meters away from their phone and receive a live image feed with framing controls.
Up To 400g Payload
The Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra is a heavyweight gimbal that can handle payloads up to 400g and will track almost any subject using Hohem’s multimodal AI model, which recognizes people, pets, cars and more. Subjects always stay center-frame even if they disappear momentarily behind an obstacle.
All the AI computation for the tracking is processed locally in the gimbal, leaving the smartphone’s CPU/GPU free for capturing higher-quality video. Hohem says this is a major advance over trackers that are powered by the smartphone.
Touch, Wave Or Talk
A single tap of the iSteady V3 Ultra’s removable screen sets up a target box for tracking a subject. For those who prefer hands-free operation, users can make a peace sign to the camera to kick off the tracking process or else they can simply say “Hohem start.” Voice commands are baked into the gimbal’s firmware, which uses its microphone to pick up voice commands.
By using the iSteady V3 Ultra’s joystick, users can frame their shots by pushing the joystick to reframe mid-shooting. Alternatively, Hohem has included Quick Reframing presets for portrait, landscape and low-angle shots. These can all be invoked without stopping recording.
Thanks to its built-in 205mm pole, the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra can reproduce fake crane shots while the user is standing still. It also includes a built-in fill light with three color temperature settings and stepless dimming, so there’s no need to clip on a lighting cube to get some extra light on the subject. The LEDs output up to 150 lux at half a meter; it’s no spotlight, but probably enough to make more nighttime shots possible.
Live Touchscreen
With the iSteady V3 Ultra mounted on a tripod, the touchscreen can be used to see exactly what the camera is videoing and it works up to 10 meters away, making the system suitable for wildlife videos. The remote can be used to switch from wide to 3x zoom and can also alter exposure, start and stop recording, all without being near the camera.
Other advanced features include Hohem’s companion Joy app, which unlocks one-tap panoramas, Hitchcock-style dolly-zooms and CloneMe templates. However, none of those effects are needed for basic stabilization functions because the Ultra works out of the box with the native camera.
A gimbal like the Hohem iSteady V3 Ultra is designed for content creators who need to shoot pieces to camera without any help or who need to track fast-moving subjects like wildlife or rally cars. It’s best suited for use with flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max where there is a choice of optical lenses. T
The iSteady V3 Ultra’s main advantage is probably the advanced AI tracking function. However, anyone who already owns the standard Hohem iSteady V3 model and who won’t make much use of the AI tracking function may not feel it’s worth upgrading.
Pricing and Availability:
The Hohem Steady V3 Ultra is on sale now from Hohem and other retailers, priced at $199 and comes in a choice of Shadow Black and Arctic White colorways. The bundle includes the gimbal body, AI tracker module / LED fill light, detachable touchscreen remote, tripod-grip, USB-C cable, carry pouch and hex key. Hohem is running a Product Experience Officer campaign iSteady V3 Ultra, which anyone can participate in. The link to the campaign is here.
Key Features:
- Multimodal on-device AI tracker running on its own processor.
- Works with any app, from Instagram Live to Zoom calls.
- Real-time monitoring and wireless control for low-latency live preview up to 10m.
- 360° infinite-pan axis.
- Gesture Controls.
- 205mm extension pole built in.
- Dimmable, three-tone fill-light on tracker module.
- iSteady 9.0 anti-shake system.
- 400g payload.
- Battery life: 9 hours in optimal conditions, 4 hours with the AI tracker and fill-light.
- Weight: 428g unfolded.
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