[Preface]

With the development of smart phones, taking photos has become an essential and important function of mobile phones, and it is also gradually moving towards the high-definition direction of dual camera and four camera. Almost everyone can take photos of their favorite through mobile phones, but it is not so easy to take a satisfactory video. It is not because the pixels are not high, the picture is not clear, and the angle cannot be found, but because the picture taken is not stable enough. Imagine what picture we see on TV is shaking. Even the most intense "running man" picture is very stable, because there is a professional stabilizer at work. What I want to experience today is the smart cloud Smooth 3 handheld PTZ stabilizer, which is famous for its stability. Can you use it to shoot a professional stable video with your mobile phone? Please look down together.

[Unpacking]

Zhiyun Smooth 3 uses a white packaging paper box, which is printed with the product appearance diagram, giving a clear feeling. The top left corner is the brand logo of Zhiyun Technology. The whole package looks bland, not much like a professional photographic equipment package. Is there any mystery in it?

On the back of the packing box, a big Chinese style logo "Zhiyun" came into sight first, and on the left side, the main functional features of the product and relevant information of the product were mainly printed.

Open the package and you can see a very textured storage bag. It looks like a miniature violin bag. It is very delicate and feels good. If there is no bright spot in the outer package, the storage bag will give you a bright feeling.

The satchel in the package is buckled on the buckle of the storage bag, which can be easily carried when going out.

The internal groove of the storage bag is specially designed according to the contour of Zhiyun Smooth3. It uses a soft mold, which can effectively protect the host from collision. It is more important to protect the host when taking, placing and using it at ordinary times. After all, the PTZ is a more precise instrument, If there is damage, it will directly affect the use accuracy.

Appearance

There are indicator lights, rocker, MODE button and ON/OFF button respectively on the top of the handle of Zhiyun Smooth 3. The top of the panel is a rocker, which can be pushed in four directions by the thumb to control the shooting direction. The left side below is the MODE key, which can be clicked or double clicked to switch the working mode of the stabilizer, and the right side is the power switch/camera integrated key. The FN key on the side can switch zoom ISO、 White balance, shutter time, exposure compensation and other functions. Basically, all operations can be realized through this key area, which is very convenient.

The left side of the Zhiyun Smooth 3 handle is equipped with a USB interface (for charging and firmware upgrading), a dial wheel (with the FN key, you can adjust zoom, ISO, white balance, shutter time, exposure compensation and other functions by scrolling in the mobile phone APP).

Dismantle the handle base, and you can see the replaceable built-in battery of Zhiyun Smooth 3. The battery capacity is 4600mAh, and it can work continuously for 14 hours when fully charged.

Smart Cloud Smooth 3's PTZ phone clip can be retracted and adjusted, and is suitable for smart phones below 6.0 inches and GoPro3/4/5. Unlike other ordinary PTZ devices, which only support one-way shooting, Zhiyun Smooth3 uses a special two-way mobile phone clip design. By screwing the middle metal thread button, you can quickly rotate the bracket 90 degrees. This design is not only convenient for us to shoot landscape horizontally at ordinary times, but also convenient for people who can take selfies and broadcast videos to open vertical shooting mode.

The reason why Zhiyun Smooth 3 can keep stable is that its three axes are always running to keep balance, that is, the balance axis, the tilt axis and the roll axis. The action range of the balance shaft is 360 degrees, and the controllable angle is 360 degrees. Without nodes, it can achieve full rotation. The mechanical action range of pitch axis and roll axis is 320 degrees, and the controllable range is+185 degrees~- 135 degrees and+30 degrees~- 30 degrees respectively. Beginners may be confused at the beginning. After a period of use, the author found that it is necessary to master the rotation angle and controllable angle of each axis to achieve the best shooting effect.

【APP】

Before shooting with Zhiyun Smooth 3, we need to install the supporting APP to connect to the PTZ. The Android version is Zhiyun handheld assistant, and the iOS version is ZY Play. It is said that the iOS version of APP will have a richer functional experience. I hope the official can improve the Android version and iOS version to achieve the same functions as soon as possible.

The overall interface of the APP is relatively simple. From the main interface, you can see the three-axis working status, PTZ working mode, power, etc., and more intuitively view the detailed data in PTZ settings.

After connecting with APP, the camera interface is most commonly used. You can switch photos/videos, flash HDR、 Camera switching, camera setting and other mode selection. In the camera setting options, the size of photos and videos can be selected, and relevant parameters can also be adjusted.

[Shooting]

Zhiyun Smooth 3 three-axis stabilizer mainly supports three modes, namely left and right follow mode, full lock mode and full follow mode. These three modes give the author the impression that he should not copy mechanically. He must find out the shooting mode suitable for himself and his own desire through continuous exploration and practice, and achieve human-machine integration, so that he can shoot a handy video.

In the actual shooting experience, the feeling to the author is "stability". No matter what mode you are using, as long as you grasp the essentials, you can shoot a stable video. At the same time, if you want to go to a higher level, you can also use Zhiyun Smooth 3 to simulate the shooting effect using tripod, rocker, track and other equipment. For details, please see the scenic tourism video shot by the author with the Zhiyun Smooth 3 three-axis stabilizer:

Summary

After a period of use, the author is really full of praise for the stability of Zhiyun Smooth 3 three-axis stabilizer shooting video, which has become an essential artifact for shooting video outside. I believe this product is also suitable for most entry-level and intermediate video enthusiasts. Its solid and exquisite workmanship and super stable working condition are fully applicable to the shooting needs of daily life and travel, and can even reach the professional photography level. At the recent domestic press conference, more and more people can see Zhiyun's figure, which is also the recognition of this product itself. It is hoped that in the next step, while keeping improving and constantly improving the stability of product functions, Zhiyun will actively improve the Android APP so that it can enjoy the same functions as Apple mobile phones.

Get free trials and professional reviews every day, and follow the Woaiqiku official account (woaiqiku)