hohemiSteady MT2 Kit Gimbal Stabilizer for Camera, 3-Axis Gimbal for Mirrorless/Pocket/Action Camera/Smartphone, AI Tracker, Magnetic Fill Light Stabilizer, Available for Canon/Nikon/Sony

The media could not be loaded. Well, I just had to say this, but the first one that I got sent was a dud. The screen only worked at about 1%, so it was essentially unusable. I contacted support, and after a few back and forths of having to prove that there was an issue, they just said to get a replacement from Amazon. That was kind of annoying.Okay, so now on to the actual review of the product. I think this is very nice and high quality. I am just a dad and wouldn't even call myself an amateur videographer. I was able to get my ancient Sony Alpha a37 balanced on there after a bit of a learning curve. FYI, everybody is going to want to get on YouTube and watch their instructional videos. Basically their official user guide videos are hosted there, and there are plenty of content creators on the platform that have good videos and their own reviews. I watched some of the reviews myself and I have to say that this gimbal lives up to the hype.Someone mentioned that it was kind of a novel thing that this has a carrying case. I guess I took that for granted. Also, this one is able to carry a larger camera than another competitor, I believe, which was great because my ancient Sony camera came in just under the limit. Keep in mind you won't be able to adjust the telescoping lens, as that throws off the balance....I recently took this along with us on a family trip overseas, and it definitely upgraded my family videos considerably. Much more fluid and less jerky. Easier to get cool perspectives too, like holding it right above the ground. That being said, if you are just going to be taking shots with a phone like me, then you probably do not need this particular gimbal. It might be more gimbal than you need. I shoot all of my family videos on a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and after you pair it to Bluetooth, everything is pretty intuitive. You can use their app to get a little more functionality out of it, but I haven't really explored that yet. (time lapse? ) You can keep your phone topped off by using the built-in gimbal battery as a battery bank. They give you a ton of little cords, but unfortunately, there was no shutter cable that matched my 10-year-old Sony Alpha camera. I'm not too surprised and won't hold it against them. They do include a lot of cables, and they are really tiny and cute and seem to be well made.So yeah, overall, if you are just going to use a phone, then this is too much gimbal for you, and you can just get one of their cell phone gimbals. But if you might want to interchange between different phone, gopro, DSLR, then this is a great all-arounder. I was pretty satisfied with the AI tracking and all of the different stabilization modes that I used.It does have a considerable learning curve if you've never used a gimbal before. It took me hours to feel comfortable with it.

I was excited to try this Hohem iSteady MT2, but I have never used a camera gimbal before, so I was a bit intimidated. I don't have anything beyond my iPhone 14 Pro at the moment, but I am interested in content creation, and know that smooth video is very important.Out of the box, this kit is...a lot, at least for for a first time user. It does take some deep dives on the manual and a few online videos, but having familiarized myself with it, and gotten to know it, I can safely say that I am SERIOUSLY impressed. The iSteady MT2 can handle everything from a camera phone, to all but the largest SLR cameras. The feature set for the MT2 is pro-level.Here are some of my specific thoughts:- Super flexible. This gimbal kit comes with everything you need for both modern smartphones, action cameras, or serious, full-sized SLR cameras up to 2.66 lbs. It will handle most cameras with all but the largest (longest) lenses. This is a great investment as it can accommodate every range of equipment, and can use Bluetooth to wirelessly connect to many cameras, but also comes with signal control cables for virtually every modern camera you can think of.- While the printed documentation is a little light (mine only came with a printed quick start guide,) there are plenty of online videos and documentation available to get you up and running. The sheer number of modes is honestly a little overwhelming at first, so be sure to familiarize yourself with all of them, and understand why you would want to use one mode over another.- Initial setup and camera balancing. I will call out the importance of balancing whatever camera you wish to use in the gimbal before powering it on. Be sure to get comfortable with this balancing process, as if you plan on swapping out cameras frequently, or possibly even changing from landscape to portrait, the gimbal does need to be balanced after each major change to ensure that the servos aren't being unduly stressed (which will be harder on the gimbal and use up battery faster.) The balancing process itself isn't too difficult, but you need to check that the camera is balanced in each of the three axis by adjusting the center of gravity of your camera so that your camera stays in roughly the correct orientation without having to turn the gimbal on.- Bluetooth with iPhone 14 Pro, and the Hohem Joy app. I tested this with my iPhone 14 Pro, and the Bluetooth connection worked perfectly. Using the free Hohem Joy app (no registration or online account needed!,) I was able to both control the gimbal directly (using the phone as a remote,) as well as a full blown camera application that allows full control of all standard camera features using the gimbal controls (pan, tilt, roll, zoom, focus, etc.)- I cannot think of anything this gimbal doesn't do out-of-the-box that I would ever need. Some of the more impressive features include: motion control for repeatable camera movements (using the A/B modes, or multi-point program,) and an included smart AI subject tracker and fill light for automated tracking and framing (with gesture control....no need for a separate cameraman,) and the Hohem Joy software is packed with features including a ton of preset effects/filters, and fully functional editing software.- The device itself is reasonably compact, but not tiny. It's ability to handle just about anything you could want to use means it's bigger than the "mini" style gimbals made just for smartphones, but you really are getting an all-in-one device with this. It comes in a handy storage bag for the gimbal and all the included accessories. It is not too heavy, and is comfortable and intuitive to hold.- The only real negative I can say about this is related to the ease of use. Because there is SO MUCH functionality built-in, each button on the gimbal controls several modes or functions, and the device relies heavily on understanding / remembering what combination of button presses is required to control or access a specific feature or mode. If you use this device all the time, I am sure that it becomes second nature, but be prepared to spend some time committing the different functionality to memory and how to access it.- Quality. In my limited tests, the quality of the resulting video was impressive. Just walking around the house with my iPhone looked like professional Steadicam footage. The gimbal did a fantastic job of keeping my footage buttery smooth...and without really paying attention to my walking gait, etc. I would not hesitate to use this for both amateur and professional quality video projects.Overall, I am absolutely delighted with this gimbal. This is a serious, high-quality gimbal and I cannot foresee needing any other video stabilization for handheld video for anything I plan on doing. I can strongly recommend the Hohem iSteady MT2!

My son has been using the Hohem iSteady MT2 for about 1 month now, and it's honestly transformed how he shoots content. The AI tracking is cool - it follows him around like a personal camera operator, which is perfect for his solo YouTube shoots. The built-in fill light has saved him more than once when filming in tricky lighting conditions, and he likes that it can switch between his other cameras and iPhone without any fuss.The stabilization is impressive - his walking shots look like they're floating now, and the battery life is a great. Being able to quickly switch to vertical mode for content is convenient, though he wishes the mechanism was a bit more intuitive at first.That said, there's definitely a learning curve here. The button layout took all of us a good week to master without looking down. The 4.4lb payload is great, but with heavier setups, you'll need to spend time carefully balancing everything.All in all, while it's not perfect, the MT2 has earned its place in his daily life. For the price point, you're getting a surprisingly professional piece of gear that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it - from vlogging to commercial work.Comes with a very nice protective case also that holds all included accessories.

Out of the box I was impressed with the packaging, storage and build quality of this gimbal. Following the directions it was easy to balance my camera and start use. It kept the camera level and made a slow turn when I turned the camera in a new direction.I used with both my iPhone and Nike Z6iii, it was able to keep both very level. as times permits I intend to experiment with more of the features but for the time it will bring smoothness and fluid motion to my videos.