For the modern smartphone era, our devices can do many things that used to require specialized equipment to do.  Many of the content creators on the internet use their mobile devices to vlog, produce YouTube videos, and even short films.  But occasionally specialized equipment is still required to perform certain tasks.  One such piece of specialized equipment is the Smooth Q, a smartphone stabilizer and gimbal capable of reducing vibration and jitters in mobile video.  Here is our first look at what this device is, and what it does.

The Smooth Q can allow you to transform your smartphone into a movie studio quality video shooting rig.  It’s designed to capture/neutralize motion, stabilize the smartphone (and its camera), and allow you to have control over the pan and tilt axis while shooting.  Its battery operated, claims to have a 12 hour duration, and can also be used to charge your smartphone as well.

There are few controls, and while the manuals outline how to operate the gimbal, its not exactly what I’d call “user friendly” in terms of learning curve.  And while fairly light, it does have a heft to it that you will notice over longer video sessions.  But the images and video produced by your smartphone (especially those currently without optical image stabilization or OIS built in) will probably amaze you.  A few more pics of it (and how your phone will fit) are below.

I’m going to be putting it through its paces as part of our upcoming review, but if you’d like any more info, feel free to leave a comment or drop a line to our inbox silicontheory@gmail.com – I’m also in the process of shooting some test footage that will find its way to our Instagram feed, so be sure to follow us there (@silicontheory) and check it out!

***UPDATE:  At the time of this update, Zhiyun has dropped the base price of the Smooth Q to $99, making it an excellent value.  You can click here to purchase from Amazon directly***