If you’re motivated to produce better video content of your own compared to your favorite YouTubers, a gimbal is one of the best investments you can make.
Gimbals can help you get beautifully smooth film footage, but it’s not foolproof. These have their drawbacks, and as with anything, before you begin to reap the benefits of using one, these require a good deal of practice.
You’ll learn a few fast tidbits to get the most out of your gimbal in this beginner’s guide to use a gimbal.
You don’t need a gimbal for every single shot
One of the filmmakers ‘ most basic pieces of advice is to avoid too much panning and zooming.
For using a gimbal, the same can be said… Just because you have a gimbal doesn’t mean you need to use it to film every single YouTube series. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need to get a shot is from a tripod.
If you interview someone for one of your YouTube videos, for example, do not do it while holding a gimbal in your hand. An interview doesn’t need smooth footage around the interviewee-it’s just distracting.
So, understanding when and when not to use it is one of your first tasks as a gimbal user.
Use the gimbal to add value to the story
Not only do you need to be aware of when and when not to use a gimbal, but you also need to be aware of when using one adds contribution to the plot.
If you need to film a point of view sequence, for example, which gives the viewer a glimpse of what a dog might see as it runs through a park, a gimbal might be a great choice.
You can invert the gimbal, get it at the height of the dog, and take smooth video whilerun with the camera. Doing so will help the public place themselves in the dog’s mind, which naturally contributes to the story’s scope.
But if you’re doing an instructional video on how to create a table, it may be distracting (for you and the audience) to loop around the carpenter as they’re working at their woodwork table.
Sometimes the footage you need calls for a simple fixed camera setup on a tripod, much like the above example of the interview. In this scenario, keeping the video sequence easy makes it possible to concentrate on the tale of how to create to table.
Get quality gimbal
You also hear photographers debate how to allocate the lens budget instead of a camera body.
The same principle applies in videography-some accessories are just more important than others.
I’m not saying a gimbal is the most important video device for every shooter, but it has made all the difference in the world for me to have a decent gimbal.
You can skimp on and get away with some accessories. But if you’re going to use a gimbal, why don’t you get one that has the features to help you get the shots you need while providing you with long-lasting and long-term performance?
It’s not getting much better for my money than the E-Image Horizon One Gimbal.
A three-axis gimbal can accommodate up to eight pounds of gear, so this gimbal can bear the load even if you use a full frame DSLR with a camera, microphone, and other accessories.
It has brushless motors for accurate stabilization while the five built-in operating modes allow you to quickly access imaginative video sequences such as 360-degree spin on the roll axis for a dream-like shot.
It also has a runtime of 12 hours, so you can shoot endlessly for hours without worrying the gimbal will run out of juice.
This is just a well-constructed, practical and flexible gimbal that will help you get the job done!
Planing your shots in advance
It looks so seamless and effortless when you see footage that is filmed while using a gimbal. But that doesn’t mean using a gimbal is effortless.
You’ll have several pounds of gear on the gimbal by adding your camera, lens, microphone, lights, and other accessories. And that may not sound like much, but it may start to feel like a lot after hours of shooting!
That’s why planning your shots in advance is so important. Doing so allows you first to prioritize the sequences you need with the gimbal, and then later you can shoot other sequences.
Through saving energy for the gimbal shots, you will be able to keep exhaustion at bay and maximize the positive effects of the gimbal on your footage.
When taking pictures or making videos, preparing never hurts anybody!
