Stabilize Like a Pro – Our Full Review of the ZHIYUN Smooth 4

We all know how much power smartphones possess within their small sizes.

The newer the smartphone is, the more advanced the built-in camera gets. But one thing is for sure, it does not provide you with a sturdy hand, especially if you want to capture moving shots.

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 contributes to this need, which results in captivating footage. And this article is an outburst of my opinion of the ZHIYUN Smooth 4. To talk about what it offers and what it unfortunately doesn't.

Here's a comprehensive review of ZHIYUN's top gimbal.

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ZHIYUN Smooth 4 key specs

• Size: 12.3 x 10.5 x 32.8 cm
• Weight: 547 g / 1.2 Ibs
• Boxed Weight: 880 g / 1.94 Lbs
• Pan / Tilt / roll Mechanical Range: 300°/ 240°/ 240°
• Battery Runtime: 8-12 hours
• Charging Time: 3.5 h
• Battery Capacity: 2000mA

Performance: One of the best-built gimbals

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 is one of the best-built smartphone gimbals. You can use it to help you stabilize your content and create smooth and steady footage.

ZY Play app for multiple shooting features

You will need to download the ZY Play app to connect to the Smooth 4 via Bluetooth, and it isn't always that cooperative. But after the first time using it, there shouldn't be any problems connecting to it.

The app offers many semi-pro features like time-lapse, hyper-lapse, long exposure, time-lapse motion mode, and panoramic photos.

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 lives up to its name; it helps you create stable footage across all axes because of the way it's built.

Switch between focus pull and zoom easily

Another great thing is the wheel on the side of the column makes it easy for you to fine-tune a shoot. The function can switch between focus pull and zoom using a shortcut on the control panel's click wheel. Hold on; it gets better.

With a combination of solidity and versatility, the well-built ZHIYUN Smooth 4 is brilliant.

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 offers two-way charging so that you can attach your smartphone to the USB slot on the tilt axis arm. This allows you to charge the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 and your smartphone simultaneously.

It's all about the performance, and with highlights including a tactile focus/zoom wheel, a long battery life, and two-way charging, the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 won't disappoint you if you need smoother and stabilized content.

The only thing that could disappoint you would be the lack of face tracking in the app.

Build and handling: Long legs & increased stability

The ZHIYUN Smooth is built effectively and with quality. It's one of the best build qualities I've seen in a smartphone stabilizer.

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 handle is made of plastic, it may sound like some cheap and lousy material, but you will figure out how great it feels to hold. The arms are sturdy, which gives your smartphone the support it needs. The included tripod has longer legs, about four inches, ensuring increased stability. Other stabilizers have half the length.

The number of buttons and shortcuts on the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 gives you quick access to the features, which is hard to find in other stabilizers.

In addition to this, the wheel doubles as four shortcut buttons for quick actions, and a wheel on the side allows you to focus or zoom manually.

There's a trigger button in the back, which will enable you to switch follow modes fast. Last but not least, the wheels offer good resistance and circulate smoothly.

Increased speed with PhoneGo

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 has a feature called "PhoneGo," which you can activate by pressing a trigger button on the back of your grip.

This gives the motor increased speed, making the gimbal responsive to movement. It's pretty useful when you need to capture changes in the footage quicker.

ZHIYUN Smooth 4 Review:

Advantages

Smooth footage

• Produces stunning stable footage
• Able to capture usable video when standing still, walking, or running.

Excellent build quality

• Arms are sturdy, which gives your smartphone the support it needs for smooth footage.
• Long legs which ensure increased stability
• It has a wide selection of buttons

Long battery life

• The battery life on the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 holds up to 10 hours, so there is no need to worry about it running low on battery.

Focus/zoom wheel

• The control panel's left-hand side has a tactile wheel. This can be used to focus or zoom in, and there is also a button to switch between the two functions.

Stable included tripod

• The included tripod has longer legs, about four inches, ensuring increased stability.

Two-way charging

• Attach your smartphone to the USB slot on the tilt axis arm - this allows you to charge the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 and your smartphone simultaneously.

Disadvantages

Weighty

• It's built with the functions of purpose and feature rather than overall convenience.

No joystick control

• No joystick controls for manual movements, but the control panel is excellent and offers many features.

Limited payload

• Even though the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 can hold a surprising amount of smartphone payload, it does hold larger smartphones like an iPhone 12 Pro Max (228g) and the Samsung S21 Ultra (229g).

Lacks face tracking

• Despite the many features, it does not provide face tracking, which is available in Smooth XS at a lower price.

Steep learning curve

• There is a possibility of a pretty steep learning curve to knowing what functions the buttons have and which hot-key to press when you need it, but it will be worth it when you have figured it out.

Who should get the ZHIYUN Smooth 4?

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 is for everyone who wants to turn their smartphone into a professional filmmaking camera.

The ZHIYUN Smooth 4 can help you create stable and smooth footage with only your phone.

Rent or subscribe to a ZHIYUN Smooth 4

If you are like me, who is tired of taking pictures that result in shaky footage, you should rent or subscribe to the ZHIYUN Smooth 4.

Not sold on the ZHIYUN Smooth 4 – there are more options to go for. Find a gimbal that suits you here.

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