Review on 📷 Zhiyun Smooth Q2: Compact Gimbal Stabilizer for iPhone 12 Pro Max with Inception Mode, Face/Object Tracking, and Time-Lapse Features by Brian Sage

The Smooth Q2 is an amazing handheld gimbal. It is truly pocket-sized with the function of a larger gimbal. It's a little underpowered for its portability, but I didn't find that I needed a zoom wheel and it has all the basic features I need. The build quality is excellent, all aluminum and the rubberized, textured grip make it feel good in hand. Its weight is at the bottom of the grip where the battery is located, so it's balanced when a phone is plugged into it. The phone is attached to the gimbal with a detachable clip, giving you quick access to the phone when you need to make or receive a call. Then simply slide the clip back onto the gimbal without balancing it and you can quickly start shooting again. The Bluetooth connection to your phone allows you to get started quickly. All you have to do is unlock your phone from sleep and you're ready to take pictures. You can also use it to control your iPhone's own Photos app and even third-party apps like the Moment app or Filmic Pro. It locks the arm in this position so it doesn't wobble when not in use. The battery life is 17 hours, I've only had to charge it twice in the three weeks I've been using it so far. The battery is also detachable, so you can easily replace the battery when it dies instead of sending it in for a replacement. Another nice feature is that the Q2 has a micro USB port, which allows you to use it as a power bank. I tend to run out of phone power, not the gimbal, so I was able to keep shooting many times. The two issues I had prior to purchasing was that I saw some reviews that said the motor was visible when using the wide angle lens. Initially in PF and L modes you can bypass this by tilting the camera up, but other modes still show the motor lever. This was fixed when Zhiyun released a firmware update to fix this issue. In F, POV, and Vortex modes, triple-click the record button to move and hold your hand off-screen, allowing you to record without the motor in your field of view. The second problem for me was related to using Moment lenses. With my Smooth 4 I had to use a counterweight to balance the phone as the lenses are heavy. I was surprised to find that the Q2 could support the weight of the engines without the use of counterweights. The motors were powerful enough to move the lens gimbal with ease. I would recommend getting the thinner Moment case as the gimbal is designed to hold the phone without the case, but I had no issues with it falling out of the mount even with the thicker Moment Photo case. Overall I am very happy with the Smooth Q2. I find that its size allows me to take it everywhere since I can just throw it in my backpack. Startup is quick and you can start recording quickly. The package as a whole is a great combination of portability and functionality in a small, powerful package. They don't sacrifice important features for portability. This is by far the best stabilizer for mobile smartphones on the market.