Payload is the specification, and balancing is the skill it demands
A gimbal holds a camera level while the person holding it does not, using motors on three axes. The specification that governs everything is the declared payload: a camera and lens combination heavier than that figure cannot be balanced, and one close to it balances but drains the battery and struggles in a fast move. That figure is stated for the camera plus lens plus anything bolted to them — a cage, a microphone, a monitor — which is why the arithmetic has to be done before buying rather than after. Balancing is not automatic: the camera is slid along each axis until it sits still with the motors off, and the range of travel available on each arm decides which combinations are possible at all. Long lenses are where gimbals run out of room. Battery life is quoted balanced and level, and an unbalanced rig eats it. The follow modes describe which axes track the handle and which stay locked, and the naming varies by maker while the behavior does not. Then the connections: a port to trigger the camera's recording, a lens control motor for pulling focus, and a mounting thread underneath so the whole thing can sit on a tripod. Folded weight and size decide whether it travels. We compare declared payload, axes, battery life, balance range, follow modes, control ports and folded weight.
3-axis for action cameras · 150 g payload · Bluetooth shutter control for GoPro HERO3 to HERO13 · 3-second quick release · IPX4 · up to 14 h · power bank output
A 3-axis gimbal for action cameras up to 150 grams, with Bluetooth shutter control for GoPros, IPX4 splash protection and up to 14 hours of battery, for about $99.
Best for: GoPro and DJI action camera owners who want smoother running, walking and vlogging footage.
≈ $99
3-axis · phones, GoPro cameras and some compacts · AI tracking module, forward or rear · built-in fill light · wireless camera control with HERO9 to HERO13 · charges the device
GoPro’s 3-axis gimbal for phones, GoPros and some compact cameras, with a detachable AI tracking module and fill light. Amazon.com sold it for about $205.
Best for: Creators who switch between a phone and a GoPro and want one gimbal for both.
≈ $205
A 3-axis gimbal with a detachable AI tracking module and fill light.
A gimbal smooths larger movements, such as walking and turning, better.
The maximum weight the gimbal can balance; the Hohem lists 150 g.
Both offer Bluetooth control for supported GoPro models.
GoPro says it fits some compact cameras, without a published payload.
The Hohem is rated IPX4.
We moved this shelf to US spelling: gimbal stabilizers.
Choose by the camera you will mount: phones and GoPros, or action cameras alone.
Each amount in a write-up is what the listing showed when that page was written. The figure next to the product is pulled in as you read, and it is the one that counts.
