With PD fast charging, you be on the move again in as little as two hours.
It’s almost the best smartphone gimbal, but not quite.
Smooth 5s vs Smooth 5: What’s New?
You’d be forgiven for confusing the Smooth 5S with its predecessor.
The improved charging times help you get enough juice to resume filming within just a few minutes.
As for the body, the new Smooth 5S remains functionally identical.
However, we now have a new white color choice in addition to the gray from last year.
For just the base gimbal, the Smooth 5S costs approximately $20 more than its predecessor.
For the added convenience of its lights alone, I would say this is worth the cost.
Standard vs Combo Package
For most users, theStandardSmooth 5S will be perfect for their needs.
This includes the gimbal, a mini tripod foot, and a USB-C cable.
TheComboadds a wrist strap, a carrying case, and one magnetic light with four color filters.
Though again, for its convenience, it’s somewhat justified.
This would be a great upgrade to include in a future model.
It looks quite ordinary, but it has some quirks that hinder the overall user experience, unfortunately.
Overall, it’s well-built and has handled a few major falls without issue over the past two months.
There are also a few deeper scratches on its body, but nothing too noticeable unless you look closely.
Instead, I usually just throw this into a small bag, backpack, or occasionally even my pocket.
The first concerns how the Smooth 5S folds and locks into place when not in use.
Unlike the Crane M2, which locks its axis parallel to the joystick, the Smooth 5S is horizontal.
One of the biggest limitations of the Smooth 5S is its smartphone charging.
Interestingly, the lock button only prevents the pan axis from rotating to the left.
With minimal pressure, the gimbal can come loose and spin infinitely to the right.
The Menu button is only used to open camera controls on your smartphone.
(Almost) The Best Gimbal for Smartphone Videography?
The built-in lights are a worthy trade-off, though its hard to look past all of the quirks.
One can only hope we see some (or all) of these upgrades in a future release.
