We finally got our hands on the Freefly Movi Cinema Robot (smartphone gimbal) and spoiler alert - this thing is really SMOOTH.
A gimbal's number one priority is to shoot smooth footage and so that's the first thing we always try to do. The thing is it often takes time.
Every gimbal is different and they all behave in unique ways to achieve the (hopefully) same end result. Understanding of course that the operator has a lot (A LOT) to do with achieving quality results. Good footwork is imperative (doing the "ninja walk"... heel-toe-heel-toe) to getting smooth footage with none of the dreaded (and it really sucks) up/down vertical movement. It instantly gives away to the viewer how the footage was shot. That's one big reason that Steadicams are still king for larger scale projects (among other reasons).
Don't get us wrong, gimbals are great and amazing bang for the buck - and with some practice you can get really smooth footage.
However, circling back to the Movi, it's the first gimbal we've ever used that right out of the box - with zero practice - we got buttery smooth footage.
It wasn't perfect footage by any stretch, but it was really good and now that we've had the gimbal for a week or so it's getting even better (practice does make perfect).
We're working on a full review that will be ready in the near future where we'll show more test footage and go through the Movi app (which is a cool app, but the quality of the footage is not up to par with say an app like Filmic Pro).
So while the Movi is on the pricier side of things - especially compared to the other smartphone gimbals on the market - it's really quite good and if you can afford it - probably the best current gimbal in this category.
What do you think? Have you used a Movi? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on social media.
Happy filmmaking!