Zhiyun Smooth Q3: The Best Budget Gimbal for Instagram Reels and TikTok
It's lightweight, supports many popular phones, offers a rotatable fill light, and a modernized button layout to simplify usage.
With the release of the Zhiyun Smooth Q3, Zhiyun has instituted some heavy design changes from the Smooth Q2. As always, these are meant to streamline and better fit the current climate of smartphone video shooting. However, the question remains are these changes worth investing in, and are there any notable trade-offs.
For past users of the Smooth Q2, the Zhiyun Smooth Q3 has moved away from its predecessor's design. Rather than continue forward with the aluminum alloy build of the Q2, users are instead given a lighter-weight, two-tone matte plastic build. In terms of its body design, it felt like it took lessons from the Smooth XS while attempting to improve on what it did well.
With the Smooth Q3, there's a focus on grip ergonomics. Rather than deal with an unwieldy cylindrical grip, the formed plastic at the rear of the handle comfortably fits four fingers while leaving your thumb free for joystick and button operation. The contrast between light and dark gray also guides your eye to all the important buttons, USB-C port, and zoom rocker too.
For those after a travel-friendly gimbal, the Smooth Q3 design does allow for a quick, slidable pack-up. While not as pocket-friendly as the Smooth XS, it can still stick close. If you don't want to keep it on you, it also stows away easily for transport.
Zhiyun Smooth Q3 Technical Specifications
In terms of numbers, the Smooth Q3 offers improvements in two major gimbal areas: weight and payload. Thanks to its plastic body, it's managed to drop down to 340g from the 380g of the Smooth Q2 (without its battery inserted). The Smooth Q3 also boasts an improved max payload of 280g from the previous 260g. When in transit or stored folded up, the Smooth Q3 measures 45 x 154 x 180 mm. When fully expanded, the Smooth Q3 measures out at 90 x 127 x 279 mm.Battery Life and Charging With the Zhiyun Smooth Q3
With the Smooth Q3's swap to an internal battery, how does it perform? In terms of operating time, it has a standard battery runtime of seven hours with a potential maximum of fifteen hours. Depending on the intensity of use and stress on the motors, it also may drain faster.
In one testing period, I ran the Smooth Q3 for seven hours in a split between mostly low-stress operations with bursts of higher intensity use. During the low-stress period, I just left the gimbal on with the pre-balanced Infinix Hot 10S. While I'd occasionally adjust the pan, it largely sat idle.
During the high-impact periods, I went outside to shoot for intervals of thirty minutes to an hour while utilizing the assorted features of the gimbal. Over the course of the seven-hour back-and-forth, the Smooth Q3 only dropped one single bar (so roughly 25% of its battery).
Once you do drain your internal battery, the Smooth Q3 charges via USB-C. While charging, the Smooth Q3's indicator lights light up in sequence to show its recharge progression. If you want to keep tabs on your battery life during stabilizer operation, you can also tap the power button to display the current charge.
With this all said, I did notice the Smooth Q3's battery could be finicky at times. If I left the Smooth Q3 powered off for two-to-three days with the battery charged, then it would sometimes not power on and act as if it were dead. I'd only be able to reawaken the battery after plugging it in to charge and waiting a short while.
However, if I was actively using the Smooth Q3 or at least turning it on daily then no problems of this nature occurred.
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