What Is a Gimbal and How to Choose One
With the rapid development of modern industrial levels, a plethora of smart devices have emerged, giving people more opportunities to encounter and use them. Those who frequently utilize security surveillance video recording and cameras, or attempt aerial photography with drones, will come across a feature known as the gimbal.
During the process of photography or video recording, the camera’s field of view (FOV) can be increased and the shooting angle and range can be changed. The role of the gimbal is to adjust the camera’s lens angle and range horizontally or vertically, allowing the photographer to capture photos and videos from a wider angle, more stably, and more smoothly.
So, what is a gimbal? What are the categories of gimbals, and how do you choose the right one for different smart camera equipment?
A gimbal is a support device used to mount or fix a camera, which can also serve as a stabilizer for the camera.
Based on the internal structure of the gimbal, they can be divided into fixed gimbals and motorized gimbals.
A motorized gimbal consists of two AC or DC motors that provide movement in the horizontal and vertical directions. Through remote control software, users can adjust the horizontal roll axis or the vertical roll axis at will to meet the optimal shooting requirements. This design is widely used in the field of security monitoring, whether for home use or outdoor surveillance. Cameras with gimbals are very popular as they offer users a full-angle view compared to a fixed angle. Additionally, with the widespread use of AI human detection technology, gimbal-equipped security cameras allow users to track and monitor potential threats without blind spots.
Gimbals can also be categorized by the number of axes they have: single-axis gimbals, dual-axis gimbals, and universal gimbals, also known as omnidirectional gimbals.
Single-axis gimbal: Simply put, it provides movement in one direction. This specific requirement, due to its low cost, was an early option offered by gimbal products.
Dual-axis gimbal: Also known as PTZ, it can provide simultaneous movement in both horizontal and vertical directions, used in conjunction with remote control software. This is currently the most cost-effective and widely used gimbal solution, applied in areas such as home security monitoring, outdoor security surveillance, power facility monitoring, railway monitoring, river protection, and long-distance voyages on ships.
Universal gimbal, also known as an omnidirectional gimbal or three-axis gimbal, is a new type of photography equipment. It is extensively used in photography and drone aerial photography, especially when motion shooting or handheld shooting is required, as it significantly improves shooting stability and smoothness.
A common three-axis gimbal mainly consists of the following components:
- Horizontal roll axis (Roll Axis): It provides horizontal roll movement of the gimbal, achieving horizontal scrolling of the shooting frame.
- Vertical roll axis (Pitch Axis): It provides vertical roll movement of the gimbal, achieving vertical lifting of the shooting frame.
- Yaw axis (Yaw Axis): This is the key feature that distinguishes a three-axis gimbal from others. It adds an additional axis to the dual-axis gimbal. If the horizontal roll axis and vertical roll axis are defined as the X and Y axes, respectively, the yaw axis would be the Z axis, perpendicular to the X and Y axes. The horizontal and vertical axes form a plane, and with the addition of the yaw axis Z, a three-dimensional structure is formed. This ensures that during motion shooting, handheld shooting, or drone aerial photography, the camera lens is always fixed in a three-dimensional direction, ensuring stable and smooth footage, thus perfectly solving issues of image shake and difficult shooting angles.
Currently, this type of universal gimbal is widely used by high-quality photographers, travel enthusiasts, photography enthusiasts, and advertisement producers, creating higher-level photographic works. As below is DJI RS4 3-Axis gimbal stabilizer.
How about that, do you have a better understanding of gimbals now?