Hohem has announced their newest line of gimbals, the Hohem iSteady MT3 series. The iSteady MT3 Pro is built for higher payloads and a higher variety of tracking, but the iSteady MT3, the base model in the series, is streamlined for a more agile type of creator, someone who needs to take weight into consideration and isn’t too concerned with the frills of the pro model.
In the box, you get the Hohem iSteady MT3 stabilizer, tripod attachment, an Arca quick-release plate, a phone clamp, an action camera adapter, a camera fixing screw, a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, a USB-C control cable, a Sony multi-camera control cable, a hex key and the documentation. The iSteady MT3 weighs in at 765 grams and folds from 12.5”x5.9”x5.9” to 10.9”x7.5”x2.7”.
The Hohem iSteady MT3 is built solid with high-end materials and an excellent grip on both the handle and the tripod, which acts as an extension to the handle when collapsed. On the handle, you have a small OLED display to show you the status of the device and its functions, a joystick for pan/tilt controls, a wheel that can control the roll of the gimbal, the focus (if connected via bluetooth) or the brightness of the fill light attached the the mount of the iSteady MT3. the button in the middle of the wheel turns on the light and switches modes.
On the front of the gimbal, there is a trigger that centres the stabilizer. The power button can be found on the right under the USB-C port for charging. You’ll also find a thread here to place an additional mount if you are looking to shoot on your phone and mirrorless camera simultaneously. On the gimbal’s mount, you’ll find a power switch for the tracking mechanism and another USB port that is a power output to feed into your camera/phone.
“The Hohem iSteady MT3 is built solid with high-end materials and an excellent grip on both the handle and the tripod, which acts as an extension to the handle when collapsed.”
Hohem has designed the iSteady MT3 to have the entire mount able to be switched quickly between horizontal and vertical orientations so that you can shoot for any platform. Tracking is limited to just human, compared to the human, animal, vehicle and compatibility with additional subjects on the iSteady MT3 Pro. Tracking can be managed with simple gestures that command the camera to track, end tracking and even activate a shutter event if you are connected via bluetooth.
Additionally, the Hohem iSteady MT3 connects to the Hohem Joy app, giving you a lot of the remote control capability that you would get with the removable controller on the iSteady MT3 Pro. While you can’t see your shot, like on the pro, you can control the motion of your gimbal, the speed and sensitivity in which it moves and program time lapse motion which, in tandem with the time lapse setting on your camera, can create some gorgeous scenes.
Mounting the camera on the Hohem iSteady MT3, either in vertical or horizontal orientations, is quite easy and the mount is built to allow very precise adjustments when balancing the camera before using, which I always find to be the toughest part when setting up a stabilizer. Swapping between the various adapters, making the iSteady MT3 compatible with phones and action cameras, is also very easy. I wouldn’t put any of these changes in the hot swap category, though. They can be done fast, but not so fast that you don’t risk missing a shot.
“Mounting the camera on the Hohem iSteady MT3, either in vertical or horizontal orientations, is quite easy and the mount is built to allow very precise adjustments when balancing the camera before using…”
When actually putting the Hohem iSteady MT3 to the test, it performed admirably. Using the tracking on my face as I was walking around doing a vlogging test kept me well framed even when I couldn’t see myself. The camera I was testing does have a flip-around screen, but not all cameras do, so I wanted to ensure that I could trust it when I had no choice. The shots were all incredibly steady, whether I was shooting low or high, and the range of motion never limited anything I tried to do while shooting.
Battery life is also not a concern even on longer shoots. Hohem claims a battery life of up to 17 hours with its 2600mAh battery, but that is under ideal conditions with tracking disabled and the stabilizer not moving. But even 12 or 13 hours at full function (which it can do easily) is a lot for a day of shooting.
The MSRP for the Hohem iSteady MT3 is $329 USD. Compare that to the iSteady MT3 Pro’s $449 and you find a good price for someone who doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of the high-end model. The drop off in price for the base model is not insignificant, given the fact that it still has excellent tracking, runs silent and comes complete with the parts that will make it compatible with pretty much any kind of camera you might own. It’s a top notch stabilizer for the majority of creators out there today.
