Zhiyun Smooth 5S Phone Gimbal Review

With mobile phones being the gateway to content creation for most people, a gimbal stabilizer can mean the difference between professional-looking footage and a shaky mess. Enter the Zhiyun Smooth 5S, a professional-level gimbal that makes content creation easier while delivering fantastic results. While not everyone needs this level of production value, for those who do, there are few on the market that are more complete than what Zhiyun has brought to the table with the Smooth 5S gimbal.

If you’re familiar with Zhiyun stabilizers, the Smooth 5S closely resembles its predecessor, which is a good thing. It maintains the same robust, professional design with ample physical controls. The build quality is exceptional, featuring a durable plastic body that feels long-lasting. Having used the Smooth 5S at various events, I can confidently say it is built to last, even if it’s one of the bigger phone stabilizers I have used. 

Zhiyun offers the Smooth 5S in a standard package with just the gimbal and tripod or a combo kit that adds the carrying case and an extra fill light. For most users, the standard kit will suffice. But if you do a lot of low-light shooting, springing for the combo might be worth it.

Looking at the features of the Smooth 5S, Zhiyun has made significant improvements that make this iteration stand out from previous models. The motors have been enhanced to better handle larger, heavier phones like the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Additionally, the clamp now opens wider to accommodate these bigger devices and thicker cases. For mobile filmmakers using add-on lenses, this extra clearance is a welcome addition, and I hope more gimbal makers will take note of this improvement.

If you’ve used previous iterations of the Smooth series, the control layout will feel very familiar, which is good news for existing Smooth 5 users. You still get a responsive joystick, mode button, record button and zoom/focus wheel. The jog wheel for adjusting the backlight brightness is a nice touch. All the buttons have a satisfying tactile feel that inspires confidence in use.

Beyond the basic improvements, I was impressed by the versatility of the Smooth 5S, especially when it comes to lighting. The built-in fill light is a 650-lux LED that can provide much-needed illumination for low-light shots. Combined with the two magnetic fill lights from the combo kit, you can get up to 2,040 lux of brightness. It’s not going to replace a dedicated lighting setup, but it’s handy in a pinch and fantastic for people who want to travel light for events or trips. 

“Looking at the features of the Smooth 5S, Zhiyun has made significant improvements that make this iteration stand out from previous models.”

Setting up the Smooth 5S requires some initial balancing, especially with heavier phones. But once it’s set up, it’s pretty much set and forget. The auto-calibration feature helps keep things balanced, even when you switch between portrait and landscape orientations. I will note that while it works with top-heavy phones like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, these are much more tedious to set up compared to an iPhone or OnePlus phone. You’ll want to set aside extra time to get everything sorted correctly. Otherwise, you’ll struggle when using it in the field.

In use, the Zhiyun Smooth 5S feels like a professional tool made for content creators who want a range of options. The abundance of physical controls means you don’t have to constantly fiddle with on-screen menus. Want to adjust the focus? There’s a wheel for that. Want to tweak the exposure? There’s a dial. It’s this tactile control that sets the Smooth 5S apart from more consumer-oriented gimbals.

With so many options, there is a slippery slope to consider. While it may work for you, there are a lot of settings at your fingertips here, and it can easily get overwhelming. Fortunately, even if you don’t know everything, following the quick start guide should give you decent results, but they could be better if you took the time to master the equipment. 

With its solid construction, the Smooth 5S is also not the most portable option. Weighing in at over 600 grams, it does have some heft to it. But that extra weight translates into rock-solid stability, even with larger phones. The trade-off is worth it if you prioritize smooth shooting over ultimate portability. It is also built to last and can easily deliver solid results with heavier devices, something that some of the more plastic stabilizers struggle with.

As much as I love equipment that looks professional, at the end of the day, the results count. So, I was pleased to see that the Smooth 5S’s stabilization performance delivers buttery-smooth results. Pans, tilts and rolls all look fluid and natural. The stronger motors do a great job of keeping even the heaviest phones steady. The intuitive controls make it easy to achieve cinematic moves like dolly zooms. 

It is also great to see how much you can do with the Smooth 5S beyond stabilized video. It works great for capturing smooth panning time-lapses or perfectly level panoramas. The object tracking feature is useful for vloggers who want to stay in the frame while moving around. There’s a lot the gimbal can do if you want to dive into the features, but thankfully, most of the modes are easy to understand, and if you give it some time, it’s relatively straightforward to get to grips with. 

In terms of battery life, Zhiyun rates the Smooth 5S at around 24 hours, which is actually slightly less than the 25 hours of the previous model. However, the Smooth 5S now supports PD fast charging, so it can be charged in as little as 2 hours, compared to 3-4 hours for the Smooth 5. For all-day shooting, this faster charging time could be a lifesaver. 

In testing, I never had a problem with it running out of power in the field, and it held its own throughout a long day at Computex without even showing signs of running out of power. The ability to change the battery quickly is a welcome addition and something that is great if you are going to be using your device for long periods of time. However, unless you are going to be out in the field with no power for long periods of time, the 24 hours is more than enough and should cover most people outside of very select fringe cases. 

Once you have everything set up and ready to go, you can use the app to see what you can do with the rig. The Smooth 5S works with Zhiyun’s ZY Cami app, which offers features such as object tracking, gesture control and time-lapse modes. There’s also a new AI editor that can automatically splice clips together to music. 

While the app is neat and full of options, it may feel a little overwhelming for many, and some of the more advanced features are locked behind a subscription paywall. Thankfully, you don’t need to use the app for the basic functions, as the stabilizer works with or without it. You will need the ZY Cami app for firmware updates, so be aware if you want to update things. 

Compared to its predecessor, the upgrades on the Smooth 5S are relatively minor. If you already own a Smooth 5, there may not be enough here to justify an upgrade unless you really need that built-in light or faster charging. For new buyers, though, the Smooth 5S represents a refined version of an already excellent gimbal.

For aspiring filmmakers on a budget, the Smooth 5S opens up a world of creative possibilities. Paired with a newer smartphone, you can achieve shots that would have required thousands of dollars of equipment just a few years ago. Smooth dolly moves, orbital shots and even crane-like movements are all possible with some practice.

Is the Zhiyun Smooth 5S perfect? Not quite. The companion app could use some refinement, and the blocked charging port is annoying. But for what it sets out to do — provide rock-solid stabilization and intuitive manual controls — it excels.

If you’re in the market for a high-end smartphone gimbal and don’t mind the extra bulk, the Zhiyun Smooth 5S is a top contender. It offers professional features in a (relatively) affordable package. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve to really master all it can do.

There are simpler, more portable options for casual users who just want to enhance their holiday videos. But if you’re serious about smartphone videography and want a tool that can grow with your skills, the Smooth 5S is hard to beat. It’s a gimbal that treats smartphone filmmaking with the seriousness it deserves.

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