Hohem iSteady X3 Gimbal Stabilizer for iPhone, Foldable Phone Gimbal Object Tracking, Remote Control, 3-Axis Phone Stabilizer Built-in Extendable Rod & Tripod, Fill Light for Video Recording, YouTube

Does not work, does not track -Updated
**UPDATE I was contacted by Hohem and they offered to send me another gimbal. They sent me the isteady v3. I was told that the isteady x3 does not track, although it does say tracking right in the title, nevermind the description. I found the v3 came with more instructions and qr codes for tutorials I found very helpful. This one DOES track. I have not had the chance to really use it yet. But I’m greatful that they were willing to send me a new one to try again. Be careful with the x3 if you are looking for tracking.** Original review **I understood there was a learning curve. My item does not track as stated. I bought it because it says it tracks. I watched several videos and could not make it work. I contacted the manufacteror via Amazon and they were useless. Did not answer my questions but simply sent the same info that is on their site to purchase. I would try another, but I don’t think my item is a lemon, I think it does not work as they state it does. I’m not willing to take the chance. I need a gimball that works, is reliable and actually does track.

Solid entry level gimbal phone camera solution
I’ve been working with flying cameras for several years now and fully understand the value of actively tracking a subject and keeping a stable frame. Handhelds never crossed my mind outside of cinematic rigs or integrated camera/gimbal sticks. For the cell phone, this is likely the worst way to accomplish this style of photography. Most people have large heavy smart phones which requires a gimbal rig that can handle the weight and with arms that get out of the way of the phone. My old Samsung S20 Ultra is one of those 222g beasts. The iSteady X3 will handle up to 300g phones — so I put the two together to see how well this works.The manual for this isn’t great – but Hohem does have effective video guides. It wasn’t intuitive for me to use, and I fought the gimbal several times in my efforts. Attaching it to my Samsung was an exercise in trying not to hit the side power button with the clamp — which apparently is right where Hohem wants to grab it for center of gravity. At little off to the side still is able to be used, but am I getting less useful stabilization?Using for capturing my son play basketball was a challenging learning curve. I tried to get him with the AI tracking, but there were too many people, and it was lost immediately. Either my phone is too old to compute, or the software isn’t good enough to track in crowds yet. Perhaps the AI is just better for selfie or single person video. Learning which mode to be in and how to effectively use the thumb stick just takes practice. The results are astounding, especially when paired with the Anti shake functions built into the phone video options. My first game looked like I was chasing the subject and trying to catch up. The second one I had figured out the impact of the gimbal in the shot and was keeping things in frame directly. It just takes practice.In general – this isn’t something you’re keeping in your pocket, but something you have to set up, albeit quickly. The iSteady X3 is really good at smoothing the impact of the cameraman on the video subject and it will be an option at any sporting event that I want to capture. As for selfies — if they are planned captures, sure — but I’m not an influencer or a vlogger so I’m not going to be presenting while moving.The AI tracker for a specific subject is something I need to spend more time on when the weather is warmer and perhaps, I can compare it to another competing product.I’m still not convinced of the niche for this type of gimbal/camera solution over a dedicated action cam one like the Hohem iSteady Pro4 or even an integrated camera gimbal solution like a DJI Osmo Pocket. These can be higher quality and definitely lighter solutions for capturing video for longer periods — like sports games. But in this cell phone use case in which you may have already spent $1k on a phone because of its camera, this is competitive with the other major brands and works well.