Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal – What You Need to Know

Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal – First Impression Highlights

My previous AOCHUAN smartphone gimbal broke into pieces after only 8 months. I did some research before buying a new gimbal and the Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal seems to be the best gimbal on the market now, at least for what matters to me.

Today, I will share my initial thoughts after using the Zhiyun Smooth 5 for 2 weeks.

- I don’t like the fact that Zhiyun is forcing us to install the app to activate the Gimbal. I think Zhiyun is doing this to rack up downloads on Google and the Apple pay store.

- Half of the buttons on the Zhiyun Smooth 5 won’t work if you don’t use their app. This is another sneaky business model to force people to use their app.

- The Zhiyun Smooth 5 is well made and feels sturdy. The material and craftmanship don’t feel cheap and are of high quality.

- The stabilization quality is very good. I tested the Zhiyun Smooth 5 in 50 to 70 km/h wind and -20°C temperature without issues. One time, the strong wind flipped my phone from the gimbal, but it happened only once and the wind at that time had hit 70 km/h.

- Various modes (like all follow, lock, vortex, etc.) can be controlled by pressing the mode button on the gimbal, but the problem is that the mode indicator lights are so small that they are very difficult to see outdoors.

- Surprisingly, the Zhiyun Smooth 5 works perfectly with the GoPro 10 action camera, although Zhiyun doesn’t mention this anywhere. I have a full video on this.

I am sharing my Zhiyun Smooth 5 experiences and tips in this video playlist: Zhiyun Smooth 5 Smartphone Gimbal 101- Tips, Tricks, & the Basics

Samsung ST65/ST67 Camera Review

Digital Camera Technology Can Change So Much in Five Years

First Published Date : June 8, 2011

My last digital camera before my Samsung ST67 was a HP Photosmart R817. I bought it in 2006 for $270, which was not cheap. The features were not bad, but nothing extraordinary compared to other cameras back then. I have been using this camera for 5 years without any problem; however, digital camera technology has brought so many new features in the last few years that with its bulky charging and photo sharing doc with tangles of wires and incapability to produce an HD video, it made sense for me to buy a new digital camera which can do it all, keeping accessories to its minimum. And the Samsung ST67 is the one I picked after searching electronic stores for months. I don’t need to carry a separate digital camera and an HD video camera anymore, as this tiny Samsung ST67 can do both jobs (take pictures and shot HD video) amazingly. See the picture and video clip yourself, if you are still skeptical about Samsung.

Do you believe that Nikon, Sony, Canon can give you better products because they are more expensive and have been around longer? I don’t. All my household products are Samsung. They look a lot better than other so-called famous pricey brands, saved me thousands of dollars and running amazingly well without any problem so far. This is no joke – whenever I bought Sony in the past, I ran into problems. However, I never had any problems with any of my Samsung products so far. So, as you can possibly guess, the main reason behind picking this Samsung ST67 digital camera was its price – at $129 this is a bargain which would be hard to surpass for me.

Let’s look at some Samsung ST67 features:

Ultra slim – feels like carrying nothing at all. I still remember the pain of carrying 2 cameras tangled with wires, chargers, and docks on my Cuba trip. With my new Samsung ST67, I just need one USB cable, as it can charge from a laptop.

14.2 MP resolution and 5X optical zoom.

Records in HD 720p resolution at 30 fps (see the video clip, link provided at the bottom).

Smile Shot and Blink Detection technology can automatically take pictures when subjects are smiling and eyes open. Also, there’s another feature called Beauty Shot which can take away blemishes on the face.

Smart Filter lens can take normal pictures looking like miniaturized or model-scale, and the Fish-eye effect can give videos distorted, cool looks. The Sketch and Defog effect can add emotion or an ultra vivid vibe to pictures.

Is the Samsung ST67 worth $129? Absolutely yes. Technology is bringing innovative and exciting products so fast that what you buy today will be obsolete tomorrow, so you don’t want to spend a lot of money on products like cameras, laptops, and so on. Try to spend as less as possible and use it for as long as you can. However, if you can’t do that and end up buying a newer model again shortly, spending less the first time around will cause you less regret than spending a fortune initially.

Flip UltraHD And MoviePix MP5A4 HD Digital Video Camera

Watch A View From My Balcony Non-HD

First Published: June 10, 2009 ADawnJournal.com

I have been contemplating buying an HD Camcorder for sometime. However, I was procrastinating because I wanted to buy a Flip UltraHD and it was not yet available in Canada. A couple of days ago I found out that Walmart Canada was selling the Flip UltraHD Digital Camcorder, and I decided to visit Walmart to buy one. As I was about to buy the Flip UltraHD an associate walked up to me and asked why would I want pay double just for a brand name.  He showed me a MoviePix MP5A4 HD cam which cost $127 (Flip UltraHD costs about $270) and had more features than Flip UltraHD. He also said that he tried it himself and he is convinced that it was a better deal at half the cost of a Flip cam. He sounded very convincing and I decided to give it a try.

After coming home (that was Saturday), I spent couple of hours learning various features and trying to get acquainted with my new cam. Today (Sunday), I shot my first clip – and the picture quality is just outstanding. I am pleased with this camera, especially its price. I am going to post a clip for you, and I will post a link to a similar video clip I shot before with a regular video camera. You will be able to see the difference yourself.

I will be using my new HD cam at the Toronto Reference Library in The Spring 2009 Toronto Small Press Book Fair. And from now on, expect to see more video clips capturing interesting stuff as I see them through my eyes.

MoviePix MP5A4 HD 720P Video Camcorder Review

MoviePix MP5A4 HD Camera Review

First Published: June 28, 2009 ADawnJournal.com

Ever since I wrote Flip UltraHD And MoviePix MP5A4 HD Digital Video Camera post, I have been getting lots of questions regarding my MoviePix HD video camera. Lots of readers asked whether to buy a Flip UltraHD or a MoviePix HD cam. Today, I am writing a quick comparison Review showing the main differences between these two cameras. After looking at this comparison table below, you should have a good idea of what to pick.

MoviePix MP5A4 HD

1280 x 720

up to 60 fps

4X

2.7”

8 MP

Li-ion rechargeable battery 2.5 hours

Camcorder connects to your computer via USB cable

SD memory slot allows up to 32GB of storage

USB, AV & HDTV Component output jacks allow to connect it directly to HD TV

Mov

148 gms

In Canada: $127 C$ In USA: $147 US$

Flip UltraHD

1280 x 720

up to 30 fps

2X

2.0”

Can’t take still pictures

rechargeable NiMH AA batteries 2.5 hours. Can use standard AA alkaline batteries as well.

Camcorder connects directly to the USB port on your computer.

8GB internal memory

HDMI output on the side for HDTV connections, but no bundled cable

MP4

170 gms

In Canada: $299 C$ In USA: $199 US$

Watch A View From My Balcony I Shot On MoviePix Video Camera In HD

A Budget Travel Tripod - Koolehaoda 56-inch SLR Camera Tripod

Compact Travel Tripod Review

If you are searching for a lightweight and compact tripod that you can travel with, you know how hard it is to find one that is wallet friendly. Of course, there are those high-end brand name ones, but not everyone may want to shell out $300 to $400 for a travel tripod.

That’s where value brand like Koolehaoda comes in. At a fraction of the cost (of the fancy ones), you can have very similar features and functionality that work without burning your wallet.

The one I purchased is a 56-inch, compact, and lightweight. Here are some specs:

Weight: 1290 kg or 2.85 lb

Height: 13.6 inch and 56 inch

One leg can be detached to work as a monopod.

Made of aluminium alloy and comes with universal ball head handle letting you perform 360 panoramic rotation. Flip lock legs are very quick and easy to manoeuvre.

As my YouTube channel www.YouTube.com/ADawn is growing, I needed a portable travel tripod without spending too much, and Koolehaoda is what I decided on after doing my research. Of course, there are other similar low-cost brands, but Koolehaoda is what I picked and have been using.

I also did a Koolehaoda YouTube review on my channel, which you can watch to find out further. Also, here is my Amazon link for Canadian visitors. Full disclosure: If you purchase using this link, I get a small commission.

Like my other reviews, this was not paid by anyone and all the opinions are unbiased and honest. There are some features of this tripod that I did not like, which I mentioned on the YouTube review. Always take your time to do your research to decide before buying anything, so you won’t regret it later on.