Keep your photography smooth with this handy device

A gimbal is a hand-held stand that steadies your phone, and the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro is among the top ones out there

- Tushar Kanwar

It wasn't that long ago that perfectly stable high-resolution video capture used to be the preserve of dolly-mounted movie cameras in the hands of professionals. Today, smartphone cameras have stepped right in with gorgeous 4K video, but even with refinements in image stabilization, they're still left wanting when it comes to buttery smooth video footage and sweeping cinematic shots. This is where smartphone gimbals like the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro (₹15,990) come in. You could look at alternatives from Zhiyun Smooth and Hohem iSteady series, but the most credible competitor in the space is the newly launched DJI Osmo mobile 7P (although the Insta360 outshines in terms of features/capabilities even though it is marginally pricier).

Okay, but what are gimbals? Think of them as the smaller, consumer-friendly versions of tripods—sturdy enough to accommodate the biggest smartphones around yet small enough when folded for portability. The principle is the same—a smartphone gimbal is a handheld mechanical stabilizer that stabilizes your phone across three axes, smoothening out the jerky movements associated with a shaky hand or a bumpy gait. Now, even if you're out running, hiking or just walking, gimbals like the Flow 2 Pro can help make smooth panning shots and cinematic video effects accessible to everyone. Well, almost...but we'll get to that later.