The new gold standard for subject tracking

There’s no denying that AI is the trendy thing right now, so it’s only natural that a lot of products are attempting to take advantage of the hype. While many are smoke and mirrors, it’s good to see a few of them making good with real technology that improves their products. Zhiyun is one of the top smartphone gimbal makers out there, and the company recently released a minor refresh to their Smooth 5S, but this time with support for a clever little AI module that completely changes the game — for certain situations.

Dubbed the Smooth 5S AI, the new model is nearly identical to its non-AI predecessor, but it supports a brand new tracking module that allows the gimbal to follow a subject without relying on one of the company’s camera apps. This seemingly small difference opens up several possibilities for getting better video, making this one of the best smartphone gimbals for solo shooters.

Price and availability

Ignore the standard kit; go for the combo or pro

Zhiyun is pricing the Smooth 5S AI exactly the same as it did for the original 5S, with the Standard kit retailing for $169 to get the gimbal, mini-tripod, a USB-C cable, and one year of a Zhiyun Prime subscription. The next step up is the Combo for $219, which adds just the AI module. Finally, the Pro kit is available for $249 and includes a zippered case, a magnetic fill light with four colored gels, and a wrist strap.

If you want the AI module, be sure to get the Combo or Pro packages. It’s not available separately, so you can’t add it later. If you already have a Smooth 5S, there’s very little to gain from upgrading to the 5S AI unless you’re ordering it with the AI module.

What’s good about the Zhiyun Smooth S5 AI?

Motion tracking, no app required!

Automatic motion tracking has been a fairly standard feature among smartphone gimbals for many years. Still, it always required the use of a camera app from the manufacturer that did the tracking and communicated movements to the gimbal via Bluetooth. Since those camera apps aren’t optimized for each phone, it usually means users have to give up some features and any computational capabilities built into stock camera apps.

Insta360 attempted to provide a solution for the Flow gimbal with a feature in the app that allows it to go into the background while continuing to monitor the camera, enabling it to do motion tracking while users switched to another app of their choice. This was designed for use with video chat and social apps in mind, like Snapchat and TikTok. Of course, this may not always work reliably with low-spec phones or some OEMs.

Zhiyun’s apps are still available and support gesture tracking, but the new AI module bypasses the app requirement entirely. The small module snaps onto the top or bottom of the phone clamp with strong magnets, and it uses a tiny camera to detect the same hand gestures used by the app and follow you around the scene. This makes it easier than ever to use the stock camera app, social apps like Snapchat, or even more demanding camera apps.

Speaking of apps, Zhiyun offers two apps aimed at different types of users. The ZY Cami app caters primarily to social media and casual shooters. It offers built-in filters, guides that help you build scenes, tutorials, and Zhiyun’s social network for posting video clips.

The StaCam app is a relatively new release offering a more straightforward camera interface for experienced shooters. It provides manual controls and advanced features that may be too complicated or confusing to novice users. Both support subject tracking and gimbal controls.

Physically, the gimbal has a good hand grip and feels well-balanced, so it’s comfortable to hold. It’s just heavy enough that it will naturally reduce some shakes without becoming uncomfortable after longer sessions.

The range of motion is great, with 349-degree tilt and roll and unlimited panning. This blows away most modern smartphone gimbals, where some motors may hit hard stops at 180 degrees or less. Of course, most of those models are designed to fold up for portability, whereas the Smooth 5S AI is a filmmaker gimbal intended to be smoother and more flexible at the cost of size.

Another perk to a filmmaker-oriented gimbal is stronger motors capable of a heavier payload. Officially, Zhiyun lists a maximum payload of 300g or about 10.5oz. In practice, I don’t feel like I’m that close to the real-world limits despite using a Pixel 8 Pro (213g), attaching a Synology BeeDrive (43.1g) to the back, connecting them with a short cable (about 25g), and snapping on both the AI module and fill light (10g each?).

That configuration isn’t even remotely balanced, and I expect it’s going to slash battery life significantly, but the motors are still strong enough to keep this rig steady.

What’s bad about the Zhiyun Smooth S5 AI?

A filmmaker’s gimbal has some compromises

As I just finished saying, this isn’t the most portable gimbal. It’s hardly oversized or unwieldy, but it’s too large to be easily pocketable and can’t fold up to fit tight spaces. If you choose to travel with it, you’ll probably carry it in a bag or possibly in the travel case included with the Pro kit.

The design of the gimbal may pose some problems for a few phone models. For example, a phone with its primary microphone at the bottom may not capture sound very well since it will usually be pushed snugly against the motor assembly holding the phone clamp.

While I’m comparing other modern gimbals, I’d like to add a built-in selfie stick to the wishlist for a future model. It’s not necessary, but it would be another tool for getting shots that might not be realistic with just the short handle, and it’s almost vital for a good vlogging shot while walking.

I’m generally impressed by the motion-tracking AI module, but I have some nitpicks. First, and probably the most significant, I feel it would be better if the module were built right into the gimbal so it would be hard to lose and likely reduce the cost. However, I wouldn’t ask for that if it prevented the module from being reversible.

Otherwise, it’s notable that the module doesn’t have any tuning options to control speed or behavior. The apps offer this control, which can be helpful if the gimbal movement is jerky or too slow. It’s also worth mentioning that the AI module can only track a person, whereas the apps allow you to draw a box around any object you want the camera to follow. Obviously, There’s no interface to control these things, but a future version could support configuration through the app.

But speaking of apps, I have to address the one thing that drives me crazy about the ZY Cami and StaCam apps: subscriptions. Both apps have features locked behind a paywall, and regular prompts and indicators encourage users to spend money on a Zhiyun Prime subscription. To make matters more confusing, there’s also a Prime+ subscription that unlocks even more functionality, mostly in StaCam.

Bear in mind that the gimbal includes a one-year Zhiyun Prime subscription, and both apps will still function once that runs out, but they’ll be missing several features. Fortunately, the tracking capabilities aren’t tied to a subscription, and you don’t even need the apps if you’re using the AI module along with any other camera app of your choice. Still, this type of subscription feels a bit like trying to reach back into my wallet after the sale is done.

Should you buy it?

Gimbals are really great tools for smoothing out your movements and keeping a level horizon in videos. And thanks to subject tracking, they’re also uniquely great for adding some motion to videos when you’re out vlogging or shooting with a skeleton crew. Of course, with that said, not everybody needs or would even use a gimbal. Moreover, this isn’t really meant to be a travel gimbal; it’s for filmmakers and the like.

And that’s the important part. For filmmakers and serious vloggers, the Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI is breaking new ground. It’s easier than ever to use the camera of your choice and get better-looking videos. There are other competitors out there, but Zhiyun mostly stands alone in building a smartphone gimbal designed for professional capability rather than convenience.