Hi Otto, I’ve been diving deep into some gimbal reviews lately. I just discovered your channel and instantly give you a subscribe. The reviews and video quality are great, but what makes your channel different are your effort on the comments section answering people’s questions. I hope you still do this by the time your channel grows bigger, since it would help to solve the real life use case problem. Maybe you could hire someone to do the job one day 👌
Hello Billy! Thank you so much for your comment and for your support. I do try to reply to everyone, and I also hope to be able to keep up with it as the channel grows. I have thought about this many times (what will happen when there is a lot of people commenting on the channel), but for now, it's been manageable so I'm not going to worry about it until it happens. There are some questions that I can't answer right away because it requires me to test something myself to be sure (worst case is when I don't have the item anymore!) and that feels bad for myself. But hey, today we reached 40.000! that's quite a milestone don't you think? Take care Billy
Ahh, a complete report on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trade-offs & more trade-offs. But you covered that situation with the remark, "There is no perfect smartphone gimbal out there." Appreciate your video very much.
Thanks for the very impartial and honest review. Most of those who review products today act as sales managers for those products ..! Maybe they want to be in good books of those companies, but the potential buyers receive wrong guidance !!! Please do continue with your honest reviews and hopefully the "sales managers" will follow your honest path !!! ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Great review! Even with the negatives not being talked about in most reviews I still want this gimbal for the tracking capabilities. It seems to be above and beyond all the others. The tracking will definitely help me make more videos by myself.
True, the AI features are pretty good, but you can get just about the same, if not even better, with other alternative gimbals like the Hohem M6, and this gimbal even has much more functionalities as well for some really nice productive shots. Personally, I will skip this gimbal entirely, this gimbal has really little to offer in terms of real functionalities. It can’t even do an up and down shot nicely.
Agreed with both comments! this Flow gimbal has great tracking capabilities, and this will draw a line for other companies that are falling behind in that department...all except Hohem that presented their new gimbal with an independent tracking sensor that has been working great!
I have Insta360 flow and my good advice to everyone is- do not buy it! Today I have received the Hohem M6 and it is much better. I am sending insta360 back.
Hi! Your videos are always excellent and very informative!! Thank you!! Can I ask a question… when using the ultra wide lens does the arm of the gimbal gets in the frame? Thank you again!
I bought a third-party magnetic mount, it seemed to be good quality, but the gimbal just started acting really strange with it after about a week. I have no idea what could’ve happened to change it, but something is wrong. I ordered the Insta360 version and we’ll see if it works any better.
we know why they’re not talking about any negatives, first the lack of concern for their subscribers and more of concern for continued flow of products that are sent free of cost “for Review”
Agreed Kevin. I like to do my reviews the same even if they get the product, and I know I’m not going to be top choice in the future for all of these companies but I’m a consumer too and I hate when UA-camrs present a product as if they are perfect when they are not. BTW, I had a good laugh watching iJustine reacting to this gimbal, and she even said that she hasn’t seen a gimbal with a fill light, etc etc.
@@OttoJulian_ I saw that review by IJustine also and I remember her saying that and was like “I’m sure she has not only seen a gimbal with a fill light, but has also probably reviewed it on her channel”.
I think I said it in this video, there is no perfect gimbal, and that applies for Samsung phones. Every gimbal has the same or similar limitations when you use their corresponding app
Hey Otto, great video! Thank you for your honesty. I currently have an Insta360 X3 that I'm using with Matterport for 360 tours & I'm not 100% happy with it in low light rooms. Would the Flow used with my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra work with Matterport?
The Flow is going to make your videos more stable. So here is a question for you. When you hold your S22 inside of those rooms and record a video, do they look good to you? If they are good enough, then you can use that phone, the Flow is there to eliminate shake, etc, not to enhance your video. Hope it makes sense
@@OttoJulian_ I haven't taken with my phone yet as it took a lot of time & kept overheating. Now that I'm used to Matterport, I can try again. I may just end up buying the Insta360 One RS 1 Inch as my X3 just isn't cutting it for inside shots.
Although I have bought the product, but Thanks Otto for such an outright and unbiased review.... Maybe before buying any Camera related stuff, I am surely going to search for your reviews. You have really done a detailed research about the product's features and functionality. I completely agree that why almost all UA-camrs have to join the rat race of grabbing attention rather than be authentic. Thanks for sharing your observations - They are indeed valuable - Ayan Sarkar / India
Great review. 2 questions. Does the Flow allow you to use the iPhone’s camera? Can you use the hot shoe to mount an SSD so you can shoot ProRes on iPhone? Thanks.
sure you can use your native camera app, although you will lose access to some of the gimbal's features that need their app to work, and yes, you can mount an SSD to the cold shoe mount
Otto, amazing video as always and I appreciate the honest review. With an iPhone, what gimbal would you recommend for real estate videography? Thanks Otto!
Hi Logan. iPhones don't have too many limitations. I think this one would be a good choice if you liked the features that I showed here. The OM6 is also a good choice to be honest but some people just don't like DJI. I would also consider the Hohem M6, but it's bigger and will not be a good choice if you want something smaller. BTW, the hohem M6 has an automatic A to B button that will move the camera for you, I think for real estate where you need to pan around to show the property, this is very useful
Thank you very nice comparrison I have a x3 360 and i love it but i will be most probably carrying only my samsung a55, I heard that the aâpp for android of insta creates microjittters that the app photo of samsung doesn't create, thank you
Most of the time I prefer to use that native camera app that the phone has, but it’s good to complement with a gimbal for the stabilization and other features that come in handy
if you don't mind about the limitations that I mentioned for Android and the other things that I pointed out about this gimbal, then I would say that it is a good choice. The tracking itself is one of the best ones out there on Android but remember that for tracking you need to use their app.
for Android there is always going to be the problem with 60fps and a few other small limitations, but they should work just fine I compared them both in this video, maybe it will clear up some questions for you ua-cam.com/video/FfzBiFsab5U/v-deo.html
@@OttoJulian_ I have another question, if you can't use manual mode so I can't turn off auto iso and can't use timelaps with the app ? Cause a timelaps with auto iso is baaaad !
@rodolphesimon295 yeah 60fps still doesn’t work. This is more of an Android problem not really something that manufacturers forgot or didn’t want to add
I have one, the joystick broke off after about a week of minimal usage. Sent it back to and got it replaced a month later with a new one. But now i'm beginning to regret buying this and i'm instead eyeing the new Zhiyun Crane M3S instead. It's also very limited when using a Android device.
I just posted a video on the new M3S. I do like that kind of gimbal, but if you are using a smartphone you need to use your native camera app (for me that’s ok, but some users like to use the special features on their apps).
Рік тому
@@OttoJulian_ that gimbal is built to work with phone's, mirrorless cameras and even action cameras. But i don't know how well their app works, but from what i gathered most mobile phone gimbal apps are mainly made for iPhone and Android is more of a messed up afterthought. For this Insta360 gimbal i found their app to be pretty much worthless on Android. That's why i used the native app on the S23 Ultra instead. It provides much better quality video at any resolution and frame rate i want.
I wouldn’t rely on the app (M3S). It doesn’t have anything for the phone. The app only controls a few things on the gimbal. No interface, no tracking, no record options, etc.
Hi Otto, very impressive review. I do not own any mobile gimbal yet and plan to get one for vacation. Which one you recommend if compared with OM6? I’m using 14 Pro
this is a good option if you don't mind about the things I mentioned. OM6 is a good choice, I like to use it myself, and the Hohem M6 is also great but it's bigger and for vacations it might not be too convenient. The other option is to wait for Zhiyun to release a new gimbal
With the limited tilt range, is it possible to use torch mode, I.e. pointing the gimbal forward, or underslung mode? I have a very old smartphone gimbal (Smooth Q), which cannot hold today's phones, and look for an upgrade
hi Sebastian, yeah you can use torch mode, and underslung mode. (for torch/flashlight you will need to extend a bit the extension rod and change the angle at the top)
The flow is a good gimbal with some limitations on the tilt range if you compare it to something like the smooth 5. I can’t really say that you will solve your problem because I don’t know exactly what’s the cause of your videos being shaky
Hi, I have a question about the app, specifically about the 'Shot Genie' feature... I've found a template I like, clicked 'I want to film', shot all of the suggested clips, now what?! Will the app put them all together, if so how? Can't see a 'publish' button... Or do I have to go back to home, then 'edit' and do it all myself? Can anyone help?!
Hi Jeff. These limitations are related to Android and not to the manufacturers. Brands like Samsung have made public that they don’t want third party apps to access all their camera features, but I also think that there is something with Androids that just doesn’t allow these gimbals to access their features such as 60fps.
it has a function to use anything on your phone, but the times I tested it I didn't like it, because it's recording the screen and it's not very stable either.
@@OttoJulian_ Ok great, I basically was thinking to turn of the hud like on screen details and then simply do Discord call and capture the screen this way two apps separately using resources rather than one app needs to struggle.
Hello. Thanks for the review. My lenovo Y70 phone supports shooting in 8k and 4k 60 frames, but in the settings in Insta360app the maximum resolution is only 4k30. Why doesn't he see the frame rate at 50 and 8k resolution? Also, I can not choose manual settings for taking photos and videos, shutter speed, ISO. I also tried another phone, there is no way to use manual shooting settings.
unfortunately, it seems that these apps made by the gimbal manufacturers can't access all the features on these android devices. As to the Why, it is beyond my comprehension.
well, if you have an Android and if you don't mind about the things that I mentioned, then this is a good choice. Bare in mind that the tracking works well on Android according to my tests. The Hohem M6 is also a great gimbal, but less portable, and if you want the tracking sensor it will cost more, but the grip and design are nice, tilt range is bigger than the one on the Flow, etc.
if you need the light then maybe. Retail price difference is about $50, that's a lot. There is an ongoing Xmas discount, you can take a look here: store.insta360.com/holiday-sale?insrc=INRIH1Y
Im using samsung s21 fe I wanted to buy a gimbal (Mainly for 360⁰ photos and video effects) Would you recommend this gimbal or any other alternate gimbal Please help me Thanks in advance
well, if you don't mind about the Android limitations ( You get most of them with other gimbals anyway) and if you like the features that I showed here, then yeah, it's a good choice. Besides, for 360 pictures, this is the only gimbal that can do that for now. The Hohem M6 is a good choice, bigger and a bit more expensive if you get the tracking sensor.... but some features are very good. I have a video review on my channel
I can tell you in my own experience with all 3 gimbals, the flow is above of the others specially the tracking is excellent for getting myself when I’m working in filming jobs… excellent review! 👍👍👍
Which gimbals did you try @Monchy? I am curious to make my decision as should I just go and buy this one or is there any other in the market that competes with Insta360 flow within the same price range?
@@ArafatTehsin zhiyum smooth 5, Osmo 6 and this one I have it now, Z 5 is a great everything gimbal more for kind of professional work but the Flow tracking blow me away! Is so accurate it! I can give the Flow to my 5 years old daughter to record me when I’m shooting events and I know it will came out good! This is my go with me everywhere gimbal now! Is not perfect but good enough for me! 👍
First, thank you GREATLY for being one of the very few to tell the truth about the Flow. As you mentioned, the early reviews (all of which I highly suspect were sponsored by (ie. the reviews received free units from) Insta360) all highlighted the "great" things about the Flow...but, at the same time, NONE of them pointed out the "problems". Additionally, every single one of those early reviews used ONLY iPhones - NO Android handsets were used, and that appears to be the greatest problem in using the Flow. Over the past several days, I attended the NAB Show, to which Insta360 was one of the exhibitors. I inquired about the Android compatibility, asking questions that should have been fairly easy to answer...and, in regards to the majority of the answers I was given, they were more like 'excuses', and less like honest 'answers'. Having already obtained some answers to the questions I was asking them from others (who had no association to Insta360) I was already expecting them to not be 100% truthful with me...and, they answered, pretty much, in the manner that I expected them to. Although I had already placed my order, with shipment expected within the past few days, I was also prepared to cancel that order before it shipped...and, with the answers I was given, I canceled my order during the first day of the NAB Show. Instead, I am now looking forward to placing an order for the Hohem is ready M6. While the tracking might not be as outstanding as the Flow's tracking of the four most prominent top-tier consumer gimbals available (OM6, Flow, M6, and Smooth 5S) I believe the M6 is the next best choice. Plus, considering one can use whatever camera app they want, that actually gives the M6 an advantage over the other three. If anyone from Insta360 reads this review, please, do not take it as me "putting down" Insta360...instead, use the info to help improve the gimbal. Listen to all the 'negativity' period have about the Flow, and, when the company starts working on the next generation of the Flow, use that info to improve its design & functionality. Your 360 cameras are excellent (I'm currently using a One X3, and I'm planning on purchasing the One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition before the end of the year)...so, now, you need to get rid of everything 'bad' about the design, and incorporate things that make your competitor's competing product 'great', so that yours can be better.
hi there! ok here goes my 2 cents: Regarding early reviews, I feel that it should not matter if you are getting an early unit or not, but I sure know what you mean. I was very disappointed on how some big channels presented the product, surprised about the magnetic clamp, or the optional fill light that you can get with this gimbal. Anyway, it feels more like a presentation than a review, and we are all looking for a review more than a presentation right? I do get some products to test before they are released, I have always made that public if that's the case, but I always say what's good and what's not so good. Companies will probably put my channel on their blacklist sooner than later. About the M6, I think you will be surprised when you test the tracking sensor. It is really good and now DJI and Zhiyun are falling behind on this topic.
@@OttoJulian_ Thank you for the reply...for confirming my 'suspicions' related to the majority of the early reviews, for "standing your ground" & being honest when it comes to you receiving/reviewing, and for the last bit about the M6. 🤙🏼
it's phone manufacturers fault, like Samsung, they have confirmed that they don't want to open all their camera features to third party apps. I love Android but this is just wrong in this era
No 4K on the selfie camera is a limitation of the phone not the gimbal, at least that's true on my iPhone and every other one I've used. 4K is only available on the rear camera
hey there. I think you have a very old iPhone, the last 3 I've had do have 4K when I use the front camera. Now I think that the limitation that I mentioned in the video applies when you use their app AND with Samsung, which by the way also has 4K on the front camera. So yes, it is a limitation of the gimbal's app.
I have an iPhone SE which is a little over 2yrs old which I know is ancient in smartphone technology but I find that not having 4k on the selfie camera to not be that big of a deal. Anyway, 3 clicks of the trigger gives you the rear camera if you need it. I've watched a lot of videos on the Flow and there are almost as many videos of "what they don't tell you" as there are ones over hyping it.
@@IsomPhilips yeah agreed, not a biggie if your phone doesn’t have 4K on the front camera. Yours is not old, it’s just a more basic model. I just wanted to Make it clear that the gimbal will support whatever resolution the phone has except for Android. Hope it makes sense.
You can order it online from their website (isteady M6). Otherwise, the Flow is superior to the Smooth 5S when it comes to tracking if you are using that Samsung device. The Smooth 5’s tracking is not as sticky.
last time I checked was about 10 days ago and there was no 60fps for Android phones. This is not something that Insta360 can change, I know these companies all want to have 60fps, it's the phone manufacturers like Samsung who have said that they don't want to give full access to their camera to third party apps
I was excited to use my Insta360 Flow and when I went to connect to the app, I wasn’t able to access it because I wouldn’t give permission to share my entire photo gallery with the app. Does anyone else find it problematic that you give up too much privacy to be able to use all the features that set this product apart from other gimbals? I don’t recall sharing my phone photo album when using the insta360 camera, why would I for a gimbal? Insta360 Flow isn’t user friendly unless you want to give up your phone’s contents.
I understand what you are saying. There is a reason why the camera doesn't ask for that kind of permission: The videos and pictures are recorded into the memory card. In the case of a gimbal, the app needs to access that folder to save what you record.
One drawback to the magnetic clamp. I challenge anyone to use your phone all day with that thing on it. Seriously it's not usable- at ALL! So in my mind - it's not a great thing if you have to put it on each time. Why not make a super small phone mount with folding arms? I think the Zhiyun Q4 has such a clamp, but I would like to see an even smaller design.
hey Blair, thanks for your comment. Challenge taken! I have used my phone with the DJI magnetic clamp all day, and the phone was 100% usable even if the power button was semi-blocked (I tap the screen instead).The only thing that bothers me is that the phone won't slip into my pocket every time as smoothly as when it doesn't have the magnetic clamp. So when I knew that my phone was going back and forth into the gimbal, I would just let the clamp attached (So as soon as I need to record something, it's semi ready) and later at night when I know I won't be filming anything else, I take it off. We don't have to agree but that's my case and the reason I love the magnetic clamp.
Unfortunately there is no best gimbal for Android if I’m being honest. I like using the OM6 for multiple reasons but I use the native camera app for 60fps. The new Hohem M6 is great but it’s bigger than this Flow gimbal. Those are my favorites so far, unless ZHIYUN comes out with something nice (they also need to improve the tracking on Android)
Bought this on the promise of amazing AI subject tracking, but it jumps around like it's trying to track an imaginary cat with a chilli pepper up its butt. The subject tracking is utterly useless, it just does not work. On Android phones the ISO and shutter speed cannot be manually adjusted and the settings it automatically selects are often nonsense (for 30fps video on one phone it seemed to be prioritising 1/100s and on another it was prioritising 1/50s. At other times it set the shutter speed too high or too low when it still had usable range to move the ISO). There are also no bitrate or quality settings for video and the quality of the video it shoots is pathetic, significantly worse than standard video recorded with the default camera app (even video shot in bright sunlight looks like trash, even when played back on the small screen of the phone it looks like trash with very noticeable compression artifacts). AKA, it is NOT Android compatible. They claim on their website that it is "compatible with most smartphones on the market" but that's just an outright lie. If you forget about the subject tracking and use a decent camera app instead of the garbage insta360 app, then it's just a regular gimbal, but because of its limited movement range it's also just not very good at being a generic gimbal. The insta360 flow is just a failure in every possible way, you would be better off strapping your phone to a chickens head. Worst gimbal I've ever used, worse camera gear purchase I've ever made.
Hey there. I am sorry that you had a bad experience with this gimbal. Android phones do have this limitations with most (if not all) gimbals in the market, where you can't use manual settings like on the iPhone. The different shutter speed on different phones makes sense because they have different cameras and therefore the exposure can be different between those devices. As for the tracking, I am interested in knowing which phones you used. The 2 phones I used with this gimbal had very good tracking using their app, and having tested different gimbals and their tracking feature, this one is at the top of the list of most reliable. (iPhone 13 and Samsung Galaxy S21+)
I bought this to shoot 360 photos. I was so excited because iPhones have such a high resolution now that I was stoked to use a lightweight apparatus to shoot these. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! Insta 360 scales down the iPhone photos and the result is a resolution that is only good for social media. What a disappointment from a company that has engineered pretty damn good resolution on their360 cameras!!!
hi there, this is a problem that all Android phones have with every gimbal, not just insta360, this video is for the DJI but it applies to them too ua-cam.com/video/3w2UIFvOF7k/v-deo.html
Hi Otto, I’ve been diving deep into some gimbal reviews lately. I just discovered your channel and instantly give you a subscribe.
The reviews and video quality are great, but what makes your channel different are your effort on the comments section answering people’s questions.
I hope you still do this by the time your channel grows bigger, since it would help to solve the real life use case problem. Maybe you could hire someone to do the job one day 👌
Hello Billy! Thank you so much for your comment and for your support. I do try to reply to everyone, and I also hope to be able to keep up with it as the channel grows. I have thought about this many times (what will happen when there is a lot of people commenting on the channel), but for now, it's been manageable so I'm not going to worry about it until it happens. There are some questions that I can't answer right away because it requires me to test something myself to be sure (worst case is when I don't have the item anymore!) and that feels bad for myself. But hey, today we reached 40.000! that's quite a milestone don't you think? Take care Billy
Ahh, a complete report on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Trade-offs & more trade-offs. But you covered that situation with the remark, "There is no perfect smartphone gimbal out there." Appreciate your video very much.
thank you so much! "trade-offs & more trade-offs" ---> hehe :D
Thanks for the very impartial and honest review.
Most of those who review products today act as sales managers for those products ..!
Maybe they want to be in good books of those companies, but the potential buyers receive wrong guidance !!!
Please do continue with your honest reviews and hopefully the "sales managers" will follow your honest path !!! ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Thank you for your feedback. I truly don't want to be or look like a "sales manager" for any company :) thanks for watching
Great review! Even with the negatives not being talked about in most reviews I still want this gimbal for the tracking capabilities. It seems to be above and beyond all the others. The tracking will definitely help me make more videos by myself.
True, the AI features are pretty good, but you can get just about the same, if not even better, with other alternative gimbals like the Hohem M6, and this gimbal even has much more functionalities as well for some really nice productive shots.
Personally, I will skip this gimbal entirely, this gimbal has really little to offer in terms of real functionalities. It can’t even do an up and down shot nicely.
Agreed with both comments! this Flow gimbal has great tracking capabilities, and this will draw a line for other companies that are falling behind in that department...all except Hohem that presented their new gimbal with an independent tracking sensor that has been working great!
I have Insta360 flow and my good advice to everyone is- do not buy it! Today I have received the Hohem M6 and it is much better. I am sending insta360 back.
@@nikolullmann3821 appreciate your feedback, is hohem works well on any android phone? And its on android camera?
Osmo 6 has new update firmware on ai tracking and it is fix same with ai tracking capabilities with the insta 360 flow
Hi! Your videos are always excellent and very informative!! Thank you!! Can I ask a question… when using the ultra wide lens does the arm of the gimbal gets in the frame? Thank you again!
most phones won't have an issue with the arm showing up. I haven't seen complains about this and I tried a few different phones and had no issues
U r d best utuber for gimbal review
much appreciated!
I bought a third-party magnetic mount, it seemed to be good quality, but the gimbal just started acting really strange with it after about a week. I have no idea what could’ve happened to change it, but something is wrong. I ordered the Insta360 version and we’ll see if it works any better.
mmm please do update us
This one is the best buy among all the other ones I have purchased
hi! thanks for sharing your experience!
we know why they’re not talking about any negatives, first the lack of concern for their subscribers and more of concern for continued flow of products that are sent free of cost “for Review”
Agreed Kevin. I like to do my reviews the same even if they get the product, and I know I’m not going to be top choice in the future for all of these companies but I’m a consumer too and I hate when UA-camrs present a product as if they are perfect when they are not. BTW, I had a good laugh watching iJustine reacting to this gimbal, and she even said that she hasn’t seen a gimbal with a fill light, etc etc.
@@OttoJulian_ I saw that review by IJustine also and I remember her saying that and was like “I’m sure she has not only seen a gimbal with a fill light, but has also probably reviewed it on her channel”.
Finally an honest review of this product! BRAVO!!!
I appreciate that!
very good comparison, thank you, I will still go for insta 360
excellent, I'm not telling people not to buy the insta360 tough
Hey Otto, what is the best gimbal for Samsung phone? All gimbals are just fully compatible with iPhones.
I think I said it in this video, there is no perfect gimbal, and that applies for Samsung phones. Every gimbal has the same or similar limitations when you use their corresponding app
Hey Otto, great video! Thank you for your honesty. I currently have an Insta360 X3 that I'm using with Matterport for 360 tours & I'm not 100% happy with it in low light rooms. Would the Flow used with my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra work with Matterport?
The Flow is going to make your videos more stable. So here is a question for you. When you hold your S22 inside of those rooms and record a video, do they look good to you? If they are good enough, then you can use that phone, the Flow is there to eliminate shake, etc, not to enhance your video. Hope it makes sense
@@OttoJulian_ I haven't taken with my phone yet as it took a lot of time & kept overheating. Now that I'm used to Matterport, I can try again. I may just end up buying the Insta360 One RS 1 Inch as my X3 just isn't cutting it for inside shots.
Although I have bought the product, but Thanks Otto for such an outright and unbiased review.... Maybe before buying any Camera related stuff, I am surely going to search for your reviews. You have really done a detailed research about the product's features and functionality. I completely agree that why almost all UA-camrs have to join the rat race of grabbing attention rather than be authentic. Thanks for sharing your observations - They are indeed valuable - Ayan Sarkar / India
Thank you so much for your kind feedback.
Great review. 2 questions. Does the Flow allow you to use the iPhone’s camera? Can you use the hot shoe to mount an SSD so you can shoot ProRes on iPhone? Thanks.
sure you can use your native camera app, although you will lose access to some of the gimbal's features that need their app to work, and yes, you can mount an SSD to the cold shoe mount
Otto, amazing video as always and I appreciate the honest review.
With an iPhone, what gimbal would you recommend for real estate videography? Thanks Otto!
Hi Logan. iPhones don't have too many limitations. I think this one would be a good choice if you liked the features that I showed here. The OM6 is also a good choice to be honest but some people just don't like DJI. I would also consider the Hohem M6, but it's bigger and will not be a good choice if you want something smaller. BTW, the hohem M6 has an automatic A to B button that will move the camera for you, I think for real estate where you need to pan around to show the property, this is very useful
Thank you very nice comparrison I have a x3 360 and i love it but i will be most probably carrying only my samsung a55, I heard that the aâpp for android of insta creates microjittters that the app photo of samsung doesn't create, thank you
Most of the time I prefer to use that native camera app that the phone has, but it’s good to complement with a gimbal for the stabilization and other features that come in handy
Thanks for the review. So would you recommend this gimbal above any other, if you have an android phone?
if you don't mind about the limitations that I mentioned for Android and the other things that I pointed out about this gimbal, then I would say that it is a good choice. The tracking itself is one of the best ones out there on Android but remember that for tracking you need to use their app.
So wich gimbals for android user are you advice ?? i hesitate between DJI OSMO 6 and insta360 flow... TY for your honest review !
for Android there is always going to be the problem with 60fps and a few other small limitations, but they should work just fine
I compared them both in this video, maybe it will clear up some questions for you ua-cam.com/video/FfzBiFsab5U/v-deo.html
@@OttoJulian_ i'll check your video, did the limitation 30fps is up to 60fps now ? or i gonna be limited at 30fps ?
@@OttoJulian_ I have another question, if you can't use manual mode so I can't turn off auto iso and can't use timelaps with the app ? Cause a timelaps with auto iso is baaaad !
@@rodolphesimon295 true. I know what you mean, but yeah you just gave yourself the answer
@rodolphesimon295 yeah 60fps still doesn’t work. This is more of an Android problem not really something that manufacturers forgot or didn’t want to add
Good review Bro, Greetings from Malaysia
Malaysiaaaaa! Thanks!
I can't find anywhere the information whether you can manage a zoom in native camera using the Insta. Can anyone clarify this please?
if BT is connected then you can on some smartphones
Great video congratulations.. When I get this, I'll have to stretch it to give my videos a drone effect. How can I do this? Is an extra stick ?
thanks. Yeah a monopod or an extension rod that can handle the weight
Terrific balanced review. Thank you very much!
You are welcome !!
I have one, the joystick broke off after about a week of minimal usage. Sent it back to and got it replaced a month later with a new one. But now i'm beginning to regret buying this and i'm instead eyeing the new Zhiyun Crane M3S instead. It's also very limited when using a Android device.
I just posted a video on the new M3S. I do like that kind of gimbal, but if you are using a smartphone you need to use your native camera app (for me that’s ok, but some users like to use the special features on their apps).
@@OttoJulian_ that gimbal is built to work with phone's, mirrorless cameras and even action cameras.
But i don't know how well their app works, but from what i gathered most mobile phone gimbal apps are mainly made for iPhone and Android is more of a messed up afterthought.
For this Insta360 gimbal i found their app to be pretty much worthless on Android. That's why i used the native app on the S23 Ultra instead. It provides much better quality video at any resolution and frame rate i want.
I wouldn’t rely on the app (M3S). It doesn’t have anything for the phone. The app only controls a few things on the gimbal. No interface, no tracking, no record options, etc.
Hi Otto, very impressive review.
I do not own any mobile gimbal yet and plan to get one for vacation.
Which one you recommend if compared with OM6?
I’m using 14 Pro
this is a good option if you don't mind about the things I mentioned. OM6 is a good choice, I like to use it myself, and the Hohem M6 is also great but it's bigger and for vacations it might not be too convenient. The other option is to wait for Zhiyun to release a new gimbal
With the limited tilt range, is it possible to use torch mode, I.e. pointing the gimbal forward, or underslung mode? I have a very old smartphone gimbal (Smooth Q), which cannot hold today's phones, and look for an upgrade
hi Sebastian, yeah you can use torch mode, and underslung mode. (for torch/flashlight you will need to extend a bit the extension rod and change the angle at the top)
This is by far the best video on this product
Thank you so much for your feedback !! Greatly appreciated
Can you test the active track 6.0 in Dji osmo 6. Is it any better now comparing insta 360 flow ?
Wanted to do this last month but I've been caught up with so much work :(
how to use the inception motion feature?
I have a tutorial for this gimbal on my channel
how u compare the stabilizer with smooth 5 ? i get shaky photage in smoth 5 in vertical mood :(
The flow is a good gimbal with some limitations on the tilt range if you compare it to something like the smooth 5. I can’t really say that you will solve your problem because I don’t know exactly what’s the cause of your videos being shaky
Can shoot 4k 60fps?
I covered this topic in the video
Hi, I have a question about the app, specifically about the 'Shot Genie' feature... I've found a template I like, clicked 'I want to film', shot all of the suggested clips, now what?! Will the app put them all together, if so how? Can't see a 'publish' button... Or do I have to go back to home, then 'edit' and do it all myself? Can anyone help?!
there should be an option to select clips and then finish the video
Are the Android limitations something that Insta360 can fix with a firmware upgrade or is the problem with the Android software?
Hi Jeff. These limitations are related to Android and not to the manufacturers. Brands like Samsung have made public that they don’t want third party apps to access all their camera features, but I also think that there is something with Androids that just doesn’t allow these gimbals to access their features such as 60fps.
Thank you for the details, one question, can it stream the content to Twitch or Discord calls? Like any tricks to get it work.
it has a function to use anything on your phone, but the times I tested it I didn't like it, because it's recording the screen and it's not very stable either.
@@OttoJulian_ Ok great, I basically was thinking to turn of the hud like on screen details and then simply do Discord call and capture the screen this way two apps separately using resources rather than one app needs to struggle.
Hello. Thanks for the review. My lenovo Y70 phone supports shooting in 8k and 4k 60 frames, but in the settings in Insta360app the maximum resolution is only 4k30. Why doesn't he see the frame rate at 50 and 8k resolution? Also, I can not choose manual settings for taking photos and videos, shutter speed, ISO. I also tried another phone, there is no way to use manual shooting settings.
unfortunately, it seems that these apps made by the gimbal manufacturers can't access all the features on these android devices. As to the Why, it is beyond my comprehension.
I want to buy my firts gymbal,but i not decide..insta 360 flow pero or hohem steady m6? Do you recomend the insta?i have a android phone .
I’m on the same fence
well, if you have an Android and if you don't mind about the things that I mentioned, then this is a good choice. Bare in mind that the tracking works well on Android according to my tests. The Hohem M6 is also a great gimbal, but less portable, and if you want the tracking sensor it will cost more, but the grip and design are nice, tilt range is bigger than the one on the Flow, etc.
@@OttoJulian_ thank you for answer mi question,maybe also the difference its the app in insta you can edit videos..and the hohem not,i think
Nice video sir. Nice review sir TQ.
Hi! You are welcome
How it compares to Vimble 3? I am torn between 360 flow and Vimble. I feel like Insta 360 have a better apps
I prefer the Flow
Is it worth it to get the creator kit to get.the spotlight?
if you need the light then maybe. Retail price difference is about $50, that's a lot. There is an ongoing Xmas discount, you can take a look here: store.insta360.com/holiday-sale?insrc=INRIH1Y
I just checked something: you can get the spotlight for free if you buy using this link: www.insta360.com/sal/flow?insrc=INRIH1Y
Thanks for your reviewing, we will optimize the experience of swiping to switch mode in the next FW update.
You are welcome! Sounds good!
Please also add 25/50 FPS modes for 'PAL' countires.
@@rodc271 yes we will
The best review is the one you do yourself.
true
Im using samsung s21 fe
I wanted to buy a gimbal
(Mainly for 360⁰ photos and video effects)
Would you recommend this gimbal or any other alternate gimbal
Please help me
Thanks in advance
well, if you don't mind about the Android limitations ( You get most of them with other gimbals anyway) and if you like the features that I showed here, then yeah, it's a good choice. Besides, for 360 pictures, this is the only gimbal that can do that for now. The Hohem M6 is a good choice, bigger and a bit more expensive if you get the tracking sensor.... but some features are very good. I have a video review on my channel
I can tell you in my own experience with all 3 gimbals, the flow is above of the others specially the tracking is excellent for getting myself when I’m working in filming jobs… excellent review! 👍👍👍
Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your experience 😁
Which gimbals did you try @Monchy? I am curious to make my decision as should I just go and buy this one or is there any other in the market that competes with Insta360 flow within the same price range?
@@ArafatTehsin zhiyum smooth 5, Osmo 6 and this one I have it now, Z 5 is a great everything gimbal more for kind of professional work but the Flow tracking blow me away! Is so accurate it! I can give the Flow to my 5 years old daughter to record me when I’m shooting events and I know it will came out good! This is my go with me everywhere gimbal now! Is not perfect but good enough for me! 👍
Thanks @Monchy. Really helpful.
@@ArafatTehsin no problem buddy! That’s why we all here for to help each other! 😎👊
First, thank you GREATLY for being one of the very few to tell the truth about the Flow. As you mentioned, the early reviews (all of which I highly suspect were sponsored by (ie. the reviews received free units from) Insta360) all highlighted the "great" things about the Flow...but, at the same time, NONE of them pointed out the "problems". Additionally, every single one of those early reviews used ONLY iPhones - NO Android handsets were used, and that appears to be the greatest problem in using the Flow.
Over the past several days, I attended the NAB Show, to which Insta360 was one of the exhibitors. I inquired about the Android compatibility, asking questions that should have been fairly easy to answer...and, in regards to the majority of the answers I was given, they were more like 'excuses', and less like honest 'answers'. Having already obtained some answers to the questions I was asking them from others (who had no association to Insta360) I was already expecting them to not be 100% truthful with me...and, they answered, pretty much, in the manner that I expected them to.
Although I had already placed my order, with shipment expected within the past few days, I was also prepared to cancel that order before it shipped...and, with the answers I was given, I canceled my order during the first day of the NAB Show. Instead, I am now looking forward to placing an order for the Hohem is ready M6. While the tracking might not be as outstanding as the Flow's tracking of the four most prominent top-tier consumer gimbals available (OM6, Flow, M6, and Smooth 5S) I believe the M6 is the next best choice. Plus, considering one can use whatever camera app they want, that actually gives the M6 an advantage over the other three.
If anyone from Insta360 reads this review, please, do not take it as me "putting down" Insta360...instead, use the info to help improve the gimbal. Listen to all the 'negativity' period have about the Flow, and, when the company starts working on the next generation of the Flow, use that info to improve its design & functionality. Your 360 cameras are excellent (I'm currently using a One X3, and I'm planning on purchasing the One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition before the end of the year)...so, now, you need to get rid of everything 'bad' about the design, and incorporate things that make your competitor's competing product 'great', so that yours can be better.
hi there! ok here goes my 2 cents: Regarding early reviews, I feel that it should not matter if you are getting an early unit or not, but I sure know what you mean. I was very disappointed on how some big channels presented the product, surprised about the magnetic clamp, or the optional fill light that you can get with this gimbal. Anyway, it feels more like a presentation than a review, and we are all looking for a review more than a presentation right? I do get some products to test before they are released, I have always made that public if that's the case, but I always say what's good and what's not so good. Companies will probably put my channel on their blacklist sooner than later.
About the M6, I think you will be surprised when you test the tracking sensor. It is really good and now DJI and Zhiyun are falling behind on this topic.
@@OttoJulian_ Thank you for the reply...for confirming my 'suspicions' related to the majority of the early reviews, for "standing your ground" & being honest when it comes to you receiving/reviewing, and for the last bit about the M6. 🤙🏼
why is it so hard to make it possible for android user to use the option with 60 fps, i dont get this!
it's phone manufacturers fault, like Samsung, they have confirmed that they don't want to open all their camera features to third party apps. I love Android but this is just wrong in this era
I am looking for a fold up gimbal that can handle at least 400 grams. Is there such a thing?
the M6, but it doesn't fold as much as this one
Should I wait for a better gimbal or buy this one ?? is it going to be a big difference using it or not using it making a video on the go ?
If you have no gimbal right now, this one will be a good one (compared to having none at all as I said).
No 4K on the selfie camera is a limitation of the phone not the gimbal, at least that's true on my iPhone and every other one I've used. 4K is only available on the rear camera
hey there. I think you have a very old iPhone, the last 3 I've had do have 4K when I use the front camera. Now I think that the limitation that I mentioned in the video applies when you use their app AND with Samsung, which by the way also has 4K on the front camera. So yes, it is a limitation of the gimbal's app.
I have an iPhone SE which is a little over 2yrs old which I know is ancient in smartphone technology but I find that not having 4k on the selfie camera to not be that big of a deal. Anyway, 3 clicks of the trigger gives you the rear camera if you need it. I've watched a lot of videos on the Flow and there are almost as many videos of "what they don't tell you" as there are ones over hyping it.
@@IsomPhilips yeah agreed, not a biggie if your phone doesn’t have 4K on the front camera. Yours is not old, it’s just a more basic model. I just wanted to Make it clear that the gimbal will support whatever resolution the phone has except for Android. Hope it makes sense.
Thanks for the honest review!
Any time!
For S22 Ultra, would you recommend Zhiyun Smooth 5s over than Insta360 Flow?
Hohem isteady m6
@@arlenedsouza Sadly there's no distributor and after service in my country =(
@@youngspective for which one?
You can order it online from their website (isteady M6). Otherwise, the Flow is superior to the Smooth 5S when it comes to tracking if you are using that Samsung device. The Smooth 5’s tracking is not as sticky.
@@OttoJulian_ Thanks for your reply. do you mean that for S22 Ultra, Smooth5S tracking is not so good and reliable?
Does it have 60 fps on Android now?
last time I checked was about 10 days ago and there was no 60fps for Android phones. This is not something that Insta360 can change, I know these companies all want to have 60fps, it's the phone manufacturers like Samsung who have said that they don't want to give full access to their camera to third party apps
thanks for the info! @@OttoJulian_
Very helpful. Thank you!
Thanks you are welcome
The tracking alone is enough reason for buying it.
Good ! 👍
I was excited to use my Insta360 Flow and when I went to connect to the app, I wasn’t able to access it because I wouldn’t give permission to share my entire photo gallery with the app. Does anyone else find it problematic that you give up too much privacy to be able to use all the features that set this product apart from other gimbals? I don’t recall sharing my phone photo album when using the insta360 camera, why would I for a gimbal? Insta360 Flow isn’t user friendly unless you want to give up your phone’s contents.
I understand what you are saying. There is a reason why the camera doesn't ask for that kind of permission: The videos and pictures are recorded into the memory card. In the case of a gimbal, the app needs to access that folder to save what you record.
can I spin into 360 while walking/Filming
Hi. This gimbal doesn’t spin 360
Great Otto. I like your video ❤❤❤
Good to know! Thanks !
Great and factual review, thanks
you are welcome!
MR.OTTO!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!
Hey Danemarc! Of course ! You are welcome !!
One drawback to the magnetic clamp. I challenge anyone to use your phone all day with that thing on it. Seriously it's not usable- at ALL! So in my mind - it's not a great thing if you have to put it on each time. Why not make a super small phone mount with folding arms? I think the Zhiyun Q4 has such a clamp, but I would like to see an even smaller design.
hey Blair, thanks for your comment. Challenge taken! I have used my phone with the DJI magnetic clamp all day, and the phone was 100% usable even if the power button was semi-blocked (I tap the screen instead).The only thing that bothers me is that the phone won't slip into my pocket every time as smoothly as when it doesn't have the magnetic clamp. So when I knew that my phone was going back and forth into the gimbal, I would just let the clamp attached (So as soon as I need to record something, it's semi ready) and later at night when I know I won't be filming anything else, I take it off. We don't have to agree but that's my case and the reason I love the magnetic clamp.
@@OttoJulian_ Well, there you go! I would find it too annoying.
🙂
Which is this app?
Insta360 app?
The stubby handle is a deal-breaker. Do not want.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts
A bit flimsy, i'll stick to dji at the moment.
Thanks for sharing your comment :)
Молодец! 🎉
Spasibo
Doesn't support 4k60fps is crap, everything else is good
Android limitations, yeah they are not good, but not the manufacturer's fault
@@OttoJulian_ What is the second best gimbal for Android? Just something this size
Unfortunately there is no best gimbal for Android if I’m being honest. I like using the OM6 for multiple reasons but I use the native camera app for 60fps. The new Hohem M6 is great but it’s bigger than this Flow gimbal. Those are my favorites so far, unless ZHIYUN comes out with something nice (they also need to improve the tracking on Android)
clearly not for android user
a few limitations yes, using the native camera app if no features are needed is an option
Bought this on the promise of amazing AI subject tracking, but it jumps around like it's trying to track an imaginary cat with a chilli pepper up its butt. The subject tracking is utterly useless, it just does not work.
On Android phones the ISO and shutter speed cannot be manually adjusted and the settings it automatically selects are often nonsense (for 30fps video on one phone it seemed to be prioritising 1/100s and on another it was prioritising 1/50s. At other times it set the shutter speed too high or too low when it still had usable range to move the ISO). There are also no bitrate or quality settings for video and the quality of the video it shoots is pathetic, significantly worse than standard video recorded with the default camera app (even video shot in bright sunlight looks like trash, even when played back on the small screen of the phone it looks like trash with very noticeable compression artifacts). AKA, it is NOT Android compatible. They claim on their website that it is "compatible with most smartphones on the market" but that's just an outright lie.
If you forget about the subject tracking and use a decent camera app instead of the garbage insta360 app, then it's just a regular gimbal, but because of its limited movement range it's also just not very good at being a generic gimbal.
The insta360 flow is just a failure in every possible way, you would be better off strapping your phone to a chickens head. Worst gimbal I've ever used, worse camera gear purchase I've ever made.
Hey there. I am sorry that you had a bad experience with this gimbal. Android phones do have this limitations with most (if not all) gimbals in the market, where you can't use manual settings like on the iPhone. The different shutter speed on different phones makes sense because they have different cameras and therefore the exposure can be different between those devices. As for the tracking, I am interested in knowing which phones you used. The 2 phones I used with this gimbal had very good tracking using their app, and having tested different gimbals and their tracking feature, this one is at the top of the list of most reliable. (iPhone 13 and Samsung Galaxy S21+)
BTW, I know this doesn't change anything, but I hope that you were able to get a refund for your unit
I bought this to shoot 360 photos. I was so excited because iPhones have such a high resolution now that I was stoked to use a lightweight apparatus to shoot these. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT! Insta 360 scales down the iPhone photos and the result is a resolution that is only good for social media. What a disappointment from a company that has engineered pretty damn good resolution on their360 cameras!!!
yeah, this is indeed a fact, using the native camera app on your phone will have better image quality
Mi 14 and poco f5 pro no 60 fps, 99% android no support 60 fps, stupid gimbal and insta app, insta is big scammer
hi there, this is a problem that all Android phones have with every gimbal, not just insta360, this video is for the DJI but it applies to them too ua-cam.com/video/3w2UIFvOF7k/v-deo.html