Zhiyun brings AI and voice control to the Cinepeer CQ5 smartphone gimbal
Oct 21, 2024
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Zhiyun has announced the new Zhiyun CQ5 smartphone stabiliser (Buy here). The new foldable 3-axis smartphone gimbal offers AI tracking with gesture control as well as voice control. Like most smartphone gimbals today, it sports a built-in 21.5cm selfie stick and a magnetic fill light.
Zhiyun Cinepeer CQ5
The Zhiyun Cinepeer CQ5 is Zhiyun’s latest sub-$100 smartphone gimbal. It brings intelligent features such as AI tracking through a magnetic module. After tapping in the app on your smartphone, the intelligent tracking system identifies and follows your subject.
It also offers two methods of hands-free control. First, thanks to the aforementioned AI tracking, we have gesture control. The CQ5 also offers voice control, allowing you to bark instructions at it from a distance of up to 3 metres.
This sounds a lot like the control we saw on the Hohem iSteady V3 ($129), of course, there are some differences. The Zhiyun Cinepeer CQ5 doesn’t have a removable control panel, but the Hohem iSteady V3 doesn’t feature voice control.
It’s a folding gimbal, allowing it to pack up small and potentially even fit in your pocket. At 188mm long, though, they’d have to be some pretty deep pockets. In the literal sense, not metaphorical, as this is a very inexpensive gimbal.
It’s been great to see smartphone gimbals evolve over the last decade or so, getting to the point they’re at today. A lot of them are starting to seem a little bit samey now, though. Have we hit peak smartphone gimbal? What more can they really make them do that isn’t just a gimmick?
Price and Availability
The Zhiyun Cinepeer CQ5 is available to buy now for $99 and is already shipping.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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