More videos than ever are being made with smartphones. The need for professional motion tools has never been greater. The Hohem iSteady M7 is perfect for wider and heavier phones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Handheld versus gimbal
Handheld video is great for recording quick authentic shots where the bounciness of the camera adds to the story. The other side of that is the smooth-flowing captures that only a gimbal can deliver. So, short scenes work well with a handheld phone. Longer scenes, tracking shots that follow the subject, for example, are where the gimbal shines.
Hohem iSteady M7
Full disclosure: The Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal system was given to me for this review. Let’s start with the best part: the price. It lists for $299.00. B&H has the iSteady M7 for $269.00 as of the writing of this review. It’s a great value. Let’s dig into the details.
Hohem iSteady M7 — In the box
The iSteady M7 comes in a colorful black and orange box. Inside is a lightweight, zippered carrying case made of a molded fiber. Opening the case reveals the gimbal, connecting cords, manual, quick start guide and warranty info. The gimbal is all one unit. The only thing not supplied is a power brick for charging the unit. My iPad USB-C power supply works just fine with the included cable.
The iSteady M7 holds a smartphone in either landscape or portrait mode. It’s easy to balance the phone on the gimbal in either mode, too.
Hohem iSteady M7 — Full axis stabilization
The lightweight iSteady M7 gimbal smooths all three axes: pitch, yaw and roll, also known as tilt, pan and roll. Tilt is the up-and-down movement. Pan is side-to-side. Roll is the camera rotating on its axis. Its motors are strong enough to stabilize a phone weighing a little over a pound (17.5 ounces). Its grips can hold an iPhone Pro Max without taking it out of its case.
Hohem iSteady M7 — AI tracker
A closer look shows the removable and repositional AI tracker/light/camera unit on top. The tracker has a built-in fill light. Its brightness and color are adjustable to suit any lighting situation. The big news is the tracker’s camera. It can lock onto a subject and have the gimbal follow it. This is great for solo vloggers. The tracker uses hand signals to start and stop the camera. There are gestures for shutter and composition as well. These work from a foot and a half to almost 17 feet from the unit.
The iSteady M7 AI tracker works without any app or with a videographer’s favorite. I love not being forced to use the Hohem Joy Bluetooth app, which is very limiting.
Hohem iSteady M7 — Touchscreen unit
Frame the subject, then double tap on it on the removable (!) touchscreen controller to have the iSteady M7 track a subject. While that is very nice, the controller and its 1.4-inch color screen and controls easily pop off of the gimbal, giving the person holding it full control of movements and other features from up to 30 feet away. The speed of each motor can be set on the touchscreen. Tapping and swiping the small screen takes some practice for people like me with large fingers. The convenience of being able to control the gimbal remotely without cables is worth that small inconvenience.
Hohem iSteady M7 — Charging
Plug a USB-C cable into a brick and the other end into the iSteady M7. The touchscreen lights up, showing the battery status of the gimbal and the touchscreen controller itself. When the cable is removed, the battery level is shown at the top of the touchscreen. The gimbal has a reverse charging port to power the cameraphone from its internal battery. This cable with one black and one gray USB-C plug is included.
Hohem iSteady M7 — Performance and stability
Simply put, the Hohem iSteady M7 gimbal holds a big smartphone securely and keeps it, well, steady in every situation. The three gimbal modes, PF (pan follow), PTF (pan and tilt follow) and POV (point of view) are built in. Custom modes set individual axes. Sports mode boosts the follow speed for swift-moving figures.
The sci-fi inception mode adds a 360º infinite spin on the pan axis when the gimbal is held level. While this artistic mode is lots of fun, viewers watching video in this mode may become dizzy.
One of the great features of the iSteady M7 is the nearly eight-inch extension pole in its handle for getting the camera above the crowd or really close to the ground for those low-angle shots.
Skyfall at Burj Kalifa Lake
The iSteady M7 gimbal preforms flawlessly on long takes. I made this video of the water show set to Adele’s “Skyfall” at Burj Kalifa Lake in Dubai. All of it is handheld using the iSteady M7 gimbal. I shot it with my iPhone 14 ProMax in cinematic mode.
