The well-made Android phone Vivo X 51 5G offers a 5G modem and a Main camera with integrated gimbal.

The X 51 brings a main camera that Smartphones have never seen this before – one with an integrated gimbal. A gimbal is usually an external stabilizer that you insert a camera or smartphone into to take smoother pans and smooth videos. Accordingly, the gimbal integrated in the camera serves as a mechanical image stabilizer for videos and photos alike.

A clever idea, even if the term “gimbal” is perhaps a bit exaggerated here. The distances that the stabilizer can compensate are longer than with a common optical image stabilizer for smartphones – Vivo promises a three-fold increase – but they are nowhere near a real gimbal. Also, you cannot pan the camera manually using a four-way switch, as with a real gimbal. Nevertheless, it is impressive to see how the lens moves up, down, left and right under the cover glass when you calibrate the stabilizer via the camera app.

For videos that the X 51 with up to 4K resolution and 60 fps, the gimbal actually ensures quieter recordings. Because the stabilizer compensates for movements, camera pans are implemented with a slight delay, which you have to get used to. This is usually not observed with common image stabilizers in smartphones, or at least not as pronounced. The ability to automatically keep people or animals in focus while they are moving is useful in many situations and works properly.

Access to all contents of heise + exclusive tests, advice & background: independent, critical well-founded c’t, iX, Technology Review, Mac & i, Make, c’t Read photography directly in the browser register once – read on all devices – can be canceled monthly first month free, then monthly 9, 95 € Weekly newsletter with personal reading recommendations from the editor-in-chief Start FREE month Start your FREE month now heise + already subscribed?

Register and read Register now and read the article immediately More information about heise +