hohem iSteady M6 Kit vs hohem iSteady X3 SE Plus

The hohem iSteady M6 Kit was the top of the line before the M7 and is now the better deal for a phone-and-mic rig. The 400 g payload takes a phone, a case, a mic receiver and a small light without strain, the battery runs about 18 hours, and it charges the phone.

The kit adds a magnetic fill light that snaps onto the clamp. It is bright enough to light a face on a dark street at arm's length, which the small lights on the cheaper gimbals cannot. AI tracking is built into the gimbal and works in any app.

It is bigger and heavier than the V3 line and does not fold as small. Owners rate it 4.2 across more than 1,300 reviews.

The hohem iSteady X3 SE Plus is the gimbal most people buy first, and its 2,600-plus reviews show why: three motorised axes, a detachable Bluetooth remote, a fold-out tripod and a price that a decent selfie stick asks. It folds flat and weighs about 260 g.

The limits are the payload and the tracking. It is rated for about 280 g, which is a phone in a slim case and nothing else; add a mic receiver and it struggles. The face tracking works only inside hohem's app, so a stream or a third-party camera app gets no tracking at all.

Battery is about 9 hours. Owners rate it 4.2 across more than 2,600 reviews.