Ever had that moment when your footage is shaky, and you can’t seem to get the camera to move the way you want? It’s probably because of a gimbal lock.

Now, what is gimbal lock? Well, a gimbal lock is when two of the axes on your gimbal line up, making it hard to rotate the camera smoothly. 

You don’t need to worry because today I’ll cover  —

• Why gimbal lock happens
• How to avoid it
• How to fix a gimbal lock

So, let’s dive in and make sure your shots are always on point!

The Key Ideas

• What is Gimbal Lock: Gimbal lock refers to a situation where two axes in a three-axis gimbal become aligned, so movement is restricted to a single axis.
• Causes of Gimbal Lock: It typically happens due to axis alignment, extreme camera angles (like 90 degrees), or mechanical limits in the gimbal’s design, leading to jerky or shaky footage.
• Avoiding Gimbal Lock: Using auto-tune features, adjusting motor parameters, and avoiding extreme tilt angles can prevent gimbal lock. It’ll ensure smoother camera movement.
• Fixing Gimbal Lock: If it happens, solutions include manually recentering the camera and recalibrating the gimbal. Plus, you can adjust the motor strength, reboot, or update the firmware to restore smooth operation.

What is a Gimbal Lock?

A gimbal lock is when two of a gimbal’s three rotating axes align, limiting its movement to just two axes. At this time, it loses its ability to rotate freely. 

When a gimbal gets stuck like this, it’s difficult to make smooth videos. The camera can’t move the way you want it to, and the footage looks shaky. This problem isn’t just for cameras. 

It can also happen in airplanes and other machines that need to move in different directions. There are different ways you can try to fix the camera gimbal lock. I’ll get into that in the later part.

Interesting Read: What is a gimbal?

Why Does Gimbal Lock Happen?

I’ve been wondering why the gimbal lock happens. It seems like a pretty common issue for videographers. So, I did some digging and found out a few things —

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Axis Alignment

Gimbals have three axes to help stabilize the camera. When two of these axes line up, the third one can’t rotate freely anymore. This is what causes the gimbal lock and can make your footage look jerky.

Extreme Angles

I’ve found that gimbal lock often occurs when the camera is tilted to extreme angles, like around 90 degrees. At this point, the gimbal can’t tell the difference between different rotations.

Mechanical Limits

Gimbal lock is a mechanical problem that happens when the gimbal’s axes overlap. Ultimately, it restricts its movement. This is a problem, especially when you’re filming fast-paced stuff.

Consequences of a Gimbal Lock

Here are some problems you might encounter due to a gimbal lock —

• Limited Movement: When a gimbal lock happens, your camera can only rotate around one axis. So, it becomes hard to capture dynamic scenes or create smooth shots.
• Shaky Footage: Since the gimbal can’t compensate for movements in the locked axis, your footage can become shaky or even abrupt. It’ll ruin the flow of your shots.
• Loss of Control: A Gimbal lock can make it difficult to make precise adjustments. It’s especially true in fast-paced or complex shooting environments.
• Difficulty in Repositioning: Once a gimbal lock occurs, it can be tough to quickly adjust the gimbal to regain smooth motion. Hence, you’ll face missed shots or delays in filming.

To avoid these problems, you should learn how to use a gimbal to avoid extreme camera angles.

How to Avoid Gimbal Lock

Here are simple steps on how you can avoid gimbal lock —

• Open the companion app for your gimbal. In this case, I’ll show you using the DJI Ronin app.
• After you open the app, you need to click on configuration.

• Then click on the motor parameters

• Here you can adjust the performance of the 3-axis. I know it can be tough to figure out the settings.

• That’s why I recommend to use auto-tune to avoid a gimbal lock 

• It’ll keep the pan, tilt, and roll-axis from getting to extreme angles. That way, you can get excellent shots without getting a lock. 

Plus, there are other customizable options like motor strength, stiffness, etc, which also help prevent this lock. Feel free to explore them carefully.

Interesting Read: How does a gimbal work?

How to Fix a Gimbal Lock During Videography

Now while videography you can get stuck with a gimbal lock. That time, you can do the following to get back on track —

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1. Manual Recentering

I carefully move the camera or gimbal to a neutral, horizontal position. It helps the gimbal find its way back to normal and usually fixes the problem.

2. Recalibrate the Gimbal

Recalibrate your gimbal using its adjustment features. In this case, I’ll show you the DJI OM4 calibration process.

• Open the ‘Settings’ menu (found as three dots in the top-right corner).
• Select ‘Gimbal Settings’ from the center of the screen.
• Scroll down to find ‘Horizontal Gimbal Adjustments.’
• Rotate the gimbal horizontally until it’s level.
• Hit ‘Done’ to save the changes.
• Your gimbal is now balanced.

3. Tweak Motor Strength

I usually use the gimbal app to lower the motor strength, especially for the tilt axis. It can help the gimbal move smoothly without locking up.

4. Quick Reboot

If nothing else works, I turn off the gimbal for a few seconds and then turn it back on. This usually resets everything and gets it working again.

5. Check for Updates

I always make sure to check the app for any new firmware updates. Sometimes, these can fix issues like gimbal locks.

Final Words

To sum up, what is gimbal lock? Gimbal lock is when two of a gimbal’s axes align, limiting movement and making your footage shaky. 

I discussed why it happens, like when you tilt your camera too much or the axes overlap. To avoid this, I recommend using auto-tuning and playing around with the motor settings. 

If you do get a gimbal lock, don’t panic. You can usually fix it by recalibrating, recentering, or even just restarting the gimbal. So, stay proactive, and keep your shots steady!