The Best Gimbal For Nikon D5200 Cameras!

There is no denying that the d5200 is a very popular entry-level DSLR camera that has an absolutely massive user base of both photographers and videographers. Due to this, we commonly see people who own the d5200 reaching out for assistance and advice on various accessories that they can be using with their camera body to improve the level of image quality that they can capture.

Due to this, we have decided to publish this article where we will be going over what we feel is the best gimbal for Nikon d5200 cameras currently available at the time of writing. We hope that our article will be able to help any of our readers who own the d5200 and that it will help to save you some money as so many people go out and purchase an expensive gimbal like the Zhiyun Crane 3 when there really is no need to do so.

The Nikon d5200 is a pretty lightweight DSLR coming in at only 1.22 pounds of body weight meaning that there are some excellent little gimbals that can support its weight that won’t break the bank. The comparison table below goes over the main features of the three gimbals that we have decided to feature for the d5200 and we will then go over a full break down for each recommendation throughout the rest of the article.

Comparison Table

Last update on 2022-05-29 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

As you can see, the DJI Ronin S is our primary gimbal recommendation for the Nikon d5200 as we feel it is just a solid bit of kit that serves as an excellent general-purpose gimbal stabilizer. You are able to use the Ronin S in pretty much any situation that you can think of to help improve the level of image quality that you are able to capture and it can support some very heavy d5200 setups too.

Next up, we have what we class as our budget-friendly gimbal option for the d5200, the Zhiyun Crane Plus. Now, although the Crane Plus has been primarily designed for use with the mirrorless camera weight class, the Nikon d5200 is light enough to get some great, budget-friendly image stabilization out of it provided you use a light d5200 setup when recording.

Finally, we have our heavy lifting option, the Moza Air 2. In all honesty, we would only recommend this gimbal for use with a Nikon d5200 if you are planning to use a really heavy camera set up when recording and you need the additional payload. In our opinion, the other two gimbals above are much better choices in our opinion.

The DJI Ronin S

So, kicking us off for the deep dive into our featured gimbal stabilizers, we have our primary gimbal recommendation for use with the Nikon d5200, the DJI Ronin S that really is an excellent bit of kit and a great camera accessory. The Ronin S quickly established itself as the dominant DSLR camera gimbal after its release and it has continued to maintain that position ever since.

We feel that this is down to its absolutely outstanding levels of performance, its excellent design and build quality and the very easy to use control system. Although some may feel the price tag is a little high, considering what you are able to get out of this gimbal stabilizer, we feel it is a fair price and there is a reason it has managed to hold the top spot in the DSLR camera gimbal market for so long. Additionally, the Ronin S also has an excellent reputation within the videography and gimbal owning community that we don’t see changing any time soon.

Performance And Functionality

Like we said at the start of the article, the Nikon d5200’s camera body only comes in at 1.22 pounds of body weight meaning that the 7.94 maximum payload capacity that the DJI Ronin S is able to provide for you is likely able to support the vast majority of Nikon d5200 setups that you may use. In fact, there is a high chance that when you factor in the weight of your camera accessories like your lens, microphone, video light, and anything else you use when working, there will likely be plenty of load capacity going spare.

When it comes to battery life, with the Nikon d5200 being such a light camera, we would be confident in saying that you will be able to get close to the twelve-hour mark with each full charge. That said, if you do use a heavy camera rig that is close to the eight-pound mark then the additional workload of on the gimbal may bring the battery life down to around the eight to ten-hour mark.

The Ronin S can also be fully recharged in just over two hours from it being totally empty too. This allows you to minimize any potential downtime that you may have and allow you to rapidly recharge and get back out there. On top of this, there are also a number of power banks that you are able to use while out and about to steadily recharge your gimbal when possible. That said, you will need a higher capacity power bank like one designed for use with a laptop rather than a smartphone.

We feel that the cinematic video footage in the clips above do a great job of highlighting the type of image stabilization that the DJI Ronin S is able to provide for you during use. Now, there is some drone footage included in the clip but the majority of it is based around what has been captured via a camera mounted to the Ronin S 3 axis gimbal stabilizer.

As you can see, it ensures that the user is able to get some of the smoothest possible video footage while also helping to ensure that the user captures the best video footage possible too. The footage all flows naturally with come creative editing but due to the smooth video clips, they all flow together naturally.

As you would expect from any modern handheld gimbal stabilizer on the market these days, the Ronin S has a bunch of supported gimbal modes that help to further improve your image quality. One of particular note is the point of view mode that we feel DJI has really done an excellent job with that helps to push the Ronin S even further ahead of the competing gimbals.

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User Interface And Control System

As we mentioned earlier in the article, the Ronin S really does have a very easy to use control system as seen in the image above. This ensures that you can quickly and easily get to grips with the gimbal right out of the box and essentially learn as you go. Due to the Nikon d5200 being an entry-level DSLR camera unit, we would imagine that there is a good chance that this may be the very first gimbal you may own and the ease of use can be a big selling point for it.

If you are a more experienced videographer and you have previously used gimbals for your work then the Ronin S still offers some professional-level customization too. This ensures that you are able to get the advanced features out of the gimbal when required and get the best possible video footage for your clients.

The DJI Smartphone App

The image above shows the DJI smartphone app at the time of writing and in our opinion, it is without a doubt the best gimbal app available. Most of the other leading manufacturers in the gimbal space have produces poor quality, sub-standard smartphone apps that can really let them down. Although the number of gimbal owners who still regularly use their smartphone apps is pretty low, it is quickly growing as the apps become more and more useful.

Thankfully, DJI has an excellent smartphone app and they are really leading the way in the app market. Not only is it quick and easy to pair your app up with your gimbal but the apps navigation menu is very easy to follow and use. This allows you to quickly and easily tweak any key gimbal settings on the fly allowing you to adjust the performance of the Ronin S to meet exactly what your Nikon d5200 needs out of it.

Build Quality And Design

Both the design and build quality are another area where the Ronin S shines and outdoes the competition. DJI has always been well known for their design team did some excellent work when it comes to their gear. Be it a gimbal or a drone, the team really put the hours in to ensure that the design of the product really is second to none and this just makes the whole process much easier moving forward when it comes to actually building the item.

Although the Ronin S is a pretty large gimbal stabilizer, it is pretty lightweight when you take into account its size, maximum load capacity, and battery life. Additionally, the handle has been designed to be as comfortable as possible during use ensuring that you are able to comfortably hold the gimbal for as long as required to get all the video footage you need with your Nikon d5200.

Our Verdict

When you look into the DJI Ronin S, it is no surprise that it has been the dominant gimbal in the DSLR camera space since launch. Although a few competing brands have tried to take the top spot, they have always failed and the Ronin S still reigns supreme to this day. It has one of the best reputations amongst all the gimbals on the market right now and it’s not hard to see why.

We feel that it makes the perfect partner for your Nikon d5200 and that together, they will produce the best image quality possible with the image stabilization of the Ronin S enhancing your d5200 in every way. All in all, the Ronin S is a great investment and will be a great addition to your collection of d5200 camera accessories.

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The Zhiyun Crane Plus

The next gimbal that we will be covering for use with your Nikon d5200 is the Zhiyun Crane Plus that can be an excellent budget-friendly gimbal for your d5200 depending on what you plan to mount to your camera during use. Now, before we go any further, we want to stress this point, although the Crane Plus is a great little gimbal, its lower load capacity can be pretty restricting for your Nikon d5200.

If you are a hobbyist videographer then it will be fine but if you are a professional videographer doing any type of paid client work then the DJI Ronin S is a much better option. The Ronin S also helps to future proof yourself against future camera upgraded to the heavier DSLR range too.

All that said, if you know that you will only be using lightweight rigs with your Nikon d5200 and that you have no plans to upgrade to a heavier DSLR in the future then the Crane Plus is a great bit of kit. Its performance is outstanding for its price point in the market and it is clear to see why it has its excellent reputation within the community.

Performance And Functionality

Although the Crane Plus has the lowest load capacity out of all three gimbals that we have decided to feature for use with your Nikon d5200, the payload of the gimbal still comes in a 5.5 pounds. With your Nikon d5200 coming in at only 1.22 pounds, this still leaves 4.28 pounds of payload weight spare for accessories for your camera.

Like we said earlier, if you know you will only ever use a light setup then this spare 4.28 pounds of payload weight can be plenty for the rest of your d5200 rig and ensure that you get a great little gimbal that also has a low price tag.

The Cran plus also has an excellent battery life with a maximum of up to eighteen hours depending on what you are doing with the gimbal. This can easily ensure that you are able to take your kit out and about away from power outlets for multiple days. If you are a travel vlogger or videographer then this can be a great benefit for you as you may regularly find yourself without the ability to charge your gear.

When you do need to charge your gear, the quick charge system that Zhiyun have put on the Crane Plus will take it from totally empty to brimming full in only three hours! Just like the Ronin S, there are also a number of power banks that you are able to use with the Crane Plus to charge it while on the go too.

The video above was recorded using a Nikon d5200 mounted to a Zhiyun Crane Plus and shows exactly what you are able to expect from the handheld gimbal when you mount your camera to it. You can see the excellent levels of image stabilization that it offers you and the resulting smooth video footage that ensures you get some of the best image quality possible.

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User Interface And Control System

Zhiyun has stuck to what the know when it comes to control systems for gimbals with the Crane Plus and as you can see in the image above, the system used on the Crane Plus is very similar to the rest of the Zhiyun range as well as what the Ronin S uses. This best of both worlds approach ensures that anyone shopping for their very first gimbal is able to quickly get to grips with this stabilizer for their Nikon d5200 as well as ensures it has the features required for professional-level videographers too.

The Zhiyun Smartphone App

The smartphone app really is the only weak spot of the whole Zhiyun range in our opinion. No matter the gimbal that you use, the app is prone to connectivity issues and it really does need some work. Although this was not considered such a big deal a few years back as no one really used the smartphone apps for their gimbal, this is rapidly changing.

DJI is leading the way when it comes to what a gimbal smartphone app should be able to offer and Zhiyun are going to have to put some serious work in to keep up or we feel they will be left behind on the app front.

Build Quality And Design

The Crane Plus follows the very popular design as the previous generations of Zhiyun gimbals that is to be as functional as possible while also keeping the weight and price tag of the gimbal as low as possible. This design has stood the test of time over the last decade as Zhiyun has managed to maintain their position as one of the dominant forces in the gimbal space.

When it comes to build quality, the Crane Plus has all the latest materials to keep it as lightweight as possible. Due to the Crane Plus being primarily designed for use with the mirrorless camera market, it is a very popular travel gimbal so Zhiyun needed to make it as lightweight as possible while also ensuring that it was robust enough to take the bumps coming its way when in transit.

Our Verdict

So, as we said back at the start of the article, the Crane Plus is a great cheap gimbal for your Nikon d5200 but you have to keep in mind that it does have a lower maximum payload than the other two gimbals that we have featured. As you can see in the example footage earlier in the article, the combo can definatley produce some excellent image quality with some very smooth video too.

We have a full review of the Crane Plus that goes into much more detail on the gimbal and what it has to offer too. If you are considering adding it to your camera accessories and want to know as much as possible about the gimbal then it might be worth reading if you have the free time available.

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The Moza Air 2

Now, the final gimbal stabilizer that we are going to be featuring for use with your Nikon d5200 is the Moza Air 2 and in all honesty, we doubt many of our readers will actually need to pick this up. It is more of a heavy lifting gimbal and we doubt that many of our readers will be using Nikon d5200 that need the additional payload capacity of the Air 2 as the DJI Ronin S is likley to be able to provide you with all the load capacity you could need for such a light camera while performing much better overall too.

That said, the Air 2 is still a solid handheld gimbal that has grown and maintained a great reputation within the community for itself. Even though the Moza Air 3 is not available on the market, the Air 2 still remains a popular choice with many videographers who use the heavier setups choosing it.

We know that the Zhiyun Crane 3 is the professional level heavy lifting gimbal but it is so expensive and with the Nikon d5200 being an entry-level DSLR camera we decided to feature the Air 2 instead. Anyway, all this said and done, we doubt many d5200 users will need a heavy lifting gimbal so we will just b quickly skimming over this section.

Performance And Functionality

The Air 2 has an absolutely massive 9 pounds of load capacity available for your Nikon d5200 so if you do use something like a heavy camera cage or battery grip with your d5200 during use, this could be the gimbal for you. Even when supporting the heavier payloads, the Air 2 is pretty consistent when it comes to battery life and usually gets around sixteen hours per full charge reliably.

User Interface And Control System

We really do love the control system on the Air 2 and wish that Moza had stuck with it on the Air 3 as it is easy to use and very responsive in our opinion. If you are shopping for your very first gimbal then this is a very easy to use option that follows a very similar system to the two gimbals covered above.

The Moza Smartphone App

In our opinion, although there is no doubt that DJI is leading the way when it comes to smartphone apps for gimbals, Moza is pretty much the only other brand at the time of writing with an app that works consistently. The interface can be a little confusing but once you get used to it, you are able to quickly work your way around it and get the wireless remote control functionality out of it when needed.

Build Quality And Design

The Air 2 follows the standard 3 axis handheld gimbal design that is popular for the majority of modern gimbals on the market right now. This ensures that you are able to get the most out of the gimbal without and friction building upon any movement hotspots and potentially causing issues with overheating. The build quality itself is solid and the gimbal is a decent weight when you take into account its massive load capacity and what the motors are actually required to do to support it.

Our Verdict

Like we said, we doubt that many of our readers will need the additional load capacity that the Moza Air 2 is able to provide when using a DSLR as lightweight as the Nikon d5200. In out opinion, for general use at least, the DJI Ronin S is a much better gimbal with better levels of performance too.

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Wrapping It Up

Well, that brings our article on what we feel is the best gimbal for Nikon d5200 cameras to a close and we hope that you now better understand the various gimbal stabilizers on the market right now that are suitable for use with your d5200. We have tried our best to explain when each of the three featured gimbals would be the better choice for your d5200 so you know what situations each of the gimbals shine.

We also have a general article based around what we feel is the best gimbal for DSLR cameras on the market right now. We take five popular DSLR gimbals and compare them head to head in that article but the winner is still the DJI Ronin S just like in this article.