During the holiday, I wanted to take my child out for some fun and capture every moment of her growth. While taking photos is relatively easy, shooting videos often results in noticeable shaking. Recently, I tried Auchuan's face-tracking gimbal, which worked exceptionally well. So, I decided to check out their official website and found the Auchuan SMART S2 smartphone three-axis stabilizer, which seemed perfect for me. Here, I'll share my experience using it during the Spring Festival holiday to provide some insights for those interested!

Before diving in, let me provide a detailed overview of the product's accessories, configurations, component names, operation methods, and app usage. For those unfamiliar with the product, understanding its configuration and naming conventions is essential for better comprehension of the following content. Let's get started!

This product currently comes only in black, so there's no color choice available. The Auchuan S2 smartphone three-axis stabilizer includes: ❅1 stabilizer, ❅1 tripod, ❅1 charging cable, and user manuals.

Configuration and Buttons:

1. LCD screen, 2. Control joystick, 3. Indicator light (there's another one in the same position on the right side), 4. Capture button, 5. Power on/off button/flashlight selection button, 6. Lens focus wheel, 7. Universal cold shoe interface, 8. Lens zoom lever, 9. AB button, 10. Trigger button. At the bottom of the handheld grip, there's a 1/4 screw interface and a lanyard hole.

Axis Naming:
In the images: 1. Pan axis, 2. Roll axis, 3. Tilt axis. Understanding the names of these axes is crucial for comprehending the rest of the article, especially for first-time users.

Screen Display:
The screen provides comprehensive information, including Bluetooth connection, battery level (displayed in 25% increments), PF half-follow mode, F full-follow mode, L full-lock mode, POV auto mode, GO mode, DM rotation mode, etc.

Accessories:
The tripod's outer surface is wrapped in skin-friendly silicone, with anti-wear and anti-slip silicone pads underneath. It can be used as a platform for live streaming or shooting when combined with the stabilizer. Additionally, it can be installed on top of the stabilizer as an extension rod, which is particularly useful for long-duration shooting, making it less labor-intensive. The skin-friendly silicone provides a comfortable grip.

Operation Method:
For those interested in purchasing or using a stabilizer for the first time, understanding key operation buttons is essential.

• Control Joystick: The most commonly used button on the stabilizer, it can manipulate the pan axis by 360 degrees, the roll axis by ±25 degrees, and the tilt axis by 324 degrees infinitely. This allows us to find the optimal angle for any scene.
• Lens Zoom Lever: This lever is frequently used for zooming during shooting, especially for macro shots or distant subjects. With this stabilizer, zooming becomes convenient, allowing for seamless adjustment of the focal length.
• Lens Focus Wheel: In situations where the focal length changes significantly, relying on automatic adjustments may be slow. For example, during macro photography or extreme zooming, relying solely on the phone's autofocus may not achieve the desired clear effect. In such cases, the focus wheel can be used for fine adjustments to achieve optimal shooting results.
• Trigger Button: This button is multifunctional. A single click switches between landscape and portrait modes, a double-click enters inception mode, triple-clicking activates selfie mode, and long-pressing triggers GO mode. This single button offers quick and versatile operations, which is one of my favorite features.

Conclusion:
As someone who upgraded from a regular stabilizer to a three-axis one for the first time, my initial impression of the Auchuan S2 was its exceptional smoothness at every angle. The transition from touchscreen operations like switching between landscape and portrait mode, zooming, and focusing to mechanical operations felt quick and accurate, resulting in smooth and clear footage. According to feedback from friends, while I can't speak to its technical excellence, the stabilizer certainly looks professional and impresses with its smooth operation.

Special Modes:
With the stabilizer, you can capture shots that were previously difficult to achieve. The most commonly used modes include inception mode, ant view, and extreme high and low-angle shots, allowing for creative possibilities that were once unimaginable.

Rear Selfie Mode:
Since the rear camera on smartphones is generally more powerful than the front camera, switching to the rear camera for selfies can greatly improve the quality of self-portraits.

Shooting Modes:
Different modes have different feedback mechanisms for the pan, roll, and tilt axes. For example, the L (full lock) mode is typically used for front and back tracking or left and right panning. The lens remains at a fixed angle, highlighting the grandeur and visual impact of the scene. This mode is also commonly used for low-angle shots.

Final Thoughts:
As someone who isn't a professional photographer and didn't have much prior knowledge, I've been continuously learning and experimenting with stabilization techniques. The Auchuan S2 orthogonal three-axis stabilizer offers better overall stability due to its mutually perpendicular structure and more precise operation. All in all, it's a more cost-effective option than incremental upgrades. Since I've started using the Auchuan S2, I can't imagine going back to my old stabilizer anymore.