Gyroflow is a popular open-source software that offers advanced video stabilization for FPV drone footage by leveraging gyro data from your camera. This tool is free and compatible with various cameras, allowing you to stabilize videos using gyro data recorded internally (inside the camera) or externally (from Betaflight Blackbox) and then imported into Gyroflow.
In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through using Gyroflow to stabilize your drone videos—from installing the software to exporting your stabilized footage. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced pilot, this guide will help you get the most out of Gyroflow.
Table of Contents
What is Gyroflow and How Does It Compare to Reelsteady GO?
Gyroflow is an open-source stabilization software that uses gyro data to stabilize your footage. Compared to Reelsteady GO, another popular video stabilization tool, Gyroflow has several advantages:
- Free to use (Reelsteady GO costs $99)
- Works with any camera (Reelsteady GO only works with GoPro)
- User-friendly interface
- Smoother preview playback
- Faster exporting and rendering
- Comparable results
Cameras such as the DJI Action, GoPro and Insta360 record motion data internally with their gyroscope, allowing them to work directly with Gyroflow. However, if your camera doesn’t have built-in gyro data recording, you’ll need to get the gyro data from Betaflight Blackbox or use a dedicated flight controller for this purpose. More cameras, like the Runcam Thumb Pro and Hawkeye Thumb 4K, are being designed to work seamlessly with Gyroflow.
For comparison, take a look at my Reelsteady GO tutorial to get a sense how it works.
Download Gyroflow
First, download and unzip the latest version of Gyroflow from the official website: https://github.com/gyroflow/gyroflow/releases
Once downloaded, unzip the file and run the Gyroflow executable inside the folder. There’s no need for installation—Gyroflow is ready to use right out of the box.
Camera Requirements
You’ll need a camera that records gyro data along with the video footage. Most high-end action cameras, like GoPro and DJI Osmo Action, have this feature. Some budget cameras designed for FPV drones, like the Runcam Thumb Pro, Thumb 2, Hawkeye Thumb 4K, and Walksnail Moonlight, also have this capability.
See my HD camera recommendations here: https://oscarliang.com/action-camera/
Some cameras integrate the gyro data into the video file, making it easy to use with Gyroflow. However, other cameras (such as the Runcam Thumb) record gyro data in a separate CSV file, which you’ll need to load manually into Gyroflow. Check your camera’s manual to determine how it records gyro data.
Importing Video
Launch Gyroflow on your computer and simply drag and drop your video file into the application.
Missing Gyro Data?
If your camera stores gyro data within the video file, you’ll see three traces in the timeline representing the gyro movement in three axes. If these traces are missing, it means the video doesn’t contain gyro data, or it needs to be loaded manually. You can manually load gyro data under the “Motion Data” section, typically from a CSV file.
Note: On DJI O3, only certain camera settings allow you to record gyro data. Check my DJI O3 tutorial for more details.
Lens Profile
If your camera has a supported lens profile, Gyroflow will automatically load it. If not, you can manually select a lens profile or create one. Accurate lens profiles help Gyroflow understand your camera’s distortion characteristics, improving stabilization.
Syncing Gyro Data with Video
Gyroflow can automatically sync the gyro data with your video based on timestamps. If the stabilization isn’t working well, try using the “Auto Sync” function under Stabilization. If auto-sync isn’t perfect, you can manually adjust the sync using the “Offset” slider to align the gyro data with your video.
Trimming Video
Under the preview window, you can use the “[” and “]” buttons to trim your footage to the desired length. The button next to the volume allows you to enable or disable stabilization. This can speed up the render when you export it.
Adjusting Settings for Optimal Stabilization
While Gyroflow works great with default settings, here are a few adjustments you might consider:
Field of View (FOV)
Adjust the FOV to control how much of the original footage remains visible after stabilization. Increasing the FOV helps keep more of the scene but might introduce black borders if overdone, indicated by red lines in the timeline. Maximize the FOV without getting red lines for the best result.
Smoothness
This controls how smooth the stabilization appears. Higher smoothness values result in smoother footage but may require more cropping. Typically, a setting between 0.1 and 0.3 works well for most of my FPV videos as long as your drone flight is stable. The less stable your footage is the higher you should set smoothness to, but it results in more cropping.
Zooming Speed (Advanced)
Controls how fast the zoom in/out happens during stabilization. Faster zooming makes stabilization more effective, but too fast can feel unnatural. For me, a 5 seconds setting is generally more natural.
Lens Correction
Set this to 25% to 100% depending on your taste. Lower value keeps the original fish eye effect while the higher value will zoom in a bit more to remove the fish eye effect.
Previewing and Exporting Stabilized Footage
Click the “Play” button to preview your stabilized footage. If it looks good, proceed to export. You can tweak the stabilization settings in real-time to see how they affect your video.
When exporting, you can set the output resolution, bitrate, and file format. Choose a resolution that matches your original footage or adjust based on your needs.
Advanced Techniques: Keyframing and Dynamic Zoom
Gyroflow also supports keyframing, allowing for specific adjustments at various points in the footage. For example, you can manually increase the zoom during rapid movements like a snap roll to make stabilization less noticeable and more natural. While this technique is powerful, it’s labor-intensive and best suited for professional-grade projects.
Conclusion
Gyroflow is a powerful tool for stabilizing FPV drone footage, offering professional-quality results for free. By following this step-by-step guide, you can transform shaky raw FPV footage into smooth, polished cinematic videos. Whether you’re using high-end cameras like DJI or GoPro or budget options like Runcam Thumb, Gyroflow makes stabilization accessible and straightforward. Give it a try and see how it can enhance your video quality. Happy flying!
Edit History
- Apr 2022 – Tutorial created for version 1.0.0 RC.
- Sep 2024 – Updated for version 1.5.4.
13 comments
Hello, I shot with red komodo but I cannot stabilize it. Everything seems fine I see the gyro data. But the images are not stabilized. Is there a setting you recommend?
It amazes me how gyroflow can preview 100Mbps in good quality and smooth, when Davinci resolve just dying 😛
both software work fine for me with 100Mbps footage, so probably just a hardware compatibility issue :)
Gyroflow 1.4.2 does not stabilize Footage from Sony a7SIII 4k 50p !
After stabilization I have more shaking in the clip than without stabilization, although the gyro data was supposedly read.
what video settings should I have my gopro hero4 silver set to? any time I load a video it says “no motion data was found”
you need to turn off Hypersmooth in camera settings
CAN SOMEONE PLESE HELP!! Im trying to use gyroflow. WHOEVER CAN HELP ILL PAY THEM $30!! I have the dji avata and im trying to use gyro flow on an dell xps 13 i5. When i upload videos from the avata to the gyroflow app it says there is no gyro data. But the settings to get proper gyro data are to set it on wide and no stablizer turned on in the camera. Even when i do that it says there is no gyro data. i dont know what to do. can someone please please help im super duper frustrated and am about to drop gyroflow. id like to donate but ive had a terrible terrible time trying to figure out the app.
Make sure your camera settings are on wide FOV and eis off.
Can gyro data be extracted from Ardupilot flight controllers to use with Gyroflow? Thanks…
Just discovered Gyroflow. Thanks for your write up. Is there a way to batch process multiple files? I can’t seem to see this option but someone mentioned there was. Can you point me in the right direction?
Gyroflow does not work with any camera as you so proudly state. there are no lens profiles for ANY Garmin camera nor does it allow for import of the Garmin gyro data which is stored in .fit files by Garmin accessories and cameras so please review your statements or provide me with some solutions proving me wrong. If I could convert this fit file to a format that Gyroflow could read it would help then I could at least use my gyro data to attempt to use this software which at first glance looks very promising. I have loaded a lens profile I created but this is without rolling shutter compensation. I still can’t find any software that will level the horizon in kitesurfing footage taken on a Garmin Virb XE at 1920 x 1440 pixels, maybe you can assist.
Having trouble exporting I must be missing a procedure that I don’t see in front of me
Im not entirely sure if its your problem but the issue i had with exporting was forgetting to sync