How to Use Gyroflow for FPV Drone Video Stabilization: A Step-by-Step Guide

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.

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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.

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

If you are using GoPro Hero 8 or later, or DJI cameras, Gyro Syncing is all automatic and you do not need to add any sync point (in fact it’s not recommended). Gyroflow can automatically sync the gyro data with your video based on timestamps.

However, some cheaper cameras might require extra syncing if the stabilization isn’t working well, such as Walksnail, Caddx and Runcam cameras. You can do this by 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. You can also use optical flow to sync gyro data to the video. Optical flow works by tracking objects in your video, but it can be thrown off by moving foregrounds and backgrounds, so the tool uses this data as a secondary measure to confirm gyro readings.

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 for cruising. But if there are many flips and rolls in your video you might want faster zoom speed which might look smoother. It’s all personal preference.

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.

Estimate Gyro Bias

When the quadcopter is sitting still, all gyro traces should ideally be at zero. However, some gyro might show slight deviations in the 3 traces when you zoom in. By right-clicking on a flat area (such as before takeoff) and selecting “estimate gyro bias,” you could bring those traces closer together to zero, thereby reducing overall instability in the final output.

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.