DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to stabilize video in DaVinci Resolve (free, 4 settings)
Short answer
Select the clip, open the Inspector's Video tab and expand Stabilization. Choose a mode first (Perspective, Similarity or Translation), then click Stabilize and wait for the analysis. Lower Cropping Ratio for stronger stabilization, raise Smooth to keep a gentle camera move, and tick Camera Lock if the shot should look as if it were on a tripod.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21 (free and Studio), Windows, Mac and Linux, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Step by step: Edit page Inspector
Open Stabilization
Select the clip, open the Inspector > Video and expand Stabilization. These are the same stabilizer controls as the Color page's Tracker palette.
Pick the mode first
Perspective analyzes pan, tilt, zoom, rotation and perspective; Similarity drops perspective if that causes wobble; Translation only fixes up-down and left-right shake. Changing the mode later needs a new analysis.
Click Stabilize
Click Stabilize and wait while Resolve analyzes the clip.
Tune the strength
Cropping Ratio: lower values stabilize harder but zoom in more (1.0 means no stabilization). Smooth: higher values smooth more while keeping intended camera moves. Strength: 1 is maximum, lower lets some motion through. Re-click Stabilize after changing Cropping Ratio or Smooth.
Lock or zoom
Camera Lock tries to remove all camera motion. Zoom resizes the image so stabilization doesn't leave black edges; turn it off only if you plan to fix edges another way.
Starting settings by shot
| Shot | Mode | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Walking handheld | Perspective | Cropping Ratio 0.9, Smooth 0.25 to 0.5 |
| Static shot with shaky hands | Similarity | Camera Lock on |
| Drone or car with vibration | Translation | Strength below 1 if it feels rigid |
| Wobbly result | Switch to Similarity or Translation | Re-run Stabilize |
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Image wobbles like jelly | Perspective is over-correcting rolling shutter. Switch to Similarity or Translation and stabilize again. |
| Too much zoom | Raise Cropping Ratio toward 1.0 or lower Strength, and stabilize again. |
| Black edges appear | Turn Zoom on, or lower Strength. |
| Stabilize button does nothing | Wait for the analysis to finish on long clips; cut the clip to the part you use first. |
Questions people ask
Is stabilization free in DaVinci Resolve?
Yes. The Edit page Inspector stabilizer isn't marked Studio only in the manual.
Edit page or Color page stabilizer?
They are the same tool; the Color page shows the analysis graph and lets you track a specific area.
Can I stabilize and keep a smooth camera move?
Yes. Leave Camera Lock off and raise Smooth so intended pans stay while jitter goes.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Stabilization in the Edit page Inspector (p. 1247-1248) (checked 2026-10-05)
The starting settings per shot are typical values from current guides, not Blackmagic recommendations; the controls are described in the manual.
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with DaVinci Resolve's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.