Oh, they're highly configurable. I use a DJI video camera (tiny 4k camera on a stick), but I assume the larger SLR gimbals can do the same. You can hold a button to lock the angle to the stick, lock the angle to the environment, set it to only stabilize vertically (if you're tracking a laterally moving target), quickly re-center, and even tweak how quickly it responds to movement.

Of course my gimbal has all the camera controls on the handle. Not sure how it'll work if you're using an SLR. Especially with manual zoom/focus. But it's a good start.