A month ago I reviewed the Zhiyun Smooth Q which is a great cheap gimbal for your phone
but for more professional work this is the Zhiyun Crane Version 2 the bigger brother
designed for mirrorless or light dslr cameras like my Panasonic G7.
Gimbals are great for bringing perspective to a location, Chasing a subject on the move,
or just trying to be creative by adding some motion.
Hi I’m David and this is the Zhiyun Crane Version 2
So just a disclaimer, I’m still learning how to properly use this gimbal but even still
I’m pretty amazed at the result I’m able to get on my first couple tries testing this
gimbal out on my Panasonic G7.
Walking up a hill, walking backwards, evening running I’m actually really surprised how
steady the footage came out, but there are still some bumps and shakes that will require
me to practice some better technique in the future.
This being the version 2 of the Zhiyun Crane let’s look at what’s new versus the original.
The joystick button is larger and the buttons have been repositioned on a shorter handle,
the v2 only uses the larger 26500 mAh (vs 18650) batteries with only 2 included in the
box, the thread at the bottom has a removable adapter to support either 1/4-20 or a 3/8
inch screw, and the adjusting the camera balance is quicker with the moveable mounting plate.
But as far as I’m aware the motors and overall performance between the two should be exactly
the same, so there isn’t a huge reason to upgrade from the V1 if you already have it
but I recommend the newer version if you’re looking to get one.
On the topic of performance not only does it work really well but it’s actually really
simple to use.
I’m not going to cover how to balance the gimbal because there are already dozens of
other great guides that show this.
But for me after a bit of practice it only takes me about 2 minutes to balance a camera
from scratch, or much less if I’m using the same equipment each time, and is pretty
much instant if I use a quick release plate.
Something else to keep in mind, some body and lens combos might not balance perfectly
out of the box.
For example if I use my Panasonic G7 with the kit lens and no additional accessories
the lens is way too light compared to the body so even if I push the mounting plate
all the way front, it still tilts towards the back.
If you run into this same issue, adding additional lens accessories or using an adapter to shift
the balance forward will help but even if you can’t get it perfect, on my lighter
G7 setup the motor are perfectly capable to counteract the imbalance.
But it will use more battery if you run it like this so isn’t ideal if you can avoid
it.
The operation of the Zhiyun Crane can be a little confusing at first but it is quick
to get used to after a little practice By default you’re in the pan follow mode where
tilt and roll rotations are locked and the gimbal will smoothly follow your pan rotation.
And the joystick can be used to adjust the tilt.
I like using this mode most of the time, especially if I’m just walking and following someone
around.
Clicking the mode button once switches to full locked mode so tilt, roll and pan are
all locked.
And you can use the joystick to adjust pan and tilt.
This is my preferred mode if I’m running alongside a subject, or want to get that perfect
jib crane movement.
Clicking the mode button twice switches me to Pan and Tilt follow mode, so the camera
follows wherever you point it and the joystick just controls the roll axis.
I don’t use this mode as much but it’s a nice mode for more casual video shooting
where you just need to easily direct the camera in any direction without the use of the joystick.
And finally triple clicking the mode button swings it around for the selfie mode.
I also really like using this gimbal in inverted mode for lower ground shots.
Switching between normal and inverted mode on smaller cameras is as easy as rotating
the handle around the side.
But on larger cameras like the GH5 the arm brackets will hit if you try to do this.
So instead you’ll need to move the screen out of the way and force the rotation on the
other side.
Not as easy as it is on my G7 but still fairly quick to switch.
The battery life is also really good and is quoted to last up to 12 hours of use, and
while I haven’t used it that long on a single charge I’ve never really been worried about
running out of battery on a day of shooting so far with my testing.
Something else to note, this micro usb port on the gimbal is only for firmware update
and this one is only for the extra camera control cable that isn’t included in the
box.
So you can’t power or charge the battery while inside the gimbal.
Build quality is another good thing with this device.
It’s pretty much metal build construction everywhere and you can definitely feel it
in the weight.
At just under 1.1kg (~2.4lbs) for just the gimbal plus whatever your camera you’re
using (supported 1.8kg/3.9lbs max) it’s no light weight but is manageable for a day
of shooting.
And finally quickly looking at the app on my Android phone.
From here you can control your gimbal wirelessly but what I really like about this app is the
ease to make adjustments to the gimbal motors.
I like my pans and tilts to be a little smoother, and for them to move slower to minimize my
accidental movements.
This is super easy to change in the app and allows me to continue to tweak and find the
perfect settings.
So that’s the Zhiyun Crane Version 2 Gimbal designed for mirrorless cameras and smaller
dslrs.
I’m still learning how to get the most out of it but overall I’m really pleased with
the ease of use, performance and I’m excited to see what other shots I can dream up using
the gimbal.
But hope you guys enjoyed this one.
You know what to do.
And I’ll see you in the next video.