Zhiyun Crane V2 Review: Affordable Gimbal For Cameras

Over the last few years, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have advanced by a pregnant margin, especially in terms of shooting stabilized stills and videos. As far equally DSLR cameras are concerned, nearly of the modern lenses that are available for them today boast Image Stabilization capabilities. When it comes to the current crop of mirrorless cameras, some of them accept in-trunk image stabilization, whereas some others depend on their lenses to bring this feature to the camera. However, these stabilization capabilities offered by the camera and lens manufacturers are pretty express to say the least. Although there's a noticeable improvement, it'due south still non good enough to eliminate the pocket-sized bumps that occur during pregnant movement, particularly when y'all're walking while recording. Well, in order to achieve this, you need to make apply of high-quality gimbal stabilizer like the Zhiyun Crane ($649) that we have here. And then, if you're looking frontward to purchase a handheld gimbal for your photographic camera, you might be interested in reading about everything that the Zhiyun Crane has to offer, in our in-depth review:

What's In The Box?

Immediately after you unbox the Zhiyun Crane for the offset time, you'll realize that information technology comes in a rugged carrying case, which is pretty useful while you're travelling, and you don't take to buy ane additionally. Once you open the case, you'll notice all the components neatly arranged in their respective arrays made of a nice padded foam. Now, allow'south take a look at everything that y'all go inside the box:

• Gimbal Stabilizer x ane
• Battery Compartment 10 one
• Battery Charger x i
• Batteries x 2
• Micro USB Cable x 1
• Lens Mounting Clench x 1
• Lens Mounting Screws x 2
• User Manual ten 1

Design and Build Quality

The Zhiyun Crane 3-axis gimbal is designed for mirrorless cameras as well as compact DSLRs, and it has a maximum payload of almost ane.8 Kgs. And so, if you're looking forward to attach one of your long zoom lenses, this is not really the gimbal y'all should be going for. Excluding the battery, the gimbal unit weighs just 950 grams. That being said, the Crane V2 boasts an advanced slip-ring engineering on all the three axes of the gimbal, thereby providing users with unlimited 360° x three rotation control and free bending choices for any gripping gestures or camera placements depending on the way you intend to shoot. The Crane features a unique dovetail slot designthat allows for balance adjustments with high precision, for faster and user-friendly mounting.

Every bit far every bit build quality is concerned, we're pretty impressed to say the least. The gimbal looks and feels quite sturdy, and doesn't even feel plasticky like several other expensive gimbals that are currently available on the market today. Thanks to its robustness, you can even utilise this gimbal in rough weather, without any worries. In comparison to the DJI Ronin-MX ($999) which demands two-handed operation, the Zhiyun Crane is much more meaty, yet elegant and information technology can pretty much be carried effectually anywhere, even in the tightest places for the toughest shots. The gimbal has a 3/8-16 screw thread at the lesser that lets you mount it onto any tripod. Information technology even has an integrated universal mount plate, that lets you balance your camera with ease.

Gimbal Controls

This is the department where you'll immediately discover how the newer Crane V2 differs from the V1. The gimbal now has a large control panel with a 4-way joystick for tilting, panning and rotating the gimbal. In addition to this, y'all take the photographic camera/power button, mode button and the shifter switch, which can exist used along with a USB cablevision that y'all additionally purchase, in order to zoom in and out. This tin besides be used to start and stop the recording, and equally a result of this, you don't even take to touch the camera. However, if you have a compatible Sony or Panasonic mirrorless camera similar the a7S or GH5, you could straight use the Zoom-in or Zoom-out push, without requiring a USB cablevision. The button configuration is pretty neat and doesn't manage to confuse the beginner who just purchased his/her first gimbal stabilizer.

Before you go along to rest your new gimbal, brand sure it's turned off. Well, y'all shouldn't really turn on the gimbal without balancing, every bit it might damage the motors. It's actually better if yous can remove the batteries, and so that it doesn't turn on once yous click the power button by accident. In one case yous've perfectly counterbalanced it, the gimbal should stay at the aforementioned place where you lot moved it. If it doesn't stay in place, it only means that the gimbal is non perfectly balanced. The base plate department of the gimbal where you normally mountain the photographic camera now has a quick-release lever which can be pulled to remove the base of operations plate itself.

The gimbal offers three modes called Pan-Follow manner, Lock mode & Full mode that can be easily switched with the help of the Mode button that we mentioned earlier. Once the gimbal is turned on, it's already in the Pan-Follow manner. Hither, the gimbal will pan one time you twist the handle, but it will not tilt without the joystick. By pressing the Manner push once, you'll be taken to the Lock mode, where the Pitch is Locked, as long as yous don't adapt with the joystick. Double press the Way push button and yous will exist taken to the Full Mode, where the gimbal will follow your movements with tilt and pan. Triple click the Mode push button, and the camera will rotate 180 degrees for an unofficial selfie mode. Autonomously from all this, if you want to mount the gimbal on to a tripod, at that place's too a iii/viii-16 screw thread along with a 1/4-20 adapter that you can accept full reward of.

App Controls

Zhiyun Banana is a smartphone application that's available for both iOS and Android devices. With the aid of this app, y'all'll exist able to easily pair your Zhiyun Crane with the aid of Bluetooth, thereby letting you completely control the gimbal, without fifty-fifty having to actually bear on it. One time you open up the app, you volition exist taken to the dashbard that showcases your gimbal's battery per centum. Here, y'all'll be able to calibrate, command and adjust the stabilizer settings. In the stabilizer settings, you volition exist able to change the Control dead zone, Following rate, Control rate and Degree of smoothness. Each of these settings can be individually adjusted for the Pitch, roll and pan centrality of the gimbal. If in that location's a deviation that happens on the gimbal'south 3-axis and horizontal direction, the app will aid you reset it one time yous click on Calibration.

Past clicking on Command in the dashboard, y'all volition be given a virtual joystick that lets you lot control the actual gimbal itself, without having to fiddle effectually with the physical buttons on the unit. Hither, you will be able to switch betwixt all the iii modes that the gimbal has to offer, namely Follow, Lock and Full modes. Depending on the mode that you've selected, the Roll axis, Pitch centrality and Pan centrality can be adjusted to control the gimbal with the aid of this virtual joystick. There'south also a Restore push button, which can be tapped to easily bring the gimbal back to its original position, so at that place's no worry in this regard. Overall, the app is just decent with a mediocre user-interface and controls that are uncluttered and uncomplicated to employ, fifty-fifty for beginners. Having said that, the app does feel a bit outdated and people looking for advanced features might be a tad scrap disappointed.

Performance

The Zhiyun Crane packs 32-bit 10 3 high-speed MCUs that boasts a processing speed of up to 4000 MHz on its independent built-in Inertial Measurement Unit, so we've no doubts regarding the potential functioning levels of this gimbal stabilizer. With the hardware that it packs, Crane manages to create the virtually impressive shots with its unmatched movement sensitivity and precision control. With the help of Zhiyun's Instune Algorithms and optimized high-torque motion command technology, the Crane is capable of responding to sudden twists in existent-fourth dimension with smooth and precise bounty. That being said, the motors on this gimbal are barely audible while they're hard at work trying to stabilize the video footage, so we've got no complaints in that section.

When it comes to real-world performance, we're glad to say that the Crane V2 does a great job in stabilizing your footage. Whether you're walking, running or travelling in a motorcar while trying to have a shot, the Crane manages to finer cancel out the wobbles and shakes in the video. The final footage looks every bit if you're most gliding through the air, rather than walking. Apart from being able to stabilize your shots, the gimbal tin also exist used to accept some great panning shots that's comparable to the results yous get from a tripod. This can exist done past twisting your wrists, so that the gimbal head will follow your route. That beingness said, if you're planning to shoot for a long duration, we highly recommend yous to become the double handle kit, as your hands might get tired and the gimbal might experience heavy after over an hour of continuous shooting.

Battery Life

The Crane V2 gimbal stabilizer comes with two Zhiyun 26500 Li-ion batteries rated at 3600 mAh, and since it comes with a charger, yous tin hands charge them within an hour or more than. Equally per the manufacturer's claims, the batteries on the Zhiyun Crane V2 are skilful enough to allow you operate the unit for approximately x to 12 hours. This is noticeably ameliorate than the battery life offered by the Crane V1. All the same, it'south worth noting that, depending on your usage, the battery life that you get might vary.

Verdict: Is The Zhiyun Crane Worth The Buy?

Zhiyun has managed to pack in as many features as they mayhap could with the Crane V2. Beingness meaty and lighter compared to several other gimbals on the market, the Zhiyun Crane will even be suitable for the hardest shots in the tightest spots. The gimbal is also capable of handling farthermost weather weather condition, equally it'south operating temperature ranges from -10°C to 45°C. However, on the downside, it'southward primarily designed for mirrorless cameras and DSLRs that are commonly lightweight and targets the DJI Ronin-M/MX. If you're planning to mount a kit or zoom lens on to your camera then utilize it forth with the gimbal, yous will be easily exceeding the Crane'southward maximum payload. For that, the DJI Ronin-MX will be a much better option as it's capable of handling up to iv.5 Kg.

Every bit far as stabilization is concerned, we've no doubts regarding the capabilities of the Zhiyun Crane every bit it does a corking job in smoothing the footage by cancelling all the shakes that occurs equally a result of walking and running, thereby giving y'all a experience that you were gliding while you lot recorded the shot. If your mirrorless photographic camera or lens already has image stabilization, you tin expect slightly meliorate results. That being said, depending on the camera you're using, it might tend to get heavy later long and continuous usage, especially if you're using information technology single handed. All in all, for a toll tag of $649, we consider the Zhiyun Crane V2 to exist one of the best value for money gimbals you can currently buy, and a significantly more affordable option compared to DJI's Ronin-Thousand/MX.

Pros

• Compact and durable design
• Impressive stabilization
• Solid battery life
• Much more than affordable option, compared to DJI Ronin-Thou/MX

Cons

• Maximum payload of 1.8 Kg limits the lenses that tin can be used along with a DSLR
• Non suited for long and continuous single-handed usage

        SEE Besides: Zhiyun Smooth-Q Review: A Value For Money Gimbal

Planning to Buy The Zhiyun Crane V2 Gimbal?

If yous're having a mirrorless photographic camera, the Zhiyun Crane is certainly a corking option in terms of the stabilization that this gimbal has to offering. However, if you're planning to use a DSLR, yous need to constantly continue in heed that it won't exist able to handle the heft of zoom lenses, as you lot'll exist hands crossing its 1.8 Kg maximum payload. Also, if you lot're looking forwards to shoot for long hours, nosotros highly recommend you to get the double handle kit, as the gimbal tends to get heavy for single-handed usage. Well, now that yous know the capabilities and limitations of the Zhiyun Crane, are you lot planning on purchasing it or are you merely going to give information technology a pass? Practise permit us know by shooting your valuable opinions in the comments department down below.

Buy Zhiyun Crane V2 Gimbal ($649)

Source: https://beebom.com/zhiyun-crane-v2-review/

Posted by: terrellfolody.blogspot.com

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