This is what I was looking for ! I never used or seen a gimbal and wanted to know the basics of it. There are many videos of gimbal on UA-cam, but no one did expalin like u. Thank you for this tutorial !
Outstanding video. I bought one of these last week to work with my A6500 and A7sii. Your video is the best that I have seen on how to set up the Zhiyun and to get some great shots relatively quickly. Thanks for your work.
My Crane's pan tends to drift in lock mode, even after re-calibration. Have you noticed this? It seems like yours has the same issue at about 3:25 - slowly panning to the right.
Hmm, I haven't noticed but I am generally just using lock mode for relatively short crane type shots - maybe 10 seconds long. In those cases I haven't seen any noticeable drift. For longer shots I'm usually in pan following mode so that I can pan.
Curtis, thanks a lot. I bought the gimbal few days ago and you helped me a lot to adjust it. I'm using the Panasonic Lumix FZ 1000. My first shootings were outstanding.
Omg, you're extremely good at explaining how a device works. This has been the most intuitive video that I've watched so far about this product, thanks !
Just bought one last week and got it a few days ago. After being a DJI Ronin M owner I've changed to this and it's just as good if not better. Especially with a stabilised lens. Super smooth.
do you think its safe to hold the gimbal by the arm while running and gunning, while the gimbal is turned off. It'd be a hassle to hold it up right at all times and also keep setting it up for the next location
The best in setting up the gimble. Others take 10-16min to do with lots of remarks or sidenotes not related to the setup. Yours is direct to the point. Thanks! I wish you could have indicated in the video the way to go into the modes (how many key presses on the joystick). But good overall. Better than the others I've seen here.
Hey Curtis, What are you using as a stand for the crane. I am doing a review for the crane and I am trying to find out the best thing to balance it on.
I have heard of some people using quick release slider plates which allow them to adjust the center of balance farther back. I don't have first-hand experience with these but perhaps that will at least give you some ideas on options. Good luck!
Hello, nice tutorial! I have a question, how can I charge the batteries of this gimbal? Can I use the Samsung mobile charger, or what kind of charger must use?
Yes, any USB port or charger should do the job. It may charge a little faster with a larger wattage charger such as those for tablets or a larger USB battery bank with a 2.1amp output.
Very useful and to the point video. I've been struggling with my gimbal!!! This helps give basic clarity on where I might be making mistakes. Much appreciated...
You stated that the app lets you calibrate and update firmware but you forgot to mention the most important aspect which is that the app allows you to control the gimbal remotely in the same way that the optional remote does. The app is awesome! It works by Bluetooth to control the crane which means you can link your camera to a smartphone or tablet by wifi and have a completely remote set up. (Using my iPhone to control the gimbal and my iPad as a remote screen). Zhiyun are working on Bluetooth control of the camera. This is easily the best gimbal in this price range. It will only get better as they develop it. I love this thing!!
Yes, it has a 1/4-20 threaded tap. In fact, both of the crane type shots in this video were with the gimbal attached to a monopod which is very much like a pole.
Hi! About the Zhiyun Crane, I'm trying to figure out if is possible to use it with the pan locked but with the ability to adjust the tilt by incline the crane instead of using the joystick: for certain types of shoot, it would be really fantastic. Thank you in advance
+rick zanotti hi Rick! The Zhiyun has been great. Haven't used others in the same weight class so not sure on the others. But haven't found anything problematic with the crane to make me start looking elsewhere.
Your videos are excellent, Curtis. My limited experience with the Zhi-Yun is that the crane is really meant to be used with OSS lenses. When I used it with a simple mechanical no IS lens while walking, the movement was smooth, but the image was jittery. I had the impression that the crane is meant to help great (macro) movements, but will not replace IBIS or in-lens/optical stabilization. When you explain at 2:41 that Steady Shot can be switched off, can you demo/explain what results can I expect from the crane when OSS is switched off? All sample videos on youtube with the ZhiYun are from lenses with brilliant OSS, like the 1650 at 16mm.
I have Premiere Elements. In the meantime, other sources confirmed that OSS/IS/IBIS/VR together with gimbal is the real solution, they cannot replace each other for walking/running shots. None of the demos/reviews about the ZhiYun crane have a video made with a no-stabilized lens. Honestly, since I have the experience now, I am not really sure, if any gimbal is really worth the money (for my style): a good old IBIS with a wide angle lens with some practice can produce excellent moving shots. So, my conclusion is that whatever great is the ZhiYun, I may not keep it; I simply don't use it enough: a gimbal is cumbersome to carry around/mount/setup and operate; it draws too much attention and really not worth the efforts. There are dozens of other videography techniques that I could use to make great/interesting movie stories. Anyhow, I love Curtis Judd's videos.
Hi Curtis! thanks for the great review again. I actually have the same gimbal, and I'd have a practical question: I mount an a6300 on this unit, and I'm wondering if I can carry this setup installed, so that I don't remove the camera, just put the whole setup into a bag (switched off of course) if I gotta shoot at an event, with multiple locations with relatively long distances between them? thanks very much in advance!
thanks for your quick reply! great news, I'm really glad to read that, it makes the unit so much more usable, versatile. now I'm just gonna keep my fingers crossed, that Zhiyun comes up with an Osmo-Z-Axis-like little accessory in the near future... :)
this is awesome, i been looking for tutorial for setting up the crane in youtube lot of them are so complicate to watch. Your video are so easy to understand and easy to set up. Thank for doing this :)
Great review. Just wondering, are you able to rotate the camera 90 degrees on this gimbal and have it fixed in that portrait position for vertical video filming?
Thanks. I don't think so - that'd be at or just past the threshold of its capacity range. But, I would keep subscribed here. We may have some things coming soon that would work better for that camera combination.
Great video as always, Curtis. But, a big big big BUT. When you are inside, towards the window, then doing that kind of a faster pan and you end with that guy with a beard, notice not only the rolling shutter, i mean jello wise, but the terrible jittery image, the fraction frames that skip , without smoothness. How do you avoid this, can this be fixed in post?
Thanks Adrian, the rolling shutter can be fixed in post if it isn't too bad. If there are skipped frames, I'm not sure that there's a great way to fix that.
Overall, I like this gimbal. The app is a bit strange because the roll is part of the main control instead of being pan and tilt like the thumb control on the actual gimbal. On a monopod, I've been able to use this in place of setting up a jib. Since I've been getting good shots with the smaller cameras, this has really helped reduce how much gear I need to lug around.
I agree, I took the crane and a GH4 on a recent trip to Hawaii and it was small enough to haul around without issue for a band show (about 1.5 hours). I was also surprised that after that time, my arm was not particularly fatigued.
How easy is it to see the LCD screen? Have you used this with an LCD screen flipped open to the left side of the camera? Do you have other screen viewing tips, especially outdoors?
I haven't had any issues seeing the screen on either my Sony a6000 or Panasonic GH4 in terms of the gimbal arms getting in the way, so no need to flip the screen off to the side. And flipping it off to the side will make the gimbal work harder and reduce battery life. Outdoor viewing of the screen - many cameras allow you to increase the brightness so you may need to experiment with your particular camera to find a setting that works for you. Best wishes!
Great review! Do you always have to re-balance when you set the gimbal down? Setting it on the ground, storing it in a bag, etc. I have to re-balance my glide cam every time I set it down. Usually I set my glide cam on a balancing stand to keep it semi-balanced.
Hi Michael, Not necessarily, depending on how you store it. If you leave all the adjustments alone (which means you may not be able to store it in the included case with the foam cutout) it is super easy and fast to get it set back up. But some of the arms collide with others if you collapse it enough to put it back in the case. I've fashioned a pocket in my camera bag so that I don't have to change any of the settings to store it in the bag so I can be up and running quickly.
Excellent video. I am thinking of getting one soon. I have a question about the weight requirements. I have a Canon Vixia HF R600 that weighs in at around 234 grams and this is under the minimum weight requirments of the gimbal. If I add weight to bring it up the the required weight will this work ok? also the screen on the camcorder opens to the left will this get in the way of the gimbal?
Hi Scotia807, I'm not sure this will work with camcorders due to their different form factor relative to mirrorless hybrid and DSLR cameras. You might contact Zhiyun support to confirm. Best wishes!
Do the motors or rotations make whir noises? Just in case you want to mount a microphone on the camera body or use the camera on-board microphone to record the audio from the scene.
i need to sell my gh4 for an a6300 so i can get video auto focus now. Any tips on getting smooth footage? It is not really usable at 30p in 4k (with IS turned off or on) but looks great at 1080 60fps
Yes, first thing with the tiny A6xxx cameras: You'll probably want to use a lens which is heavier than the kit 16-50 so that the camera will balance. The 16-50 is so lightweight that you cannot balance it on the gimbal because the camera is back heavy.
Hello Curtis I just ran across this 3 year old video of yours. I have this exact gimbal and love it. You mentioned about extra batteries you can get for longer life. Did you know if you take the very bottom of the handle off, there is a tube inside there you can remove. Rush you can install larger batteries. Larger in size. Keith Kuhn
Is it only me hating its bouncy footage? i'm trying so hard to convince my self buying this gimbal! i'm not talking about your test of course, Great video as always Curtis.
Hi thx for the nice tutorial. I bought also this gimbal and when I change from bottom-up to top-down during operation (so no over standby) it jerks almost every time. Is this normal? I tried it around 50 times and it there was always this jerk! So should I just avoid it or is there something wrong?
Good review. I have found the joystick a little bit difficult to use precisely. Meaning, sometimes when I try to tilt only, I will end up tilting AND panning slightly to one side. (On the other hand, if I try to pan only using the joystick, I don't accidentally tilt.) Maybe it is just the way that the joystick is placed in relation to where I normally place my hand for balancing the gimbal.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your experience with the Crane. I haven't seen that so much as accidental panning when I do a crane type shot and I'm in pan following mode. I realized after a while in those cases that I needed to switch to lock mode. But yours sounds like a slightly different case and I agree, may be related to how your hand is positioned. I hope you are able to find a way to resolve that issue.
+Radiant Video Productions - Santa Monica, CA I don't generally do active focusing while on the gimbal. I shoot a wide prime with an aperture that gives plenty of Depth of field and set focus to infinity. The motors generally will not smooth things out when you manually adjust the lens in terms of focus or zoom.
Thanks! I'm contemplating on getting one since I mostly use old lenses for my videos. I like the look of old lenses on my videos. Appreciate you for putting out great content!
hey! thank you for your video! it has been one of the most helpful. I have this gimbal and have been trying to stabilize it with a sony camera. I dont know if it is working because the camera keeps falling back and hitting the back of the gimbal so it is unable to go back and balance. What do you suggest? do you think it's broken? i can send you pictures or a video if you need more info
sami becherer are you using the 16-50mm lens? That one is so lightweight that I couldn't move the camera far enough to balance it. Does it fall back once you turn on the gimbal?
Hey curtis great video , would you happen to know how to go about replacing the thumb mounting screw ? I lost mine . But not sure if you know another way to mount it .
Hmm, I believe my kit came with two of the thumb screws, one for the camera, one for the lens support. Perhaps the lens support screw would work? Otherwise, my need to contact Zhiyun for replacement. You might try here: zhiyun.us/community/contact Best wishes!
I noticed you're using a very light camera and lens, but I have an a7iii w/ the 18mm batis. which is about twice as heavy. do you think it'll still work with this gimbal?
Yes, I lent this to a friend who used it with his A7SII. I'm not sure which lens he used but he said it worked well. However, since I shot this, Zhiyun has released the Crane 2 which has a larger payload capacity. I'd go for the Crane 2 instead: ua-cam.com/video/BHJR7OJKld4/v-deo.html
You mentioned using two hands. This made me think, is there a tripod screw hole in the base of the handle? Can you attach this to a monopod or boom, to wield it with two hands and also reach further up or forward if needed - is that feasible? Thanks!
Thank you for making this video. Been considering different models and the Zhiyun Crane seems to have the best combination of features, performance, and price. Would you recommend this one over other brands/models?
Hi Shaka, I haven't used any of the others, to be entirely honest, but I've been very happy with the results from the Crane with my Panasonic GH4. I also installed the 5D firmware and was able to fly my Nikon D750 which impressed me since it is a fair bit larger and heavier than the GH4. One of the big things to remember is that for these to work (and this applies to any gimbal), you need a camera/lens combination that is fairly balanced. A lot of the camera kit lenses are too light so the camera becomes difficult to balance on the gimbal.
Is there a gimbal which you can recommend for smaller mirrorless cameras, like the Canon G7X or Sony RX100? This still seems quite big for those small mirrorless shooters.
Hey Adam, I have only tested a few so far: GVB Gimbal for action cams, the Zhiyun-Tech Smooth II for smartphones, and now the Crane. Over time I may look to review others.
One issue, after i balanced my a6300 i can´t switch easy to invertive mode the pan motor axis and the tilt motor axis are each other in the way. Great review, i bought my gimbal yesterday.
on the other side i can but i need to turn of the gimbal before i change it to invertive mode, i watched few other reviews wit the 6300 its like only i have this problem, but there is just one way to balance the camera an in this way i have this issue. sad, but when i start working with the gimbal it is perfect i love it ;)
Hi, nice video. My Canon 5D Mark iv setup with either normal or wide angle zoom lens is only 3.2 lbs which is less than the 3.9 lbs (1800 grams) load limit cited in the Zhiyun Crane 3 Axis Gimbal specifications with the Firmware upgrade to 1800 grams. I'm wondering why the official Zhiyun information material says this is specifically for "Mirrorless cameras" and does not say DSLRs in general? Can you shed any light on this because I am interested in the product but it looks like it may not match for my 5D for some unknown design reason. I have seen a couple of YT demos using the gimbal with a 5D but the results do not always look totally smooth or horizontal. I do not know if this is due to attaching a mirrored camera or because the user of the equipment does not have the best familiarity with Zhiyun Crane technique, since I have seen both good and less than good results with the crane, regardless of which camera was on it. Thanks for any info about mirrored cameras and this. Hal
Hello Hal, I believe that Zhiyun released the special firmware for heavier cameras after introducing the product. I attempted to use it with my Nikon D750 (similar size/weight to Canon 5DmkIV) and had reasonable success with very light 50mm lens (the plastic 50, not the metal version). It seems to me that the Crane is working at the limits of its capacity with the pro level DSLRs. If you will use it with light lenses and for short periods, it may be fine, but it may be best to look at gimbals with larger payload capacities if you need to fly your camera for any appreciable amount of time.
Curtis, so you're saying that even with the firmware update to 1800g (3.9 lbs) your D750 did not work as well as you'd like? My 5Div with either a 50mm or 16-35mm lens weighs 3.2 lbs, well within the tolerance of the firmware upgrade but I have not ordered the gimbal yet because of such concerns. I contacted Zhiyun directly and they assured me that my 3.2 lb DSLR would work fine. Of course, I don't want accept less than optimum results, the same way as the setup would work with a mirrorless camera. I'm curious to know what aspect of your testing with the D750 was less than "reasonable success." What kept you from judging it as a total success? Thanks again. Thanks, Hal
Hal, I did not end up using the gimbal for that job I described, not because of the gimbal or its performance, just that my colleague ended up operating the camera on a non-motorized gimbal with which he was more familiar. I was able to get it to work during pre-production but haven't tested it thoroughly so I'm not really in a position to recommend it for DSLRs. It may be fine, I just have not tested it extensively. Also, I have loaned the gimbal to a friend so I don't have it here to test at present. I hope that clarifies. Best wishes!
I'm trying to mount and balance my Sony a7s ii with 24-70mm lens but I feel like it's impossible. I've watched this video over and over and still can't seem to get it right. Any other tips? Is my camera too heavy?
Hmm... yes, I do I have a lighter lens but this is the lens that I wanted to use. I guess if I can't use the lens I want, I cannot use this gimbal. Thank you so much for the fast response!
Hey Curtis, do you think it would be possible to use a gimbal like this with a Sony A7S, cine lenses and somehow mount a wireless follow focus on it ? Cheers.
Hi, I think that is probably a stretch, but it depends on the weight of the lens and follow-focus and how far it all protrudes from the camera body. But most likely, you'd need to look at one of the larger 2-hand gimbals that can handle heavier payloads.
Hmm, I agree with +Sun Pixel Video - depends on the size. Probably not an issue in terms of weight but definitely designed for mirrorless hybrid camera form factors rather than video cams.
Sorry about that. When you first power up, the crane is in pan following mode. To get to lock mode, single click the joystick. To get into pan and tilt following mode, double click the joystick. Best wishes!
That’s what I tried to do here. But I have found some cameras will not balance well because they are very unbalanced themselves. Which camera were you using?
I just bought the zhiyun crane for my a7sii. I like shooting anamorphic though and I have a lens adapter that's pretty heavy. I'm pretty sure if it's attached the whole set up exceeds the weight limit a little bit. But I can get it sort of balanced. Is it bad to run the crane a little over the weight limit? I know that it won't be able to stabilize as well which I'm okay with. But will it damage the gimbal motors or anything?
It will definitely run the battery down more quickly. Have you tried the heavy camera firmware from Zhiyun which allows you to fly heavier cameras? They call it the 5D firmware. Worth a try.
@Curtis Judd. You're right my good man. After testing the a6500 + the Z-Crane V2 over the course of six hours of filming, I can confidently say that your right and that the OSS makes a big difference. Some may not notice it while filming, but once the video editing starts its noticeable.
Hi, thanks for your nice video. This gamble seems pretty usefull for me but I like to choose with a short depth of field, I presume i can't really play with the focus manually with that can I ? And all solution of electronics follow focus i've seen are ridiculously high in price .. Any opinion on that ? It's not about gear but training ?
Hi Vivien, touching the camera, particularly to focus or zoom the lens doesn't work as it shakes the camera. I would look into using a remote control app if my cameras supported that.
Oh thanks a lot for your answer ! I'm using a D750 and i'm very surprised in 2017 we don't have simple remote to make focus wirelessly or zoom (focus is more important for me because I'm not using zoom) I'm really seeing myself with gimbal in one hand .. and zoom remote on the other. The price for some remotei've found are ridiculously high ... I'm thinking about asking an electronician friend to maybe do something custom ... Found an incredible wedding french videast, I'm gonna ask him what he think about that :)
Oh, I'm a D750 shooter too. Be careful, the D750 is at the very edge of what this gimbal can carry and adding an external focus system would likely exceed the payload limit. I was able to get this gimbal to balance with my D750 and 50mm AF-D lens but just barely.
That's what I was thinking .. still not invested in a Gimbal atm .. just thinking about it .. but yes the d750 is heavy, this was to use with my 50mm too .. .. sadly this gimbal is the only choice before jump to something way bigger like steadycam or dj Ronin .. (and way more expensive ..). Anyway thanks for your advice ! Atm I don't think i can find better than this one at this price.
I haven't gotten into the world of bigger gimbals just yet so I don't have any recommendations on that front. But the first one I'd consider is the DJI Ronin MX: bhpho.to/2jkD252
Curtis Judd thanks!! By the way. Just set up my black backdrop and doing a review on the bioaqua.. the biggest facial mask all over Facebook. Using a beauty light and some soft lights. I don't have the cob120d yet. So lighting is a little off. But wow. The backdrop makes the world of difference. I'll send you a comment once it's uploaded and you can check it out!
Is the noise in the black backdrop? If so, you can crush that in post to reduce the noise there. If you're getting noise in the talent, then you probably need more light. Here's a very old episode on how to crush the black backdrop (and there are plenty of other ways to do the same thing): ua-cam.com/video/419TFE83mk4/v-deo.html
Curtis Judd Z1-Smooth-C I believe - haven't been able to incorporate it as much as I'd like being I'm normally a one pony show, but when I have it's been complete fluidity
Another excellent video, Curtis. I have had my Crane for a month now, and can safely say it is the best stabilizer I have used with my GH4. (and i have tried quite a few).
I just bought this crane to replace my Ronin-M because the Ronin-M is pretty huge and needs to be used with an external monitor (that I will still try to attach to this new crane). Hopefully it can takes my A7sII and Sigma 24mm lens easily!
i just purchased my zhiyun crane 3 axis gimbal for $400... when i balance it, and turn it on, the handle starts spinning like crazy!!! im worried ive damaged it , why has this happened?
Thanks for sharing this great review! I have a question please: In the mobile application there is an option where you can change the sensitivity of the motors from weak to strong. When i change mine to strong the app doesnt memorise it and returns it to the weak mode. All the other settings are working fine and the app memorises them as it should. Do you have any advice please?
Hi Curtis, Thanks for doing this video. While I might be wrong, I think I may have bought a dud and I was wondering if you could shed some light. Panning, my Crane doesn't feel completely smooth. Rotating through several angles, I get small vibrations or bumps. Similarly when it's powered off, rotating the handle through around the pan axis, it isn't consistently smooth. It feels like (if it uses bearings) one or more of them might have defects, or there's dust or impurities stopping them from correctly rolling perfectly. I'm still trying to work out if this doesn't affect my footage. I was wondering if you encountered this at all? Any help would be much appreciated.
Hi Curtis, Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I had my suspicions but the retailer seems hesitant in letting me return it. I feel more confident in pressing for a return now. I've subscribed and I'm looking forward to your future videos. All the best, Miles.
Hey Curtis. Normally I find your tutorials super helpful, but after watching this, and many, many other gimbal balancing videos I still can't get mine to balance. I do the yaw adjustment, then move the camera back and forth using the base plate so the camera sits level. And my camera now keeps its tilt position just fine, but its top heavy on the yaw axis. I use the yaw adjuster so the camera will balance in the middle, but if I yaw right it falls right, and if I yaw left it falls left. The only way to fix this is by adjusting the tilt adjuster to bring down the centre of gravity. Which of course throws the tilt axis off. Any suggestions would be super helpful.
Keir, which camera are you using? I’ve found that smaller cameras and large cameras (such as DSLRs with battery grips) tend not to be particularly well balanced so often require counter weights to balance on a gimbal.
Keir, you may need to add some weight to the bottom of the camera. Some people have had success by adding an additional quick release plate or similar metal rigging pieces to the bottom of the camera or underneath the plate of the gimbal. Good luck!
Curtis Judd I'll give that a shot. I've tried with the non battery grip and an arca swis clamp but no bananas. I may just end up posting a UA-cam video of my issue and see if anyone can solve it for me.
i there any model with a 4th axis stabilisation to compensate the up/down movement when walking ? it seems like a no-brainer because we usually walk in these kind of shots, no ?
Hello, thank you for this video. I'm having an issue with my Zhiyun Crane. I'm 99% sure it's balanced and calibrated properly, but the footage still comes out very jittery. I've tried updating the firmware (to 1.60), and changing the "strength" setting to "strong" in the Zhiyun Assistant app, but nothing has changed. Have you had any issues like this?
Curtis Judd I'm using a Nikon D3400 and a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. I know the gimbal is designed for mirrorless cameras, but according to Zhiyun's website, my DSLR is also supported.
Thanks Curtis! That one has a 4.4 lb load capacity tho and that is right at the limit of my gimbal + cam/lens etc. Since it's going to be dedicated to the gimbal, I do not care about a head. Looking at this one: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175946-REG/manfrotto_mm290a4us_290_aluminum_monopod.html . - 11 lbs cap and pretty light as well.
Looks like it'll do the job nicely. All of my Manfrotto tripods and monopods have been solid for years. I still have my first Manfrotto tripod from 1994 (was marketed as Manfrotto-Bogen at the time). Still use it weekly.
First you balancing the gimbal with kit lens then you changed the lens why? plz help me i couldn't balance my gimbal properly with sony a6300 kit lens.
Hi Vish it has been a long time since I shot this so I do not remember, but for lighter lenses like the kit Zoom, you may need to add a counterweight to the front since the lens is so light.
Finally someone, (you) made a simple how to balance the Zhiyun crane. Thank you!
You're welcome!
The best, clearest and most thorough video on the Zhiyun Crane I've seen - and I've looked at tons. Thank you so much!
+Noel Yeo thanks Noel!
This is what I was looking for ! I never used or seen a gimbal and wanted to know the basics of it. There are many videos of gimbal on UA-cam, but no one did expalin like u. Thank you for this tutorial !
Glad it helped!
Outstanding video. I bought one of these last week to work with my A6500 and A7sii. Your video is the best that I have seen on how to set up the Zhiyun and to get some great shots relatively quickly. Thanks for your work.
Thanks Stan.
My Crane's pan tends to drift in lock mode, even after re-calibration. Have you noticed this? It seems like yours has the same issue at about 3:25 - slowly panning to the right.
Hmm, I haven't noticed but I am generally just using lock mode for relatively short crane type shots - maybe 10 seconds long. In those cases I haven't seen any noticeable drift. For longer shots I'm usually in pan following mode so that I can pan.
Curtis, thanks a lot. I bought the gimbal few days ago and you helped me a lot to adjust it. I'm using the Panasonic Lumix FZ 1000. My first shootings were outstanding.
👍
Omg, you're extremely good at explaining how a device works. This has been the most intuitive video that I've watched so far about this product, thanks !
Thanks Hector!
Just bought one last week and got it a few days ago. After being a DJI Ronin M owner I've changed to this and it's just as good if not better. Especially with a stabilised lens. Super smooth.
+Peter Wallis thanks for letting us know about your experience with the crane vs osmo. That's a question I get a lot and I'm not qualified to answer.
do you think its safe to hold the gimbal by the arm while running and gunning, while the gimbal is turned off. It'd be a hassle to hold it up right at all times and also keep setting it up for the next location
That's what I do, just to prevent the camera from banging around.
Excellent tutorial! I was initially very frustrated with this device, but your video had me up and running in no time, thanks!
Glad it helped!
Hi friend!Thanks for your review!Hope to see your more brilliant videos with Zhiyun shared!
+Zhiyun-tech thank you for designing the Crane!
Zhiyun-tech, I couldn't balance it
+Zhiyun-tech please take a look at the comment I wrote here
Zhiyun-tech myank
Zhiyun tech, why there is no application in Google Play store. I want to calibrate my gimbal. I couldn't find the application.
Quite possibly the best Crane set-up video I've watched! Thank you!
Thanks Chuck!
The best in setting up the gimble. Others take 10-16min to do with lots of remarks or sidenotes not related to the setup. Yours is direct to the point. Thanks!
I wish you could have indicated in the video the way to go into the modes (how many key presses on the joystick).
But good overall. Better than the others I've seen here.
Thanks Mel for the feedback. Very helpful!
Hey Curtis, What are you using as a stand for the crane. I am doing a review for the crane and I am trying to find out the best thing to balance it on.
I used a tripod as a stand here, just a big, old, heavy Manfrotto from the early 1990s. But any tripod should do the job.
Hey Curtis, I am trying to balance my 7d with lens but it is still front heavy no matter what I do. it is under the 3.3 lb payload.... any advice?
I have heard of some people using quick release slider plates which allow them to adjust the center of balance farther back. I don't have first-hand experience with these but perhaps that will at least give you some ideas on options. Good luck!
While using the gimbal, do you have to run cable from camera to gamble?
No, not on this old gimbal - the original Crane.
Hello, nice tutorial! I have a question, how can I charge the batteries of this gimbal? Can I use the Samsung mobile charger, or what kind of charger must use?
Yes, any USB port or charger should do the job. It may charge a little faster with a larger wattage charger such as those for tablets or a larger USB battery bank with a 2.1amp output.
Curtis Judd thanks for your answer!
Very useful and to the point video. I've been struggling with my gimbal!!! This helps give basic clarity on where I might be making mistakes. Much appreciated...
👍🏻
You stated that the app lets you calibrate and update firmware but you forgot to mention the most important aspect which is that the app allows you to control the gimbal remotely in the same way that the optional remote does. The app is awesome! It works by Bluetooth to control the crane which means you can link your camera to a smartphone or tablet by wifi and have a completely remote set up. (Using my iPhone to control the gimbal and my iPad as a remote screen). Zhiyun are working on Bluetooth control of the camera. This is easily the best gimbal in this price range. It will only get better as they develop it. I love this thing!!
+MistaFussichannel thanks for the additional info! I agree, this is a good one!
I have just received this gimbal and your help is very precious for my first steps with it. Thanks a lot !
Glad it helped!
Another fantastic video... Just wondering can you attach a pole to this to extend pans at all? Would be nice to get some above shots
Yes, it has a 1/4-20 threaded tap. In fact, both of the crane type shots in this video were with the gimbal attached to a monopod which is very much like a pole.
Hi! About the Zhiyun Crane, I'm trying to figure out if is possible to use it with the pan locked but with the ability to adjust the tilt by incline the crane instead of using the joystick: for certain types of shoot, it would be really fantastic. Thank you in advance
Hi Surio, unfortunately I don't believe so.
GREATGreat review, Cirtos! Kinda looks like a bigger Osmo, which IZ like. Would you get this over other models?
+rick zanotti hi Rick! The Zhiyun has been great. Haven't used others in the same weight class so not sure on the others. But haven't found anything problematic with the crane to make me start looking elsewhere.
Perfectly explained. I haven't seen a better way to stabilise a gimbal.
Thanks..
Thanks!
Your videos are excellent, Curtis. My limited experience with the Zhi-Yun is that the crane is really meant to be used with OSS lenses. When I used it with a simple mechanical no IS lens while walking, the movement was smooth, but the image was jittery. I had the impression that the crane is meant to help great (macro) movements, but will not replace IBIS or in-lens/optical stabilization. When you explain at 2:41 that Steady Shot can be switched off, can you demo/explain what results can I expect from the crane when OSS is switched off? All sample videos on youtube with the ZhiYun are from lenses with brilliant OSS, like the 1650 at 16mm.
Miklos Nemeth
if you have premiere pro, you can use warp stabilier at 1% to get rid of the micro jitters
I have Premiere Elements. In the meantime, other sources confirmed that OSS/IS/IBIS/VR together with gimbal is the real solution, they cannot replace each other for walking/running shots.
None of the demos/reviews about the ZhiYun crane have a video made with a no-stabilized lens. Honestly, since I have the experience now, I am not really sure, if any gimbal is really worth the money (for my style): a good old IBIS with a wide angle lens with some practice can produce excellent moving shots. So, my conclusion is that whatever great is the ZhiYun, I may not keep it; I simply don't use it enough: a gimbal is cumbersome to carry around/mount/setup and operate; it draws too much attention and really not worth the efforts. There are dozens of other videography techniques that I could use to make great/interesting movie stories. Anyhow, I love Curtis Judd's videos.
Hi Curtis! thanks for the great review again. I actually have the same gimbal, and I'd have a practical question: I mount an a6300 on this unit, and I'm wondering if I can carry this setup installed, so that I don't remove the camera, just put the whole setup into a bag (switched off of course) if I gotta shoot at an event, with multiple locations with relatively long distances between them? thanks very much in advance!
Yes, sure. You'll just want to make sure that when it is in the bag that no undue pressure is placed on any of the joints/motors of the gimbal.
thanks for your quick reply! great news, I'm really glad to read that, it makes the unit so much more usable, versatile. now I'm just gonna keep my fingers crossed, that Zhiyun comes up with an Osmo-Z-Axis-like little accessory in the near future... :)
this is awesome, i been looking for tutorial for setting up the crane in youtube lot of them are so complicate to watch. Your video are so easy to understand and easy to set up. Thank for doing this :)
Thanks Bank!
Great review. Just wondering, are you able to rotate the camera 90 degrees on this gimbal and have it fixed in that portrait position for vertical video filming?
No, I don't see a way to do that.
Wonderful review, Do you think will work good with a Canon 70D with a Canon 24-70 USM II L ? THANKS and keep on doing videos like this!!
Thanks. I don't think so - that'd be at or just past the threshold of its capacity range. But, I would keep subscribed here. We may have some things coming soon that would work better for that camera combination.
Curtis Judd, Thx, ok I'll be waiting!
They have a new one out that works with the 70D because I just bout it a few days ago. It's on Amazon. It's Zhiyun Crane V.2
Great video as always, Curtis. But, a big big big BUT. When you are inside, towards the window, then doing that kind of a faster pan and you end with that guy with a beard, notice not only the rolling shutter, i mean jello wise, but the terrible jittery image, the fraction frames that skip , without smoothness. How do you avoid this, can this be fixed in post?
Thanks Adrian, the rolling shutter can be fixed in post if it isn't too bad. If there are skipped frames, I'm not sure that there's a great way to fix that.
Looking forward to receiving mine this upcoming week! Excited for taking it out on action sports adventures and traveling.
Sounds fun and I hope it works well for you!
Overall, I like this gimbal. The app is a bit strange because the roll is part of the main control instead of being pan and tilt like the thumb control on the actual gimbal.
On a monopod, I've been able to use this in place of setting up a jib. Since I've been getting good shots with the smaller cameras, this has really helped reduce how much gear I need to lug around.
I agree, I took the crane and a GH4 on a recent trip to Hawaii and it was small enough to haul around without issue for a band show (about 1.5 hours). I was also surprised that after that time, my arm was not particularly fatigued.
How easy is it to see the LCD screen? Have you used this with an LCD screen flipped open to the left side of the camera?
Do you have other screen viewing tips, especially outdoors?
I haven't had any issues seeing the screen on either my Sony a6000 or Panasonic GH4 in terms of the gimbal arms getting in the way, so no need to flip the screen off to the side. And flipping it off to the side will make the gimbal work harder and reduce battery life. Outdoor viewing of the screen - many cameras allow you to increase the brightness so you may need to experiment with your particular camera to find a setting that works for you. Best wishes!
Great review! Do you always have to re-balance when you set the gimbal down? Setting it on the ground, storing it in a bag, etc. I have to re-balance my glide cam every time I set it down. Usually I set my glide cam on a balancing stand to keep it semi-balanced.
Hi Michael, Not necessarily, depending on how you store it. If you leave all the adjustments alone (which means you may not be able to store it in the included case with the foam cutout) it is super easy and fast to get it set back up. But some of the arms collide with others if you collapse it enough to put it back in the case. I've fashioned a pocket in my camera bag so that I don't have to change any of the settings to store it in the bag so I can be up and running quickly.
Excellent video. I am thinking of getting one soon. I have a question about the weight requirements. I have a Canon Vixia HF R600 that weighs in at around 234 grams and this is under the minimum weight requirments of the gimbal. If I add weight to bring it up the the required weight will this work ok? also the screen on the camcorder opens to the left will this get in the way of the gimbal?
Hi Scotia807, I'm not sure this will work with camcorders due to their different form factor relative to mirrorless hybrid and DSLR cameras. You might contact Zhiyun support to confirm. Best wishes!
Curtis Judd ~Thanks for the reply. I contact the manufacturer about it. seems odd they don't have any for small camcorders.
Do the motors or rotations make whir noises? Just in case you want to mount a microphone on the camera body or use the camera on-board microphone to record the audio from the scene.
They make very, very little noise. When recording, I have not noticed the sound of the motors in the audio tracks.
perfect timing! i ordered one last week and mine comes tomorrow!
+PeglegMedia awesome, I hope it works well for you! Just used it to shoot a band yesterday and was really happy with the results!
i need to sell my gh4 for an a6300 so i can get video auto focus now. Any tips on getting smooth footage? It is not really usable at 30p in 4k (with IS turned off or on) but looks great at 1080 60fps
Yes, first thing with the tiny A6xxx cameras: You'll probably want to use a lens which is heavier than the kit 16-50 so that the camera will balance. The 16-50 is so lightweight that you cannot balance it on the gimbal because the camera is back heavy.
Curtis Judd how is your 4k 30fps footage not super choppy?
+PeglegMedia the gimbal smoothed it out nicely. I don't do whip movements and it's been working really well.
Hello Curtis
I just ran across this 3 year old video of yours.
I have this exact gimbal and love it.
You mentioned about extra batteries you can get for longer life.
Did you know if you take the very bottom of the handle off, there is a tube inside there you can remove.
Rush you can install larger batteries.
Larger in size.
Keith Kuhn
Thanks Keith.
@@curtisjudd
No problem.
Hello, so happy i came across your video. I have a cannon g7x mark ii and was wondering if that camera would fit on this gimbal? Great video btw!!!
I would think yes, but I haven't specifically tried the G7x.
@@curtisjudd I just got it from best buy and it does THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND VIDEO. 💙💙💙
Is it only me hating its bouncy footage?
i'm trying so hard to convince my self buying this gimbal! i'm not talking about your test of course, Great video as always Curtis.
Hi Luca, I think that is part of the issue with motorized gimbals in general. The heft of the mechanical gimbals helps more with that.
Hi thx for the nice tutorial. I bought also this gimbal and when I change from bottom-up to top-down during operation (so no over standby) it jerks almost every time. Is this normal? I tried it around 50 times and it there was always this jerk! So should I just avoid it or is there something wrong?
Yes, that's normal. ideally, you'll change to inverted mode with the gimbal off, or at least not while shooting.
The background and lighting looks a lot better in this video.
Thanks! Better than what?
in other videos where it is is just black or white, there is more of a texture
TECHnique great, thanks for the feedback!
Good review. I have found the joystick a little bit difficult to use precisely. Meaning, sometimes when I try to tilt only, I will end up tilting AND panning slightly to one side. (On the other hand, if I try to pan only using the joystick, I don't accidentally tilt.) Maybe it is just the way that the joystick is placed in relation to where I normally place my hand for balancing the gimbal.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your experience with the Crane. I haven't seen that so much as accidental panning when I do a crane type shot and I'm in pan following mode. I realized after a while in those cases that I needed to switch to lock mode.
But yours sounds like a slightly different case and I agree, may be related to how your hand is positioned. I hope you are able to find a way to resolve that issue.
Ahh... ok thanks for the response. I will also try your suggestion of switching to lock mode when trying to do a crane shot. Thanks again!
how are you focusing? Also, can you zoom the lens? will the motors still compensate?
+Radiant Video Productions - Santa Monica, CA I don't generally do active focusing while on the gimbal. I shoot a wide prime with an aperture that gives plenty of Depth of field and set focus to infinity. The motors generally will not smooth things out when you manually adjust the lens in terms of focus or zoom.
Ok, thanks Curtis, good to know....
Hi! Great video. Have you tried this with any legacy lens? Hows does the stabilization works on the video?
Yes, works great as long as the lens is not too light. But it is even smoother with IS lenses.
Thanks! I'm contemplating on getting one since I mostly use old lenses for my videos. I like the look of old lenses on my videos. Appreciate you for putting out great content!
How long do you expect this gimbal to work if you use it a lot. In other words what is life expectancy if we do take good care of it. thanks
This is just a guess, but if you used it for 2 hours every day, I would guess 2 years.
There don't seem to be many complaints so far other than people not knowing how to use it properly. Thanks for the answer.
hey! thank you for your video! it has been one of the most helpful. I have this gimbal and have been trying to stabilize it with a sony camera. I dont know if it is working because the camera keeps falling back and hitting the back of the gimbal so it is unable to go back and balance. What do you suggest? do you think it's broken? i can send you pictures or a video if you need more info
sami becherer are you using the 16-50mm lens? That one is so lightweight that I couldn't move the camera far enough to balance it. Does it fall back once you turn on the gimbal?
Hey curtis great video , would you happen to know how to go about replacing the thumb mounting screw ? I lost mine . But not sure if you know another way to mount it .
Hmm, I believe my kit came with two of the thumb screws, one for the camera, one for the lens support. Perhaps the lens support screw would work? Otherwise, my need to contact Zhiyun for replacement. You might try here: zhiyun.us/community/contact Best wishes!
I noticed you're using a very light camera and lens, but I have an a7iii w/ the 18mm batis. which is about twice as heavy. do you think it'll still work with this gimbal?
Yes, I lent this to a friend who used it with his A7SII. I'm not sure which lens he used but he said it worked well. However, since I shot this, Zhiyun has released the Crane 2 which has a larger payload capacity. I'd go for the Crane 2 instead: ua-cam.com/video/BHJR7OJKld4/v-deo.html
You mentioned using two hands. This made me think, is there a tripod screw hole in the base of the handle? Can you attach this to a monopod or boom, to wield it with two hands and also reach further up or forward if needed - is that feasible? Thanks!
Yes, in fact the "crane" type shots in this video were done with the Crane mounted to a monopod.
Super nice tips Curtis! I vlogg alot do you think it will work for that ?
I would think so!
Can I fit a Panasonic VXF990 camcorder onto this thing? Excellent video by the way.
Hmm, not sure, it is designed for mirrorless hybrid cameras so it'd be a stretch, I would think.
I've just bought one and it doesn't work with normal camcorders. I have the Lumix LX15 though and it works great with that.
Ok, good that it works with the LX15! Too bad about the camcorder. :(
Thank you for making this video. Been considering different models and the Zhiyun Crane seems to have the best combination of features, performance, and price. Would you recommend this one over other brands/models?
Hi Shaka, I haven't used any of the others, to be entirely honest, but I've been very happy with the results from the Crane with my Panasonic GH4. I also installed the 5D firmware and was able to fly my Nikon D750 which impressed me since it is a fair bit larger and heavier than the GH4. One of the big things to remember is that for these to work (and this applies to any gimbal), you need a camera/lens combination that is fairly balanced. A lot of the camera kit lenses are too light so the camera becomes difficult to balance on the gimbal.
Thank you for your response. I would be using the GH4 with the 12-35 2.8. Would that be a good, balanced combination in your experience?
Yes, that's the exact setup I used to get the gimbal shots in this video. They balance nicely on the Crane.
Is there a gimbal which you can recommend for smaller mirrorless cameras, like the Canon G7X or Sony RX100? This still seems quite big for those small mirrorless shooters.
Hey Adam, I have only tested a few so far: GVB Gimbal for action cams, the Zhiyun-Tech Smooth II for smartphones, and now the Crane. Over time I may look to review others.
One issue, after i balanced my a6300 i can´t switch easy to invertive mode the pan motor axis and the tilt motor axis are each other in the way.
Great review, i bought my gimbal yesterday.
Thanks. Sorry about the issue. You cannot swing it around the other side where the two axis are not in the way?
on the other side i can but i need to turn of the gimbal before i change
it to invertive mode, i watched few other reviews wit the 6300 its like
only i have this problem, but there is just one way to balance the
camera an in this way i have this issue. sad, but when i start working
with the gimbal it is perfect i love it ;)
Excellent, happy shooting!
love your reviews ... big hello from new york
+Yusuf Onder thanks Yusuf and a big hello from the Rocky Mountains
Hi, nice video. My Canon 5D Mark iv setup with either normal or wide angle zoom lens is only 3.2 lbs which is less than the 3.9 lbs (1800 grams) load limit cited in the Zhiyun Crane 3 Axis Gimbal specifications with the Firmware upgrade to 1800 grams. I'm wondering why the official Zhiyun information material says this is specifically for "Mirrorless cameras" and does not say DSLRs in general? Can you shed any light on this because I am interested in the product but it looks like it may not match for my 5D for some unknown design reason. I have seen a couple of YT demos using the gimbal with a 5D but the results do not always look totally smooth or horizontal. I do not know if this is due to attaching a mirrored camera or because the user of the equipment does not have the best familiarity with Zhiyun Crane technique, since I have seen both good and less than good results with the crane, regardless of which camera was on it. Thanks for any info about mirrored cameras and this. Hal
Hello Hal, I believe that Zhiyun released the special firmware for heavier cameras after introducing the product. I attempted to use it with my Nikon D750 (similar size/weight to Canon 5DmkIV) and had reasonable success with very light 50mm lens (the plastic 50, not the metal version). It seems to me that the Crane is working at the limits of its capacity with the pro level DSLRs. If you will use it with light lenses and for short periods, it may be fine, but it may be best to look at gimbals with larger payload capacities if you need to fly your camera for any appreciable amount of time.
Curtis, so you're saying that even with the firmware update to 1800g (3.9 lbs) your D750 did not work as well as you'd like? My 5Div with either a 50mm or 16-35mm lens weighs 3.2 lbs, well within the tolerance of the firmware upgrade but I have not ordered the gimbal yet because of such concerns. I contacted Zhiyun directly and they assured me that my 3.2 lb DSLR would work fine. Of course, I don't want accept less than optimum results, the same way as the setup would work with a mirrorless camera. I'm curious to know what aspect of your testing with the D750 was less than "reasonable success." What kept you from judging it as a total success? Thanks again. Thanks, Hal
Hal, I did not end up using the gimbal for that job I described, not because of the gimbal or its performance, just that my colleague ended up operating the camera on a non-motorized gimbal with which he was more familiar. I was able to get it to work during pre-production but haven't tested it thoroughly so I'm not really in a position to recommend it for DSLRs. It may be fine, I just have not tested it extensively. Also, I have loaned the gimbal to a friend so I don't have it here to test at present. I hope that clarifies. Best wishes!
Thanks much for answering and for your fine videos.
I'm trying to mount and balance my Sony a7s ii with 24-70mm lens but I feel like it's impossible. I've watched this video over and over and still can't seem to get it right. Any other tips? Is my camera too heavy?
I think it is the lens that is too heavy. Do you have a lighter lens you can try just to see if it works?
Hmm... yes, I do I have a lighter lens but this is the lens that I wanted to use. I guess if I can't use the lens I want, I cannot use this gimbal. Thank you so much for the fast response!
The weight of the 24-70 is most likely not going to work if the issue you're facing is that the lens keeps pointing down (front heavy). Sorry. :(
Hey Curtis, do you think it would be possible to use a gimbal like this with a Sony A7S, cine lenses and somehow mount a wireless follow focus on it ? Cheers.
Hi, I think that is probably a stretch, but it depends on the weight of the lens and follow-focus and how far it all protrudes from the camera body. But most likely, you'd need to look at one of the larger 2-hand gimbals that can handle heavier payloads.
Would this work with a small camcorder, or should I look at another gimbal?
Depending on the size, it may have interference issues with the motors.
Hmm, I agree with +Sun Pixel Video - depends on the size. Probably not an issue in terms of weight but definitely designed for mirrorless hybrid camera form factors rather than video cams.
Great video ! How do I get it into full lock mode is it 1 click or 2 clicks of the toggle ? Thanks
Sorry about that. When you first power up, the crane is in pan following mode. To get to lock mode, single click the joystick. To get into pan and tilt following mode, double click the joystick. Best wishes!
My crane doesn't get the mode that smooth in tilt automatically, I have to use joystick to move vertically. Is that normal in yours?
Hi Alex, if that mode isn't working on your copy of the Crane, there may be a defect in your copy. I would contact Zhiyun support. Best wishes!
I tried to buy this Gimbal but I can't be able to setup it, because so i returned it. Is there a detailed video step by step how to setup it?
That’s what I tried to do here. But I have found some cameras will not balance well because they are very unbalanced themselves. Which camera were you using?
I just bought the zhiyun crane for my a7sii. I like shooting anamorphic though and I have a lens adapter that's pretty heavy. I'm pretty sure if it's attached the whole set up exceeds the weight limit a little bit. But I can get it sort of balanced. Is it bad to run the crane a little over the weight limit? I know that it won't be able to stabilize as well which I'm okay with. But will it damage the gimbal motors or anything?
It will definitely run the battery down more quickly. Have you tried the heavy camera firmware from Zhiyun which allows you to fly heavier cameras? They call it the 5D firmware. Worth a try.
Thanks for the tip I'll check it out.
Hi Curtis, what table top tripod would you recommend for the gimbal? Thanks
I just subbed! Do you prefer the image stabilization on or off with the the use of the A6500 and the Z-Crane? Thanks!
+Leo St.Corsa I don't have the 6500 but it seemed to work best with the a6000 OSS on.
Thanks!
@Curtis Judd. You're right my good man. After testing the a6500 + the Z-Crane V2 over the course of six hours of filming, I can confidently say that your right and that the OSS makes a big difference. Some may not notice it while filming, but once the video editing starts its noticeable.
Good news, thanks for the update!
Hi, thanks for your nice video. This gamble seems pretty usefull for me but I like to choose with a short depth of field, I presume i can't really play with the focus manually with that can I ? And all solution of electronics follow focus i've seen are ridiculously high in price .. Any opinion on that ? It's not about gear but training ?
Hi Vivien, touching the camera, particularly to focus or zoom the lens doesn't work as it shakes the camera. I would look into using a remote control app if my cameras supported that.
Oh thanks a lot for your answer ! I'm using a D750 and i'm very surprised in 2017 we don't have simple remote to make focus wirelessly or zoom (focus is more important for me because I'm not using zoom) I'm really seeing myself with gimbal in one hand .. and zoom remote on the other. The price for some remotei've found are ridiculously high ... I'm thinking about asking an electronician friend to maybe do something custom ... Found an incredible wedding french videast, I'm gonna ask him what he think about that :)
Oh, I'm a D750 shooter too. Be careful, the D750 is at the very edge of what this gimbal can carry and adding an external focus system would likely exceed the payload limit. I was able to get this gimbal to balance with my D750 and 50mm AF-D lens but just barely.
That's what I was thinking .. still not invested in a Gimbal atm .. just thinking about it .. but yes the d750 is heavy, this was to use with my 50mm too .. .. sadly this gimbal is the only choice before jump to something way bigger like steadycam or dj Ronin .. (and way more expensive ..). Anyway thanks for your advice ! Atm I don't think i can find better than this one at this price.
Good luck!
What is the best gimbal that can support a heavy setup like my d810 with a 24-70 lens?
I haven't gotten into the world of bigger gimbals just yet so I don't have any recommendations on that front. But the first one I'd consider is the DJI Ronin MX: bhpho.to/2jkD252
Curtis Judd thanks!! By the way. Just set up my black backdrop and doing a review on the bioaqua.. the biggest facial mask all over Facebook. Using a beauty light and some soft lights. I don't have the cob120d yet. So lighting is a little off. But wow. The backdrop makes the world of difference. I'll send you a comment once it's uploaded and you can check it out!
Looking forward to it!
Curtis Judd I notice a lot of noise. My ISO was very high. Maybe not enough light? Again thanks for any info
Is the noise in the black backdrop? If so, you can crush that in post to reduce the noise there. If you're getting noise in the talent, then you probably need more light. Here's a very old episode on how to crush the black backdrop (and there are plenty of other ways to do the same thing): ua-cam.com/video/419TFE83mk4/v-deo.html
is it possible to use it as a motorised head for timelapses (set a time at which the gimbal will perform a move)?
I don't know of a way to program it, at least not yet. It's a very good idea.
Thank you so much for the excellent explanation! Thanks to you I've learned how to use my gimbal!
Yay! Happy shooting!
I have a problem - I’m using the rx100 V and it doesn’t seem to be able to balance when I point it down towards the ground.
That sounds like a back heavy situation. Can you move the camera forward on the camera plate?
Nice videos - like your videos Curtis!! Will get my crane today :)
Thanks for the feedback and best wishes!
I have this one but for the iPhone and I love it! Thanks for the video Curtis!
Thanks Nick! Is that the Smooth II?
Curtis Judd Z1-Smooth-C I believe - haven't been able to incorporate it as much as I'd like being I'm normally a one pony show, but when I have it's been complete fluidity
👍
I love this guy, great info and straight to the point.
Thanks!
Another excellent video, Curtis. I have had my Crane for a month now, and can safely say it is the best stabilizer I have used with my GH4. (and i have tried quite a few).
👍
I just bought this crane to replace my Ronin-M because the Ronin-M is pretty huge and needs to be used with an external monitor (that I will still try to attach to this new crane). Hopefully it can takes my A7sII and Sigma 24mm lens easily!
+TURST67 I hope it works as well for you as it has for me!
Where can I find a set of the extended batteries? Couldn't locate them on google.
Good question, I don't see them online anymore. You might try contacting the support people at Zhiyun.us: zhiyun.us/community/contact
Curtis good morning, thanks a lot for sharing with us. Good shoots.
+Compartilhando Mais thank you.
i just purchased my zhiyun crane 3 axis gimbal for $400... when i balance it, and turn it on, the handle starts spinning like crazy!!! im worried ive damaged it , why has this happened?
Not sure. Probably best to contact Zhiyun support. Best wishes!
Thanks for sharing this great review! I have a question please:
In the mobile application there is an option where you can change the sensitivity of the motors from weak to strong. When i change mine to strong the app doesnt memorise it and returns it to the weak mode. All the other settings are working fine and the app memorises them as it should.
Do you have any advice please?
+Wizard Video Produzioni my friend is borrowing mine so I don't have it here to test. May be best to contact Zhiyun support.
Hi Curtis,
Thanks for doing this video.
While I might be wrong, I think I may have bought a dud and I was wondering if you could shed some light.
Panning, my Crane doesn't feel completely smooth. Rotating through several angles, I get small vibrations or bumps. Similarly when it's powered off, rotating the handle through around the pan axis, it isn't consistently smooth. It feels like (if it uses bearings) one or more of them might have defects, or there's dust or impurities stopping them from correctly rolling perfectly.
I'm still trying to work out if this doesn't affect my footage.
I was wondering if you encountered this at all? Any help would be much appreciated.
Hi Miles, no, mine were all smooth flowing both with the gimbal on and when turned off. You may want to go ahead and exchange that. Best wishes!
Hi Curtis,
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I had my suspicions but the retailer seems hesitant in letting me return it. I feel more confident in pressing for a return now.
I've subscribed and I'm looking forward to your future videos.
All the best,
Miles.
Can I also put my smartphone and go pro on the kran ? or are those devices too light for it??
For phones, it would be better to go with the Smooth Q: ua-cam.com/video/bYxhl1t-qBM/v-deo.html
Great video! I have one and their is still a lot to learn. Ps the S's are super loud in the video.
Hey Curtis. Normally I find your tutorials super helpful, but after watching this, and many, many other gimbal balancing videos I still can't get mine to balance. I do the yaw adjustment, then move the camera back and forth using the base plate so the camera sits level. And my camera now keeps its tilt position just fine, but its top heavy on the yaw axis. I use the yaw adjuster so the camera will balance in the middle, but if I yaw right it falls right, and if I yaw left it falls left. The only way to fix this is by adjusting the tilt adjuster to bring down the centre of gravity. Which of course throws the tilt axis off. Any suggestions would be super helpful.
Keir, which camera are you using? I’ve found that smaller cameras and large cameras (such as DSLRs with battery grips) tend not to be particularly well balanced so often require counter weights to balance on a gimbal.
Curtis Judd I'm using a fujifilm x-t2. I've tried with 23 f/1.4 and 10-24 f/4 with no luck.
Keir, you may need to add some weight to the bottom of the camera. Some people have had success by adding an additional quick release plate or similar metal rigging pieces to the bottom of the camera or underneath the plate of the gimbal. Good luck!
Curtis Judd I'll give that a shot. I've tried with the non battery grip and an arca swis clamp but no bananas. I may just end up posting a UA-cam video of my issue and see if anyone can solve it for me.
I own canon 6d which crane do u suggest me to purchase for that ??
I would go with the Crane 2: ua-cam.com/video/BHJR7OJKld4/v-deo.html
i there any model with a 4th axis stabilisation to compensate the up/down movement when walking ? it seems like a no-brainer because we usually walk in these kind of shots, no ?
Yes, but they involve big vests and huge rigs.
Great tutorial!! I was up and running with your help. Thanks again.
👍Happy shooting!
Is there enough room on this gimbal to use a Legria Hf g40 camcorder?
From centre tripod thread to back end of camera is 82 mm. Weight 950 gm
Hmm, not sure. Others that have tried camcorders have not been able to balance them as this is designed for mirrorless hybrid cameras.
Great video. What I really needed to get started.
Glad it helped!
What is the name of the mobile application is it possible to download link
ZY Play.
Also, other videos don't seem to explain the "pan axis" so is that vital?
+Jeremy Foster it helps preserve battery life so definitely a good idea.
Hi i just wanted to ask when your using this gimbal what is the best setting to make a cinematic video shots
Thanks
For crane style shots, I'd go into lock mode (press the button once).
Hello, thank you for this video.
I'm having an issue with my Zhiyun Crane. I'm 99% sure it's balanced and calibrated properly, but the footage still comes out very jittery. I've tried updating the firmware (to 1.60), and changing the "strength" setting to "strong" in the Zhiyun Assistant app, but nothing has changed. Have you had any issues like this?
Hi Laggy44, which camera and lens are you using on the Crane?
Curtis Judd I'm using a Nikon D3400 and a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. I know the gimbal is designed for mirrorless cameras, but according to Zhiyun's website, my DSLR is also supported.
Yes, the Crane should be able to support the D3400. You'll probably want to contact Zhiyun support to troubleshoot that. Best wishes!
can you control pan/tilt on gymbal from the iOS or android app? say you mount the gymbal on a Jib, could you use it as a remote control head? cheers
+alexmia23 yes, you can.
What is the tripod you're using to balance that? i can't find it anywhere
+Jeremy Foster it is a 23 year old Manfrotto tripod that they don't make anymore. But the newer tripods are much better.
great job! Look forward to having my Zhiyun Crane!
Thanks and happy smooth shooting!
Good and nice tutorial. Thanks Curtis.
Thanks Janne
Great video as always Curtis. What monopod are you using with the crane? I have one but I do not trust it's weight bearing capacity :)
Hi Mike, they don't make the one I have anymore but replaced it with this one: amzn.to/2sSGqh4
Thanks Curtis! That one has a 4.4 lb load capacity tho and that is right at the limit of my gimbal + cam/lens etc. Since it's going to be dedicated to the gimbal, I do not care about a head. Looking at this one: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1175946-REG/manfrotto_mm290a4us_290_aluminum_monopod.html . - 11 lbs cap and pretty light as well.
Looks like it'll do the job nicely. All of my Manfrotto tripods and monopods have been solid for years. I still have my first Manfrotto tripod from 1994 (was marketed as Manfrotto-Bogen at the time). Still use it weekly.
I won't give away my age here but I have a Bogen tripod as well :) . Thanks for the help Curtis!
Are you able to flip the screen out easily on your sony camera? Mainly asking for those "low shots".
For low shots, yes.
I am very interested as to how you got them to give you one. Did you just email them?
+rmp5s Zhiyun contacted me.
Curtis Judd Nice! I'll be getting one soon. How has it held up for you?
Really well. Except that I let my friend borrow it and he still hasn't returned it to me. :D I guess he likes it a lot as well.
Curtis Judd Looks that way! Can I bum it next? :-D
Haha! Sure, when he returns it, you can meet me in Park City, Utah and we can get that to you. ;-)
First you balancing the gimbal with kit lens then you changed the lens why? plz help me i couldn't balance my gimbal properly with sony a6300 kit lens.
Hi Vish it has been a long time since I shot this so I do not remember, but for lighter lenses like the kit Zoom, you may need to add a counterweight to the front since the lens is so light.