Just got my Geranos (zhiyun crane) today and used your video to help me balance it. Only took about 10 minutes. I checked out a lot of "How to Balance" videos prior to receiving the gimbal in the mail and I found yours to be the best for teaching balance. Thank you!
Zac Nicholson no problem glad it helped, when I got mine I watched quite a few vids and none of them fully explained it, especially balancing the pan axis, so I decided to make this video and explain it with close-ups to make it as easy as possible for others.
I've just ordered this, my main camera is the GH4+meta booster+Sigma 18-35mm. However I'm worried as my Kit is super front heavy. I've seen a lot of videos where the camera seems to spaz out but the reviewer never mentions these flaws, and that's with a lighter set up than mine. Have you had any issues such s this?
criege pennant I also have the Sigma 18-35mm and it definitely is too front heavy. If you want to keep the Sigma, do not buy this gimbal. If you want to buy this gimbal, do not buy this Sigma..
Lol thought as much, I bought it on Amazon Prime will arrive tomorrow. I will test it first then return it if it's completely useless. Thanks for the response.
I actually have a question,While using the GH4 with this. What lens do you Prefer and do you use the Auto focus or Do you use Manual while using Gimbal . Thanks
drewmorgan by turning the focus ring on the lens. obviously you can't do it and shoot at the same time, but i will set my focus for the shot, then execute it.
Hey man i know i'm a year late but i'm considering buying a sony a6300 with this gimbal and i've been handed the gear to test before deciding. You explained it so well because it is the very first time i am even holding a gimbal so i do not know where those flimsy dislikes are coming from. Many thanks.
i searched for your video because im going to buy one today to use it with 80D, and i was trying to compare zhiyun crane to feiyutech mg v2, and i found zhiyun is much better. thank you for sharing . cheers ...
I've been a glidecam user for years, I've just ordered this gear because of how much more things I will be able to do with it, and much lighter than using a glidecam!
I bought mine in December and I love it! I use it in almost all my videos. But I never used the little tripod . . . matter of fact, I didn't even realize it came with it! And I never used the bluetooth remote either, but I definitely want to try it!
Very good review, Thanks so much for that, I like to add another tip: use a quick release plate with it, so you don't need to balance it again(in case you don't change the lens) that will decrease the setup time so much
One of the best videos I have seen regarding the Zhiyun Crane. Hope I can get to balance mine : I have just unboxed mine and the first impression was a very difficult setup.. I will follow this tutorial.
Hey thanks this was very helpful! The only question that I have is "what about focusing your camera? Can you touch the camera to focus? Or will touching it wreck the gimbal movement?" I have a Cannon 5D MK II and I constantly have to be adjusting the focus, so I'm wondering if it's even possible to use with a camera like that... I'd love your input! Thanks!
Matthias J. Johnson generally you want to set your focus and keep a fixed distance from your subject, but you can refocus whilst still on the gimbal, it won't do it any damage.
Thanks Jonathan for great video. Quickie question. Just received the crane. Are we supposed to charge the batteries before first use or just pop in and start working it? Thanks. Hal
From memory i think my came about 50% charged, so you'll get a few hours out of them without charging. It doesn't really matter if you charge them or not
I am looking at this gimbal and the Pilotfly H2. Not sure which one I should go with. The only bad things I've heard about this gimbal is software design can be a mess along with customer service. I feel like the Pilotfly H2 is the safest gimbal but this gimbal is price is REALLY good and most of the reviews I have seen have been good.
Esai Cruz I haven't used the pilotfly so can't comment on that. I haven't had any problems with the app on the Crane. Best of luck with your decision. 😀
Great vid as always! I've got their smartphone gimbal and love it (the exact same layout just much smaller) and the Removu S1 for my GoPro's but wanted a bigger gimbal for the Sony. I've currently got the A5000 with various lenses so the Crane-m would be sufficient I'm guessing, but wondering with a move to the A6300 on the horizon, would that be too big for the 'm' gimbal, or is the regular Crane a bit overkill for even the A6300?
Fitness in Adventure I think the a6300 is around 400g and the max payload on the Crane M is only 650g so the full Crane would definitely be more suitable. Hope that helps 👍
Thanks for the video. I just ordered mine today. I noticed in your sample videos, some callout animations. Did you build those, or buy them as plugins? If you bought them, where did you find them. I've been looking for ones just like that. Thank you.
Did you know that if you connect a Sony a6500 to the gimbal to the top motor usb you can use the gimbal controls to start/stop the video and zoom an electronic zoom lens? The joystick will start/stop the video and the gimbal slider will zoom the lens.
Excellent video. My crane jitters with GH4 and Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 lens. If you have Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 please share your experience with the Crane.
I've been looking at gimbals for a while> Tried to work it in my budget, but something else always came up. The I saw this on Amazon and a price point that was really good! Your review has sold me on it as I can see it gives professional results. I'm going to order mine tomorrow! Thx :) What lens is on your GH4?
No worries. Hope you have fun with it and get some great shots. The lens is the Panasonic 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens. It works great on a gimbal as its so samll and light (70g). I was a bit dubious of the IQ but it produces great results.
Really good video. I'm gonna use this when my gimbal arives! I have a sony a6300 with the 16-50 kitlens. Will the stabilizer unbalance when you zoom in and out with the lens? Or do the motors correct this? And the vertical vibrations you get. Are these easely correct in post or do you still get that ugly warping effect?
It should be fine, no need to rebalance as that lens is very light, the motors should auto correct. Warp stabilizer in premiere pro and After Effects is very good at removing any small vibrations that you get from the Zhiyun Crane, it won't always fully remove heavy vertical bobbing you get from walking with the crane though.
Great video. I had some problems with the vertical stutter too especially when doing quite close up product shots, how do you make yours so smooth? Do you shoot at higher frame rates? Also have you changed any of the parameters of the gimbal using the phone app? And if so what settings do you use?
Andrew Chua I will often use my body as an anchor point and hold the gimbal into my hip or leg to reduce vertical bounce, but that's only if I'm static and only putting a small amount of pan or tilt movement into a shot. Warp Stabiliser in premiere pro does help sometimes to remove movement. I have used the app quite a bit. I've dialed down the pan follow rate to a much lower value which I find is a lot smoother than the default.
Hey pal! Great video on this product ! I'm looking to buy it but not sure as My main setup is the gh4 + Metabones + sigma 18 -35 + a small light on top . To heavy ? What do you think ?
Quite probably yes, I haven't tried this exact setup myself but i know a number of users have and have had problems, the problem with this setup is the 18-35 plus the metabones is too long and so makes the camera very front heavy and makes it very difficult to balance the crane. This is why I tend to use small and light lenses with the crane
Jonathan J Scott Films thanks for your quick reply!! , I hear . But even with a light on top to counter the heavy lens do you think this may be already overloading the gimbal ? The light should counter the bulk , question is whether or not it can handle all that weight ?
The light is unlikely to counter balance it as if it is mounted in the hotshoe this is roughly over the centre of gravity for the camera, the problem is with a long extension over the front on the gimbal plate caused by the metabones and 18-35 mounted to it. Even if you get the setup to balance it will lead to a lot of bounce. Like i said i haven't tried this setup so have a google for those that have but the light is unlikely to make any difference.
Great tips.... checking your video I realized that this tool is not so bad but actually not confortable maybe for travel videos. It requires time to set up the balance isn't ?
With the Zhiyun Crane, can you have the gimbal hold another attitude other then level/horizon? ie - Use the joystick to tilt the camera down 50 degree (or whatever) and have the gimbal keep that attitude as you're running around, locked in this orientation? This is a deal breaker for me, and the EC1 seems to have it? (by holding it in position for 2 sec) Thank you!
Hi - nice video. Is there a way to tell what mode you are in? And if you turn it off and on again in a new location, does it remember the old mode or do you have to set it every time?
Jetlag Zombie it's a good question, I think it always defaults to pan follow mode. No other way to tell what mode it is in other than seeing how it moves.
I've noticed a lot of people have gotten this wrong or at least somehow not correct on the starting point. But what I must say is, the gimbal should NOT stay in the same position if you turn it everywhich way when checking balance. It should revert to the middle point and stay there, perfectly still. The motors do SO much less work. However, I'm not an expert. So I might just have the OPPOSITE side of how to do things. But I notice a lot of video makers keep getting this same response, I thought I would share it with you.
Thanks again for this amazing video that helped me out the first time I balanced the crane. One question though: do you add a quick release plate on the crane and if yes which one? I added a RC2 to be able to quickly switch from the crane to a monopod or my gorilla pod that is equally equipped with a RC2 plate. Once The camera with the 12-35 lens is mounted, does not allow to quickly switch to inverted mode, as the balance settings place the camera too much on the side and the right motor hits the vertical handle... Do you understand what I mean?do you have the same issue?
thanks alot Jonathan ,i think ill wait to see if zhiyun will release another gimbal ,i heard they will very soon ,by the way i subscribed in ur channel ,thank u
Jonathan, i´ve seen the promo video in the desccription and i am intrigue to know how did you do the pop up text that you put on the video. If it is a preset or some template or you simply make it? Great review! Thanks!
Jetlag Zombie mine came with the Crane. You should be able to get a cheap one from Amazon or eBay, it just needs to be able to hold a payload of 2-3kgsish
Great review. This has swayed me from the Ikan EC1 which many reviewers have found faults with recently. I'm going to get this, but can you point me to where you purchased yours from please? There seem to be a lot of fakes or dodgy Chinese deals on the web, Amazon and eBay these days!
I got mine from Amazon in the UK. If you're purchasing the Zhiyun Crane in the USA, please visit this affiliate link, this is from Zhiyun direct. It won't cost you anything extra but I earn a small amount which goes into keeping this channel running. Thanks. zhiyun.us?ref=5901ebb26d567
Just purchased this Gimbal (v2) and when I do an up or down tilt it holds for about 3 seconds then releases and the camera drops to the horizontal position again. I am using a GH4 with 12-35mm lens. Have you had this problem or is it a faulty unit, any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Vincent Oliver the only time I've heard of this is when using a high payload near to the max 1800g, but as your combo is a lot less I'm unsure as to why it would be doing this. Are you sure it's properly balanced?
Thanks Jonathan, I think it is a balance problem as this morning after a re-balance the problem didn't re-occur. I also followed the manual instructions on initialization (page 21) maybe that is all that was needed too. But all seems OK now, thank you
Hello, thanks for the information on the video. I am from Argentina and I need to know how I can solve a problem that I am having. I turn on the Zhiyun crane and when I am working the angle of the stabilizer deviates sharply from the chosen position. How can I solve that? Thank you so much.
If you follow the instructions in the video you should be able to properly balance it but it depends what camera and lens you are using. It may be that it is too heavy and so impossible to balance.
Using a 5 axis stabalised camera (A7sii / upcoming GH5) in theory should minimise the vertical movement which a 3 axis gimbal can't remove right? Making the footage even smoother.
Having issues with my Nikon D750 and the crane. It works well in upright mode, but when I try to "flip" the gimbal the crane hits the top of my camera. Are you having this sizing issue with your setup?
I haven't had the issue as I use the crane with smaller mirroless setup like gh5 and a7s2. Larger DSLRs like the d750 might not be possible in the inverted mode, have a play around with the balancing. I'll be doing a review of the crane 2 soon which is suitable for larger cameras so stay tuned. 😉
$100 Discount!! If you're purchasing the Zhiyun Crane in the USA, please visit this affiliate link, it won't cost you anything extra but i earn a small amount which goes into keeping this channel running. Thanks. zhiyun.us?ref=5901ebb26d567
Thanks for this awesome video! They should be sponsoring you.. Now is there a particular model number for this 3 axis for a Sony A7? Ive seen one called the Crane M.
You are welcome. The Crane M is just a smaller version of this gimbal which can only hold a light payload up to 1.4lbs (630gm), so no good for the a7 series of cameras.
Hi Jonathan, great review thank you! I've been researching gimbals for a while now and your review is really helpful. Do you mind if I ask you where you purchased your Zhiyun from? I've seen a few on Amazon but not sure if they are genuine Zhiyun Cranes. Have subscribed & look forward to more of your videos :)
crissie b Thanks very much for the kind comments and support. I got mine from Amazon direct. I've just had a look and they have them on their, the ones from Amazon usually have the prime logo on the listing. Hope that helps.
I am considering this gimbal but before I do can you answer this question for me? Will the Crane work properly with an external mic and video light attached to a Sony A6300? The weight of everything is 2.07 pounds so in theroy it should correct
Would you say it's better to have the payload as close to 1200 as possible or have it as light as possible for optimum balance? My set with the Crane is about 920g..
From my experience a lighter setup works a bit better. Although it does deal with the weight pretty well, it actually tends to be longer lenses that cause the most problems with bounce. The crane will hold up to 1800g with the special firmware for it but I find that around 600- 1kg is pretty good, so your setup should be fine.
Yeah this can be a common problem, I'd start again from the beginning and do the tilt axis first, making sure it will hold any tilt position, then move onto the roll. If you really can't get it to stay in the same place then I wouldn't worry about it too much, the gimbal motors should do their job and keep the camera steady.
Great Tutorial. What I noticed with my Fuji X-T2 with a 10-24 lens, is that balancing the pan axis is problematic because the two knobs collide slightly when tilting the crane to the right. Has anyone had the same issue?
I balance my a6500 with a sigma 1.4 30mm & whenever I move it up or down or side to side it keeps returning back a center position I was doing research & I believe it’s because my camera set up is light. Any knowledge on this?
Is there enough room on this gimbal for a Legria Hf g40 camcorder? From centre tripod screw to back end of camcorder is 82mm. Weight 950 gm. Appreciate a reply.
shootcutdeliver what camera and what lens? if it's a heavy setup e.g the canon 24mm 1.4L you are likely to get bounce as the motors aren't strong enough sometimes.
tried to complete the setup but the third axis motor kept hitting the first motor any advise i did accidently switch on the device during setup could that be the reason
Subscribed now Jonathan, impeccable work with the setup review and some great tips here, thanks ever so much! I've just bought this product coiuple of days ago and did the setup according to your instructions. A bit tricky with the small and very flat 14mm prime Panasonic lens on a Lumix GX8, it would always tilt a bit backwards but I've managed to do a perfect balance with the kit lens . Now the beast - FZ2500 is to be balanced and tested next. Thanks very much again!
How were you able to mount a metabones speedbooster and use the zhiyun crane? I'm trying to make that setup work, but the extra peg on the metabones makes it impossible to properly balance the crane. Please help thanks!
Very useful review - thanks a lot! Guess they sell it here in Germany without the tripod and with 2 batteries only... I will see, when I get mine.. Again: Good job, very well done! Could you bring part II with examples and hints? and... any comments on the optional camera-cable? Easter-wishes from Southern Germany! Andreas
I have a crane v2 and using canon t3i with it. Problem is there's a balance /stutter with all axis when ever i rotate the handle from below to top on either clockwise/counterclockwise directions. The jitter happens somewhere when the handle is horizontally levelled with the camera. Hope u got what I'm trying to say. Thanks for sharing this video review and setup instructions with Crane!
Jun Angeles yeah I think I understand, if you are changing from an underneath to over the top grip it's best to lightly hold the camera as you do this,the jitter for this move is normal as the motors are under a lot of stress as you change orientation.
Thanks for your quick response, Jonathan! That makes a lot of sense. I thought initially my bnew unit is defective for that non-smooth response during orientation change. Thank you again!
Rick Raw if it's doing that without you touching it it's either not balanced properly or you have a faulty unit. Also how heavy is your payload, it has to be more than around 350g but less than 1800g.
Jonathan J Scott Films its only about 2.5 pounds with everything on it.. i correctly balanced it.. it stops bouncing after a couple seconds but evrytime it moves to a new position it bounces still.. if it is a broken unit what do i do? call amazon lol?
Rick Raw without seeing your issue Its difficult for me to say what the problem is. if it is defective, then yes, getting in touch with Amazon (if that's who you got it from) and arranging a replacement is exactly what I would do.
I just bought one and the batterys are cylinders - just two - and you need two - but not sq like yours.... No backups like you have. But - I got a battery holder and a USB cable that plugs into it. How do you charge these batterys??? There is no power source, and no instructions...
stainless0521 the batteries are cyclindrical. I got two sets but I'm not sure if every one gets two, depends where you buy it from I guess. No plug for the charger is included, just use a phone charger or connect to any usb, like a pc or laptop.
Pony Sixfinger it's certainly not too heavy but the problem is the length of the setup. I think it may be technically possible but quite tricky and require a quick release plate to move the camera as far back as possible. The other problem with long lenses is they tend to suffer from bobbing up and down due to the front heaviness.
![[UA] NAVI vs MOUZ | BO5 | IEM Rio 2024](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CMBYk0cbGoA/mqdefault.jpg)
Been looking into getting a gimbal like this one. This video could not have come out at a better time, thanks man!
Michael Shainblum haha! No problem, glad it's useful. Great bit of kit, works well with the a7s as well.
Best Zhiyun crane balancing vid yet...this is the perfect way to do it...thanks!
The Passion HiFi thanks, glad it was helpful. 👍
Good review ! Did you feel vibrations from the Zhiyun Crane ?
De Viaje con la Cámara you do get some vibrations if the camera is front heavy or if it's windy.
then in normal conditions with a light camera there is no vibrations at all, right ?
De Viaje con la Cámara yep, it works very well.
Just got my Geranos (zhiyun crane) today and used your video to help me balance it. Only took about 10 minutes. I checked out a lot of "How to Balance" videos prior to receiving the gimbal in the mail and I found yours to be the best for teaching balance. Thank you!
Zac Nicholson no problem glad it helped, when I got mine I watched quite a few vids and none of them fully explained it, especially balancing the pan axis, so I decided to make this video and explain it with close-ups to make it as easy as possible for others.
Jonathan J Scott Films you did a very good job. Good teaching always involves the why behind things. Thanks again!
I just got the Zhiyun Gimbal for my Sony a6500. Can't wait to post some sample videos!
TravelingDorks sweet, hope you have fun with it, let us know how you get on. 👍
I've just ordered this, my main camera is the GH4+meta booster+Sigma 18-35mm. However I'm worried as my Kit is super front heavy. I've seen a lot of videos where the camera seems to spaz out but the reviewer never mentions these flaws, and that's with a lighter set up than mine. Have you had any issues such s this?
criege pennant I also have the Sigma 18-35mm and it definitely is too front heavy. If you want to keep the Sigma, do not buy this gimbal. If you want to buy this gimbal, do not buy this Sigma..
Lol thought as much, I bought it on Amazon Prime will arrive tomorrow. I will test it first then return it if it's completely useless. Thanks for the response.
criege pennant Yeah, good luck. It's a beautiful lens. I just wish this Gimbal could handle heavier lenses.
Thanks Jonathan! We were able to stabilize and balance using your video tips. Brilliant!!
James Dalton glad it was useful for you.
best crane balancing vid ive seen. saved for future reference
I actually have a question,While using the GH4 with this.
What lens do you Prefer and do you use the Auto focus or Do you use Manual while using Gimbal .
Thanks
Behemoth-X Productions i tend to use manual lenses. 😀
Thats what i was thinking, Auto Focus can suck.
Thanks Bro
How do you manual focus while this thing is on gimbal? So confused!!
drewmorgan by turning the focus ring on the lens. obviously you can't do it and shoot at the same time, but i will set my focus for the shot, then execute it.
Jonathan J Scott Films what about when you're just moving forward toward a stationary subject? Haha
Hey man i know i'm a year late but i'm considering buying a sony a6300 with this gimbal and i've been handed the gear to test before deciding. You explained it so well because it is the very first time i am even holding a gimbal so i do not know where those flimsy dislikes are coming from. Many thanks.
Thank you for the Honest Review,Should have mine in a week or so
Help this channel keep going: Support me through PATREON www.patreon.com/jonathanjscott
i searched for your video because im going to buy one today to use it with 80D, and i was trying to compare zhiyun crane to feiyutech mg v2, and i found zhiyun is much better. thank you for sharing . cheers ...
no problem, glad it was useful for you.
I've been a glidecam user for years, I've just ordered this gear because of how much more things I will be able to do with it, and much lighter than using a glidecam!
EduarFilms great stuff, glad it was useful
Best setup video for this gimbal I've seen. Thanks!
Tess Goodman thanks 👍👍
I bought mine in December and I love it! I use it in almost all my videos. But I never used the little tripod . . . matter of fact, I didn't even realize it came with it! And I never used the bluetooth remote either, but I definitely want to try it!
one of the most in depth reviews I've seen on this crane
Thanks my friend
got my Crane M last night, but still waiting to my G7 to start doing something with it :) can't wait! Thanks for a nice tutorial, review!
Raino Parder no problem, enjoy 👍
Thanks for a well done instruction vid.. I wish the crappy Zhiyun web site was as cohesive and in ENGLISH.
Thanks for the video, Jonathan. Just got my Crane and learning how to use it well like you.
mechaike no probs, have fun with it 👍
Very good review, Thanks so much for that, I like to add another tip: use a quick release plate with it, so you don't need to balance it again(in case you don't change the lens) that will decrease the setup time so much
Thanks so much Jonathon for the very thorough setup demo and tips; in the process of deciding to buy this for our videography work.
One of the best videos I have seen regarding the Zhiyun Crane. Hope I can get to balance mine : I have just unboxed mine and the first impression was a very difficult setup.. I will follow this tutorial.
Will this be able to hold a c100? I k ow it's dumb question, but I've never really used a gimbal
Echo Productions no the Zhiyun Crane won't I'm afraid, you need to look at something like the DJI Ronin M.
Jonathan J Scott Films ok, just a more expensive
Echo Productions yes, unfortunately. The larger the payload the more expensive the gimbal.
Jonathan J Scott Films Yeah, at least now I have an excuse to buy one😃 been trying to convince my self for a while
Echo Productions haha, nice 😀
Hey thanks this was very helpful! The only question that I have is "what about focusing your camera? Can you touch the camera to focus? Or will touching it wreck the gimbal movement?" I have a Cannon 5D MK II and I constantly have to be adjusting the focus, so I'm wondering if it's even possible to use with a camera like that... I'd love your input! Thanks!
Matthias J. Johnson generally you want to set your focus and keep a fixed distance from your subject, but you can refocus whilst still on the gimbal, it won't do it any damage.
Thanks Jonathan for great video. Quickie question. Just received the crane. Are we supposed to charge the batteries before first use or just pop in and start working it? Thanks. Hal
From memory i think my came about 50% charged, so you'll get a few hours out of them without charging. It doesn't really matter if you charge them or not
I am looking at this gimbal and the Pilotfly H2. Not sure which one I should go with. The only bad things I've heard about this gimbal is software design can be a mess along with customer service. I feel like the Pilotfly H2 is the safest gimbal but this gimbal is price is REALLY good and most of the reviews I have seen have been good.
Esai Cruz I haven't used the pilotfly so can't comment on that. I haven't had any problems with the app on the Crane. Best of luck with your decision. 😀
this review has been very useful to me, thank you for sharing
Maya Riquelme no problem at all
YOU EXPLAIN THINGS VERY CLEARLY
KEITH KUHN
KEEP EM COMING
KEITH KUHN thanks, review of the Zhiyun Crane 2 coming at some point soon.
THANKS FOR THE REPLY
KK IN THE USA OHIO
I WILL DO THIS I CANNOT WAIT.
KEITH KUHN
Great vid as always! I've got their smartphone gimbal and love it (the exact same layout just much smaller) and the Removu S1 for my GoPro's but wanted a bigger gimbal for the Sony. I've currently got the A5000 with various lenses so the Crane-m would be sufficient I'm guessing, but wondering with a move to the A6300 on the horizon, would that be too big for the 'm' gimbal, or is the regular Crane a bit overkill for even the A6300?
Fitness in Adventure I think the a6300 is around 400g and the max payload on the Crane M is only 650g so the full Crane would definitely be more suitable. Hope that helps 👍
Jonathan J Scott Films perfect! Thank you! Don't want to buy the M if it's going to be useless in a few months time!
Yep, i'd think you might be better off with the full Crane. Have fun and happy shooting.
Thanks for the video. I just ordered mine today. I noticed in your sample videos, some callout animations. Did you build those, or buy them as plugins? If you bought them, where did you find them. I've been looking for ones just like that. Thank you.
Did you know that if you connect a Sony a6500 to the gimbal to the top motor usb you can use the gimbal controls to start/stop the video and zoom an electronic zoom lens? The joystick will start/stop the video and the gimbal slider will zoom the lens.
David Sweet thanks, very useful to know, I think you do similar with the GH4 with the cable but not sure if you can control lens functions.
I have been trying to help my sister balance her camera but it's not going well for us :(. Thx for the tips.
Excellent video. My crane jitters with GH4 and Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 lens. If you have Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 please share your experience with the Crane.
I've been looking at gimbals for a while> Tried to work it in my budget, but something else always came up. The I saw this on Amazon and a price point that was really good! Your review has sold me on it as I can see it gives professional results. I'm going to order mine tomorrow! Thx :) What lens is on your GH4?
No worries. Hope you have fun with it and get some great shots. The lens is the Panasonic 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens. It works great on a gimbal as its so samll and light (70g). I was a bit dubious of the IQ but it produces great results.
Really good video. I'm gonna use this when my gimbal arives! I have a sony a6300 with the 16-50 kitlens. Will the stabilizer unbalance when you zoom in and out with the lens? Or do the motors correct this? And the vertical vibrations you get. Are these easely correct in post or do you still get that ugly warping effect?
It should be fine, no need to rebalance as that lens is very light, the motors should auto correct. Warp stabilizer in premiere pro and After Effects is very good at removing any small vibrations that you get from the Zhiyun Crane, it won't always fully remove heavy vertical bobbing you get from walking with the crane though.
A great thorough review.......how refreshing! THANK YOU for your video! 👍☺
Jonathan deLauné your most welcome
*** UPDATE***Latest film shot high in the mountains on the Zhiyun Crane ua-cam.com/video/wDeAopBZxQA/v-deo.html&lc=z13fjp4yps21ilqdb22xxlcbstuswlyah04
Great video. I had some problems with the vertical stutter too especially when doing quite close up product shots, how do you make yours so smooth? Do you shoot at higher frame rates? Also have you changed any of the parameters of the gimbal using the phone app? And if so what settings do you use?
Andrew Chua I will often use my body as an anchor point and hold the gimbal into my hip or leg to reduce vertical bounce, but that's only if I'm static and only putting a small amount of pan or tilt movement into a shot.
Warp Stabiliser in premiere pro does help sometimes to remove movement.
I have used the app quite a bit. I've dialed down the pan follow rate to a much lower value which I find is a lot smoother than the default.
Great review i love it and it helpfull , thank so much for your help i can set up my crane
Glad it was useful
@@JonathanJScottFilms my pleasure .. I’m subscribed to be part of family
@@BlackMusicRecordProd thanks, really appreciate the support
@@JonathanJScottFilms you’re welcome you deserve it
Hey pal! Great video on this product ! I'm looking to buy it but not sure as My main setup is the gh4 + Metabones + sigma 18 -35 + a small light on top . To heavy ? What do you think ?
Quite probably yes, I haven't tried this exact setup myself but i know a number of users have and have had problems, the problem with this setup is the 18-35 plus the metabones is too long and so makes the camera very front heavy and makes it very difficult to balance the crane. This is why I tend to use small and light lenses with the crane
Jonathan J Scott Films thanks for your quick reply!! , I hear . But even with a light on top to counter the heavy lens do you think this may be already overloading the gimbal ? The light should counter the bulk , question is whether or not it can handle all that weight ?
The light is unlikely to counter balance it as if it is mounted in the
hotshoe this is roughly over the centre of gravity for the camera, the
problem is with a long extension over the front on the gimbal plate
caused by the metabones and 18-35 mounted to it. Even if you get the
setup to balance it will lead to a lot of bounce. Like i said i haven't
tried this setup so have a google for those that have but the light is
unlikely to make any difference.
Great tips.... checking your video I realized that this tool is not so bad but actually not confortable maybe for travel videos. It requires time to set up the balance isn't ?
marco Sansalone I travel with it all the time, setup and balance time is around 90 seconds.
Great! Sounds good and I suppose if you don't change lens is event much faster.
marco Sansalone yep, the gimbal works well with a light zoom lenses, you can change focal lengths and it doesn't need rebalancing.
oooh great! thanks!
With the Zhiyun Crane, can you have the gimbal hold another attitude other then level/horizon? ie - Use the joystick to tilt the camera down 50 degree (or whatever) and have the gimbal keep that attitude as you're running around, locked in this orientation? This is a deal breaker for me, and the EC1 seems to have it? (by holding it in position for 2 sec) Thank you!
Yep you can tilt the camera to whatever position you like with the thumb-stick and the gimbal will keep it in place.
Hi - nice video. Is there a way to tell what mode you are in? And if you turn it off and on again in a new location, does it remember the old mode or do you have to set it every time?
Jetlag Zombie it's a good question, I think it always defaults to pan follow mode. No other way to tell what mode it is in other than seeing how it moves.
Jetlag Zombie it doesn't remember. Always starts with pan following mode
I've noticed a lot of people have gotten this wrong or at least somehow not correct on the starting point. But what I must say is, the gimbal should NOT stay in the same position if you turn it everywhich way when checking balance. It should revert to the middle point and stay there, perfectly still. The motors do SO much less work. However, I'm not an expert. So I might just have the OPPOSITE side of how to do things. But I notice a lot of video makers keep getting this same response, I thought I would share it with you.
Thanks again for this amazing video that helped me out the first time I balanced the crane. One question though: do you add a quick release plate on the crane and if yes which one? I added a RC2 to be able to quickly switch from the crane to a monopod or my gorilla pod that is equally equipped with a RC2 plate. Once The camera with the 12-35 lens is mounted, does not allow to quickly switch to inverted mode, as the balance settings place the camera too much on the side and the right motor hits the vertical handle... Do you understand what I mean?do you have the same issue?
hello Jonathan ,excellent video man ,i have the Gh4 too ,and iam planning to buy the gimbal ,do u recomends it for me ,thank u
MUNIR SHEBA sure, the GH4 is a camera I often use with the Zhiyun Crane.
thanks alot Jonathan ,i think ill wait to see if zhiyun will release another gimbal ,i heard they will very soon ,by the way i subscribed in ur channel ,thank u
MUNIR SHEBA you're most welcome, thanks for the support.
Jonathan, i´ve seen the promo video in the desccription and i am intrigue to know how did you do the pop up text that you put on the video. If it is a preset or some template or you simply make it?
Great review!
Thanks!
It was done in after effects with motion tracking and animated titles. Hope that helps
Thanks for the review. What brand mini-tripod do you have? Or do you know a decent priced one? The only ones I find are ridiculously priced....
Jetlag Zombie mine came with the Crane. You should be able to get a cheap one from Amazon or eBay, it just needs to be able to hold a payload of 2-3kgsish
Great review. This has swayed me from the Ikan EC1 which many reviewers have found faults with recently.
I'm going to get this, but can you point me to where you purchased yours from please? There seem to be a lot of fakes or dodgy Chinese deals on the web, Amazon and eBay these days!
I got mine from Amazon in the UK. If you're purchasing the Zhiyun Crane in the USA, please visit this affiliate link, this is from Zhiyun direct. It won't cost you anything extra but I earn a small amount which goes into keeping this channel running. Thanks.
zhiyun.us?ref=5901ebb26d567
Thanks. Will probably try getting it from MobiCity UK as it seems cheaper than anywhere else. Can't wait.
Just purchased this Gimbal (v2) and when I do an up or down tilt it holds for about 3 seconds then releases and the camera drops to the horizontal position again. I am using a GH4 with 12-35mm lens. Have you had this problem or is it a faulty unit, any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Vincent Oliver the only time I've heard of this is when using a high payload near to the max 1800g, but as your combo is a lot less I'm unsure as to why it would be doing this. Are you sure it's properly balanced?
Thanks Jonathan, I think it is a balance problem as this morning after a re-balance the problem didn't re-occur. I also followed the manual instructions on initialization (page 21) maybe that is all that was needed too. But all seems OK now, thank you
cool, glad you sorted it
Hello, thanks for the information on the video. I am from Argentina and I need to know how I can solve a problem that I am having. I turn on the Zhiyun crane and when I am working the angle of the stabilizer deviates sharply from the chosen position. How can I solve that? Thank you so much.
If you follow the instructions in the video you should be able to properly balance it but it depends what camera and lens you are using. It may be that it is too heavy and so impossible to balance.
@@JonathanJScottFilms ...thank you!!!!
Your reviews are great, thanks for posting this, very useful !
Skytten thanks for watching 👍
Is the Zhiyun Crane 2 worth buying for the GH5? Too heavy? Would this crane do the job?
Mark Thompson I have a video coming on the Crane 2 soon, so stay tuned for my thoughts on it.
Using a 5 axis stabalised camera (A7sii / upcoming GH5) in theory should minimise the vertical movement which a 3 axis gimbal can't remove right? Making the footage even smoother.
AmarBirk92 yep it does, IS lens also help a bit.
Having issues with my Nikon D750 and the crane. It works well in upright mode, but when I try to "flip" the gimbal the crane hits the top of my camera. Are you having this sizing issue with your setup?
I haven't had the issue as I use the crane with smaller mirroless setup like gh5 and a7s2. Larger DSLRs like the d750 might not be possible in the inverted mode, have a play around with the balancing. I'll be doing a review of the crane 2 soon which is suitable for larger cameras so stay tuned. 😉
Very well done and helpful video, Thank you!
Cheers, Pete
$100 Discount!! If you're purchasing the Zhiyun Crane in the USA, please visit this affiliate link, it won't cost you anything extra but i earn a small amount which goes into keeping this channel running. Thanks.
zhiyun.us?ref=5901ebb26d567
Thanks for this awesome video! They should be sponsoring you.. Now is there a particular model number for this 3 axis for a Sony A7? Ive seen one called the Crane M.
You are welcome. The Crane M is just a smaller version of this gimbal which can only hold a light payload up to 1.4lbs (630gm), so no good for the a7 series of cameras.
Great video. I was wondering if by any chance you have had a chance to compare this to the Ikan Beholder EC1
Albert Vasquez no sorry, that's one gimbal I haven't used.
Fantastic informative video. Top of my next wish list. Thank you for sharing your setup tips.
Rough Cuts Ltd you are most welcome, glad it was useful.
Great content! Can't wait for mine to arrive.
Notes On Hobbies thanks, stay tuned 👍
Hi Jonathan, great review thank you! I've been researching gimbals for a while now and your review is really helpful. Do you mind if I ask you where you purchased your Zhiyun from? I've seen a few on Amazon but not sure if they are genuine Zhiyun Cranes. Have subscribed & look forward to more of your videos :)
crissie b Thanks very much for the kind comments and support. I got mine from Amazon direct. I've just had a look and they have them on their, the ones from Amazon usually have the prime logo on the listing. Hope that helps.
Thanks for getting back to me :) Will check it out.
crissie b no worries
Great video! What is the name of tripod, with the help of it you can stand the crane on the table? can you link me, thanks.
Алексей Занин like I said in the video it came with the Crane, you can get similar ones from Amazon or eBay.
Great vid Johnathan. Where can I purchase that small tripod? Thanks
Ed Rakel mine came with the Crane, try ebay, Amazon etc.
I am considering this gimbal but before I do can you answer this question for me? Will the Crane work properly with an external mic and video light attached to a Sony A6300? The weight of everything is 2.07 pounds so in theroy it should correct
BMOG weight wise it should be fine, balancing it might be a bit tricky and it will be a bit clunky to operate with both a mic and light attached.
Would you say it's better to have the payload as close to 1200 as possible or have it as light as possible for optimum balance? My set with the Crane is about 920g..
From my experience a lighter setup works a bit better. Although it does
deal with the weight pretty well, it actually tends to be longer lenses
that cause the most problems with bounce. The crane will hold up to
1800g with the special firmware for it but I find that around 600- 1kg
is pretty good, so your setup should be fine.
Jonathan J Scott Films Appreciate the thoughtful response, mate. Great review btw.
Blue Calm Productions no problem, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you... Excellent easy to understand instructions~!
chris chesar you are most welcome
Is there a software problem now? I’ve heard rumors
how long does it take to charge the batteries?
I seem to be messing up the Roll Axis because after I push the bar to get the cam horizontal it does not stay at angles when i move as yours does...
Yeah this can be a common problem, I'd start again from the beginning and do the tilt axis first, making sure it will hold any tilt position, then move onto the roll. If you really can't get it to stay in the same place then I wouldn't worry about it too much, the gimbal motors should do their job and keep the camera steady.
Great video ! Thanks and still doing my dd on gimbals.
Nice work. Thank you. Very clear video on the setup and fine explanation.
Cheers Thad, glad you liked it
Great Tutorial. What I noticed with my Fuji X-T2 with a 10-24 lens, is that balancing the pan axis is problematic because the two knobs collide slightly when tilting the crane to the right. Has anyone had the same issue?
I balance my a6500 with a sigma 1.4 30mm & whenever I move it up or down or side to side it keeps returning back a center position I was doing research & I believe it’s because my camera set up is light. Any knowledge on this?
Not with that particular setup I'm afraid.
is that canon 80d + 24-105L fit on it? please response :(
Is there enough room on this gimbal for a Legria Hf g40 camcorder?
From centre tripod screw to back end of camcorder is 82mm. Weight 950 gm.
Appreciate a reply.
Don Perry possibly, it's impossible to say without actually trying it as it depends where it needs to positioned to balance it.
This is very thorough and great video!! Thanks :)
Glad you enjoyed it
I seem to get a some studder using my wide 24 mm wide angle lens - what is that ?
shootcutdeliver what camera and what lens? if it's a heavy setup e.g the canon 24mm 1.4L you are likely to get bounce as the motors aren't strong enough sometimes.
Where did you buy it? What's your opinion on the Beholder DS1?
TJ Canuto got it from Amazon, haven't used the DS1 I'm afraid.
Jonathan J Scott Films How long did it take to arrive?
Really practical, thumbs up
ELJAGUARTV.COM cheers glad you enjoyed it
tried to complete the setup but the third axis motor kept hitting the first motor
any advise
i did accidently switch on the device during setup
could that be the reason
sorry i don't know what you mean by the third axis motor is hitting the first motor, sounds as if you haven't balanced it correctly.
Subscribed now Jonathan, impeccable work with the setup review and some great tips here, thanks ever so much! I've just bought this product coiuple of days ago and did the setup according to your instructions. A bit tricky with the small and very flat 14mm prime Panasonic lens on a Lumix GX8, it would always tilt a bit backwards but I've managed to do a perfect balance with the kit lens . Now the beast - FZ2500 is to be balanced and tested next. Thanks very much again!
Dragan Ruzic you are most welcome, thanks for your kind comments. Enjoy filming with it 👍
How were you able to mount a metabones speedbooster and use the zhiyun crane? I'm trying to make that setup work, but the extra peg on the metabones makes it impossible to properly balance the crane. Please help thanks!
remove the lens mount on the meta-bones adapter, its has two hex screws which can easily be removed.
Thank you
I am Warren no worries
Very useful review - thanks a lot!
Guess they sell it here in Germany without the tripod and with 2 batteries only... I will see, when I get mine..
Again: Good job, very well done! Could you bring part II with examples and hints? and... any comments on the optional camera-cable?
Easter-wishes from Southern Germany!
Andreas
Andreas Bergen cheers glad it was useful, yes a might get round to doing a part 2, stayed tuned.
how to know how much battery life is left? the app tells you?
either in the app or on the unit, the led flashes 4 times for full, 3 times for 75%, 2 for 50% and once for 25%
very helpful...I think I got it now....
Just got one ( I know). Thanks for the tips!
No worries, glad you found it useful
Tat was a truly useful review. Thanks for posting it.
William Large you're welcome, thanks for watching.
i purchase one of these cranes, but i haven't found any videos of it with a camcorder for demonstration. should this work fine with camcorders.
OmegaFire should do, depends on the size and weight of your camcorder, but unless it's over 1800g you should be fine.
Jonathan J Scott Films , thanks ill give it a try once i get it.
Hey, wWhats the name of that font you have for your logo ? thanks in advance
I have a crane v2 and using canon t3i with it. Problem is there's a balance /stutter with all axis when ever i rotate the handle from below to top on either clockwise/counterclockwise directions. The jitter happens somewhere when the handle is horizontally levelled with the camera. Hope u got what I'm trying to say.
Thanks for sharing this video review and setup instructions with Crane!
Jun Angeles yeah I think I understand, if you are changing from an underneath to over the top grip it's best to lightly hold the camera as you do this,the jitter for this move is normal as the motors are under a lot of stress as you change orientation.
Thanks for your quick response, Jonathan! That makes a lot of sense. I thought initially my bnew unit is defective for that non-smooth response during orientation change. Thank you again!
Any suggestions for the best (fully compatible) camera (and lens) to get for shooting product videos with the Crane 2?
Lots of cameras work great with it, i use GH5 and all sorts of canon lenses with a speedbooster
what brand is the mini tabletop tripod? I can't find a good one.
Sean Lee mentioned it in the video and in lots of comments below, it came with the Crane when i bought it.
Hey, i followed all of your directions and my crane is still bobbing up and down without me even moving it.. any way you can help me?
Rick Raw if it's doing that without you touching it it's either not balanced properly or you have a faulty unit. Also how heavy is your payload, it has to be more than around 350g but less than 1800g.
Jonathan J Scott Films its only about 2.5 pounds with everything on it.. i correctly balanced it.. it stops bouncing after a couple seconds but evrytime it moves to a new position it bounces still.. if it is a broken unit what do i do? call amazon lol?
ok so the roll axis is supposed to be able to hold any position also or bounce back in place?
Rick Raw without seeing your issue Its difficult for me to say what the problem is. if it is defective, then yes, getting in touch with Amazon (if that's who you got it from) and arranging a replacement is exactly what I would do.
Rick Raw hold any position (when the power is off obviously)
Hi. Do you have a Amazon url to buy it?
I just bought one and the batterys are cylinders - just two - and you need two - but not sq like yours.... No backups like you have. But - I got a battery holder and a USB cable that plugs into it. How do you charge these batterys??? There is no power source, and no instructions...
stainless0521 the batteries are cyclindrical. I got two sets but I'm not sure if every one gets two, depends where you buy it from I guess. No plug for the charger is included, just use a phone charger or connect to any usb, like a pc or laptop.
WHY the hell do they do that!!! I think it's terrible!
will the gh4 and sigma 18-35 be too heavy for this?
Pony Sixfinger it's certainly not too heavy but the problem is the length of the setup. I think it may be technically possible but quite tricky and require a quick release plate to move the camera as far back as possible. The other problem with long lenses is they tend to suffer from bobbing up and down due to the front heaviness.
ahh cheers. i think I'm going to sell it and the speed booster and go native instead. cheers for the reply
Pony Sixfinger no problem. Yes the native 4/3 lenses work great with the Zhiyun Crane as they are light and compact.
is it possible to balance a sony 24-70mm f4 on it? feeling confused
Its possible, how front heavy it is is another question. If the total weight is less than 1800grams then you should be ok
Nice job! Thank you mate
Gary Dana you're welcome
quantos kilo aguenta crane v1...no app tem ruim medio e forte o que significa