Zhiyun Crane

J

jb.

Veteran
Anyone here used one/have one? Trying to decide between the Crane and the Pilotfly H2. Use will be mostly an A6300 with 10-18, but I can't say I wouldn't try the FS5/10-18 on the H2 if I went that direction. I don't have anything that's not mirrorless at this point.

Seems like the H2 has the edge in payload, but the Crane is almost $500 cheaper.
 
Let me know what you guys think... I'm thinking about ordering both (the PilotFly and Zihyun) to compare them.
 
Just unboxed it and made some quick walk around with A7S II and 16-35 lens. A few brief observations so far.

It's well made and footage shows good stabilization without any micro jitter issues so far. The camera/lens combination is on the large side for this gimbal. It does fit but there's also some restrictions on how far I can tilt the handle up or down. It's difficult to see the rear display on the A7S so for anything serious a monitor is a must.

Weight is nice and light but with my camera/lens combination it's not feather light. As I just made a quick balance I can't say for sure how easy it is or if I did it 100% correctly. It doesn't balance like my Argo gimbal so I have to look into this a bit more. Not that it matters when it comes to the footage but I would like to get it in perfect balance.
 
Do you think it'd be better with something the size of the A6300 on it? The A7SII and 16-35 are both pretty big compared to their APS-C counterparts.
 
Smaller camera/lens is better as my combo feels a bit to bulky. It works fine but my guess smaller would make it even nicer to handle. Motors feels powerful enough thou.

With a single handed operation it feels a bit odd for me being used to two hand operation.

I tested the different operation modes also and they are a bit confusing at first. As I understand it - In pan/tilt mode the joystick adjusts the horizontal level, in pan only mode it controls tilt and in the last mode where's no pan/tilt follow the joystick controls both pan and tilt. With a bit of getting used to these modes it'll be fine.
 
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The two hand handle is made out of some Berkey System parts and bicycle handles I used on my editman cage years ago. It makes this gimbal easier to use and I have better control of framing and motion. I put this together fast so might have room for improvements.

The Zhiyun as is with the handle column doesn't feel that good to hold. My hand sways and why only use one hand when two can take the weight and at the same time make it steadier?

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A few more positive things I've learned. It boots fast and it's easy to switch between the operation modes. With the handle grip I added it's very smooth. The app for my Macbook is much simpler and doesn't confuse like SimpleBGC can. Compared to my Argo gimbal I like that the joystick is on the grip so no need for a separate remote. It's easy to assemble but camera mounting would be better with a quick release plate. I have one on order that only adds 70 grams and hopefully that'll make for faster set up and a more secure mounting of my camera.

With the A7S II and Sony 16-35/4 lens the gimbal can't rotate past the lens as it gets in the way. To switch between upright and underslung operation it's best to power off the gimbal. When I try to turn the handle between these two modes the gimbal fights me so power off is better. With the quick boot I see this as the best option.

Usually, to avoid the bounce from walking, I angle the handle a bit and this can be done with the Zhiyun also but then it really wont follow left/right when I turn the handle. It can be angled a bit but not as much as I would like. With bent knees and a smooth walking it flys very smooth. Even when doing fast turns it doesn't stutter or jitter. With the BT controlled app on phones PID parameters can be adjusted in a simple to use interface. Great to do this without a PC at hand.

I'm also pleased that it works great tilting and reach to something like an over head shot in one take. It seems like it can be used with few restrictions.

When I find the time I'll attach my SmallHD 702 to the two hands handle and see if this will work. This is the only thing I miss right now - to have a good view of what I'm shooting.

As for the package and construction I'd say this is better than Came-TV stuff.
 
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Good notes.

How does it feel with that long handle? With such a long handle, it looks very top heavy and I would think it would tend to wobble left and right if you aren't too careful.

I suppose the plus side of the long handle is that you don't have to hold your hands very high to get an eye level shot and that should be less fatiguing.
 
The handle is long and that is probably why my hand sway when holding it. The two hand handle approach fix this. When holding the Crane handle upside down it feels really nice to hold and then all weight is below but held straight it is top heavy.
 
not to derail the thread - but I've found that the two-handed thing really does help. I bought the Gibbon GN1 (2 axis) since the Pilotfly I ordered stayed on back order. While practice certainly makes perfect... being able to have two hands on these hand-held gimbals makes it much easier to get good results.
 
The Zhiyun Crane arrived today.

Never flown any gimbal previously, but it was easy to setup, & initial tests seem promising.

Using it with a GH4 & LUMIX 12-35/2.8.
 
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