Zhiyun Crane

Just and update to my two hand handle bar.

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I have a lot of rod parts from Berkey System so it was easy finding something than could work. I can highly recommend parts from Berkey as they'll last a life time.

Anyway my first put together used a 1/4-20 screw straight through a rod block and that worked fine. But without a balldriver to attach and remove the handle bar from the Zhiyun Crane or a hex key brought when shooting this wasn't the ideal solution. The Zhiyun Crane is really great in its simplistic design so I didn't want to make it more difficult to use or clumsy. Instead I screwed a rod post 1" long to the bottom of the Crane handle and on my handle bar I put a 90 degree rod block with a double wing nut to tighten or loosen.

Now I can fit the Crane handle inside the original case and with ease and very fast put on my handle bar if needed.

I also put another rod block with a small ball head (MH1304) to hold a monitor. Tried it with my SmallHD 702 and it feels really great to operate and I get a good view of what I'm shooting.

I'm glad I got this gimbal as it's just what I'm looking for. Usually I hate Chinese stuff but this one is an exception. Something small and easy to use that doesn't weight to much and still can hold my A7SII. That's the whole reason I got the A7SII in the first place, to be used on a gimbal instead of my FS7. :thumbsup:
 
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Mine should arrive tomorrow. I got the Pilotfly yesterday. I have a feeling I'm going to like them both about the same (in which case the Pilotfly goes back since it's almost 2X the price).

Biggest benefit (other than price) of the Crane is the swappable batteries. I already have a ton of those batts from various flashlights.
 
What do you think about mounting the Crane on a pole for jib-type shots. Sure, you wouldn't do it all day long, but for a few shots, do you think it is practical?
 
It could work or at least no worse than any other one handed gimbal.

I had Came Optimus in mind but after using the Zhiyun it's a much simpler design and less fuss which to me is great.
 
So, I've spent some time with both the PilotFly H2 and Zihyun Crane and the TL;DR is the PilotFly is going back. Not because it's bad (it's not). In fact, objectively it's probably just a hair better than the Zihyun in a few areas... but it also costs nearly double and price is always a factor.

So, here's the comparison from my experience:

PilotFly H2:
- Much higher weight capacity
- The grip is more comfortable
- Quick release for the camera
- Not as heavy as it should be for the carrying capacity
- Double handles are far better integrated
- It's Basecam for better or worse (lots of power, lots of ways to screw it up)
- Case is a LOT lighter because it's a softer-sided case (the Crane comes in a hard plastic case)

Zihyun Crane:
- Lighter
- Cheaper by almost half
- Feels a little better machined (the adjustments seem smoother, the H2's adjustments would sometimes bind for me, especially with weight on the gimbal)
- Nifty wireless remote control (handy for running the gimbal when inverted since the on-grip controls are hard to reach that way)
- Removable batteries that are standard and cheap
- Better mobile software
- Feels a little smoother to me, but the difference is VERY slight
- Handle breaks down for storage, resulting in a better-shaped case (the PilotFly case is REALLY oblong)
- The case overall is MUCH better quality (the PilotFly foam is REALLY squishy) and the gimbal fits in it in a wider range of adjustment configurations
- Inverted mode sometimes freaks out a little bit and the camera ends up pointed at the pan arm, easily fixed though
- Grip isn't as nice... but I'm going to try wrapping mine in some bicycle handlebar tape
 
Unfortunately they raised the price from 599$ to 649$.
Was looking in buying one but now I`m thinking about other brands too..
 
The simplicity of the ZhiYun Crane is what sold me. Price was just a bonus.

Part of me still wants the EC1 for it's greater payload, & Manfrotto-compatible quick release (which fits my Satchler FSB-8 fluid head), but I'm just not ready to dive into SimpleBGC. If my dance card wasn't full right now I'd hold off for the EC1, but with my luck I'd not have time to tune, & test, the software settings before my return period expired.

On a side note: seems ZhiYun's payload rating of 1200 grams is prudent, & it works best with less.
 
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It's worth the extra $50.

I tried it with both the A6300 and 16-70 and A7RII and 24-70. It seemed to work pretty well with both, though the size of the A7R and 24-70 was kind of a problem when flipping into inverted mode.

I'll most likely use use it almost exclusively with the A6300.
 
A7SII and the Sony 16-35/4 works fine also and this combo is 1200 grams. I'm still waiting on my quick release plate to put on the Crane and that'll make a for a fast gimbal to set up.

Also, I have my A7S II with lenses and stuff inside a Think Tank TakeOff roller/backpack and I can easily fit the Crane and my two hand grip handle inside along with monitor, chargers, cables and all I need to shoot with the A7S II. Love this small kit.
 
Osslund said:
I used old parts to make a two hands grip and this really made it nice to handle.
Click to expand...

Followed your lead, & slapped together some old parts, plus one new, to make a set of handles for the Crane. Initial tests seem promising, so thanks!

Some other random notes...

Been using the Crane mostly with the GH4, & LUMIX 12-35/2.8. The GH4's flip-out LCD makes framing a bit easier, but in outdoor daylight I add a LCD Hood to help shade it. Due to the way this all balances out it makes inverting the setup a bit trickier as the hood needs to come off, & the LCD needs to close. Now that I've become accustomed to this dance it takes about 30 seconds to flip the Crane, including powering ON/OFF. As Osslund stated previously, it seems best to power down when inverting, so the added hassle isn't so bad, & even less so when not using the LCD Hood.

The Crane is stable enough that I can manipulate the cameras settings, plus the zoom or focus rings, & rotate the LCD, without powering down, or rebalancing. Tested some manual focus primes that worked well enough, but the ability to zoom & refocus at the push of a button, has meant I mostly use the 12-35/2.8, or 7-14/4.
 
As for monitoring my SmallHD 702 mounts to my handle bar and this makes the whole thing more balanced and very easy to operate. When going inverted I only have to turn the Crane off, turn it around, adjust the angle on the SmallHD 702 and start it up again.

Still waiting for my QR plate and when it arrives I'll have the gimbal complete and ready for work.
 
Even though it's compact I can't get my GH4's cage onto the Crane & don't trust the micro HDMI connection without support so have avoided adding a monitor. Going to give it a try again when I locate my half cage.
 
I had a cage for my A7SII but ditched it because it just made shooting more complicated. Maybe I'll use the HDMI port protector that came with the A7SII.
 
I have no problems at all inverting the Crane without powering it off... aside from occasionally not doing it quite smoothly enough and the Crane ends up with the camera pointing at the motor (that should be behind it).

But if I flip it smoothly (and straightly) it has no trouble handling being inverted hot. I can actually see a use for being able to invert on the fly while shooting.

I love this little thing. I've already used it twice as much as I used my Ronin M (and I owned the Ronin for a couple of years).

I do have an Arca Swiss-style QR clamp on the way to mount in there so I can slide the camera back and forth easier for balancing. I also bought the little Manfrotto table top tripod legs (model 209) and a 3/8->1/4" adapter that I screw into the bottom of the handle so I can set it down for balancing or when not in use. Works fantastically well.
 
Anyone have any new footage they have shot with their Crane that they can wow us with? This seems like the best bet for a simple, lightweight and easy to balance gimbal. I would like to use my C100 on a bigger gimbal but it's usually my A camera so I am seeing the value in setting up a small and light gimbal with a B camera and just grabbing it and going. A lot of my colleagues have a Ronin M or other larger gimbals and they are all universally say that thye don't use them very often because they are such a time consuming PITA to set up and balance that using it interrupts the entire schedule and flow of a shoot day. That's why I bought the Osmo. Minimal setup time and the quality is good enough for certain projects but having, say, a Fuji XT2 on a Crane would result in much better quality. The price and features are certainly right.
 
I just got my QR assembly a Velbon QRA-3 and put it on my Crane. I got this one just because it weights only about 70 grams and it's solid enough to hold my A7SII and 16-35 lens. It locks the camera securely as well.
 
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