We also loved the fact that it's able to take a mirrorless camera, a phone or an action camera, which makes it the perfect all-rounder especially if you want it for traveling. It also means that no matter what device you choose to shoot on, you'll always achieve smooth, professional-looking video. The DJI RSC 2 remains a more powerful option for pro filmmakers, and we're also big fans of its folding design and app. But the Crane-M2S is shaping up to be a more affordable alternative for those with smaller mirrorless cameras, or full-frame models with compact prime lenses.

Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN

Unlike bigger gimbal baseplates, the V-shape baseplate is tiny and may be left in place on the camera without obstructing the view. Charging and Camera power boostZHIYUN Original Phone Clamp. Design for ZHIYUN Crane M3, Crane M2S, is used to mount phone on gimbal. One of the biggest issues with using a gimbal is being able to get a decent light source onto your subject, especially if it’s you presenting to camera. ZHIYUN has brought the design of the built infill lamp from the ZHIYUN CRANE-M3 Using a small mirrorless phone or action camera on the same gimbal is a great feature and far more useful than you would initially think.

Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN

I paired the Crane M3 with the Sony ZV-E10 and an iPhone 13 for testing. The stabilizer is the perfect size for smaller swappable lens cameras like the ZV-E10 and a good fit for upmarket compacts like the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III. Zhiyun lists some full-frame models in the camera compatibility list, but they balance only if you attach lightweight prime lenses. Zhiyun does not publish a maximum payload for the gimbal, but most of the compatible kits it lists come in under two pounds. The Crane M3 is a perfect match for small ILCs like the Sony ZV-E10 This is a real shame as everything else is incredibly well designed, and it’s not even as if the bag feels cheap. When it comes to the actual materials and quality, they’re excellent. The Crane M3 Pro KitPint-sized white pro gimbal comes with hot-swapping capabilities, built-in 800 lumen light and microphone

ZHIYUN Crane M3 [Official] 4 in 1 Handheld 3-Axis Gimbal

A small square touch screen lets you change settings, but the interface is kludgy. The main menu breaks down into four panes: Mode, Balance, Info, and Settings. Tapping any of them takes you to a longer text menu—straightforward enough. But the text is small enough that you can't always be sure which setting you selected. You also need to be deliberate with your swipe gestures to navigate as swipes often register as taps.Once the camera is in place, the usual adjustments can be made to the axis balances for the X, Y and Z. Maybe because of the small size; these adjustments are really easy. I found balancing the M3 a relatively simple process. Balancing the phone (iPhone 11 Pro) or action camera ( Akaso Brave 8) proved just how straightforward the process was. Stabilising a mirrorless camera Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake in the “production readiness stage” while fans will have to wait longer for Control 2 Thankfully I have a few youth photographers and videographers who could give their opinions on the bag and gimbal. The result of that consultation is that the gimbal is a massive hit the bag, not so! While this approach has its pros and cons - you don't always need a light source and it's sometimes creatively beneficial to have the light source separate from the camera point of view - most of the time having the M3's small (2cm) but deceptively bright 800-lumen (average) lighting available on demand is undeniably a good thing.

Zhiyun Crane M3 review | Digital Camera World

The kit comes with the gimbal, including the built-in modelling light, filters, Type-C cables for various cameras, handheld tripod, expansion base, microphone and cables. On the subject of long shoots, the M3 supports the 'PD Fast Charge' protocol, with two hours of charge giving you up to eight hours of runtime from the 1150mAh battery, depending of course on how many features you're using and how hard you're torquing those axis motors. Neatly, there's also a USB-C slot in the body, so the gimbal can be charged with a power bank whilst continuing to operate. There are a few quirks at the time of writing, direct camera control from the grip doesn’t work for the Sony cameras, and the mic input also has a few noise issues. I’m assured that these factors will be sorted out with firmware.

On-Handle Controls

The Zhiyun Crane-M2S effectively offers a sweet spot between its larger and pricier Crane-M3 gimbal, and the more stripped-down Crane-M2. Despite weighing only 549g (that's less than half the weight of the 1.2kg DJI RSC 2), the stabilizer can hold full-frame cameras like the Sony A7S III. There are instant limitations to the Crane M3; it is, after all, designed to carry action cameras, mobile phones and small mirrorless systems rather than a full-scale filming kit. I really like the nice addition of the LED from Zhiyun Crane M3 which they have now brought to Zhiyun Crane M2 S as well. If the size of the gimbal handle was kept the same, but the space between the sliding axis was slightly bigger, we would rate the gimbal a lot higher. The fact we couldn't get it to balance as instructed without the rubber viewfinder hitting the gimbal put it down a peg or two. Like it's smartphone-specific sibling, the Smooth 5 ( which we reviewed previously), the Crane M3 is also a Red Dot Award 2022 winner for its product design.