Zhiyun Crane 2S Standard Version

The Crane 2S, Zhiyun’s latest gimbal to date, is the successor to the popular Crane 2 video camera stabilizer. I can’t tell you how many filmmakers/videographers I’ve encountered who used the Crane 2 gimbal over the past few years.The Crane 2S is an upgrade in every way to the Crane 2 gimbal which I have used for event shoots in the past. I have also been accustomed to its lighter sibling the Crane Plus for my lighter camera setups, which I’ve used to shoot parts of an indie film. Over time, I’ve used many gimbals such as those from DJI (Ronin SC), Feiyu Tech (AK2000, AK2000S, AK4000), Filmpower (Nebula 4000) and Zhiyun, and I have to say that the Crane 2S is a great refinement over many of the existing gimbals with a few caveats that I will lay out in this review.Since I currently already own a gimbal for lightweight cameras that I love (the Feiyu Tech AK2000S) for my GH5, I wanted to upgrade my older AK4000 gimbal for larger and heavier setups/payloads for bigger clients or more complex jobs. The just-released Crane 2S was the perfect excuse for me to give this shiny new toy / tool a try. My secondary thinking is also to be able to perhaps combine my 2 gimbals into just 1 gimbal that can handle any setups I currently have and/or any setups my customers would ask me to use… a one stop shop so to speak, and the Crane 2S seems to fit the bill perfectly being able to handle so many camera payloads (from light to heavy) in an optimized fashion, and even control my Panasonic GH5/S1 & Canon EOS R cameras.My top requirement for this gimbal would be to be able to use it with a setup like my heavy Panasonic S1 camera and the Lumix S 24-105mm lens, which weigh a hefty 3lb 13 oz (or 1.73kg) combined. The Crane 2S gimbal weighs around 4lb 13oz (or 2.2kg) with the batteries. So the total weight of the setup I would use most often for my shoots (and this review) with the Crane 2S would be 8.625 lb / 8lb 10oz or 3.912Kg. Quite a heavy thing to try and carry around for extended periods of time. If I were to add an external monitor, a microphone and an extension arm at the bottom, this setup would weigh over 10lbs. I could also switch between S1 + 24-105mm Lens and EOS R + 24-105mm Lens should the need arise, or just go back to a lighter GH5 + Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 setup - or - a GH5 + Speedboster + Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Lens combo.Also I wanted something that would last me all day for shooting without having to recharge the batteries.Even though Zhiyun doesn’t say how much of a payload the Crane 2S can sustain, this gimbal was designed for heavier professional camera setups such as the Panasonic S1H/S1/S1R, BMPCC 6K, Canon EOS 1DX II, Nikon D850, Sony A7S/R, Canon EOS R and more…Now that I’ve had it for a few days, and have been able to try it out with my Panny S1+24-105 F4 Lens, I have to say that I am impressed with the top quality, fine build, and performance of this gimbal which works very well and smoothly with my heavy camera combo, and I believe the claim that it has a runtime of 12h is accurate.The unit comes with all the goodies that comparable professional gimbals offer (a decent styrofoam storage/holster case, all the USB C to USB C / USB A / Micro USB / Mini USB cables you need to attach to your camera to control the camera from the gimbal, a tripod base, a quick release plate & camera backing base plate, screws and wrenches, batteries & charger, a lens support and screw). It is all nicely packed and easy to find and use.The first time setup and balancing of a new gimbal I’ve never used with any camera combo always takes a little getting used to at the beginning for me, and the Crane 2S is no exception. After about 45-mins to 1-hour or so of fiddling around, I was able to get my S1+ lens setup and balanced properly on the Crane 2S. The main thing that is confusing is to remember that the arrow direction on the Quick release plate should face the opposite direction of your camera + lens when you screw the camera on. The 3 safety locking switches for each axis are great for helping with balancing your setup so don’t forget to use them by locking 2 of the 3 axis at first, and slowly working your way into the tilt horizontal then vertical, roll, pan adjustments.Once balanced, you can turn on the gimbal, and will have to download the ZY Play app on your iphone or android smartphone to register your gimbal with the app before you can use it. It is a quick procedure via Bluetooth.Now that you’ve got your whole setup ready to go, you can turn on the gimble, and use the stabilizer in all the shooting modes that the Crane 2S offers: Pan Follow mode, Locking mode, POV & Vortex (Inception) mode (by pressing M button twice), and Go mode (by pressing M button 3x). I wished the Crane 2S had an LCD touch screen which would allow for quick choice of the shooting mode, so that I don’t have to remember how often to push the M button to go back and forth between the different shooting styles. Since this is the latest and greatest from Zhiyun, it could have been implemented. Maybe with future firmware/software updates, there can be a quick option/button function created by the Zhiyun tech team for an even more intuitive user experience.The menu system on the LCD screen is pretty straightforward though I would say not the most user friendly. But it offers very powerful customizations. The menu is accessible via the bottom of the 2nd dial (below the joystick dial) and you have to press the menu dial wheel left and right to access different layers / functions of the camera, then go up and down the menu dial/wheel by rotating the dial with your thumb. Not the easiest to do since the dial / wheel is somewhat hard to roll / turn around. Whereas the joystick is a pleasure to use to tilt up/down & left/right your gimbal head, this dial wheel for accessing the menu & camera functions feels rather antiquated. The menu display is rather basic looking with words and letters, very few icons, no touch functionality. I hope that somehow this can be updated via software in the future so that it’s a much more intuitive experience with easier to reach functions/options. Nevertheless, the menu system offers myriads of customizations / functions for your gimbal. The most immediate ones to use are setting the gimbal’s camera settings to your camera system (in my case Panasonic for the S1) and also auto-tuning the motor torque (Auto Torque Adjustment) for your payload to the gimbal to get optimum performance (Dynamic Stabilization) from your Crane 2S.After having tested the Crane 2S with my heavy panny/lens combo shooting in a skate park, I have to say that this gimbal performs very well under all the shooting modes. It’s really finely crafted and built and you will have no issues with its performance delivering buttery smooth & responsive shots, and you will enjoy its professional quality of build with its carbon fiber handle and metallic construction. It’s a very professional tool that is very versatile and can handle all the camera combos you want from lightweight to heavy weight. You can attach all kinds of external accessories from external monitors to microphone/lights, follow focus, extension arms, to the camera and/or gimbal, and it can likely handle it with its strong motors and highly flexible plate system and shoot in portrait or landscape mode.You can also easily control the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure of your camera & Start/Stop REC via the Gimbal and you can even electronically control your focus using the USB-C to USB-C cable for my Panasonic S1 (make sure to push the REC button) and the big follow focus wheel on the left of your gimbal handle. No more need of an additional follow focus attachment… very nice. You can also control all this (except electronic focus I think) via the App from your smartphone I think, though I haven’t tried it yet.The main con I have with the gimbal’s design is that it is not a slanted design by default, which would allow for viewing your LCD monitor without having to flip out your camera LCD screen (should it exist). Since my S1 doesn’t have a flip-out screen, I have to go back to getting used to this design after having been bless with a slanted gimbal lately. However, you can transform your Crane 2S into a slanted design if you don’t mind using the supplied wrenches and removing a section of the roll axis plastic/metallic coverings. I haven’t had the chance to do it yet but I have seen a youtube video of someone who did it. I will soon give it a try at some point. But so far, I can handle shooting with it as I did with past gimbals before the slanted design was invented… Still this is a drawback upon initial setup for the Crane 2S that can be somewhat remedied if you are handy or Zhiyun can maybe offer 2 shipped versions of it - One that is shipped slanted vs one that is shipped as currently shipped… Food for thought.My second pet peeve with the Crane 2S is that you can end up with a very heavy setup to hand hold around for extended periods of time. An underslung arm handle will be available soon from what Zhiyun tech support told me, so I can’t wait to get it so that I can shoot for longer periods of time without my arms feeling numb after a while.Also a dual handle grip, bar or square would be greatly appreciated so that you can hand hold even more easily.I often add an extension arm under the current handle, and you feel the weight even more without the extra underslung arm handle.Hopefully these are some improvements that Zhiyun can make happen for the Crane 2S soon with the added accessories.Overall, the Crane 2S is definitely worthy upgrade to its predecessor the Crane 2, and it is a greatly versatile and customizable finely built professional gimbal that can handle just about anything you put on it it seems from lightweight setups to heavy camera kits. It performs very well and does exactly what you ask of it. The crane 2S can even allow you to shoot in vertical portrait mode if you want. The Crane 2S pros (heavy/customizable payload support, electronic compatibility with many cameras, great build quality, very smooth operation, very good stabilizer performance) definitely outweighs its cons (lack of out-of-the-box slanted design, clunky menu system and operation, heavy to handle over extended periods of time without additional arm or grip). However, I do hope though that in the future, Zhiyun will make improvements to its firmware/software to further enhance the user experience as well as make available some much welcomed accessories such as an underslung arm & dual handle grip.As an owner of the Feiyu Tech AK2000S & AK4000, I can appreciate why the Zhiyun Crane 2S is a much more professional gimbal suited for a much wider breadth / variety of setups / applications / shooting needs. I will keep my AK2000S for light setups (GH5) and upgrade my AK4000 to the Crane 2S for my heavier setups (S1/S1H/EOS R) when my clients or shoots need it, even though I will miss the out-of-the-box slanted design of the AK4000. I will most probably do the switching of the Crane 2S roll motor down so I can have the slanted design. Also I can’t wait for Zhiyun to release the additional accessories I mentioned in this review, as well as hope for updates in the overall ease of use of this tool.Pricewise, it seems very competitive compared to the ronin S as it offers so much more than the DJI in terms of payload capacity, functionality, optimization and customizations, and is a much more modern updated gimbal compared to the AK4000 I have. Compared to the AK4500, the Crane 2S is a little cheaper and the motor seems to be more optimized for newer setups/cameras. It’s also cheaper than the Crane 3S, and lighter. So far so good.So if you’re an owner of a Crane 2, or an older gimbal system like the Ronin S / AK4000 / AK4500, I’d say the Crane 2S is definitely a worthy upgrade despite a few flaws… Still waiting for the ultimate perfect gimbal… This one is close but not quite but as good as money can get for now in its affordable price range probably.

This is the not-so incremental upgrade to the legendary Zhiyun Crane 2 released back in 2017.Improvements/Upgrades1. Ability to relocate the roll motor. By default its located where it would block the screen, but Zhiyun included the tools to remove the extension arm2. BIG & BOLD axis locks. To keep your gimbal secure when not in use.3. Newly designed 2 step quick release system. You can also add your own plate to quickly put your setup on a tripod, and then take it off and place on gimbal without the need to rebalace.4. Vertical mount works amazing, and will be amazing for those making social media content.5. New algorithms for improved motor performance. I was able to fly my Sony A7iii, in a cage, with the Tamron 70-180mm lens without issue. And to really put the motors to the test, I hung the entire setup out of the sunroof of a vehicle, traveling at 45 to 50mph, and the motors functioned flawlessly.6. Updated software. Added features such as Auto tune, and the ability to change motor parameters on the gimbal itself. No app needed.One thing I didn't like is that you do need the app to activate the gimbal or else you can't use it. But once activated the gimbal works very top teir.If you are shooting with a DSLR, Mirrorless, or small cinema camera, this is the last gimbal you will ever need.

The crane 2s is an amazing upgraded version of the classic Crane 2. Its got so many new features and benefits, that makes it a powerful beast for almost all types of cameras. Here are some of the features that I really liked so far.- Quick release mounting plate, supports both horizontal and vertical shooting positions. This is a must feature for any type of social media related shooting. The vertical shots are getting more and more popular now a days. The Crane 2s can allow you to switch into vertical mode in just a few seconds.- Axis locks, Zhiyun have added the Axis locks to their crane 2s as well. This feature didn’t exist back then with the Crane 2. But this is simple but very helpful feature when balancing your gimbal, and transporting it.- Compatibility, Crane 2s seems to be able to work with almost any of the cameras out there, and almost any lens. I have the Sony A7rIII setup, usually use the 20-70mm GM or the 16-35mm GM lens. It has no problem with it. There are enough clearance on the back, and around the camera for any type of movements needed.- Transmount wireless module mounting area. If you have the Zhiyun’s wireless transmission module, there is a designed spot that can mount the transmission module, easily keep everything connected and stored away. I have the module, and it works perfectly with the Crane 2s.- Powerful motor, I have to when you are actually holding this in your hand, you can feel the stability that the solid built and the strong motors working together, makes every movement you have very smooth. This is something I couldn’t get from the smaller gimbals.- Of course there are some minor upgrades as well, like the carbon fiber grip, the gold color trimming, long lasting batteries, USB connections and more.This gimbal weights total about 4.8lb, including batteries. Plus my A7rIII + 16-35mm GM lens (3.1lb). Gives a total weight close to 8lb. It is a bit on the heavy side, but it is a very solid built. It produces footage that is like a professional crane setup. It does take a little bit to get use to the weight, and how to handle it, the result is worth it. Of course this will not be part of my traveling equipment, I would only use it during a professional shoot. For traveling, I should still carry around a smaller gimbal for the job. This will be my go to setup for any professional gigs.