Not so long ago, Chinese gimbal brand, Zhiyun-Tech, revealed its new flagship handheld gimbal stabiliser, the Zhiyun Crane 3S, with the promise to out-perform most other premium stabilisers in the current market. We got hands-on with the new piece of pro kit to push it through its paces. Watch our full review now in #TheMeasure.
With the ability to take higher payloads than previous Zhiyun models and new, powerful motors, the gimbal can carry loads of [up to] 6.5kg. It also boasts a modular design with an EasySling and SmartSling Handle, which can be applied with the EasyRig. Tap HERE to read our original news piece on the Zhiyun Crane 3S and scroll down to watch our in-depth review.
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4.5/5
PhotoBite Zhiyun Crane 3S review –
Josh Lewis
Zhiyun Crane 3S:-
A powerful and professional stabilisation solution that’s not for the feint-hearted. Whilst not necessarily a run & gun product and not terribly simple to balance, the Zhiyun Crane 3S, once configured correctly, is a dream to use.
It’s a gimbal that can take a lot of weight, and given the fact that it weighs 2.5KG before loading any camera/audio gear, the resulting weight means that it’s more logical to use the Zhiyun Crane 3S as a part of a larger system. Frankly, you’d need arms like ‘Arnie’ to work with it freehand for anything more than 10 minutes at a time! The holding position dictates the weight to be carried in front of you, which makes the weight issue even more apparent.
Definitely one of the best stabilisers we’ve used, but not for amateur filmmakers.
Pros
Can take heavy payload.
Powerful, responsive motors.
Lots of user options within that are relatively simple to use.
Cons
THAT weight!
Balancing and calibration can be tricky.
Need additional battery pack to [really] make the Zhiyun Crane 3S function effectively.
Josh has been working as a filmmaker for a number of years, now, managing to convert his passion into a profession in 2015.
Used to working as a solo shooter, Josh has become accustomed to working with ‘run & gun’ set ups and has become an expert in filmmaking equipment through his experience of working on hundreds of projects in varying capacities.
This experience, coupled with Josh’s curious mind and ability to deliver casual-yet-knowledgeable opinion, makes him the perfect for his role within PhotoBite.
