Usage Experience

The Crane 2 looks sturdy but bulky. Its aluminum body and tripod are light enough, but the total weight with the camera may exceed 2-3.5 kg (4.40-7.71 lb). The handle is also wide, which means holding the stabilizer with a hand is probably not an option unless you have really large hands. However, the tripod Zhiyun included will prove useful if a steady, semi-permanent position is the goal.

Putting together the Crane 2 was an easy task. However, calibrating it for the first time was challenging even though the user manual describes the whole procedure. After you have done it a couple of times, though, you will get the hang of it. Since this is a tool for professionals, everything has to be perfected before filming occurs. The Crane 2 is able to shoot steady footage at any angle, which means your videos will look way better with it than without.


Changing focus can be achieved by rolling the controller on the side if you have a Canon 5D camera mounted, while all other features can be adjusted through the complimentary app. A user certainly needs to spend a lot of time to get accustomed to the app's features and parameters, but this gimbal is for experienced users, so we weren't expecting it to be plain and simple to use. We should note that while we were using this app, we encountered several disconnects between the Crane 2 and iPhone 6 Plus we used.


Filming a video while moving with the Crane 2 is as simple as it sounds. Once the camera is installed to the mounting plate, balanced, and the user gets accustomed to the app, filming quality is outstanding. The fact that filming can be done at any angle and in 360 degrees makes for a plethora of shooting options. Moreover, shooting modes can also be altered with the stroke of a button.

You should pay great attention to properly balancing the camera since the better the balance, the less stress is put on the gimbal's motors, which has its batteries last longer. There is also a calibration process for the gimbal that isn't all that straightforward because of the somewhat murky instruction Zhiyun's application provides. In general, Zhiyun's software needs more work in order to truly become intuitive and user friendly. You should also pay attention to new firmware releases, which will improve the gimbal's performance and possible add new features.

As already stated, not all cameras are compatible with the full range of the Crane 2's features, and this is unfortunate mainly because the gimbal's features literally make shooting easier. No matter if you own a costly camera or not - make sure to carefully check on whether your camera is fully or partially supported before purchasing this stabilizer. For the moment, the focus-control feature only works with Canon cameras.

Initially, we tried a Sony A6000 with the Crane 2, and the gimbal couldn't establish communication with it even though the camera is supported according to the user manual. We tried everything, including upgrading the gimbal's and camera's software, and also contacted Zhiyun in an attempt to find a solution for this problem; however, we weren't able to find one. We then tried a Panasonic GH5 equipped with a Leica 12-60 mm lens, which worked like a charm. Since we sought to further explore the problem we encountered with the Sony camera, we got a A6500, and it worked fine after just a try, so our A6000 apparently had a communication problem with gimbal.

Operation Video & Sample Video Footage

The following video shows how the Crane 2 is operated and includes a couple of videos that were shot with it.