Battery Charging

Plenty of warnings in the user's manual draw our attention to how to use the batteries properly. The three Li-ion 18650–2600 mAh batteries should not be mixed with others unless they have exactly the same characteristics. The charger in the bundle has two DC ports which cut the charging time in half. Zhiyun states that the batteries last for 7.5 hours of shooting, which did depend on the mounted camera's weight, its balancing, and which accessories we had mounted; e.g., the focus/zoom servo modules or a huge lens tend to put extra stress on the motors, which depletes the batteries faster. Also, if you want to charge either your phone or the mounted camera, the batteries will deplete faster. Removing the batteries is easy since their compartment is inside the horizontal grip, and there is no obstacle in the way to opening the lid.

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Balancing and Setting the Correct Parameters for Compatible Cameras

Some cameras require extra settings to function with the gimbal and image transmission control system. As such, if you have a Sony camera, set it to Manual, go to the menu Setup/USB Connection/PC Remote in the PC Remote settings, select PC+ Camera in the HDMI settings, set the HDMI Resolution to 1080P, and select off for the HDMI info Display and ON for Zoom Settings/Digitally Zoom.


For Panasonic Lumix cameras, set USB mode to PC (Tether). For Canon cameras, the camera has to be in live view mode with the HDMI Frame Rate set to 59.94P (NTSC) or 23.98P (NTSC). Set Nikon cameras to live view mode. Once you have selected all parameters, turn off your camera and gimbal and restart the latter before the camera.

Balancing a camera on a gimbal might be harder than getting accustomed to the features. To begin the balancing procedure of any camera, all necessary parts must be installed—batteries, memory card, camera lens, focus/zoom servo control, smartphone—and every axis locked.

You may start by balancing any axis, but prior to that, loosen the quick-release plate thumb screw on the rear of the camera. To balance an axis, we have to unlock its metal latch and loosen the thumbscrew. Pull the mounted camera toward the tilt axis, lock the quick-release plate latch, and move the camera forward and backward until it is parallel to the ground when it remains still. With that done, lock the quick-release plate in place.


To balance the tilt axis, unlock its latch and loosen its thumb screw. Turn the camera's lens toward the ceiling and move the axis arm, though the camera's lens must stay still while pointing at the ceiling. Once done, lock the latch and tighten the thumb screw.


To balance the roll axis, unlock its latch and loosen its thumb screw. Push the camera to the left and right. The camera must stay parallel to the ground. Lock the latch and tighten the thumb screw.


To balance the pan axis, unlock its latch and loosen its thumb screw. Point the camera's lens toward the ground and move the pan axis arm forward and backward. The pan axis must almost be parallel to the ground, and the camera should remain nearly still at its given position. Lock the latch and tighten the thumb screw.

Axis Calibration

The gimbal is calibrated at the factory, which makes calibrating it right after purchasing it unnecessary. However, if the need for calibration arises, a six-sided calibration can be done through the ZY Play app. Examples of when a calibration is needed are below.