Closer Look

The Weebill-S has the same footprint as a sheet of A4 paper, making it very compact in comparison to previous Zhiyun models, such as the Crane 3 LAB. As such, we have a lightweight, small device with the same functionality as the larger Zhiyun gimbals. The body is made out of aluminium alloy and high quality plastic. Both aluminium and plastic are lightweight, so the Weebill-S only weighs 1.11 kg (2.44 lb). Even though light, it appears to be solid enough to handle heavy cameras without any problems.


There is no information on the maximum payload. Zhiyun just provides several camera-lens combos, none of which exceed 2 kg. The maximum payload depends a lot on how the camera is installed on the gimbal. The better the installation, the less stress is put on the motors, so pay extra attention to properly balancing the camera on the gimbal. Thankfully, the Weebill-S can assist you in that regard with its auto-torque-adjustment function. Intelligent AutoTune automatically recognizes the weight of the setup and auto-tunes its power to best suit the camera setup. A compatibility camera-lens table with examples of how to mount and adjust the motors is available on the company's official website.


The main handle of the body is pretty small, but it incorporates a control panel, dials, buttons, and an OLED screen for on–the-flight adjustments. Additionally, there is a USB port for firmware updates and built-in tripod on the lower end of the handgrip's handle. The handle with the buttons and the display is set to a fixed position that cannot be altered.


The company logo is printed onto the right side of the horizontal bar, and the model name makes an appearance on the left side.


The tripod can be removed and mounted on the horizontal bar for shooting in sling mode. The three legs of the tripod/base are covered in PU faux leather for a more comfortable grip in any of the shooting modes.


Most of the buttons on the gimbal are multi-functional. The table above details each button's functionality. As one might have figured out by taking a quick look at the table, familiarization with the functions of each button is essential.


On the vertical handle is a control wheel. If the mounted camera is compatible, you can use this wheel to control the focus electronically without using the Follow-Focus Servo. If you have mounted the TransMount Servo Zoom/Focus controller, the wheel can also be used to control it.


A four-way joystick under the OLED display controls the camera/lens on the stabilizer. The dial under the joystick is multi-operational and has the shutter button in the middle. By pressing the inner circular button of the menu dial-wheel down halfway, you auto-zoom, and pressing it down completely takes the picture. Next to the OLED screen is a button with a red circle. To start or stop a video recording, press it once.


Three anodized red aluminium latches on each axis can be locked in place individually, which makes the balancing act even easier. Like with the Crane 3, the camera can be left on the gimbal and set aside until the next shooting session, as the axis can be locked in place for the gimbal to be used as a camera stand as well.


The quick-release plate is Manfrotto and Arca-Swiss compatible. Moreover, the two thumbscrews that caused slight problems when removing cameras on previous Zhiyun gimbals have been moved lower horizontally, which is certainly better and makes mounting and dismounting the camera a breeze.