Zhiyun Crane M2 First Impressions: This Might Just Be Your Next Gimbal

Zhiyun is known for a lot of great gimbals out there, the Crane 3, the Crane 2 and the Weebill Lab, but the Crane M2 fits into a different category that a lot of people have been wanting. It’s for the APS-C cameras, point and shoot, action cams, smartphones and more.

We tested out a prototype so we won’t go through every nook and cranny, but this feels just as sturdy as the Weebill Lab and it’s incredibly light. The gimbal feels balanced in the hand and there’s also a tripod grip that comes in handy.

There’s selfie mode, POV mode and of course, the famous Vortex mode is also available. One of the best things is that Wi-Fi connectivity is now included in this gimbal.

Previous Zhiyun gimbals required a cable connection between the gimbal and a camera, now you can connect the gimbal via Wi-Fi to selected cameras as seen in the image above. There’s also Full-Range POV mode which allows for 360° synchronous movement on all three axes.

The gimbal has 7 hours of battery life, a USB-C charging port and can be charged with a powerbank to keep it alive during long outdoors shoots.

Let’s talk about a few differences that make this gimbal stand out. First is how you calibrate the gimbal. Zhiyun has actually added a memory switch to the gimbal so that once you calibrate it once for a particular camera, you’ll always be able to quickly locate the ideal spot.

The other is how easy it is to lock the gimbal in for storage. The main locking switch will be a bright red on production models for easy recognition. The main swiveling arm of the gimbal moves to the centre and pushes down to lock into the grooves on the plate, then the main lock switch needs to be tightened.

Toggle the lock switch on the handle to stop the arm from spinning, and remove the tripod grip at the bottom, and that’s all there is to it. It’s incredibly compact and easily fits into a backpack or camera bag.

The Zhiyun Crane M2 will retail for S$359 and will be released end July 2019. More details are available here, and stay tuned for our full review.