Zhiyun Crane 3 vs. Zhiyun Smooth Q2: Which Gimbal is Right for You?

Zhiyun has been a cornerstone in the gimbal world for quite some time, consistently introducing amazing stabilizers that leave everyone in awe. This brand truly supports professionals with its exceptional offerings, making every filmmaker’s life a little easier. Many of their gimbals consistently top the charts and catch the attention of enthusiasts everywhere. Two standout models, the Zhiyun Crane 3 and Zhiyun Smooth Q2, have really shaken things up, and filmmakers adore them.

If you’re stuck in the war of smartphone gimbal vs DSLR gimbal, there’s no need to worry. Dive into this blog to discover the best fit for your needs. Happy reading.

Zhiyun Crane 3

The Crane 3 is the best Zhiyun gimbal for filmmaking you can buy. Videos online can give you a quick overview of what’s included in the box, but read on if you’re here for functionality and performance.

Build and Balance

Using the Crane 3 feels like handling a dependable, creative partner from the beginning. It’s the first gimbal we’ve seen that cleverly positions the handle into a unique V shape, and having that additional handle nearby just feels right. With the weight center shifted closer to your body, carrying the rig for extended periods is much easier. Plus, it opens up incredible opportunities for capturing those stunning low-angle shots.

The Crane 3 can handle an impressive weight of up to 4.5 kilos. For reference, an FS5 with a speed booster, battery, and a good lens usually weighs in at under two and a half kilos, so you’ve got plenty of capacity to work with. In practice, you’ll find that reaching that weight limit is quite unlikely.

What you might notice more is the challenge of managing the height and length of your rig. Luckily, you can easily balance mirrorless and cinema cameras on the gimbal. One common little hiccup is ensuring the rig is balanced just right, so the back doesn’t accidentally bump into the rear motor.

Stability/Smoothness

Gimbals have made remarkable strides in recent years, and the Crane 3 is a perfect example of that. Zhiyun truly surpassed expectations, delivering motors that are not only super responsive but also incredibly smooth. It felt wonderfully stable when we held it close, and it effortlessly handles shots on the included monopod for those longer, sweeping moves.

Another pleasant surprise was how wonderfully the Crane 3 handles Follow mode. With the Crane 3, it continues to follow from the same angle where you clicked the button, allowing you to switch to Follow mode smoothly during your shots. What’s even better is that you won’t have to twist your hands into uncomfortable positions to achieve a great Follow mode.

Like all Zhiyun Gimbals, the Crane 3 features three motor settings that you can adjust based on your rig’s weight. While the ideal setting depends on your unique setup, it will definitely help you understand what weight combinations are feasible.

Buttons and Interface

We really love the Lock and Pan Follow buttons. They’re conveniently located on the front, but they can be a little tricky to notice at first. While you quickly get used to where they are, it would be amazing if they could be placed so we could easily see them when we’re pressing them.

The Follow, POV, and reset buttons are conveniently located near the thumb, while the camera controls are situated close to the LCD screen. It would be wonderful if all the buttons were arranged around the OLED monitor, as that’s where you typically look for information. This way, your focus would be naturally directed to that area anyway.

The only exception is the power button, which is located on the opposite side. However, you won’t have to worry about accidentally pressing it. What we absolutely loved, though, is the Joystick. Zhiyun has designed it like a drone stick, and the feedback it provides is fantastic. This design makes it super easy to use the stick for precise control movements.

Over on the left-hand side, you’ll find a follow focus wheel that actually GLOWS IN THE DARK. Isn’t that awesome? If you use focus marks, it makes pulling those pre-defined focus points super easy. The wheel performs wonderfully with DSLR lenses. For Cine-lenses, however, we’d love a bit more control over how much the lens turns.

Transmitter Box

The transmitter box is an exciting new feature for the Crane. It’s designed to give you a low-lag live view on your phone. It works magic by connecting the camera’s HDMI port to the box, sending an optimized stream straight to the ZY app. We had a fantastic experience when we first connected a Nikon camera.

That said, a little tweak in the settings will help you find the perfect balance. We truly wish there was a simpler approach to this, but we understand that it might be a bit tougher for some cameras to manage than for Zhiyun.

Another great feature of the ZY app is that it lets you take full control of the camera and gimbal. One person can focus on framing the shots while another handles the focus, zoom, and camera settings right through the app. It’s a wonderful way to work together and capture unforgettable moments.

Base Plate

The base plate is quite similar to a Manfrotto standard plate, but it has just one 1/4-20 screw and doesn’t offer a spot for a 3/8, so larger cameras might not feel as secure as possible. Additionally, an unusual pin needs to be removed for full Manfrotto compatibility. But there’s a silver lining. The plate has a sliding feature, allowing you to control the camera’s distance from the right arm.

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Zhiyun Smooth Q2

The Zhiyun Smooth-Q2 is an amazing smartphone gimbal that holds your phone securely, allowing you to capture beautifully stabilized shots effortlessly, even on the go. You’ll love how it delivers ultra-smooth video footage, especially when used with the optical or electronic image stabilization features in today’s smartphones. It’s also a fantastic companion for taking stunning photos, particularly during those special moments when steady hands matter, like night mode shots or long exposures.

Build Quality

The Zhiyun Smooth-Q2 features a sturdy aluminum build, providing a wonderful upgrade from the plastic Smooth Q and many other mobile gimbals. Its rubberized grip feels just right in your hand, ensuring comfort during use. Plus, it only has a power button, a record button, and a small joystick, making it really easy to operate.

Shooting Modes

The Zhiyun Smooth-Q2 comes with five basic shooting modes that many gimbal users will recognize and appreciate. They include: Pan follow mode, Lock mode, Full follow mode, POV (Point of View) or Roll follow mode, and Vortex mode. Let’s explore what each of these modes can do.

• Pan Follow (PF): To pan your phone in the direction you want, just twist the handle left or right, your tilt will stay locked in place, but you can adjust the angle manually using the joystick.
• Lock (L): This is what we like to call “chicken head mode.” In this mode, the smartphone stays focused in the same direction, no matter how you move the handle.
• Full Follow (F): This mode is a lot like Pan Follow, but it lets you tilt the phone up and down too. Just pitch the handle forward or backward for that extra movement.
• POV: Similar to Full Follow, but with an added twist. You can twist the handle to pan, tilt it forward or backwards to pitch the camera, and tilt it sideways for a fun Dutch angle.
• Vortex Mode (POV with lights flashing): This exciting feature lets you rotate your phone in a circular motion using the joystick, which is perfect for capturing those amazing spinning barrel shots. Just hold the gimbal like a flashlight to get into start-up mode.

Compatibility

The Zhiyun Smooth Q2 offers an impressive maximum payload of 260g, making it one of the most powerful smartphone gimbals out there. It is also compact and easy to handle. It comes with a handy spring-loaded adjustable clamp that securely holds your phone, even easily fitting larger phablet-sized devices.

This means it’s compatible with almost every smartphone. However, there’s a little hiccup to keep in mind: on some phones, the back of the gimbal arm can interfere with the camera’s view while filming. While this isn’t a unique issue to the Smooth Q2, it does seem to occur a bit more frequently with this model.

Performance

Portable gimbals have made amazing strides in stabilizing performance in the past couple of years. It feels like we’re at a point where many gimbals are doing a great job at keeping video steady. Even though it’s ‘pocket-sized’, the Zhiyun Smooth Q2 stands out by providing some of the best stabilization performance available. Its motors pack a powerful punch and work quietly, too.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the motor speed is fixed. This might pose a challenge when capturing fast action, like a Formula 1 car racing past you on the track. Most gimbals allow you to tweak the responsiveness by giving you the option to change the motor settings.

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Comparison Table b/w Zhiyun Crane 3 vs. Zhiyun Smooth Q2:

Read this comparison of Zhiyun Crane 3 and Smooth Q2:

Final Thoughts

All of these features of the Zhiyun Crane 3 vs. Smooth Q2 make it clear which gimbal best suits your needs. If you’re a professional filmmaker working with mirrorless or cinema cameras, the Crane 3 offers exceptional stability, a high 4.5 kg payload capacity, a unique V-shaped handle for balance, and an HDMI-based transmitter box for live monitoring.

If you’re a mobile content creator in search of a compact and user-friendly smartphone gimbal, you’ll love the Smooth Q2! It offers outstanding stabilization, five versatile shooting modes, and a sturdy aluminum design, making it just right for vlogging and everyday video adventures. Plus, don’t forget that you can find the best prices of Zhiyun gimbals in Pakistan on our website