To shoot smooth handheld video footage, the professional solution is to use a gimbal. This motorised contraption is a mechanised cradle, that ingeniously dampens any movement – allowing you track, pan and follow subjects and still get shake-free video. But the heavier your camera, the bigger the gimbal needs to be.
The Zhiyun Crane 2 was already one of the best gimbals for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Now its successor is here, promising to take support heavier camera set-ups, with bigger lenses. The Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB can support camera/lens combinations of up to 4.5kg (compared to the 3.2kg limit of its predecessor).
The motors in the three-axis stabilizer are also said to be the twice as powerful, half as noisy, and one-and-a-half times faster. The rechargeable batteries give up to 7.5 hours of operation.
The Crane 3 has a built-in OLED display that shows vital info about he camera and the gimbal itself – such as shutter speed, ISO setting, aperture, and battery.
The device can also be linked wirelessly to a smartphone, to give you an external HD monitor via the ZY Play app. A mobile phone holder is available as an optional accessory. The Crane 3 Lab will be available in a number of packages that bundle the gimbal with the phone holder, and with various other accessories.
The Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB, is available for pre-order now, but goes on sale in January for £879 / $899.
Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB: Key Specifications
Tilt range: 273°
Roll range: 360°
Max load: 4.5kg
Key features: Go Mode for fast movement; Panorama, Focus Timelapse, Motion Timelapse, Long Exposure Timelapse and more.
Usage time with single charging: Up to 7.5 hours
Charging time: approx. 4 hours
Dimensions: 205 x 366 x 331 mm
Weight: 1880 g
Read more:
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