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Zhiyun Crane-2 3-Axis Stabilizer with Focus Motor

BH #ZHCRANE2 • MFR #CRANE-2
127 reviews
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Zhiyun Crane-2 3-Axis Stabilizer with Focus Motor
Key Features
  • For Mirrorless & DSLR Cameras up to 7 lb
  • 360° Pan, 320° Tilt, 360° Roll Motion
  • Focus Motor and Lens Gear Rings Included
  • Select Canon/Nikon Digital Focus Control
The Zhiyun-Tech Crane-2 is a 3-axis handheld gimbal stabilizer supporting mirrorless and DSLR cameras weighing up to 7 lb. Mount your camera on the included Manfrotto-standard quick release plate, balance it, and shoot for up to 18 hours on the supplied batteries. A rod-mount mechanical focus motor is included and can be controlled via the gimbal's handwheel or an optional remote control for the Crane 2. It can be aligned to the focus or zoom ring of your lens for follow focus or zoom control. A support rod, USB cable, and two universal lens gear rings are also supplied for attaching and connecting the focus motor and using it with virtually all lenses.
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Zhiyun Crane-2 Overview

The Zhiyun-Tech Crane-2 is a 3-axis handheld gimbal stabilizer supporting mirrorless and DSLR cameras weighing up to 7 lb. Mount your camera on the included Manfrotto-standard quick release plate, balance it, and shoot for up to 18 hours on the supplied batteries. A rod-mount mechanical focus motor is included and can be controlled via the gimbal's handwheel or an optional remote control for the Crane 2. It can be aligned to the focus or zoom ring of your lens for follow focus or zoom control. A support rod, USB cable, and two universal lens gear rings are also supplied for attaching and connecting the focus motor and using it with virtually all lenses.

The Crane-2 also allows for digital follow focus control via the gimbal handwheel for select Canon DSLRs and the Nikon D850 with compatible autofocus lenses. Simply connect the camera to the gimbal with the included USB cables, and after a few settings adjustments you'll have direct follow focus control without requiring the external motor.

The Crane-2 features 360° pan, 320° tilt, and 360° roll adjustment. Multiple different special shooting modes allow you to get extra creative with the gimbal. Full-range POV mode enables 360° synchronous movement on all three axes. This means that the camera will lock into a single position and follow your movements without any limits, as opposed to evening out at some point. This allows for true POV capture.

Gimbal settings are quickly adjustable using the onboard control buttons and an OLED display. For safety, a "slow-fall" feature protects your camera from a sudden drop when the Crane-2 is powered down.

Features
  • Includes external rod-mount focus motor for mechanical follow focus/zoom control
  • 360° pan, 320° tilt, and 360° roll adjustment
  • 7 lb payload
  • 18-hour runtime using the included batteries
  • Digital follow focus control for select Canon cameras and the Nikon D850 with compatible autofocus lenses
  • Manfrotto-standard quick release plate
  • "Slow-fall" feature protects your camera from a sudden drop when the Crane-2 is powered down
Firmware Update v1.76 (June 2019)
  • Full-range POV: 360° synchronous movement on all three axes—instead of leveling off during motion, the camera will remain locked in position no matter which way or how far you move the gimbal, allowing for true POV shots
  • Vortex mode: Add dynamic movements to your barrel shot and open up possibilities
  • Direct control support for the Nikon Z6 and Z7 via the control panel—take photos, start/stop recording video, and control various other parameters

Zhiyun Crane-2 Specs

Key Specs
Number of Axes
3: Pitch (Tilt), Roll, Yaw (Pan)
Load Capacity
7 lb / 3.2 kg
Wireless Frequency
2.4 GHz
Wireless Protocol
Bluetooth 4.0
Mounting
1 x 1/4"-20 Female
1 x 3/8"-16 Female
Weight
2.76 lb / 1.25 kg
Gimbal
Number of Axes
3: Pitch (Tilt), Roll, Yaw (Pan)
Rotation Range
Yaw (Pan): 360° 
Pitch (Tilt): 320° (-135 to 185°) 
Roll: 360° 
Follow Speed
Pan: 120°/s
Tilt: 120°/s
Roll: 120°/s
Load Capacity
7 lb / 3.2 kg
Connectivity
Inputs/Outputs
1x Micro-USB
Wireless Frequency
2.4 GHz
Wireless Protocol
Bluetooth 4.0
Battery
Battery Type
3x 18650
Capacity (mAh)
2000 mAh
Capacity (Wh)
22.2 Wh
Battery Runtime
18 Hours
Battery Chemistry
Lithium-Ion
Power
Operating Voltage
9.8 to 12.6 VDC
Operating Current
110 to 6000 mA
Environmental
Operating Temperature
14 to 113°F / -10 to 45°C
General
Mounting
1 x 1/4"-20 Female
1 x 3/8"-16 Female
Dimensions
8.27 x 4.65 x 17.72" / 21 x 11.8 x 45 cm
Weight
2.76 lb / 1.25 kg
Packaging Info
Package Weight
8.25 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
19.7 x 10.9 x 6.1"

Zhiyun Crane-2 Reviews

Works great with the BMPCC4K in a cage

By Jon
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2022-01-04

I bought a couple of these with the wireless remotes to allow my students to focus and aim their BMPCC4K cameras remotely. The Crane 2 isn't as easy to balance as the Crane 3 Lab I've also used, but it can handle the BMPCC4K just fine with the offset allowed by the Smallrig cage. Mounting the Crane 2 on a tripod makes it a wireless (or wired, via USB) pan-tilt head with built-in follow focus, and joystick on the remote can create some very subtle and smooth moves with practice.

Disappointed… But

By Ron
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2021-02-17

My disappointment may have been because I was using the heavier Nikon D8 10 with a zoom lens. Although this combination was under the top weight limit, I wasn’t happy with the operation. The problem I did have was with the dual handle. One of the sides would not lock down far enoughTo keep the whole rig from flopping over.

Great for some shots, terrible for others

By Philip
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2020-10-20

I have had tons of issues with this gimbal. For the first couple of uses it performed quite well and even handled larger cameras/lens combos such as a Blackmagic Pocket 4k combined with a heavy Voigtlander lens. But over time, it seems that the stabilizer/gyro mechanism has started to degrade. I'm not entirely sure what the issue is. There are a ton of settings, way too many to be honest, that could be impacting the stabilizer. Balancing the camera was a bit of a pain at first but I got used to it after a little fiddling. That isn't the issue. For general truck in/out and pan left/right/up/down shots, the gimbal works quite well. It's when you get into more complex tracking style shots that it really fails. There are three different modes: PL, F, and L. I've only ever had consistent luck with PL mode. This mode limits you to using the control stick to only rotate the gimbal up or down. F mode let's you rotate up, down, left and right, while L mode locks the rotation. Whenever I try F or L modes however, the stabilizer will just stop working after a few seconds and I have to continually re-initialize it. Even when it stays engaged, it is really shaky and bumpy and the footage is unusable. Only PL mode seems to keep the stabilizer consistently engaged. Finally, the Zhiyun app is overly complex as well and most of its functionality doesn't work either. I do find that doing the 6 step calibration is easier to do with the app then try to figure it out via the awful manual. But I have no clue if it's really helping things, since I still have those aforementioned problems in F and L modes. The main function of the app that I really was excited about was the tracking capability. You are supposed to be able to tap somewhere on your phone screen, on an object in the field of view, and the gimbal will then lock onto that object so you can move around it 360 degrees. This function does not work at all in the app. On my Samsung Galaxy S9, it made the gimbal go haywire, rotating all over the place like it was possessed. On the Galaxy S10, it just keeps popping up an error message saying that it's not working. I could try reinstalling the app, but all of this back and forth nonsense wastes time and is really frustrating, especially when you are on a live shoot and clients are watching. Sorry one more thing. From my limited experience with it so far, the follow focus is also garbage. It continually disengages from the ring that you attach to the lens and is generally unusable. If anyone can recommend a better gimbal that is comparable in price and size to the Crane 2, please let me know!

Bad App

By Thomas
Rated 2 out of 5
Date: 2020-10-14

This would be a great piece of equipment if the app just worked the way it should. If you have an i-phone then great. It works only on a few select android phones to get full functionality. Or I should say it is very limited on most androids. I contacted Zhiyun and they say at this time, Right!! It has been years and no improvement. Get it together. I'm thinking about selling it and getting a different one that actually will do the things I want it to. Poor!

Very poor customer support

By Gary
Rated 1 out of 5
Date: 2020-09-11

I bought the Crane 2 a couple of years ago. The device works fine, but there are some gimbal settings that can only be made from an app on a Smartphone or Tablet (through bluetooth). Unfortunately, Zhiyun's app is compatible with only a few devices. Android devices are particularly lacking.

Zhiyun crane 2

By Luis
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2020-08-30

Magnifico estable, de gran desempeño para video.

Great resource

By Anna
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-05-26

This is not the easiest to set up, but once everything is set this works beautifully. Learned more from YouTube tutorials than the included instructions and the instructions found online. As a novice crane operator this was a challenge to put together but 100% worth the investment.

Indespensible

By David
Rated 5 out of 5
Date: 2021-04-09

There's a learning curve that is worth the effort.

See any errors on this page? Let us know

question

I have used this with a Canon 5D 4, is the same lever of control over camera settings through the Crane possible with a Canon 6D 2 also?
Asked by: Chris
The Zhiyun-Tech Crane-2 works with all recent Canon EOS cameras in pretty much the same way. You will see a similar if not exact performance on the 6D Mark II.
Answered by: Dennis A L.
Date published: 2018-08-27

question

Which cameras does the follow focus work with?
Asked by: Noah S.
The follow focus feature will work by connecting a camera, that has an autofocus lens on it, to the gimbal via a control cable. At this time Zhiyun-Tech only has control cables for Sony and Panasonic Mirrorless Cameras available, B&H Numbers ZHGMBB78 and ZHGMBB77.There is no list available yet of specific cameras and lenses that will work, but it would seem that this feature should work for camera like the Sony A6300/6500, A7S II, A7RII and options from Panasonic like the GH4 and GH5 with a native auto focus lens mounted to them. https://bhpho.to/2xbjWZEhttps://bhpho.to/2w8y4Om
Answered by: Joseph P.
Date published: 2021-01-20

question

Please, could someone tell the dimensions of the Crane 2 (in same position like when you put it inside tha Carrying Case) WITHOUT the mini-tripod?Because I need to know if it fits inside another case.Thank you!
Asked by: PABLO
The Crane 2 dimensions are: without tripod=18, with tripod=24, Width=10.
Answered by: Dennis A L.
Date published: 2018-08-27

question

Does the follow focus work with Canon T5i?
Asked by: Amy T.
Canon EOS cameras such as the Canon T5i are supported by he Crane-2.
Answered by: Dennis A L.
Date published: 2018-08-27

I have a Nikkon D500 + 16-35mm len. Does this ...

I have a Nikkon D500 + 16-35mm len. Does this gimbal work?
Asked by: Harry
Yes, it will be able to balance that combination of camera and lens well.
Answered by: Joseph
Date published: 2021-03-07

question

Is this stabilizer compatible with the Sony AX100 4K Ultra HD? I saw reviews of the original Crane. It was not compatible. You could mount it, but the viewfinder would interfere with the full motion of the gimbal. The Crane v2 was reviewed as fully compatible.
Asked by: Stephen
Yes it does work with an AX100 with full motion without the camera hitting the gimbal, it is a challenge setting up the zoom and start stop function. Initially go into the AX100 menu and system settings select USB LUN setting and select 'Single' Connect then connect the camera to the Crane with the Sony cable provided, Turn on the crane first, then turn on the AX100. Works fine.
Answered by: Melvyn
Date published: 2021-02-20

Will Zhiyun-Tech Crane-2 3-Axis Stabilizer work ...

Will Zhiyun-Tech Crane-2 3-Axis Stabilizer work with Blackmagic Pocket Camera 4k?
Asked by: Maiya
You may be able to balance a Pocket Cinema Camera 4K on the Crane 2, but we do not recommend it. However Zhiyun-Tech listed the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K as compatible for balancing on the Crane 3, B&H # ZHCRANE3LAB, we recommend this instead. https://bhpho.to/2CGIwUv
Answered by: Joseph
Date published: 2019-02-05

question

Will this work with a Canon XA30?
Asked by: Steve B.
While we are not aware of any specific testing, we feel that the Crane-2 should be able to handle a smaller camcorder like the XA30. However, you would more than likely need to remove the XLR top handle for it to balance.
Answered by: Joseph P.
Date published: 2019-12-14
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