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The Crane M3 is great looking gimbal; its small size and power make it a formidable filmmaking tool that will suit all sorts of videographers and photographers. Google has finally lifted the curtain on its much-anticipated Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones and the next generation of its wearable device, the Pixel Watch 2. Here's a look at what these new flagships bring to the table.
Crane M3 vs Zhiyun Crane M2S - Compare Free Guide Zhiyun Crane M3 vs Zhiyun Crane M2S - Compare Free Guide
On the subject of long shoots, the M3 supports the 'PD Fast Charge' protocol, with two hours of charge giving you up to eight hours of runtime from the 1150mAh battery, depending of course on how many features you're using and how hard you're torquing those axis motors. Neatly, there's also a USB-C slot in the body, so the gimbal can be charged with a power bank whilst continuing to operate. Pint-sized white pro gimbal comes with hot-swapping capabilities, built-in 800 lumen light and microphone Impromptu low-light shooting is no longer a problem with the CRANE M3. Thanks to its pioneering in-built 800 lumen LED fill light, the stabiliser offers an intense natural lighting solution with full stepless dimming control and temperature settings via a control wheel. Additionally available are magnetic light filter accessories for the LED light, in four different colours. At peak power 6W, the M3s lighting reads are as follows: colour temperature levels: 3000-5400K, brightness: warm light 650-750, white light 850-950, CRI (Colour Rendering Index) 90+.
If you find the touch interface frustrating—I certainly did—you can also swap settings via the Zhiyun Play smartphone app (available for Android and iOS). The app supports remote control, so you can pan and make other camera moves from your smartphone. It's a good option, especially for scenarios in which you can't be near your camera. The M3 includes a USB-C port for wired camera control and a 3.5mm input for a microphone The Crane M3 is another great gimbal from Zhiyun. If you're intrigued by its accommodating do-it-all nature, your remaining decision might only be which of the three Kits suits your needs. Unlike other gimbals that have a minimum and maximum payload, the Zhiyun Crane M3 is designed to work with camera phones, action cameras and mirrorless cameras. It comes with an adjustable phone mount that could fit a phone in as big as the new iPhone 13 Pro Max. Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake in the “production readiness stage” while fans will have to wait longer for Control 2 If you're a videographer who works with multiple devices, this gimbal would be a good choice – but if you are looking for something that is easier to balance (which is especially important if you change lenses a lot) there are better options out there. While the size of the handle is nice, the sliding axis feels a little small to deal with some of the bigger cameras it's compatible with.
Crane M3 review: A gimbal for both your iPhone and Zhiyun Crane M3 review: A gimbal for both your iPhone and
We also loved the fact that it's able to take a mirrorless camera, a phone or an action camera, which makes it the perfect all-rounder especially if you want it for traveling. It also means that no matter what device you choose to shoot on, you'll always achieve smooth, professional-looking video. Whether to buy or not is most likely to depend on what camera hardware you already own or are intending to use with the M3. If you can find the right combination, the Crane M3 is a mini marvel. It supports a broad range of shooting options and helps capture excellent, professional, stable footage. SHENZHEN, China, November 8t h , 2021 – ZHIYUN, the world’s leading gimbal manufacturer for cameras and smartphones introduces the CRANE M3, the latest in the highly-regarded CRANE series. Proving it’s more than just an upgrade, the M3 is a professional, 3-axis gimbal, claiming five industry firsts for looks, unmatched versatility, easy operability and trademark high-performance ZHIYUN design. The CRANE M3 is compatible with smartphones, action cameras, and full-frame mirrorless cameras with certain lenses.
The kit comes with the gimbal, including the built-in modelling light, filters, Type-C cables for various cameras, handheld tripod, expansion base, microphone and cables. It also benefits from a built-in light capable of 800-lumen output, which is perfect for those moments where you need just a little more light and don't want to add extra weight by using an external LED panel. You can turn it on by holding down the wheel on the side and then change the brightness by rolling it up or down.
ZHIYUN’s CRANE M3 gimbal: ultra-versatile vlogging companion
I hope you are doing great, I just want to welcome you to this space where I share my stories and tips about Exploring Europe. While it will cope perfectly with the small, lightweight form of your mobile phone or action camera, it will also work with your mirrorless camera as long as it’s not too heavy. The two cameras look rather small in a gimbal of this size, but compatibility is welcome. It means that you can easily switch between mirrorless, phone and action camera as needed. Compatible with smartphones, action cameras, compact cameras and full-frame mirrorless cameras with certain lenses. Accessory mount is required for smartphones and action cameras. Once the camera is in place, the usual adjustments can be made to the axis balances for the X, Y and Z. Maybe because of the small size; these adjustments are really easy. I found balancing the M3 a relatively simple process. Balancing the phone (iPhone 11 Pro) or action camera ( Akaso Brave 8) proved just how straightforward the process was. Stabilising a mirrorless cameraYou can be your whole team. Get multiple selected accessories from ZHIYUN for convenient carrying and professional operation.
Crane M3 Handheld 3-Axis Stabilizer, Gimbal Stabilizer Zhiyun Crane M3 Handheld 3-Axis Stabilizer, Gimbal Stabilizer
A small square touch screen lets you change settings, but the interface is kludgy. The main menu breaks down into four panes: Mode, Balance, Info, and Settings. Tapping any of them takes you to a longer text menu—straightforward enough. But the text is small enough that you can't always be sure which setting you selected. You also need to be deliberate with your swipe gestures to navigate as swipes often register as taps. I paired the Crane M3 with the Sony ZV-E10 and an iPhone 13 for testing. The stabilizer is the perfect size for smaller swappable lens cameras like the ZV-E10 and a good fit for upmarket compacts like the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III. Zhiyun lists some full-frame models in the camera compatibility list, but they balance only if you attach lightweight prime lenses. Zhiyun does not publish a maximum payload for the gimbal, but most of the compatible kits it lists come in under two pounds. The Crane M3 is a perfect match for small ILCs like the Sony ZV-E10 Also familiar to us is the Zhiyun iOS and Android app, which enables additional control of the gimbal as well as offering templated creative options. We're not exactly power users of the app, but it's always there if you want or need it (e.g. firmware updates to the gimbal are done via the app).
On-Handle Controls
There are instant limitations to the Crane M3; it is, after all, designed to carry action cameras, mobile phones and small mirrorless systems rather than a full-scale filming kit. At the time of writing, there are still some updates required to the firmware to ensure full compatibility with the Sony A7 III that will enable full control and the use of the microphone. Few things in life frustrate me more than trying to balance a gimbal. However, after I psyched myself up to balance my camera on the Zhiyun Crane-M3 I found that this is one of the easiest gimbals to balance. The Zhiyun Crane-M2S effectively offers a sweet spot between its larger and pricier Crane-M3 gimbal, and the more stripped-down Crane-M2. Despite weighing only 549g (that's less than half the weight of the 1.2kg DJI RSC 2), the stabilizer can hold full-frame cameras like the Sony A7S III. While this approach has its pros and cons - you don't always need a light source and it's sometimes creatively beneficial to have the light source separate from the camera point of view - most of the time having the M3's small (2cm) but deceptively bright 800-lumen (average) lighting available on demand is undeniably a good thing.
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