ZHIYUN Crane M3 [Official] 4 in 1 Handheld 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphone, Action Camera, Gopro and Mirrorless Camera

Product Information

Pint-sized white pro gimbal comes with hot-swapping capabilities, built-in 800 lumen light and microphone

Crane M3 review: A gimbal for both your iPhone and Zhiyun Crane M3 review: A gimbal for both your iPhone and

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+. Likewise, popping on an action camera or mobile phone again enables a smooth and powerful stabilisation experience. 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. 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. 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).The Crane-M3 will allow you to create super-smooth footage. I used the gimbal with the Nikon Z fc, an Olympus E-M10 Mark IV and an iPhone 11 Pro Max, and had no issues whatsoever. It worked flawlessly and the results were fantastic. Zhiyun says that the Crane-M3 can handle full-frame cameras too, however, your mileage may vary. I really like the nice addition of the LED from Zhiyun Crane M3 which they have now brought to Zhiyun Crane M2 S as well. 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 How you use the M3 is entirely up to you. It does support everything from smartphones to action cameras, and from compact cameras to full-frame mirrorless cameras (with certain lenses), so you have many options when it comes to your shoot. It also makes the M3 a great all-rounder, smoothing out the jitters on (virtually) any device you throw at it. For smartphones, an adjustable mount is included that can accommodate phones up to the size of an iPhone 13 Pro Max. That's a big phone.

Crane M3 Handheld 3-Axis Stabilizer, Gimbal Stabilizer Zhiyun Crane M3 Handheld 3-Axis Stabilizer, Gimbal Stabilizer

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. This is a real shame as everything else is incredibly well designed, and it’s not even as if the bag feels cheap. When it comes to the actual materials and quality, they’re excellent. The Crane M3 Pro Kit

On-Handle Controls

Performance-wise the power of the motors is impressive, smoothing out the usual handshake and wobble associated with handheld footage. It’s also incredibly easy to use with the direct controls on the handgrip. 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 camera 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.