jonpais

I just published a mini tutorial on how to calibrate the Zhiyun Crane over at my blog.

?

Could you clarify? Samsung isn't in the camera business anymore, as far as I can tell...

It looks like black tape to me...

Here's a video shot with a variety of lenses on a Canon 6D.

If by non-OIS lenses, you mean APS-C or full frame glass with an adapter, it will put you over the weight limit (1.2Kg) for the two gimbals mentioned above. Exactly what glass are you thinking of using?

You won't need to buy extra batteries. The gimbal comes with a spare set, they last forever, not kidding.

I live in Vietnam and ordered through AliExpress, Coog Technology. They put value at just $80 USD on the waybill, and I believe I only paid around $20 in customs fees. But that doesn't always work... Even if you paid $750 USD, it's well worth it, and still hundreds of dollars less than any comparable stabilizer.

You got a great price! I paid $650 for mine, including remote, which I have yet to use (any mobile can do the same with the Zhiyun Assistant app though). Also nice to hear that everything works fine. Not sure what's wrong with the other poster's unit, He doesn't say whether he checked the polarity of the batteries, whether the remote Bluetooth was turned on, or whether the blue light was blinking at all when the unit was turned on. Also, no video showing the problem. The unit comes with two sets of batteries, so it would be simple a simple enough procedure to see if the batteries were the problem, but he doesn't say if he tried the other set or not. If he really wanted the unit, why does he say he's not sure if he'll go ahead and ask for a replacement? What other manufacturer offers such a fine stabilizer for only $600? None! Finally, there's no need to wait for weeks for the gimbal, I received mine in a matter of days.

When I first got the Crane, I did a bunch of shots with it attached to a Gorillapod. Lightweight, you can carry it around in your back pocket. A monopod is also a good idea for locked off shots. Heck, I was even able to mount the contraption on my Edelkrone slider, and the shots were smoother looking.

I've seen tests of the Crane with the Samsung NX1 and the Sony A6300, both with 16-50mm zoom lenses, and they look incredible. 85mm, I don't recall ever seeing. You're better off with a compact zoom or prime. And yes, as long as you don't exceed the weight limit, static shots can resemble those made from a tripod. I tried shooting with my GH4 and 35-100mm f/2.8, and even though it's under the capacity of the stabilizer, the shots just weren't steady. I was trying to do tight close-ups. It's possible that part of the problem was the lens itself, which has always been a bit jittery. But even for a camera with 5-axis IBIS, tight close-ups can be a tough challenge. Yesterday, I watched a review of the new Leica 12mm f/1.4 Summilux (no OIS) mounted on a GX85, and even with IBIS enabled, shots of a flower were shaky. So for now, I stick with the 12-35mm f/2.8, always at the wide end. Also, if I'm doing a static shot for longer than, say, 30 seconds, I'll often rest the handle of the gimbal on my knee, a table, a chair, or whatever's handy, since my arms tire quickly. In the following, unedited, ungraded shot, I wasn't going out of my way to hold the camera still, just tried to keep it pointed in the right general direction. (GH4, Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8, Hoya Pro 1 Digital UV filter, Crane) P1050407.MOV

I'd written before in my blog that, as excellent as the DJI Osmo might be for certain applications, I don't believe there is a single shot in the outstanding DJI Film School series on YouTube that couldn't have been pulled off with less hassle using the $600 Zhiyun Crane. And now comes along a video with a 'sort of' direct comparison between the two: sort of, because once the gimbals are good enough, the differences are going to come down to the individual skills of the operator. The guys in this clip certainly are good. Did you insert the batteries? ??? Sorry, couldn't resist... But seriously, is the blue light blinking when you turn the gimbal on? Is Bluetooth enabled on your mobile? Have you tried removing the batteries and reinserting them? We're grasping at straws here now. Could you shoot a clip of the gimbal with your phone while trying to get it to work, or would that be too much trouble?

Although I have absolutely no need for these, this is awesome! When I wrote about the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens, I said that for professional photographers and videographers, the lack of breathing, all-metal construction, longer focus throw (225 degrees vs. 90 degrees), greater edge sharpness and weather sealing of the Zeiss Milvus lens made it preferable to the Sigma. But I bought the Sigma anyway, because it cost several hundred dollars less. Now the tables are turned. Given that the Rokinon Xeen lenses run around $2,000 or so, I'd expect the Sigmas to cost a tad more, so that would still make them affordable, at least compared to the Zeiss cine lenses, which start at around $4,000.

I believe Aaron already said that.

Right, press and hold the joystick for 3-4 seconds You've probably already figured it out, but if the camera keeps bouncing back to 'level' while balancing, you should adjust the baseplate:

That would be my guess too.

Here's an excellent shooter who has used the NX1 with 16-50mm. Sorry, it's in Korean! And here's an assignment he shot using the combination. It makes me want to run out and get an NX1.

Now I get it... Once you think you've balanced the gimbal, instead of staying in position, it swings back to the 'level' position. It's possible that when you are tightening the screw to the camera, you are changing the balance slightly. You'll figure it out, be patient. Here's a Korean cinematographer who shoots fashion, with lots of experience with the NX1 and GH4, who's quite impressed with the Zhiyun Crane. I only wish I hadn't stopped studying Korean... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcu7Kppvo8U

What do you mean by 'moved by hand'? When turning on the gimbal? And what exactly are you referring to when you say the 'balanced' position? The balanced position should be everything level, so I'm not getting what is meant by flops down...

You are beating a dead horse, Ed. And I seriously don't think you are one to be teaching anyone about Internet etiquette. As a matter of fact, I don't see John Brawley getting hot and bothered about anything here - if anything, he's exercised more restraint than some others in this thread, the purpose of which is unknown to me.

I'm not talking about technical issues with the cameras, I'm talking about accusing BMD of knowingly releasing faulty products.

Enough with the unfounded accusations and smear campaign already.

I think John Brawley has shown great tact. On the other hand, someone starting a topic about the demise of a company based solely on a camera sitting on the shelf at B&H seems preposterous to me. And really, I don't see the point of comparing DJI to Black Magic. DJI makes drones, not NLE systems or cinema cameras. DJI's Osmo X5 Raw, while innovative, has enough drawbacks to fill a page, so they aren't god either.

Last night, I tried calibrating the Crane via Bluetooth, using the Zhiyun Assistant app on my iPod Touch. Once you press 'calibrate', various pictures will appear on the screen showing which way to lay your gimbal on a level surface. Once it has been calibrated in one position, another picture will appear on the screen prompting you to reposition the gimbal. After all six positions have been calibrated, you restart the gimbal, wait 10 seconds, and if all is well, your gimbal is set to go. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to see the pictures showing how to position the gimbal on the minuscule screen of my iPod. So this afternoon, I downloaded the USB driver and calibration tool from the Zhiyun Tech website, connected the Crane to my 27" iMac via USB and began the process all over again. This time, the pictures were plenty large and all went well and the entire process took just a few seconds. Nothing like some of the calibrating nightmares I've seen with other gimbals on YouTube (eg Pilotfly, Simple BGC). So yes, the camera should be attached and balanced before beginning calibration. But there really is no need at all to calibrate if your stabilizer isn't misbehaving.

??? Actually, since it didn't bother your client the first time around, I wouldn't even worry about it. You said you shot the event once already, and they're hiring you to shoot it again, so they must have been happy. Personally, though, moire and aliasing drive me absolutely nuts, but it seems most people aren't even aware of it.