It also means that no matter what device you choose to shoot on, you'll always achieve smooth, professional-looking video. The buttons and joystick are perfectly placed so that you can easily control the gimbal, and the handle fits nicely in your hand.

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

But yes this thing caters to everything from a smartphone to a Sony A7S III and includes many of the Crane M3 features, like a built-in LED, USB-PD fast charging and “flagship-grade” quick release tech. 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. 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. In this post we are going to talk about Zhiyun Crane M3 vs Zhiyun Crane M2S and which you should be your next travel partner.Compatible with smartphones, action cameras, compact cameras and full-frame mirrorless cameras with certain lenses. The slight catch there is that the Crane-M2S can only support an A7S III if it has small prime lenses like the Sony FE 24mm f/2. To fix this, the Crane M3 has a fill light on the left-hand side of the camera, a small rectangular panel that can output up to 800 lumens. When you first take it out of the matching carry case it comes in, the size of the gimbal is quite exciting. Zhiyun keeps surging forward, releasing new gimbals and updating existing models at a dizzying pace, although to be fair the compact and DSLR camera market is equally fast-moving.

Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN

There are a few quirks at the time of writing, direct camera control from the grip doesn’t work for the Sony cameras, and the mic input also has a few noise issues. The "M" button is used to switch between a few gimbal modes on the fly, while the Photo/Video button for taking photographs or starting and stopping filming video with compatible devices. First we balanced the tilt axis, which was pretty straightforward – just a case of moving the camera backwards and forwards until you find that sweet spot and the camera stays balanced to the ground.The Crane M3 is surprisingly powerful in use, and despite the compact nature of the axis arms and closeness to the camera, the LCD screen was clear and visible. Switching from the traditional/typical grey and black tones of pretty much every gimbal out there, with the M3 Zhiyun has gone all-out on white.

Crane-M3 review: A compact, powerful and feature Zhiyun Crane-M3 review: A compact, powerful and feature

This limitation extends to popular vlogging cameras like the Canon EOS M50 Mark II, the Panasonic G100, and the Sony ZV-E10. It's good for up to eight hours of runtime, though real-world results will vary depending on the camera weight and how well it balances, as well as your use of the M3's video light.We also found it couldn't really cope with a heavier lens on a mirrorless camera, with our 24-240mm lens sticking out far in front and weighing the arrangement down in the front. Small yet mighty, the CRANE M3 is the size of a 550ml water bottle made of robust, composite materials, its compact body design, reverse-loaded motors and optimised axis arm structure, deliver a better gripping and user experience.

Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN Crane M3 - the Best Designed Gimbal for Vlogging - ZHIYUN

pounds, it's not difficult to find a place for the M3 in your camera bag either, nor is it too heavy to handhold. It probably won't make its way into our list of best gimbals, though it would be interesting to test it with a smaller camera or even a phone or action camera (we tested it with a Sony A7 III, which is a fairly typical camera body). It makes it easy to navigate around the menu systems, and to go back you simply swipe toward the left of the screen.

The M3 controls the standard three axes of movement and rotation (pitch/tilt, 309°; roll, 333°; yaw/pan, 360°) and has the same shooting modes familiar to us from past Zhiyun gimbals, including follow, pan follow, lock, point of view, vortex and portrait. Though it is a little small for larger fingers, the interface is navigable and straightforward enough for most users. The base bypasses connecting the microphone via the camera, thus removing the need for: additional cables, extra weight on the camera, and further adjustments to the gimbal.