A few weeks ago, I posted a video regarding my less-than-successful efforts with a gimbal. I could not offer any type of review as the FeiyuTech G6 Max was defective out of the box and consequently returned the unit the very next day. The strange thing is, it may be difficult to determine if the problem is a user error or a defective product?
Somewhat loosely related, I always wanted to print a T-Shirt with the quote, “Design Flaw or Safety Feature?” This would serve as my short editorial on the current state of products manufactured today. I came to this revelation after trying to operate the display panel on my car while driving. I tried out the line on a few people but no one seems to appreciate dry humor anymore?
I still had the bug to get a gimbal as the smooth video always looked great when watching tutorials and reviews. My search criteria were to be in the $200 price range and hoping for something that would work with my Canon T6, Canon G7X MK3, and a smartphone. Buying a used unit was not an option for me as I wanted something that I could return. Perhaps a tall order but I was not in a hurry to make a decision.
After a few weeks of casual research, I bought the Zhiyun Crane M2. Retail price of $199.00.
The short story goes like this;
Six modes: Pan Following, Full Following, Locking, Full-Range POV, Vortex, and GO
With a memory lock on the scale, the balancing position can be remembered. Once and forever, saving much trouble of readjustment every time. (Helps, but not perfect)
Smooth Zoom at Fingertips; Push the slider on side of the handle, you can zoom in/out to capture smooth footage nearer and farther. (Depends more on the capabilities of your camera)
The manufacturer's specs seemed to cover everything on my wish list. The load capacity is listed as 713g or 1.58 lbs. Technically this would support my Canon T6 with a small prime lens. I currently own the 24 MM and 50 MM. I had my doubts as this would be approaching the max load capacity of the gimbal. I was hoping for at least some functionality with the physical setup, as I knew the gimbal would not operate any camera functions of the T6.
With the arrival of the gimbal, I planned to spend several hours watching YouTube videos regarding setup. The enclosed instructions are basically worthless and the official video tutorial from the manufacturer is not much better. The basic balancing was a slow learning process but achievable. Some other procedures like calibrating the motors, I never did figure out. Luckily, there is a simple joystick control for the 3 levels of motor strength. I did have some minor issues with vibrations. In one of the more counterintuitive aspects of the setup, I found that reducing the motor strength would eliminate vibrations when mounting a lightweight camera.
When researching compatibility for a specific camera you will need to be aware of 2 different criteria. Many cameras will physically attach and balance however, the number of cameras that can be controlled electronically by the gimbal is far less. I will include the list below.
I was pleasantly surprised that my T6 and lens did balance and work with the gimbal without motor vibrations. However, the full range of movement was not achievable due to the physical size of the camera. When making a wide pan the camera would hit one arm of the gimbal. But it was still operational for some limited ranges.
The G7X worked better and had a full range of movement without issues. The camera is not listed as fully compatible with the gimbal but I found a work-around that allowed the gimbal to control camera functions such as shoot and zoom. The zoom function worked but was not smooth enough to use inside of a video. Link to the detailed instructions on connecting the camera and gimbal below.
So, with a fully functioning setup, I headed outside for some initial shots. I quickly found that filming the ultra-smooth shots was harder than it looked! Warning; Bad samples in the above video! Even if shooting at 60 fps and slowing in editing, the video was still not smooth. I will blame this on my poor skill set at the moment. More practice is on my agenda in the coming weeks. There are some additional techniques for better results when using a tripod or monopole in combination with the gimbal. Details to follow . . .
I did not test the setup with a smartphone as it is not my intention to use it in this fashion. To minimize the variety of setups and rebalancing I am hoping to ultimately use the G7X exclusively with the gimbal. This strategy is also designed to streamline the learning curve.
My conclusion is, “I will not be returning it”. This is about as close to a “ringing endorsement” that I ever get. The other aspect of use when using a gimbal is the final processing of the video for the best presentation. Perhaps more about video editing and speed ramps in the future?
As always, comments and questions are appreciated!
The following videos are not my creation, but the best that I found on each topic.
Balance and Setup;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm3InuvwMd8&t=96s
Connecting Devices
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGqY96k5wsw
Camera compatibility;
https://oss.zhiyun-tech.com/zyplay/instructions_edit/supportmodel/CR106%20%E7%9B%B8%E6%9C%BA%E5%85%BC%E5%AE%B9%E5%88%97%E8%A1%A8%EF%BC%88EN%EF%BC%89.pdf
Track: Izzy's Lullaby
Music composed and recorded by Oak Studios
Creative Commons - Attribution ND 4.0
