gimbal review

The Zhiyun Crane 2S is a powerful 3-axis gimbal that’s small enough to fit in a backpack

Nov 3, 2020 by John Aldred Add Comment

I’m going to open this post with a very subjective, but completely honest, opinion. The Zhiyun Crane 2S (first look review here) instantly became my favourite gimbal as soon as I took it out of the box. Ever. That’s it. Review over. Ok, not really review over, but it really has become my new go-to gimbal for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

The Crane 2S is the followup to Zhiyun’s extremely popular Crane 2 (review here), launched in September 2017. Although already a very capable gimbal, the Crane 2S offers some very noticeable upgrades over its predecessor. So, let’s talk about those.

The Zhiyun Smooth X is the ideal gimbal to be the centre of attention in your smartphone content

Oct 13, 2020 by John Aldred Add Comment

The first smartphone gimbal I ever purchased was a Zhiyun Smooth C back in 2016. Smartphone gimbals have come a long way since then, particularly from Zhiyun. So today we’re going to be taking a look at the Zhiyun Smooth X folding smartphone gimbal.

It’s a 2-axis smartphone gimbal that offers some unique advantages over its competitors in this sector. Of particular note is its small size. This is one of the smallest smartphone gimbals I’ve seen when folded, and easily slips into a pocket. It also has a built-in selfie stick, allowing you to capture more of the scene in the shot when vlogging or travelling.

The Hohem iSteady X is a great smartphone gimbal for vertical video social media users

Oct 12, 2020 by John Aldred Add Comment

It’s been a while since I last had need of a smartphone gimbal. Ever since I switched to larger gimbals and DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, gimbals for smartphones weren’t high up on my list of priorities anymore.

Recently, however, I’ve found myself in possession of several, including the Hohem iSteady X 3-axis smartphone gimbal. So, in this review, we’re going to kick things off with that.

DIYP reviews the WEEBILL LAB, probably best gimbal for small mirrorless cameras

Dec 16, 2018 by Udi Tirosh 3 Comments

I first saw Zhiyun’s Weebill LAB gimbal at IBC 2018 and then two weeks later in Photokina. When I saw it first, it was alongside the Crane 3 LAB, and I thought that the two shared a pretty weird design. I asked Zhiyun if I can review a kit, they kindly agreed. I was blown away.

So before diving into the specs and features, there is a funny misunderstanding to share. The WEEBILL was standing alongside the bigger brother Crane 3, and at first, I thought that the exhibitor was trying to explain that the smaller gimbal costs less than the Crane 3, resulting in a Wee Bill. ($599 vs. $899) Boy, do I feel stupid now. Anyways, turns out that the Weebill is Australia’s smallest bird, a name that was chosen to emphasize the gimbal’s small dimensions and lightweight. LAB, stands for Zhiyun’s premium line, hence the combination WEEBILL LAB. Read on for a full review.