Tips for shooting cinematic footage with the Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB
Apr 13, 2019
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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During NAB 2019, DIYP had the chance to sit down with DP Rah Sharma on the Zhiyun stand to talk about how he uses the Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB for shooting cinematic footage. As you can see from the rig Rah’s using, which includes a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K in a SmallRig cage with a matte box, the Crane 3 LAB can take some serious weight.
The Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB is a very interesting gimbal. Increasing the weight limit from the Zhiyun Crane 2, and giving it a completely fresh design, the Crane 3 LAB offers some unique advantages for cinematic shooting. We’ve posted our own unboxing and first impressions of the system recently, and we’ll have a full review coming soon.
One of the benefits it offers over the Crane 2 and many competing gimbals is that you can stream the footage from your DSLR or mirrorless camera to a mobile device. That mobile device can either be mounted to the gimbal itself or streamed wirelessly for remote focus pulling or just to monitor the composition.
While all motorised gimbals will offer an advantage over just going handheld, the Crane 3 LAB definitely offers some unique advantages vs the competition. Available to buy now for $899, the price point isn’t that outrageous, either.
Do you own the Crane 3 LAB? What tips can you offer for using it to make cinematic footage?
We would love to send a shoutout to our sponsors who helped bring you this NAB 2019 coverage: Artlist (check out this Artlist review), StoryBlocks Video, SYRP, B&H, Spiffy Gear.
Don’t forget to check out our NAB Giveaway, where we’re offering over $8,500 worth of cinema goodies.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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