Zhiyun has announced the Crane M3 – the latest gimbal in the Crane series with a new touchscreen and built-in lighting.
The Crane M3 is a 3-axis gimbal that works with smartphones, action cameras and over 90% of full-frame mirrorless cameras with specific lenses.
The gimbal is 157.06mm tall, 280.3mm wide and 74.88mm in depth and weighs 700g without the tripod and quick release plate, with Zhiyun comparing the small gimbal to a 550ml bottle of water in size.
The M3 features reverse-loaded motors and an optimised axis arm structure for an improved gripping and user experience over its predecessor, the Crane M2, while the upgraded motors and stronger torque offer stable movements.
The M3 also includes the upgraded TransMount Quick Release plate, allowing users to switch between different devices, rebalance the stabiliser and change batteries all quickly and seamlessly. Once the plate is ready, the 3-click mechanism ensures the camera stays in place with tilt, roll and pan axes locks, ensuring the gimbal is stable and responsive.
The gimbal can also be set to half-storage and full-storage modes with no axis arm adjustments or rebalances necessary.
Zhiyun has introduced new dual-colour 800-lumen LED temperature lighting to the Crane series with the M3, with the aim being to reduce the amount of additional equipment videographers require to film.
The light is actually powered by heat generated by the gimbal and offers stepless dimming control and temperature settings via a built-in control wheel. The light uses high-level cooling tech to dissipate heat, while bringing brightness reaching colour temperature levels of 2600-5400K, warm light brightness of 650-750, white light brightness of 850-950 and CRI 90+ to your videos.
Zhiyun also sells additional magnetic light filter accessories in four colours.
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Meanwhile, the TransMount Expansion Base available with the Pro package offers an easy connection for microphones without going through the camera, reducing the need for rebalancing when you need professional sound.
The Pro package comes with the TransMount Shotgun Microphone in the box, but the 6.5mm audio port supports a wide range of cardioid and hypercardioid wired mics.
At the base of the Crane M3 lies a receiver, allowing users to pair the gimbal with the transmitter module to control their camera wirelessly, while the control wheel and joystick buttons make it possible to roll axis, aperture, shutter and ISO all one-handed.
Finally, there’s a new 1.22-inch, full colour HD touchscreen, making it easy to adjust the gimbal’s settings and follow speed and view the connection status and battery levels.
The Zhiyun Crane M3 is available now from Zhiyun’s website, with prices starting at £369 for the gimbal and standard tripod.
A Combo package with the Tripod Plus, Cell Phone Mount, TransMount EasyGo Backpack and Pro package with these and the TransMount Shotgun Mic and TransMount Expansion Base are also available at £449 and £649, respectively.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
