Zhiyun Crane M2S
If you read my review of the Crane M3 a few months ago, and you wish it was a bit cheaper. Well, good news!! Zhiyun has released a gimbal that is $110 cheaper, 150 grams lighter and 2.5 longer run time.
This is Zhiyun's brand new Crane M2S. Just like the M3 it is a phone size gimbal that can also support the payload of my full frame setup.
I brought this gimbal on my recent trip to Tofino to test out how it performs as a travel gimbal.
The standard kit comes with the Crane M2S, Mini Tripod, Magnetic Fill Light Filters, EPP Carry Case, 2 type C cables for camera charging and Sony shutter release. The version you see here is the combo kit which comes with a backpack carrying case and phone mount.
The backpack is nice to have for storing the gimbal at home however in a real world scenario I’m more likely to throw the gimbal in my everyday backpack.
Disclosure: I was gifted Zhiyun’s Crane M2S Combo Kit for review and make a video showcasing how it performs. They do not get to see the review or content before it is posted and no money exchanged hands. There are affiliate links in this review.
The Backpack:
If you’d like to use their backpack as your camera bag, the photo on the right will give you idea of how much room is left after the gimbal is packed in there. You could fit a small setup like the Fujifilm X100V, Sony RX100, ZV, or A6000 series camera. The exterior material is water resistance. To fit the gimbal in their bag you’ll have to remove the quick release plate and tripod legs which could affect how quickly you can get setup.
The gimbal:
The battery is built-in. In practice I got about 10.5 hours of runtime. In a professional environment, it can be concerning not to be able to swap out the battery but 10.5 hrs is more than enough for the type of work I do. It supports PD Fast Charge and can be charged with a power bank while operating at the same time so having a built-in battery isn’t a big deal in the opinion. To help lower the price from the M3, the body is mostly plastic. While the material isn’t as durable it really helps lower the weight!
One of the unique features of this gimbal is that it has a built-in LED which comes in clutch when you need a little bit of fill light. It comes with 4 magnetic fill light filters to tint the light source. It produces 1000 lumens and color temperature of 5500K. It has 200 more lumens than the more expensive M3 but it can’t adjust the color temperature range and it doesn’t have as granular control over the intensity. The M2s has 5 levels of adjustment while the M3 can adjust the intensity in 1% increments.
Despite being a tiny gimbal, the motors are mighty. It can handle a A7S3 + 24GM. It can even be connected to a Sony camera to use the handle buttons to control the camera. The locks for the gimbal arms is like the Weebill S. They work fine but the lock system on the M3 is better.
Another cost saving implementation is changing the menu system to be analog instead of having a touch screen. The quick release system is different from my Weebill-S and it is quicker to release camera making balancing, assembly and disassembly easy. The mini tripod legs are even smaller than the M3 making it easier to lose it’s balance. I definitely knocked it over a couple times by accident!
usability:
I’ve used this gimbal on my recent trip to Tofino and was super happy with the footage. It’s super easy to setup and lightweight making it perfect for travel. While it’s not rated to be water resistant, it was raining almost everyday and the gimbal had no issues with turning off or malfunctioning!
I attached a Peak Design anchor mount to the gimbal so I could carry it like a sling and have quick access to it whenever I wanted to get a shot. I kept the phone on the gimbal so I wouldn’t have to re-balance it too!
While it can handle a full frame setup like the A7S3 and 24GM you’ll have a limited range of motion because the cradle is so small. If you’re mainly operating the gimbal at eye to chest level the M2S works fine. If you want to use the gimbal in underslung mode you’ll want to use a smaller setup.
value:
The M2S offers a lot of value!
$339.00 - Crane M2S Standard Kit
$459.00 - Weebill S Standard Kit (Currently on sale from $489.00)
$449.00 - Crane M3 Standard Kit
overall impression of the Zhiyun Crane M2s:
The Zhiyun Crane M2S offers great value for those just starting out. Even though it loses some features from the M3 to reduce the cost it is still a very good gimbal that I would buy if my money was on the line. Since the motors are so powerful, it’s perfect for someone who films with their phone and plans to upgrade to an APS-C or full frame setup. It’s a gimbal that can grow with you as your setup gets more complex! If you have a compact setup, travel often and can benefit saving every inch and gram in your luggage the Crane M2S might be the gimbal for you.
For those who are more professional, this is probably not for you. If you’re new to the industry, I think the Weebill S is a great starting gimbal because it can handle carrying the A7S3 + 16-35GM, or 24-70GM. The Weebill S is also $100-200 cheaper than their newer Weebill gimbals which makes the older Weebill S still a great choice.
