ZHIYUN CRANE 4 Gimbal Released – Featuring Sling Grip, Fill Light, and More

Gimbal News

by Jakub HanJuly 17^th, 2023

As a new gimbal flagship from ZHIYUN, the CRANE 4 promises to stabilize cameras such as Canon C70, Sony FX6, or the BMPCC 6K Pro. It features a new sling grip, wrist rest, a fill light, and a color touchscreen display. The gimbal is now available for $669.

The Chinese camera accessories company ZHIYUN has been producing 3-axis gimbal stabilizers for many years. Lately, ZHIYUN has caught our attention with their LED lights like the MOLUS G200 or MOLUS G60 and X100 (which got our NAB 2023 show award), but now the company is returning to well-known territory and has announced a new gimbal. Let’s take a look at the ZHIYUN CRANE 4.

ZHIYUN CRANE 4 gimbal

The CRANE series of camera gimbals has been around for a long time. In fact, the original CRANE was my first gimbal back in 2017. While ZHIYUN now also offers other gimbal lines such as the WEEBILL or the CRANE M, the new CRANE 4 is a relatively large model for slightly larger camera rigs.

ZHIYUN, unfortunately, does not specify a maximum payload. The company only provides a compatibility list of cameras on their website. A few of the larger supported cameras are, for instance, the Canon C70, Sony FX6, and the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro. Whether the setup works or not, however, depends on the lens used as well, so keep that in mind. ZHIYUN claims that the gimbal can handle higher payloads effortlessly, thanks to its longer arms and stronger motors.

Features

The gimbal itself weighs 1.67kg, and on top of a new flexible wrist rest, it also has a sling grip that supports fine-tuned angle adjustment for precise movement control. The versatile sling grip can be adjusted to match the gimbal’s central axis, which allows easy switching between sling and two-handed modes.

There are now built-in balance indicator lights at each motor to provide quick information on the balance calibration status. Bluetooth connectivity provides direct shutter control to supported cameras. With the integrated 1.22-inch color touchscreen, the operator can easily view and adjust various functions of the CRANE 4, including balance and operating mode, and access real-time status information.

The quick-release module makes it easier to switch between landscape and portrait modes. Four 18650 batteries provide up to 12 hours of runtime and can be fully recharged in under two hours via USB PD fast charging.

Additionally, inspired by ZHIYUN’s smaller gimbals, the CRANE 4 now includes a fill light. With its 10W, the small bi-color light has a maximum illuminance of 3200 lux (5500K at 0.3m), CRI 95+, and CCT between 2700K-5500K.

ZHIYUN CRANE 4 can be paired with a wide selection of accessories, such as remote monitoring, follow-focus motors, and ZHIYUN’s TransMount image transmission system.

Price and availability

ZHIYUN CRANE 4 is available now and there are basically two different sets. The standard set costs $669 and the CRANE 4 combo (with MasterMove accessories and storage bag) will set you back $749.

Do you use ZHIYUN gimbals for your work? What do you think about the new ZHIYUN CRANE 4? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.