Customers enjoy the Crane M2's ease of use, compatibility with various devices, and the resulting video quality. Many appreciate its compact size and lightweight design, finding it ideal for travel. However, some users experienced challenges with balancing the gimbal and found the initial setup process and instructions to be less than intuitive. The app also received some negative feedback.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 284 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Video quality
Cons mentioned:
Balance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Perfect for the Sony ZV-1 and similar cameras
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I primarily use this with the Sony ZV-1 and it’s like this gimbal was made with with it and similar cameras in mind. While the controls aren’t explained very well in the instructions, it’s pretty easy to mess around with and figure out what each mode allows you to control. I’ve been able to produce some professional looking footage using this and would highly recommend it. Be careful using it with smart phones though, I almost cracked my screen because the gimbal goes “limp” when the device is off balance. So make sure you balance it correctly if you don’t want to see your screen slammed into the device.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Zhiyun
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The best stability in my go pro and phone, is excellent
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility, Price
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Very nice stabilizer
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
It is very nice and the price is not very expensive now. You can use it for your cellphone and camera to do some great works. I love it very much.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing smooth footage for my Sony ZV-1.
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love this powerful little gimbal. It’s perfect for my Sony ZV-1, GoPros, Insta 360, and Phone. The plate used to attach any device is easy to remove and Balancing the gimbal is quick. Being able to lock each axis ensures that this device lasts longer from banging and clanking around in a camera bag.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good gimbal
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great product, smaller than expected, but still got the job done. Would definitely recommend
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Value
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great gimbal. I use it with lumix g7, phone, and go pro. Love it and the battery life.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
This Multi camera stabilizer is the best
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
To be able to use multiple kind of cameras is just Awesome!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Hard to use it and did not last
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
After one year it stoped working, it was hard to use it was hard to stabilize it, last week July 8 2022, it stop working it was not charging and turning on
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Whoops
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Worked good for a month until the front button broke off. Guess I should have got the extended warranty:(
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Balance
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
It's fine, but it is not easy to set up.
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have had my Evo Pro Gimbal with my GoPro Hero 4 for years. I just leave the gopro on the gimbal, and there isn't much balancing.
With this Crane M2 gimbal, it is made for lots of different cameras, so you much balance your camera on there. You cant really take the camera off and put it on in a snap. You need to re-balance it every time.
There are quick setting on only one of the axis. The rest, you have to slide in and out, So by my count, I count 3. 1. Where the plate is in the quick mount, how high your camera is on the arm, and where you camera is on the plate that you mount it to.
If you get any dirt what so ever in the power switch, it will stick on. This doesn't harm anything until you go to turn the gimbal off. Then you have to slide the button down, and back up again.
Once you have your camera balanced, it is fine. Nice and smooth, and I like the tripod legs so I can set this whole contraption down.
I like how light it is, but at the same time, I would like a removable battery. I guess when the battery won't take a charge, I will try to take it apart and solder in a new battery.
With my EOS M100, I can't connect to the camera. Having the ability to set the record button on the gimbal would be nice.
I do like the mode button on the gimbal to switch through the modes. Having to pull that trigger a number of times to switch through the modes, is cumbersome at best. More than half the time, I can't pick the mode I want with that trigger.
For those with the Zhiyun crane, it is probably a lot lighter than those, but it is also less powerful..
In summary, it okay. It is useful to me, as I do youtube videos, but it is not quick an easy. Once you get your mirrorless camera on there, you will want to leave it on there, and not take it off and put it on. You will want to either use it for a long time, or have a dedicated mirrorless camera on there.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Video quality
Cons mentioned:
Instructions, Setup
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Works as advertised, but a steep learning
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
A little tedious to set up and the enclosed instructions are basically useless. The company's YouTube video instructions go way too fast so you will need to find some other YouTube video to get the thing balanced and connected. Plan for at least 2-3 hours for completion. Getting the gimbal and the phone and the camera all talking to one another is hit or miss depending on your camera model.
After all, that said it did work with my smartphone, Canon G7X, and Canon T6. The T6 with a lens was just under the weight limit and you will need to carefully choose what lens you use with it.
I shot a few videos good enough to be used as B Roll on my YouTube channel. You will still need to practice with your gimbal movements and camera composition to get good results.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Cons mentioned:
Balance
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good gimbal for light cameras
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Works good. Takes a bit of back and forth toggling to balance but I’ve got a bit faster with time. Works fine with my Sony a6400 mirrorless camera. Sometimes I could use more power or lighter camera with motions and movement from the gimbal.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Reliable gimbal for frequent use.
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Posted . Owned for more than 2 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This gimbal is a great value for the money. I have been using it with Sony ZV-1 and it works very well, never had any problem with it and it is very reliable. I was surprised, pleasantly, how long the battery charge works.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Cons mentioned:
Setup
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
works like it should
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Works great with my iphone. The calibration takes a while but once you have it setup by using tutorials on Youtube, it works great. My shots are nice and smooth now. Works like a gimbel should. Heavier camera's and/or phones might have an issue but worked great with my iphone 11
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Won't work with Nikon
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought this being super happy about the size and weight. I was even more happy about the complete compatibility it had with cameras, phones and action cameras. I have all three a Nikon D5600, GoPro8 and Samsung S8. My main camera is the Nikon D5600, I checked the weight with lens and it seemed fine until I went to set it up and had issues. I checked all the YouTube links I could find until I came across their own link and tun tun tun tuuuuunnnnnnn!!!! They had a compatibility list, so what's my next move? Check the list? I checked the list and guess what!!! NO NIKON ON THE LIST. Sadly I had to return it. My dreams shattered. My Hope's smeared in the bottomless pit of despair. Thanks Zhiyun, you did this!!!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Balance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Awesome gimbal
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
It's got some weight to it but definitely compact compared to bigger models. I primarily use it with a Sony HX80 and my Samsung S9+. I also have a Sony A6000 but I use that more for photos than videos. It was easy to connect to the ZY PLAY app for both phone and camera. Overall, it's a good starting gimbal for those who want smoother videos and don't want to break the bank. I'm not a professional of any kind but it makes me feel like one! But then again, I use it to record my son riding his bike or "break dancing" in the living room; he's 2 years old lol.
The only con I have is that it does take some time to balance with whatever device you're using but once you get the hang of it, it's fairly simple. So take your time and don't get frustrated. Watch YOUTUBE videos over and over until you're comfortable with it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Small and stable!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased this for use with a GoPro Hero9. This gimbal is compact and pretty light. Having never used a gimbal, it did take me some time to figure out the various modes, using YouTube, as the manual is not extremely helpful. I have used it several times and it works great. The battery life is exceptional. I have not been able to get the WiFi to connect with the GoPro to control it yet. However, I have a camera remote, so that is not a big deal. The gimbal would be a real challenge to use without some sort of camera remote.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good gimbal for cells and small cameras
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Works very well with cells. Powerful enough to use with point'n'shoots and small mirrorless cameras. Tested with Samsung Galaxy S9+, Canon GX-7 Mark II and Canon M50 with the 15-45mm kit lens. Known problem with the M50 is a collision point with the electronic viewfinder when gimbal handel transitions from vertical to horizontal and Vortex feature mode. Has axis lock features to help set with camera balance adjustments. Works well with cells, GoPro Hero 7 Black but could be better with M50. Camera compatibilty list at https://bit.ly/ZhiyunCraneM2CompatibilityList?fbclid=IwAR05mAm4Dt3kHpadGKWcBrQ9jaQ5s1QJbmqweW93xjNWmhDnY_VYDvdSu4Q
Has great battery life and power out port to help cell or camera to stay powered up in live stream situations.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Size, Video quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
The Gamble of Gifting the Gimbal
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Posted . Owned for 4 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Purchased this for my niece and the “gamble” paid off. She is over the moon with its ease of use and compact size.
She makes videos and does editing to help pay for college. She shared that the gimbal has made the job of “shooting” a video very easy and it also helped with editing; better shots, less to edit (or cut).
Would definitely purchase again… provided there were another creative in the family.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Compatibility, Ease of use
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Easy to Use Handheld Stabilizer
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Posted . Owned for 10 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This stabilizer is perfect for point and shoots, for action cameras like the gopro and cell phones. easy setup and it also locks in place for convenient travel or placing in a backpack. I have used it with the canon m50 with kit lens and the GoPro Hero 7, and 8 so far no problems.