The Chinese tech company ZHIYUN is on the fast track to becoming the dominant force in the global gimbal and stabiliser market. It has recently launched two new ultra-portable products, the CRANE M 3S and WEEBILL 3S, both of which have been designed to make on-the-go content creation even faster and simpler.
ZHIYUN Tech is a company we’ve featured regularly over recent years, and for a good reason, its products are realistically priced, work well and make videography and photography simple. In the past week, the company has announced the launch of two new products, the CRANE M 3S and WEEBILL 3S, and in this feature, we’ll be looking at what each offers.
The ZHIYUN CRANE – M 3S
In 2022, ZHIYUN’s CRANE M3 was lauded by Judges at the Red Dot design awards. Not wanting to rest on its laurels, ZHIYUN has returned to the drawing board and launched the M 3S, which it believes is the perfect vlogging, travel, live streaming and interview companion.
The new model weighs in at a scant 705 gms and has a higher load-bearing capacity when compared to its predecessor. Its motor allows it to work comfortably with almost every form of camera equipment ranging from action cameras and mobile phones to full-frame cameras with lens combos. Size-wise, it measures 28.4cm (W) x 7.4cm (D) x 16.3cm (H).
As mentioned at the start of this feature, the ‘name of the game’ with ZHIYUN is making lives more straightforward, and it’s certainly the case with both new products.
The M 3S allows users to obtain stunning imagery effortlessly thanks to its Bluetooth shutter functionality. In addition, wireless control of the zoom and recording functions can also be accessed via a single touch, meaning no more complicated cable connections.
ZHIYUN has implemented a customised two-in-one quick release with plates for each camera model, allowing easy swapping of camera batteries. Another nice feature of the M 3S is once it has been balanced, you’ll not need to do it again. It also uses fast charging, zero to full in just two hours, and, once fully charged, gives a 7.5-hour battery life.
The M 3S also has a bi-colour, built-in fill light, which is no bigger than a fingernail. ZHIYUN’s own Lumen Amplifier technology powers it and emits a brightness of up to 1000 LUX and colour temperature from 2,700K to 5,500K.
Like many of ZHIYUN’s professional quality stabilisers, the M 3S comes with a touchscreen, which is a decent 1.22″ in size. The stabiliser has an all-new interactive UI that offers access to all the requisite options and allows fine-tuning to be performed effortlessly.
ZHIYUN WEEBILL 3S
With the design of the WEEBILL 3S, ZHIYUN’s goal was to make filmmaking as seamless as possible. Like the M 3S, this stabiliser boasts a powerful motor, making it compatible with a wide range of mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The WEEBILL 3S uses a tenth-generation algorithm that features customisable following and smooth curves based on common shooting scenarios and operating habits.
The stabiliser weighs 1,054 grams and measures 21cm x 7.2cm x 3cm w. It is compatible with the ZY Play App and also the ZHIYUN TRANSMOUNT accessories. The compatible accessories include TransMount Follow Focus/Zoom Units, TransMount Image Transmission System, TransMount Transmitter/Receiver and the MasterEye Visual Controller VC100.
To help with extended shooting, ZHIYUN has improved the structure of the sling grip, which uses skin-friendly materials. The soft hand grip also supports the precise fine-tuning of the wrist angle with a knob, allowing for accurate adaptation to gimbal operating, camera movement habits, and one or two-handed operation.
The sling grip is also extendable and can be adjusted for two-handed use. In addition, tilt adjustment allows the centre of gravity to be altered, which comes in handy when making low-angle shots.
The WEEBILL 3S offers 11.5 hours of use in static environments thanks to two 18,650 3.7V Li-ion, 1150m Ah batteries and, like the M 3S, utilises fast charging, meaning it can be fully charged in just two hours.
On-the-move lighting is also no longer a problem thanks to a built-in 1000 LUX fill light, with a dual colour temperature range of 2,600k-5,500K CRI90+.
Other features include Bluetooth shutter control, which can start or stop recording and take photos. A 0.96″ bilingual (EN/CH) display that provides shortcuts for V mode and motion lapse etc. In addition to the display, the WEEBILL 3S has a control wheel which supports adjusting parameters, focus motor, and gimbal axes.
The ZHIYUN CRANE – M 3S is available from the ZHIYUN store or Amazon. Prices are as follows: standard – £299 (gimbal, tripod); combo – £359 (gimbal, tripod, phone clamp, backpack).
The ZHIYUN WEEBILL 3S is available from the ZHIYUN store or Amazon. Prices are as follows: standard £319.00 (gimbal, tripod); combo – £439 (gimbal, tripod, backpack, sling grip, wrist rest).
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