Zhiyun Z1 Crane V1 and V2

nomad

Well, in Asia it's not considered polite to say "no" to a client.

OTOH, their app is pretty well done when compared to the one for the Pilotfly of last year (Android only, BTW) and it shouldn't be rocket science to add that functionality.

melf31

@Tron I sent a FB message to Zhiyun asking if they could add some motion control functionality to the app. This was the response: "For the app, at the next version we can add the time-lapse/motion control functionality into it"

I have no idea if thats an intention to do it or just a possibility. Personally I think they'd be daft not to add it. I imagine the simplest way to implement it would be to able to record beginning and end positions of the camera (almost like key-framing) and then just specify how long you want the gimbal to take to move between the positions.

Here's hoping.......

nomad

If you insist on using a phone, you may need to get the commands they use from the manufacturer and find someone to program an app. It is not supported by the app coming from Zhiyun.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@Tron

I am not big fan of phones as something that give turn signals for timelapses. It is too complex device where too much can go wrong. Ideally all phone must do is set internal parameters and firmware must work by itself.

Tron

@Vitaliy_Kiselev Oh, I was hoping it might be possible to do it through the phone app.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@Tron

It has separate Bluetooth remote (as option).

So if you so badly want it and have someone with DIY skills you can just disassembly remote and modify it (using arduino or such) to make joystick signals supplied by separate controller.

Tron

Does anyone know if this can function as a time-lapse head via bluetooth control for slow pan / tilt moves?

nomad

Just received my Crane Z1 from the Personal-View deal. Very fast, BTW, they used DHL Express to Germany.

I can say I'm impressed, having worked with:

– the Pilotfly H1 (very difficult to adjust and never without vibration if you exceeded a small vertical range)

– the Ronin (working well, but heavy, not so good with small cameras, needs a vest and a Serene)

– the DJI Osmo (not Pro, easy to use, but awful compression in the camera, no influence on shutter times)

After charging the batteries I just went for a quick adjust with my Sony A7R II and a Zeiss C/Y 25mm on it. With all my prior experience it was a breeze to balance, about 3-5 minutes. The only problem I can see here that with a perfect position on the roll axis I can't open the SD card door any more. Yes, I can move the camera one more slot to the side, but then it get's at the edge of the horizontal adjustment, which might become a problem with other lenses' weight.

Apart from this, it just works! What might be better to be said about a tool?

It auto-adjusts in a short moment and hangs in space without any troubles. No vibration, not even noise. Perfectly positioned if I compare it to the HUD in the camera. Judging from the monitor values in my iPhone it's zeroed below the measuring tolerances in the Sony itself. Control from the phone is smooth and intuitive. Briefcase mode? Just turn it around, no switching or re-adjustment, just do it.

It doesn't get out of balance if I take the lens cap off, or add a Hyperthin HDMI cable. Heck, I even moved it out of balance and it still adjusts, even if you shouldn't do that to save energy and stress on the motors. With the same disbalance the older Pilotfly would have gone berserk…

I'll try a few more camera/lens combinations, do some real world use and report, but for now I think I found my perfect gimbal for a very decent price.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@gabilourson

It is different.

Nebula is based on SimpleBGC controller (more tuning abilities), Crane on custom one (simpler, but more limited). Plus Nebula handles are plastic (this means warm) and more ergonomic.