To date, I’ve tested and reviewed nine gimbals for Digital Camera World, with the Crane 4 being my tenth. They all do the same job of enabling you to track, dolly, pan, tilt and occasionally roll your camera or smartphone without the need for a cumbersome tripod or tracks.
On the gimbal spectrum, the Crane 4 fits into the heavy-lifting category, so smartphone users needn’t consider it. If you’re a smartphone filmmaker check out my ZHIYUN Crane M2S and Smooth Q4 reviews. I tested the Crane 4 with a mirrorless full-frame Lumix S5 sporting a Lumix 20-60 mm lens, though I'm confident it could handle a heavier payload. ZHIYUN doesn’t specify a specific payload weight for the Crane 4 but you can find a list of compatible cameras here.
