Zhiyun Crane M3 vs Smooth 5S vs Smooth Q4

The battery life of the Zhiyun Crane M3 is 8 hours. This is shorter than the battery life of many gimbals for cameras or smartphones. Keep this in mind when you take the gimbal with you. The battery life makes the gimbal less suitable for multiple-day shoots without being able to charge in between. You can still bring the Crane M3 with you to a shorter shoot or during a day trip. Within 2 hours, you can fully charge the battery.

With the Zhiyun Smooth 5S, you can record up to 24 hours without charging. This makes the gimbal suitable for a long shooting day. The battery drains faster if you use the built-in lighting for a long time. When the battery is empty, you can fully charge it within 2 hours with a fast charger. Does your phone run empty while recording? You can charge it back up via the USB port on the gimbal, so you can continue to make creative videos.

You can use the Zhiyun Smooth Q4 up to 15 hours before it needs to be charged. This is a pretty average battery life for gimbals for smartphones. You can take the gimbal with you for a day trip without worrying, like during a city trip. You can record smooth images of the architecture or special vlogs. If you use the gimbal intensively for an entire day, we recommend you to charge it during the night. The battery will be fully charged within 2.5 hours.

Because the Zhiyun Crane M3 is suitable for cameras, smartphones, and action cameras, it has a robust design. The gimbal supports cameras with a maximum weight of 3200g. The robust design makes the gimbal heavier than average at 700g. Thanks to the quick-release attachment system, you can quickly mount the camera onto the gimbal and it's secured properly right away. You can illuminate the object with the built-in light, which is useful in dark situations.

The Zhiyun Smooth 5S has a sturdy design with an simple control panel. You can easily adjust the zoom and focus with the dial, or change the mode of the gimbal. You can use larger phones compared to with other gimbals, like the iPhone 13 Pro Max. You can also report videos from a low image angle, so you can capture creative images. The gimbal is heavier than average at a weight of 625g.

With the Zhiyun Smooth Q4, you can easily record yourself and your surroundings thanks to the slide-out design. With the multi functional scroll wheel, you can adjust both the brightness and the zoom. This allows you to control the gimbal with just 1 hand. When you're done with the gimbal, you can fold it to a compact size that even fits in your pocket. Thanks to the low weight of 370g, you can easily take the Smooth Q4 with you when you go out.

The Zhiyun Crane M3 has different recording modes too. You can make the gimbal pan by itself, for example. These modes are less extensive than with the Smooth 5S. The Crane M3 is the only one with a 6.5mm microphone connector for an external microphone. This is useful for video makers that use an action camera and want to improve the sound quality.

You can play with different preprogrammed recording modes, like MagicClone Panorama. With this, the gimbal makes a panorama on its own. It captures multiple photos and merges them. For a creative result, you can put yourself in the picture multiple times.

You can control the Zhiyun Smooth Q4 with hand gestures, which makes it unique. You can start recording with a hand gesture, which is nice if you're using the gimbal as a tripod and record yourself. It allows you to find a place to stand first before you start recording. The Smooth Q4 has the same preprogrammed recording modes as the Smooth 5S.