I filmed with the Zhiyun Cinepeer Crane 4E – here’s why it’s the best entry-level stabiliser

The Cinepeer Crane 4E is the follow-up to the Crane 4 and adds new Cinepeer branding and a slightly updated aesthetic in the form of the colour scheme. There are also a few omissions, most notably the fill-in light and the balancing lights on each of the motors. While these lights were useful, once you work out how to balance the Crane 4, they become slightly obsolete.

Due to those small omissions, the Crane 4E is slightly lighter than its predecessor, which for a gimbal is no bad thing. It also comes with fewer accessories – so in the box is just the gimbal with a few accessories, essentially the tripod and mounting plate with a few additional mounting screws to fix to whatever camera you waWhat’sat’s also interesting is that this is a full-blown Crane, so not one of the smaller models that often lack the power, which means this model can hold the same payload as the Crane 4. In this review, I used three different cameras: the Sony A7 III, A7 IV, and Canon EOS R5 C, and the gimbal was able to hold all three of them without issue.

This latest Crane 4E is aimed at the same market as the Crane 4 but offers a slightly more stripped-down approach that will appeal to everyone, from enthusiast filmmakers to professionals.

When I looked at the Crane 4, I was pleased to see that Zhiyun had started to shift away from the slightly industrial construction of their previous Crane models, and once again, the Crane 4E follows this more ergonomic design aesthetic. Everything looks very well finished, and the grip and joystick layout are some of the most comfortable of any gimbal on the market. You’re used to the DJI gimbals, which again are superb; this just shifts the joystick into a slightly better position, which means that in use, it makes the manual control of the unit that much easier.

Unlike the Crane 4, there are no in-the-box additions, although a quick check shows that as the mountings on the base are identical, you can add the wrist support or handle if you want.

Again, the setup and balancing run along the same lines as the Crane 4, and there really is little to no difference here. What I liked about the Crane 4 is apparent here as well, with those ultra-powerful motors that enable you to balance the gimbal without having to be overly precise, although good balancing is always preferred.

One thing that struck me about the Zhiyun gimbal was that while there isn’t as much emphasis on AI as there is with the likes of Hohem and DJI. Both of those manufacturers have heavily invested in the AI features which enable advanced tracking and other features. The Crane 4E feels far more grassroots.

That’s not to say that all those features are not available, but they come in the form of accessories that need to be plugged in to access those additional features. The app itself is huge and involved, but you do need those additional bits of hardware to unlock the gimbal’s potential fully. However, this is somewhat reflected in the price, and while the gimbal itself is relatively cheap when it compares its payload and response time against other manufacturers’ flagship models, the Crane is considerably cheaper.

That is really the point of the Crane and has always been. It’s a firm favourite of independent filmmakers; it’s well-priced, reliable and easy to use.

One of the major points about the Crane 4E is that it’s relatively compact and lightweight. In fact, when it first arrived, due to the colour scheme and size, I thought it was part of the lighter-weight Crane line. However, a quick unboxing and setup proved that this was something far more professional, and it wasn’t long before I drew out the Crane 4 to compare the two. The Crane 4 has, over the past couple of years, had some heavy use, so it was good to see the two side by side to check for differences.

The size and weight are almost identical, with the few omissions from the Crane 4 and the aesthetI’vehanges that I’ve already discussed; otherwise, these two gimbals are very similar.

Interestingly, Zhiyun hasn’t put down a payload limit, preferring instead to give you a compatibility list. This list gives you a rough idea of what cameras it’s compatible with, but not the camera and lens combo, which I find incredibly annoying. However, through the test, it was capable of holding both a Canon EOS R5 C and a Sony A7 IV, with the latter weighing in at 1.8kg, which, to be honest, is quite sizable when you’re running around with this support in one hand.

Over the grip, there are several direct control dials, triggers, and buttons, along with a screen that gives you information about the modes and enables you to update settings. What I really like about this is that there are plenty of options to customise the setup to your needs.

When it comes to usage, the internal battery can be charged at full charge in a little over 2 hours, and through this test, it was used alongside the Bluetti AC70 battery with great effect. One charge will then give you up to 12 hours of use, but this does depend on how well-balanced you have the gimbal and what functional features you’re using.

Another nice feature of the Crane 4E is that, once again, it features the Bluetooth shutter button, which enables you to link it directly to your camera if supported. In the test, I mainly had this connected to the Sony A7 IV, which, all around, seemed to be a great combination.

It’s also worth noting that the Crane 4E is very much the base of a larger ecosystem, so there are plenty of accessories that you can buy to go with it.

Out of the box and after a 2-hour charge, the gimbal was set and ready to go. Mounting the camera was quick and easy, with the baseplate being fixed into place onto an A7 IV with 24–70mm f/2.8 and a SmallRig cage.
Balancing ran along the usual lines and took a little under five minutes to complete. As ever, moving the position of the arms for each axis was a little bit stiff initially, but as I’ve discovered over the years, the more you use these, the smoother they become.

Once balanced, you can unlock all arms, and the gimbal is ready to go. Once again, the power of those small motors is incredibly impressive, as is the reaction speed to counter each movement. Using the Crane 4E and feeling the stabilisation that it provides is an exact mirror to the Crane 4 and really just highlights the fact that this is just a slightly repackaged option.

As the review sample came without any accessories, I used this unit bare, and as it came, I have to say that it was heavy. You forget just how much weight and strain a handle and wrist support take off the load. As I panned and utilised the gimbal for some basic filming, it once again struck me how well-balanced the design of this gimbal is. It might not have the tracking features as standard that some of the other gimbals have, but when it comes to raw stabilisation, it has plenty.

What’s also apparent is the layout. The joystick and Bluetooth shutter buttons are really well positioned and in easy reach of your thumb at all times. It is worth pointing out that if you’re left-handed, then the positioning of the joystick is going to be an issue. Really, the strength, speed and performance of this gimbal are once again up against and as good as any on the market.

There are many things that I love about the Zhiyun Cinekeeper 4E as it is essentially the Crane 4 with a couple of features that I rarely used removed and a new paint job. Otherwise, it is the same with the same performance which I loved a couple of years ago.

Interestingly, the price of the Crane 4 is still roughly the same, which shows just how solid a gimbal it is, and the Crane 4E now offers that same stabilisation at a slightly lower cost, so really, this is a great option.

It does annoy me that there is no mention of the payload. I know this helps when you’re planning a shoot and working out the details of equipment for other videographers; you can give people a rough guestimate on what it will take, but really, the expectation is to try it and see, and there is some sense in that. The size of the camera, the length, and the weight distribution of the lens also have a lot to do with what will and won’t work with the gimbal.

At the end of the test, I would say that this cheaper version of the Crane 4 does, to me, seem like it’s a better option. It’s extremely well-priced, straightforward, and easy to use, and I really like the colour scheme. Essentially, if you’re a professional photographer/videographer and don’t already own a gimbal, then for the price, this is the best on the market.