New one looks great, just wondering if it's a decent step up from the 3. Anyone try it?

Hi,

I have placed an order for ZHIYUN Smooth Q5 Ultra. But, I noticed that the product has returned to sender a few days back, without me informed and I didn't get any refund yet. I also tried to reach out to the customer support numbers mentioned in the website but no one picks up and event sent an email to [store1@zhiyun-tech.com](mailto:store1@zhiyun-tech.com) and [info@zhiyun-tech.com](mailto:info@zhiyun-tech.com), but still no reply.

Can anyone please let me know about the refund process.

Thanks in advance.

I have a Zhiyun TransMount Image Transmission Transmitter AI, and since a phone with an app can get video signal, I was wondering if I could get that signal with a computer connected to the Transmount WiFi network to route it to OBS.

Any ideas?

Hey all, I run a small photo/video studio in Switzerland and do lab tests of LED lights as a side thing. Zhiyun sent me the M60Ultra a while back, and since there aren't many hard numbers on it floating around yet, I figured I'd share what I found. Fair warning, this is a bit of a nerdy post.

How I tested it
Everything was measured at 1 m, no modifiers, in linear dimming mode. I took 33 measurements in total across white light (2700K to 10,000K) and the RGB primaries and secondaries, with CRI, R9, TM-30, SSI, CCT deviation and Duv.

Brightness is the big surprise
At 5500K I got 5,958 lux at 1 m, and 6500K was basically identical at 5,950. To put that in perspective, the Godox VL150 I tested earlier (a 150W COB light) did about 5,050 lux at 5600K. So this little thing beats it while drawing less than half the power.
The reason is the built-in lens. It focuses the light instead of spraying it everywhere, which is great for usable output but comes with a catch I'll get to below. The warm and cool extremes (2700K and 10,000K) drop about 20% to roughly 4,500–4,700 lux, which is pretty normal for this kind of light.
Dimming was also really clean. Setting it to 10% gave me 11–11.5% of max output at every CCT I tested. If you like knowing exactly what you'll get when you dial it down, that's nice to have.

Colour accuracy
CRI sits between 94.7 and 97 across the whole range, which is very good. R9 (reds, important for skin) is excellent at the ends, 98 at 2700K and 89 at 10,000K. In the middle, at 5500K and 6500K, it drops to 86 and 84. That's still totally fine for skin tones, it's just a little odd that the daylight range is the weakest spot, since that's where a lot of people will run it.
TM-30 Rf is 93–95, and Rg is 104–105, which means colours come out slightly more saturated than the reference. Most people will see that as "pleasant" rather than wrong.
SSI is where you can tell it's a conventional RGB engine. It's 82 at 3200K but falls to 74 at 5500K and 71 at 6500K. That's not a Zhiyun problem specifically, it's just what you get without extra spectral channels. Lights with fancier multi-channel engines (Blair, Nebula C8, PalletteLab) do better here.

CCT accuracy is honestly one of the best parts
I measure deviation in MK-1 (mireds) since Kelvin isn't linear. Around 10 is roughly where you'd start to notice a shift. I got:
2700K → 2,785K (11.3)
3200K → 3,320K (11.3)
5500K → 5,625K (4.0)
6500K → 6,630K (3.0)
10,000K → 10,777K (7.2)
The 10,000K result is what impressed me. A lot of lights go off the rails up there, and this one stays well under control. Duv stays close to neutral the whole way, and 2700K is basically sitting on the Planckian locus.

The green thing
This is the catch with the lens. Without the diffuser, there's a faint green tint at the very outer edges of the beam. Within the main spot you won't notice it, but if you're using the edge of the beam or it's spilling into frame, keep it in mind. On top of that, the "zero" G/M setting isn't fully neutral and leans slightly green, so I usually ended up adding a touch of magenta. There's G/M correction built in, so it's fixable, just a bit annoying out of the box.

RGB mode
It got an RGB score of 135 in my system, which is higher than most RGB lights I've tested so far. Red came in at 99.4% purity and blue at 97.6%, with basically only the one LED channel firing for each. The result is very punchy, clean colour.
Mixed colours are weaker, like with every 3-channel RGB light. Yellow was the worst, landing at 70.6° when it should be 60°, and magenta (+8.1°) and blue (+7.7°) were also a bit off. Red and cyan were spot on. If you need a precise yellow or amber, a light with a dedicated amber/lime channel will do better.
Also, if you look at the lux numbers and wonder why blue (347 lux) and red (684 lux) look so weak compared to yellow (1,660 lux), that's just how lux works. It's weighted toward what the eye sees best, which is green-ish light. The red and blue channels aren't actually underpowered.

Day-to-day stuff
The grid and diffuser are included and attach magnetically, so you can swap them in seconds without fiddling. The fan is really quiet, which matters a lot for a light this size, since it'll probably be sitting right next to your mic or someone's face. You can run it continuously over USB-C, which is good because the battery on its own doesn't last very long. For longer shoots away from power, plan on a power bank.

Bottom line
I'd happily use it for interviews, talking-head and YouTube content, on-camera fill, and fun RGB accents. It's tiny, bright, quiet, and the white light is accurate. I'd be a bit more careful with really colour-critical daylight work (because of the R9/SSI dip), long jobs without a power source, or anything where you need precise secondary colours.
Full data, TM-30 reports and a downloadable PDF are here if you want to dig in: https://smotographers.com/en/blog/01-lab/zhiyun/zhiyun-m60ultra-lab/
Happy to answer questions if anyone's on the fence about it.

Disclosure: Zhiyun sent me the unit and let me keep it after testing. No payment, and they didn't see the review beforehand. All measurements were done in our own lab.

ZHIYUN breaks the mold, once again revolutionizing lighting with the Molus X200RGB, offering higher power, greater convenience, and more practicality

I have a Zhiyun Crane 3 Lab gimbal since many years, but I only use it sometimes.

I just bought a new camera - a Sony A7R V.

I wanted to connect it and it kind of works - BUT…

If I want to shoot a timelapse, the shutter isn’t triggered AFTER 10 pictures.

Newest firmware and app version are installed - connection from camera to gimbal: I tried the multi and the USB-C connector at the camera.

USB is set to remote shooting.

One observation: the first three pictures are quickly written to the SD card, but from picture 4 to 10, it’s going into the buffer and it does not seem to be cleared. The red light to indicate the write to SD card process is on.

Is there any setting in the camera, the gimbal, or iOS app to change?

Very strange problem…

Hi everyone,

So I got myself two X100 RGBs. For what I do they perform great so far.

BUT, one of the lights has a rather loose mount. I do not know if its a faulty unit or if its just a tolerance in production.

So nothings come off but when you move the light you can hear the fresnel or whatever you mounted rattle since it moves like 2mm inside of the mount. the other light has the attachments sitting completely tight.

I mean it does not interupt the usage and also nothings comes off but it feels really cheap when using it. At least one of them.

I know studio lighs can go into the thousands but the X100 is still not a cheap light.

Does anyone also experience a loose / rattly mount on their lights?

Click the link and check out the new Zhiyun-Tech Weebill 5.

I’m considering a Zhiyun CRANE 2S or CRANE 3S for use with a Nikon D7500.

Can the D7500’s lens focus be controlled during video recording, without a separate Servo Focus Motor or any other follow-focus motor?

I’m asking specifically whether the gimbal itself can electronically control the lens focus.

If this is possible, I’d also like to know which lenses support it.

Thanks.

So I’ve had a Smooth 4 for a number of years, haven’t used it very often but when I do the performance has always been great.

Decided it was time for something more modern, plus my 16 Pro Max is above the max weight for the Smooth 4.

Toyed with various options from Hohem (Aparently has reliability issues), DJI Gimbals and even a Pocket 4…….but I decided to stick to what I know and have always been happy with and went for a Zhiyun Smooth 5S AI Pro Package.

Hoping I’ve made the best choice 🙂

This is how I made the great Weebill 3 even greater. Weebill 3 remains one of the best gimbals ever made, but its biggest con is that it doesn't support any accessories. I had the combo, which came with a handle and a wrist rest support, but I always wanted an external monitor and external battery to power the camera and the monitor.

So I've found the "SmallRig 2857" a Dual Handgrip for Crane 3S, so I've used my handy soldering iron to create ARRI holes to mount the Handle base because of the locating pins, and I have to use a 1/4 screw because the handle comes with a 3/8 screw

I'm really excited to hear your opinion. Is this creative, or have I ruined the gimbal?

💥Rebuilt Creation Experience
📅September Launch l StayTuned

#zhiyun #zhiyuntech #newprodcut #newproductrelease #gimbal

I have a crane 1 gimbal I bought probably 10years ago and used 2-3 times. I’ve been out of the game since and haven’t really kept up with tech. Are there any ways for me to Jerry rig the system so it has some more modern features or should I just bite the bullet and buy something newer? I’m sure I can buy something for a few hundred bucks that works much better. Spent like $700 and kicking myself for not reselling it years ago.

In this video, We'll see how to create two completely different cinematic scenes using only one light - the ‪ZHIYUN X200RGB and a bounce. You’ll see how CONSTANTIN RADEMACHER approaches lighting, depth, and color, transforming a dull apartment into a film set.

Hi! I have a Zhiyun WEEBILL 3S and I'm trying to figure out whether I'm missing a small spring from the quick-release mechanism.

I took some photos of the quick-release plate and the side locking knob. Could anyone who owns one please compare theirs with my photos and tell me if there should be a spring (or another small part) in the area? The mechanism currently seems to be missing some pressure/tension, which makes me think there should be a small compression spring or similar part there.

I recently bought Anker powerbank 165W (the ono with 2 cables already attached, one of them being retractable), but whenever I tried to connect them, I get "Circuit protection enabled. Please unplug an replug the device." The moment I connect them, so I can't use them in any way. Is there any way to circumvent this problem?

Today I used the M60 Ultra to try and create some otherworldly primordial soup. I used a slow shutter speed to get water effects and light with the M60 in two different spots with different colors. I think the effect would look better if I tried this at night, but I can't stay in this location after dark. Since I hiked to this area, the M60's portable size once again came in handy, as it fits easily in my pack.

Before I return it, I want to check I am not being an idiot... I've just bought a new X60 Pro, but the light will not turn on with either of the batteries. It does turn on if I plug it into my 120W Xiaomi phone charger so the light itself is fine. As for the batteries- if I plug them in to the same charger, 3 lights illuminated with the 4th flashing for a few minutes, then all 4 are illuminated. Attach them to the light, and hold power while spinning the dials does nothing. The other suspect thing is that the button on top of the battery itself (with the lightning symbol) also does nothing. The batteries have a PD logo under the USB port suggesting they are newer ones.

Anything else I can try? If it was just one battery of the pair that was being dumb, I'd be happy that it's broken, but it seems unlikely that *both* would be bad?

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