In this article, we will be taking a look at what we feel are some of the best gimbals for Fuji XT2 cameras currently available on the market right now. With more and more people starting to use the Fuji XT2 for videography, we have seen a number of people reaching out for advice on what gimbals they should be using with their camera.
Unfortunately, being a Fuji camera, many of the more popular gimbal frame controls won’t work with the XT2. That said, we have settled on four gimbals that work well with the camera as well as found a little hack that you can use to your advantage to get the frame controls to work seamlessly with the XT2.
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Table of Contents
The Zhiyun Crane V2
First up on our list and what we feel is by far the best gimbal for Fuji XT2 is the Zhiyun Crane (Click here to check for prices). The Zhiyun Crane is a very popular gimbal right now and can work with a wide range of camera and lens combinations without losing any performance. In our opinion, there is no denying that the Zhiyun Crane Fuji XT2 combo is currently the best we have at the time of writing.
One thing that we would like to point out is that the Zhiyun Crane V2 (this gimbal) and the Zhiyun Crane 2 are actually different products with the Zhiyun Crane V2 that we are featuring just being a second version of the original Zhiyun Crane while the Zhiyun Crane 2 (Click here to check for prices) is a more advanced and expensive product.
The Zhiyun Crane V2 is a very reliable gimbal that works very well and has almost no vibrations that are common with some competing gimbals at this price point. This can save you a bunch of time in post-production as you don’t have to waste time and effort trying and possibly failing to remove the vibrations in the footage.
The capacity of the gimbal is 3.8 pounds but there are reports of it working just over this weight without any issue. The battery life is reported to be up to around the twelve-hour mark but the various settings and weight of your Fuji XT2 and lens will have a direct effect on this.
The footage in the video below was recorded using a Fuji XT2 and a Zhiyun Crane. It shows how smooth the combination can be and the excellent picture quality you are able to acheive.
The Zhiyun Crane V2 is slightly smaller and more compact than the Zhiyun Crane V1 while also having slightly better overall performance. This is ideal as the smaller size allows you to store the gimbal in a regular size backpack without much fuss.
The Zhiyun Crane V2 is very easy to balance, especially once you are used to the system. All you do is tweak the knobs on the gimbal frame slightly until you are happy and then you can power on the tool and start recording.
Speaking of powering on, one of the most common complains of the Zhiyun Crane V2 is that the power and mode buttons are both too close together with a look and feel that is too similar. This has lead to multiple reports of people trying to switch mode while recording and accidentally powering the gimbal off. Another lesser reported issue is that the joystick on the Zhiyun Crane V2 has limited functionality depending on the mode you are using it in.
Back to the positives of the Zhiyun Crane V2. The handle is very easy to hold and can be done so comfortably for extended periods of time even if you have a heavier lens on your Fuji XT2. Additionally, if you prefer, you are able to pick up the dual handlebars (Click here to check for prices) for it to make holding it slightly more comfortable but in our opinion, there’s no real need.
Finally, the Zhiyun Crane V2 is fully compatible with the Zhiyun app that you are able to download to your mobile phone. This will allow you to quickly calibrate the gimbal while also tweaking a number of settings on the fly.
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The DJI Ronin M
The image below shows the Fuji XT2 rigged up to a DJI Ronin M to give you an idea of what your rig may look like.
The DJI Ronin M is actually very easy to set up and build. Once you are used to the build process you will be able to take the gimbal from its box and have it ready to record within around five minutes. This includes calibrating it and tweaking any settings required that you are able to do via the DJI phone app that is also very easy to use.
The video below was recorded using a Fuji XT2 and a DJI Ronin M during a trip to Iceland and the Faroe Islands showing you plenty of examples of footage that you are able to record with this setup.
You get a spare battery included with the DJI Ronin M with additional spares available if you wish to order them allowing you to hot swap between them as and when required. Each individual fully charged battery will give you around three hours of power but the settings of the gimbal, as well as the lens you use with your Fuji XT2, can have an effect on this battery up time.
One of the main points of discussion around the DJI Ronin M is the transportation of it as at the time of writing, it does not come with a hard case as standard. That said, there are a number of high-quality third-party cases that you can pick up relatively cheap that offer you peace of mind knowing that your gimbal is safe from any potential damage while in transit.
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The MOZA AirCross
Thankfully with the MOZA AirCross, a hard case is included with the gimbal that does a good job of protecting your purchase from any bump and knocks that may otherwise have caused damage. The included case does not have any locking system though so if you are planning to store your gimbal in a plane hold while traveling we would recommend you pick up a lockable case or at least a bike lock to secure it.
The MOZA AirCross offers excellent performance for its price point in the market and we feel that over time, it is only going to become more and more popular as more people give it a fair try. It only takes a minute or two to set up and get going and is surprisingly easy to get used to and use.
The video below shows some good examples of the type of footage and smooth recordings that you are able to acheive when using your Fuji XT2 with the MOZA AirCross.
The standard handle is rubberized, very comfortable, and easy to grip. We feel that the majority of people would be able to hold this for extended periods of time without any pain or discomfort. You are also able to purchase dual cross bars (Click here to check for product prices and availability) for it to further extend the period you are able to comfortably use it too.
Although some battery converters are included that will allow you to power your camera from the gimbals power supply, at the time of writing there is not a Fuji adapter available meaning that you will have to use your regular power source for your Fuji XT2. That said, they are expected to be released onto the market soon.
The included battery is able to power the gimbal for up to twelve hours of continuous use without the need to recharge it or swap the battery out. There is also a tripod attachment at the base of the gimbal that allows you to attach a tripod to it. The included remote control is easy to use and will allow you to remotely control the gimbal from a decent distance while it is sat on its tripod.
The main complaint that we have seen about the MOZA AirCross is that the downloadable phone app is not the best. It is hard to use with some translation errors making it a little harder to learn but it still allows you to calibrate and tweak settings on the gimbal when you require. At the time of writing, there is a bug with the app where setting tweaks sent from the app will revert back to their previous setting randomly but a patch to the app to fix this has been confirmed and will be released shortly.
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The FeiyuTech A1000
The FeiyuTech A1000 comes with some very strong motors that are easily able to keep your Fuji XT2 stabile while recording offering your some really smooth and natural video. The gimbal is very easy to set up and balance with your hands as the whole system is based around tweaking thumb screws.
The design of the gimbal frame allows you to actually see your Fuji XT2 screen while recording so you can see exactly what you are getting. There are some gimbals on the market that retail for a higher price than the FeiyuTech A1000 that designs can make this a nightmare so seeing it on the FeiyuTech A1000 gave us faith that people are actually taking the cameras people will be using on their products into account.
Although the gimbal is officially listed as being able to hold a camera and lens combo of 3.7 pounds, we were able to find reports of people going just over this and not having any issues with balance. There is a tripod included with the kit that you can use to keep your camera in place as you let the built-in time-lapse feature do its thing.
The FeiyuTech A1000 required two batteries at a time to operate and four rechargeable batteries are included as standard. Each pair of batteries will keep the gimbal running for around twelve hours and then you just swap the batteries out for the other paid if needed.
The FeiyuTech A1000 is one of the gimbals out there that currently has no native support for Fuji cameras meaning the on frame controls will be useless to your Fuji XT2 without a few little tweaks. Thankfully, the video below goes into great detail of how you are able to modify your FeiyuTech A1000 to work with the Fuji XT2 at home by yourself.
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