DIY Camera Crane for the Zhiyun Smooth-Q Gimbal

myminifactory

Jump into Summer fun with this DIY camera crane! Use it to take aerial photography with your Zhiyun Smooth-Q gimbal. The gimbal has a tripod mount at the bottom of the handle, but I wanted more flexibility. So, I came up with a design that holds the gimbal securely in all positions - from horizontal to vertical. I needed a long adjustable pole without breaking the bank, so I repurposed an aluminum pool cleaning pole I already had. This DIY camera crane now offers the longest adjustable pole at a modest price. It also gives me the flexibility to hold my gimbal securely by both the bottom 1/4"-20 mount and the top of the handle. The result is a very secure mounting system with adjustable angle. The clamp design is based on this version: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1012573. I added knobs for the 1/4" bolts and nuts from here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2267262, and knobs for the M3 clamp bolt and nut from here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2383326. If you want to add a plug at the end of the inner aluminum tube (to prevent it from digging into the ground), you can print this design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2390255. See below for printing instructions, bill of material and assembly instructions. This DIY camera crane was created in Tinkercad: https://www.tinkercad.com/things/67ejveLb0sP. The design requirements were clear: no modifications to the gimbal, keep it fully functional (including control panel), allow for different angles, and print without supports.