Best Gimbal for Sony a7 V
The Sony a7 V is about 695 g with the battery and a memory card. The FE 28-60mm adds 167 g, so the pair is about 862 g before caps. Both weights come from Sony’s spec sheets. The DJI RS 4 Mini is tested for 0.4 to 2 kg, which leaves about 1.1 kg under the top of that range. Check DJI RS 4 Mini on Amazon.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed September 2026 · body about 695 g with battery and card · FE 28-60mm 167 g · pair about 862 g
Tested payload 0.4–2 kg. The 862 g pair has about 1.1 kg spare. Gimbal about 890 g including the plate, excluding the tripod.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Same 0.4–2 kg tested payload, in a lighter gimbal: 795 g portrait, 850 g horizontal, plate included.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Max carry 1,000 g. The 862 g pair fits, with about 138 g left. Gimbal about 705 g.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓This page contains affiliate links. A purchase through those links may earn Cameraegg a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Product | Job with this body | Payload and weight | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| DJI RS 4 Mini | 862 g pair, with spare under 2 kg | 0.4–2 kg · gimbal about 890 g | Check price |
| DJI RS 3 Mini | Same payload, lighter gimbal | 0.4–2 kg · 795 g portrait / 850 g horizontal | Check price |
| ZHIYUN Crane M3S | This pair, tight on the cap | Max carry 1,000 g · gimbal about 705 g | Check price |
| Sony FE 28-60mm F4-5.6 | The lens in the 862 g pair | 167 g · 66.6 × 45 mm | Check price |
How We Picked
The load is the body Sony weighs with a battery and a card, plus the lens Sony weighs on its own sheet. Caps are not added.
- The body is about 695 g before a lens. Sony ILCE-7M5 specifications: about 695 g with the battery and memory card, about 610 g body only, about 130.3×96.4×82.4 mm. The FE 28-60mm page lists 167 g and 66.6×45 mm. Those two figures add to about 862 g.
- Both DJI gimbals publish the same tested range. DJI RS 4 Mini specifications: tested payload 0.4–2 kg, gimbal about 890 g including the quick-release plate and excluding the tripod, axes up to 360°/s. DJI RS 3 Mini specifications: tested payload 0.4–2 kg, 795 g in portrait and 850 g horizontal, both including the plate and excluding the extended grip. DJI’s 13-hour and 10-hour runtime notes are for a balanced gimbal held level and still.
- The Crane’s cap is 1,000 g. ZHIYUN Crane M3S specifications: max carry weight 1,000 g, gimbal about 705 g. 862 g leaves about 138 g. A heavier lens than the 28–60 mm uses that margin first.
Detailed Reviews
DJI RS 4 Mini Amazon B&H
| Tested payload | 0.4–2 kg |
|---|---|
| Gimbal weight | About 890 g, plate included, tripod excluded |
| Folded | 236×64×316 mm, excluding tripod and plate |
| Against this pair | 862 g leaves about 1.1 kg under 2 kg |
Why it fits the a7 V. Sony’s body-plus-card weight is about 695 g. The FE 28-60mm is 167 g. Together that is about 862 g, inside DJI’s 0.4–2 kg tested range, with about 1,138 g still unused. The gimbal itself is about 890 g with the plate and without the tripod, so the loaded rig is a one-hand carry only if you are willing to hold both. DJI’s 13-hour figure is a stationary, balanced measurement, not a walking day. Pan, tilt, and roll are listed up to 360°/s. The battery is 3,100 mAh.
Buy it when the 28–60 mm might be swapped for something heavier later. Skip it if this exact pair is the only camera you will mount and you want the lighter stick. That is the RS 3 Mini, which publishes the same 2 kg ceiling.
DJI RS 3 Mini Amazon B&H
| Tested payload | 0.4–2 kg |
|---|---|
| Gimbal weight | 795 g portrait, 850 g horizontal, plate included |
| Folded | 323×195×98 mm, height excludes the extended grip |
| Battery | 2,450 mAh · DJI’s still-and-level note is 10 hours |
Why it fits the a7 V. DJI lists the same 0.4–2 kg tested payload as the RS 4 Mini. The 862 g pair is inside it by the same margin. The gimbal is the lighter of the two: 795 g in portrait and 850 g held horizontal, plate included, extended grip excluded. That grip is about 128 g more. Folded size is 323×195×98 mm with the grip left out of the height. The battery is 2,450 mAh, and the 10-hour line is the same kind of stationary test as the RS 4 Mini’s 13 hours.
Buy it for this body and the 28–60 mm when the lighter gimbal matters. Skip it if you want the newer stick’s 3,100 mAh pack. That is the RS 4 Mini. Skip the Crane if you might add a lens that pushes past 1,000 g.
ZHIYUN Crane M3S Amazon B&H
| Max carry | 1,000 g |
|---|---|
| Gimbal weight | About 705 g |
| This pair | About 862 g |
| Left under the cap | About 138 g |
Why it fits the a7 V. ZHIYUN lists a max carry of 1,000 g and a gimbal of about 705 g. The a7 V at about 695 g plus the 28–60 mm at 167 g is about 862 g, so the pair fits with about 138 g unused. That 138 g is the whole margin for a hood, caps, or a different lens. The DJI sheets go to 2 kg, so they do not have this problem with the same pair.
Buy it when the 28–60 mm stays on and you want the lighter 705 g gimbal. Skip it for a faster prime or a zoom that weighs more than about 300 g on this body. Use either DJI, both tested to 2 kg.
If You Need Something Else
The 167 g figure is the lens Sony lists, not a lens with a hood or a second body in the same cage. About 138 g is all that separates this pair from the Crane’s 1,000 g cap. Past that, the tested range that still fits is the 2 kg line on the RS 4 Mini and the RS 3 Mini. The body alone, about 610 g without battery and card, is not the weight to balance. Sony’s 695 g figure already includes both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where the 862 g comes from
Sony lists the a7 V at about 695 g with the battery and a memory card, and the FE 28-60mm at 167 g. The sum is about 862 g. Body only, about 610 g, is the figure without those two items, so it is the wrong number to put on a gimbal.
Why the Crane is the tight one
Its max carry is 1,000 g. 1,000 minus 862 is about 138 g. The RS 4 Mini and the RS 3 Mini are both tested to 2 kg, so the same pair leaves about 1.1 kg unused on either of them.
What the runtime lines actually measure
DJI’s 13 hours on the RS 4 Mini and 10 hours on the RS 3 Mini are both measured with the gimbal balanced, level, and still. Motion shortens that. The Crane page used here does not publish a matching runtime, so this article does not invent one.
What the lens adds besides weight
Sony lists the FE 28-60mm at 28–60 mm, 75°–40° on a full-frame body, 66.6×45 mm, and 167 g. SteadyShot on that sheet is marked as body-integrated, so the lens is not carrying its own stabilizer. The a7 V body is about 130.3×96.4×82.4 mm.
Which gimbal weight includes the plate
The RS 4 Mini’s 890 g includes the quick-release plate and excludes the tripod. The RS 3 Mini’s 795 g and 850 g include the plate and exclude the extended grip, which is about 128 g on its own. The Crane figure is about 705 g for the gimbal.
Final Verdict
For the Sony a7 V plus the FE 28-60mm, about 862 g, the DJI RS 4 Mini is the one with room: it is tested for 0.4–2 kg, so about 1.1 kg remains. The DJI RS 3 Mini carries the same 2 kg payload and weighs about 795 g in portrait. The ZHIYUN Crane M3S still holds the pair under its 1,000 g maximum, with about 138 g left.