Unfortunately, heavy lenses ruined my balance too. I had issues until I found the Samyang AF 12mm f/2.0 E. It's light, cheap, and actually stays balanced on the M2, tbh.

If youre planning to use the Crane M2, weight management is basically your biggest priority. That gimbal has a pretty low payload limit, so the Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary is gonna be a massive headache to balance. I tried it and it just feels too front-heavy for those small motors. Tbh the Sony E 11mm F1.8 is the most reliable choice for a vlogger. Heres my reasoning:

• Extremely lightweight at 181g which keeps the gimbal agile.
• Wide field of view is essential for handheld shots in Japan.
• Linear motors provide very quiet and fast autofocus. You could also look at the Samyang AF 12mm F2.0 E as a budget alternative. It is light enough for the M2, tho the autofocus isnt quite as sticky as native glass. Id personally save up for the Sony just to ensure everything works perfectly during your trip.

@Reply #2 - good point! Honestly, weight is totally the dealbreaker here. I had such high hopes for bringing a full gimbal setup on my last trip but unfortunately it was way more stress than it was worth. Trying to keep things balanced while navigating busy crowds is a nightmare and i felt like i was gonna break something half the time. A few things that bummed me out:

• the constant recalibrating
• how much space the setup takes up in a bag
• drawing too much attention in quiet spots Its kinda disappointing because those smooth shots look so easy online. Reality is just different tho. If you really want that gimbal life, definitely stick to the absolute lightest gear or your wrist is gonna hate you by noon. Just be careful with those motors on the Zhiyun Crane M2, they're not as strong as you'd think.