DJI Launches The Ronin-S Gimbal Stabilizer

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I never found the electronic communication between the Crane 2 and the 1DX2 to be particularly reliable and in a few instances it caused the camera to lock up. I don’t even bother with it now and just operate the Camera and gimbal independently. I love the footage I get with the Crane but it’s a pretty clunky tool. I expect the Ronin to ultimately be the better option but I’m in no hurry to switch as I’m pretty happy with the results. That being said I’ll be following the reviews with interest and if it’s demonstrably better I’ll switch.

 

[ethanz]

I never found the electronic communication between the Crane 2 and the 1DX2 to be particularly reliable and in a few instances it caused the camera to lock up. I don’t even bother with it now and just operate the Camera and gimbal independently. I love the footage I get with the Crane but it’s a pretty clunky tool. I expect the Ronin to ultimately be the better option but I’m in no hurry to switch as I’m pretty happy with the results. That being said I’ll be following the reviews with interest and if it’s demonstrably better I’ll switch.

I've found it somewhat unreliable with the crane 2 and 1dx2 as well. I suppose I should try to unhook the usb. If you touch the focus wheel at all, it makes the DPAF not work. It does lock up the live view sometimes too. But it is still a great device.

Cayenne, DPAF = Dual pixel auto focus. It is what allows Canon cameras in live view to have such good auto focus and to focus on faces, etc.

 

[privatebydesign]

Well B&H did get some today but my order was not in that first batch, so some 'regular' customers will be getting theirs in the next few days but not me. B&H did not know when they would get more stock from DJI either...

I say regular customers because the usual suspects on YouTube and Instagram already have their units and initial videos are out, obviously they are all freebies so reports are nothing but glowing so far, will be interesting to hear from a few less well connected people for authentic hands on experiences and the inevitable Crane 2 comparisons.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Well B&H did get some today but my order was not in that first batch, so some 'regular' customers will be getting theirs in the next few days but not me. B&H did not know when they would get more stock from DJI either...

I say regular customers because the usual suspects on YouTube and Instagram already have their units and initial videos are out, obviously they are all freebies so reports are nothing but glowing so far, will be interesting to hear from a few less well connected people for authentic hands on experiences and the inevitable Crane 2 comparisons.

Thanks Scott. Believe it or not I just sat down at the computer to PM you and then saw this. If I'm going to sell I don't think it makes sense to delay if this unit is proving slightly better than the Crane 2. Of course the main issue is remote control so if good info on that crosses your path please post.

Jack

 

[Jack Douglas]

It seems the receiver they reference is this one: RXPRO11805. I haven't yet found a good reference for remote operation but will keep looking.

Jack

 

[Jack Douglas]

Help anyone, is there a good resource covering the set up required to remote control a gimbal while having remote video monitoring at the same time?

Since one would want to view what the camera is capturing, I'm presuming it would be necessary to also have a separate transmitter sending the HDMI camera output to a video receiver along with the gimbal/camera remote control unit.

Since the Crane 2 has a remote unit available is the only advantage of the Ronin-S it's much better range or would the remote control be better in other respects? My poor aging brain is getting overloaded!

Jack

 

[ethanz]

Jack, you may be getting over your head here for the simple things you are wanting to do...

You can buy "field monitors" that are like 7" and hook up via the hdmi output. They can be cold shoe-d on to the camera/gimbal device somehow. We are talking several hundred $ for something cheap. You need batteries for them too.

Not sure about the remotes.

 

[privatebydesign]

Help anyone, is there a good resource covering the set up required to remote control a gimbal while having remote video monitoring at the same time?

The Crane does that, the Ronin I don't believe does. But they are both Bluetooth so very limited range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bTDgB22TVo

 

[ethanz]

All these gimbal videos make it look so nice, mainly because they don't have a 1dx on it! You can't move like they do with the 1dx.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Thanks both of you for the feedback. The video was interesting in spite of the goofiness. I did try the app controlling the Crane 2 and it worked fine except for the range. It's WiFi type range that I would like so I could shoot photos or video at about 150 feet and monitor what I'm shooting while aiming where I please. So presumably I need an HDMI output feed to a transmitter and some way of receiving the signal to display on a phone or computer. I can't see any way the CamRanger can factor into this equation and don't know what the alternatives are.

Otherwise, I'm just walking around capturing hand held video while viewing LiveView on the camera and would probably be satisfied with the Crane. And yes, I can get too carried away with my perceived needs.

Jack

 

[ethanz]

They do make wireless HD transmitters, but those are rather expensive. You could get the wifi adapter for the 1dx and use the canon remote program on your computer to monitor the video the camera is recording and all its settings.

 

[Jack Douglas]

They do make wireless HD transmitters, but those are rather expensive. You could get the wifi adapter for the 1dx and use the canon remote program on your computer to monitor the video the camera is recording and all its settings.

That then brings me back to my CamRanger purchase as an alternative to the very expensive dongle. Now, the CamRanger can't work along with the gimbal so forget that. However, from what you're saying what would control the gimbal at 150 feet if I were monitoring the video with Canon's app and using the expensive dongle?

Is it so complex? Wouldn't the gimbal guys want us to be able to remote control camera and gimbal while viewing at a reasonable distance?

Jack

 

[ethanz]

Not sure. Get the Crane remote and a long USB/USB extender.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Ethan, apparently the 1DX2 dongle will only transmit video after it's shot, at least from what I've been able to glean. I see there are HDMI Rx, Tx pairs that could transmit from the camera for under $1k and if that was done then I guess the issue becomes strictly the range of the gimbal remote control, which so far appears to be crummy although there are references to the Ronin-S using longer range wireless but I can't get any specific accessory information so far.

Guess they've rushed it out the door to stop Zhiyun from taking customers.

That's it for me. I will now await Scott's feedback relative to remote control on the Ronin-S and unless it's very positive and or some of the features are very impressive, I'll stick with what I've got. One has to assume that there will be updates to the Crane 2 to try to mimic some of what Ronin-S does.

One thing, I really dislike the Crane joystick for fine control when carrying that weight. Maybe I'll add a gob of silicone or some such modification so it isn't so slippery to my tough dry skin.

Jack

 

[ethanz]

Ethan, apparently the 1DX2 dongle will only transmit video after it's shot, at least from what I've been able to glean. I see there are HDMI Rx, Tx pairs that could transmit from the camera for under $1k and if that was done then I guess the issue becomes strictly the range of the gimbal remote control, which so far appears to be crummy although there are references to the Ronin-S using longer range wireless but I can't get any specific accessory information so far.

Guess they've rushed it out the door to stop Zhiyun from taking customers.

That's it for me. I will now await Scott's feedback relative to remote control on the Ronin-S and unless it's very positive and or some of the features are very impressive, I'll stick with what I've got. One has to assume that there will be updates to the Crane 2 to try to mimic some of what Ronin-S does.

One thing, I really dislike the Crane joystick for fine control when carrying that weight. Maybe I'll add a gob of silicone or some such modification so it isn't so slippery to my tough dry skin.

Jack

Oh, I've never used the wireless dongle. I have plugged in to the ethernet port and controlled it via a computer before. It shows the live view screen.

You could put some moisturizer on your skin

 

[Jack Douglas]

Haha, but what I want is a more clearly defined transition from slow to fast and a more positive contact between thumb and the joystick button. If you saw what physical activities my thumb is engaged in like welding and grinding etc. you'd understand why lotion probably won't help.

Overall, I'm not dissatisfied with the Crane in case I'm giving the wrong impression.

Jack

 

[privatebydesign]

My Ronin S shipped today, I should have it by the end of next week. There are a fair number of Crane 2 vs Ronin S videos up on YouTube now so I'm not sure what I can add but will happily answer specific questions if anybody has them.

Initially I am looking to balance the 11-24 because with the 4k crop on the 1DX MkII that lens gets you a wider and natural fov, I am also very interested in programmed panning time lapses. Also, after Jack's comments, I am interested in the remote range as I can pair the remote app and the CamRanger app split screen on the iPad and have a fully remote control remote camera, I have only ever used fixed remotes before and think this could add a new dimension to that kind of work.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Thanks Scott. I was so close to selling the Crane 2 but restrained myself with clear thinking hopefully. However your feedback on remote use is still key to what I do. I may simply build a non-stabilized motor driven gimbal that will handle the 1DX2 with 400 DO X2, which would be much more useful to me along with my treepod. A former student and friend now has acquired enough expertise in such things as to guide me with the electronics. In that case the CamRanger is still useful to me.

Here in town we have Vistek and I started an email discussion with them about the remote capabilities of the Ronin and they finally just gave up trying to answer my simple requests and defaulted to, "come in and try it when we get it", which still hasn't happened. I was not impressed.

Anyway, I am still very interested in what you will be able to do with it so don't think your feedback won't be appreciated.

One thing I really need to sort out is how to make a padded bag to carry it with its balanced adjustments in tact otherwise when traveling I don't fancy re-balancing constantly or risking scraping it up - it's an awkward piece of gear to pack when hiking.

My present video shooting with the 11-24 suggests to me that towards 11 it's still excessively wide for general use but it's very handy to have that range. I suspect I'll be using that lens on my trip to Bella Coola next month quite a bit. The 24-70 F4 is really light and works great too.

At present I'm burdened with jobs on the acreage and not playing much.

Jack

 

[cayenne]

My Ronin S shipped today, I should have it by the end of next week. There are a fair number of Crane 2 vs Ronin S videos up on YouTube now so I'm not sure what I can add but will happily answer specific questions if anybody has them.

Initially I am looking to balance the 11-24 because with the 4k crop on the 1DX MkII that lens gets you a wider and natural fov, I am also very interested in programmed panning time lapses. Also, after Jack's comments, I am interested in the remote range as I can pair the remote app and the CamRanger app split screen on the iPad and have a fully remote control remote camera, I have only ever used fixed remotes before and think this could add a new dimension to that kind of work.

Looking very much forward to your first thoughts, comments and review of the unit....!!!

C

 

[privatebydesign]

Long time later but here goes.

Initially I was very disappointed with the Ronin-S, it didn't interface with the 1DX MkII at all, you couldn't even trigger start stop for video from the gimbal but had to touch the camera, also one of my main reasons for getting it was panning time lapses, and I never worked out how to coordinate movement pauses with third party shutter releases over the length of the shots, and I wanted to give the panorama mode a trial, all to no avail just a vague promise of 'we are working on a firmware upgrade'.

Well the software has been updated and the firmware installed and I have to say the Ronin S is now the tool I'd hoped it would be. All the features I was interested in now work, though I haven't tried the gimbal focus control yet, and they seem to work well. Panning time lapses, however complicated the motion, are easily programmed in and effected and the panorama feature makes the cost of multi row pano heads seem like a bad joke.

I have seen comparative footage from the DJI and Zhiyun and believe the Ronin is the better stabilizer, it appears smoother and has a much more solid horizon hold in that it doesn't drift during a movement.

All in all an excellent accessory and with $200 off at the moment ($749-$549) via DJI and B&H I can't recommend it highly enough.