Nov 2020

DJI Ronin S2 (RS2) - A Filmmaker’s Must-Have

DJI Ronin S2

DJI are known for creating amazing gimbals in the Filmmaking world for beginners and professionals.

There’s no doubt that gimbals are some of the most popular filmmaking accessories these days, but sometimes it can be hard to choose one. Happily, we know for a fact that DJI’s Ronin S2 won’t go unnoticed, but let’s go ahead and take a closer look at it.

DJI doesn’t see the new RS2s as simple gimbals, but instead, as 'unparalleled solutions for dynamic cinematography' and they want to make filmmaking easy for everyone.

This is one of the best and lightest gimbals they have made and when they launched, they realised that the demand was a little too big. The DJI Ronin S2 can support up to 4.5kg (that’s 10lbs), comes with a 1.4” color touchscreen, batteries that last for up to 12 hours, and of course, it's carbon fibre frame allowing quite a few mounting options. Considering the fact that the RS2 weighs around 1kg, all these specs are impressive.

Do You Need A Gimbal?

Depends what you will be filming to be exact. There are many types of scenes where a gimbal is very useful. For example, filming a car from another vehicle can be very tough to keep steady. Gimbals will do an amazing job of getting steady tracking shots whilst in a fast moving set.

Some people would argue that gimbals add an unnatural mechanical movement to your shots, but the operator just needs to master the gimbal to avoid this. Of course sometimes it can be unavoidable, but once you master using your gimbal, this will minimise mechanical movements. Plus it would be too difficult to use a steadycam system on a high speed scene due to manoeuvrability and wind throwing off the balance.Gimbals are perfect for filming specific types of shots, while steadycam systems are perfect for others.

You can also see the new Tilta steadycam setup for the Ronin S2 here. It's a brilliant new bit of gear.

Most cameras don’t have in-body image stabilisation, and you can’t rely on lenses’ systems and tripods alone. You need to be able to move around, capture interesting angles and be able to offer your clients a steady experience when required.

They are super easy to set up, lightweight, and you can attach your accessories such as microphones directly on them. They’re much more versatile than tripods and steadycam systems. Besides being able to capture from any angle and not being limited to how a simple tripod can move, you can shoot videos by only using one hand.

Why The Ronin S2?

Ronin S2 is the latest innovation when it comes to gimbals for small to medium sized cameras, and it’s one of the most lightweight and professional so far. You can shoot in many scenarios without having to worry about inconsistent movements, shaking or limitations. Besides, since it supports up to 4.5 kg, you can basically use it with most cameras apart from cinema cameras. On top of that, now you can use the built-in controls with 100mm lenses, so there’s really nothing stopping you.

Right now, the DJI RS2 is available on their website and it comes in two bundles. The first one is the basic package, where you receive the gimbal, charging cables, grips and carry case. While the Combo also comes with a phone holder, focus motor, image transmitter and many small accessories that will extend its functionality.

If you want to step up your game with some steady shots, you can also choose some of the essential accessories and start filming.