Another day another gimbal! The DJI Ronin-SC is here. Important question. Do we need a new gimbal?

Well first let’s take a look at this little brother to the DJI Ronin-S. It’s biggest difference is that it’s smaller. Almost half the weight at 2.4lbs versus the Ronin-S which is 4.7lbs.

Payload capacity has also been reduced at max 2kg or 4.4lbs where as the Ronin-S is almost double at 8lbs or 3.6kg.

Build quality is almost the same on both. The Ronin-SC does have more plastic parts to keep the weight down but still feels sturdy. The camera plate has also been shrunk down and simplified. There is just one knob you have to loosen to adjust the camera position to the left, right or back and forth which makes balancing faster.

Something to keep in mind though is about the small size of this gimbal. You will not be able to use it with a lot of the cameras that are still within the payload capacity because if you put a bigger lens that makes the setup front heavy, it means that you will have to move the camera so far back that it will cause your camera to bump the back motor.

Like I said the balancing is faster thanks to the simpler design and also thanks to this positioning block. This makes remembering the back and forth position of the camera very easy. Also DJI now included locks on each of the arms that makes traveling better but also allows you to individually adjust the balance of each axis. That’s a big plus and something I love on the Zhiyun Crane 3 LAB.

One cool new feature they introduced is Active Track 3.0 which is similar in their drones. You get a phone mount in the box so you can put it on top of your camera. Then using your phone’s camera you select the object you want to track in the app or by taping the trigger. It’s a fun and actually useful feature for shots where you simply can’t or it’s not safe for you to keep on looking at the camera and manually pointing it. Like in this example where I was walking dome some really steep stairs. The camera would tilt and pan for me while I was looking at where I was going. Just be aware that this feature will not work well when the subject moves really fast or if the light or angle of your subject changes fast. But for normal to slow movements it will keep your camera pointed in the right direction.

Another feature is force mobile which is kinda useless for me cuz it only follows your phone’s movements using the gyroscope. It’s a feature that many other gimbals already have had for a long time like this Moza Aircross gimbal that I reviewed back in 2017. The MOVI Mimic introduced that feature and it’s  a lot more useful on a bigger gimbal and camera setup where you also have wireless video so you can monitor your shot. On the Ronin-SC it’s a useless gimmick.

Things I do like about this gimbal is that it’s simpler and lighter to use. Which means for home video or vlogging it’s actually useful because you can set it up fast and carry it for longer. The battery last around 11 hours. The gimbal is just as smooth when running as the DJI Ronin-S if you balance the camera properly and adjust the settings accordingly. The updated app is great and makes adjustments or setting up your profiles very easy.

So if you like the DJI Ronin-S but want something smaller for lighter mirrorless cameras and shorter lenses then this gimbal is for you. If you just want any gimbal that is smooth but lighter then there are already a lot of great options out there that are also a lot cheaper, such as the Moza Aircross. In conclusion there is nothing wrong with this gimbal but also nothing that really makes it stand out. The Active Track feature is fun but not always accurate so I don’t think I will be using it for paid work. So there you have it. Another great gimbal in a world full of gimbals.

You can buy the DJI Ronin-SC right now on B&H https://bhpho.to/2yknirY
Also on Amazon https://amzn.to/2SMVhCX
Amazon Canada https://amzn.to/2LN6Ucb
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2YeG1ok
Adorama https://adorama.rfvk.net/QXY2a
eBay https://ebay.to/2MlDlxQ

You can get the Moza Aircross on B&H https://bhpho.to/2ykn0Bz
Amazon https://amzn.to/2yykCr3
Amazon Canada http://amzn.to/2BRfL4P
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2CZIeox
Amazon Germany http://amzn.to/2BBzTLy
eBay https://goo.gl/P3EaeL

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DISCLAIMERS:
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The opinions expressed in this video were not influenced by or paid for by any outside individual or company. I use and test lots of products that are sent to me or that I buy myself. In the end, I only talk about the products that I find interesting.