Of all the digital camera stabilizers out there, the best two ones are probably the DJI Ronin and the CAME-7800. I certainly get the most questions about those two models. Therefore, I decided to do tests and compare them side by side.

Here’s my video review

You can also check out raw footage from my tests of each stabilizer.

DJI Ronin – RAW camera tests

CAME-7800 – RAW camera tests

Both gimbals work great – they produce stable shots and are easy to use. So which one is better?

If you are only using DSLR cameras or something similar in size/weight, then the Came 7800 is for you – it’s cheaper and lighter to carry.

If you want to stabilize big production cameras like the Red Epic or the Canon C300, then you’ll need the DJI Ronin – it’s the only one of the two that can support that much weight.

Maximum Payload:
CAME-7800 = 6.6 lbs / 3 kg
DJI Ronin = 16 lb / 7.3 kg

Total weight of the stabilizer without the camera:
CAME-7800 = 4.8 lbs / 2.2 kg
DJI Ronin = 9.3 lb / 4.2 kg

What’s included with each stabilizer

DJI Ronin
• case
• battery
• charger
• tools
• baseplate
• 15mm rods (for follow focus, etc)
• remote control
• instructions

CAME-7800
• case
• battery
• charger
• tools
• baseplate
• instructions

The CAME gimbal doesn’t come with a remote control like the DJI Ronin, but for less than $20 you can buy a Bluetooth module, so you can control it via a smartphone. You can buy the module on eBay

To buy the CAME-7800, you can get it on eBay or at CAME-TV

UPDATE: until Feb. 10/2015, you can get $30 off the gimbal if you buy it on the CAME-TV website – at checkout, enter the coupon code “CAME7800”

The DJI Ronin has come down in price considerably (it launched at $5000). Now most retailers offer it at $3000 and under.

Here are the deals from Amazon and B&H Photo Video

To find out everything you wanted to know about the old-school steadicams and hand-held camera stabilizers (like Glidecam, Flycam), check out my post “Steadicam How-To And Reviews”.