DJI Ronin-SC Gimbal Stabilizer

Though the Ronin-SC is smaller, it packs an abundance of features, design enhancements, and technology inside its compact form. The gimbal features stabilization, pan, tilt, and roll control, as well as 360° continuous panning to create steady 3D/360° motion shots.

On its own, the gimbal weighs only 2.4 lb, so it is ultra-portable and makes it easier to hold the gimbal with a mounted camera for longer periods of time. It features two locking modes for balancing your camera and for storage. The sliding quick release camera plate makes it easy to rebalance your camera after you’ve moved to a new location—balance your camera in the balancing lock position, unmount your camera with the plate, put the gimbal in storage mode and travel, take the gimbal out and remount your camera, unlock and turn the gimbal on and voilà, your camera will still be balanced.

The Ronin-SC features a record button and a joystick for precise gimbal control, as well as a re-center front trigger button to bring the gimbal back to its default position. There is also an M button that you can press and hold to enter Sport Mode, which provides fast tracking response when recording action sequences. Using the Android or iOS app over Bluetooth 5.0, Active Track 3.0 has been updated to help users track a subject with the gimbal without having to use any controls at all. Another handy function is DJI’s Force Mobile, which allows you to control your gimbal’s motion when it’s mounted on a rig or tripod using the gyroscope of your smartphone, allowing you to perform more precise gimbal movements using your own natural motion. Other built-in features include time-lapse and motion-lapse modes.

The Ronin-SC is powered by a 2450mAh rechargeable 18650 LiPo battery built into its handle, which lasts up to 11 hours on a single charge. It is charged via a USB Type-C port and can also provide camera control such as run/stop or focus pulling using one of the included multiport USB cables connected to a compatible camera. There are also 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 mounting threads on the handle to add accessories such as the included smartphone holder.

Also included with the Ronin-SC are an extended grip/tripod, camera riser, lens support, port cover, Allen wrench, quick release plate with 1/4″-20 camera mounting screw, an M4 screw, a multicamera USB control cable, a multicamera USB Type-C control cable, a USB Type-C charging cable, a USB Type-C to micro-USB adapter, and a storage case.

Overall, the Ronin SC’s build is fantastic. The handle feels nice and is comfortable to hold, the button layout makes sense, and the focus motor feels smooth, although it has a short travel and sometimes can be a bit too sensitive. It has a black matte finish, which does get scratched up easily but still looks good.

More important than the looks are the Ronin SC’s clever design bits. The ability to lock all axes helps when you balance it and with transporting the gimbal. The battery also detaches to make it even more portable. DJI says the battery will last 11 hours, which is just an hour less than the larger Ronin S. Battery life will largely depend on how well the gimbal is balanced and if motors have to work extra hard to keep the camera steady. In my testing, it easily lasted more than a day’s worth of filming. DJI also added a little clip on the camera plate, which means the next time you put the camera on, you won’t need to rebalance it. All of those little things start to add up to make for an enjoyable filming experience.

Let’s start with Active Track. If you’re familiar with DJI drones, you probably recognize this one. It basically lets you lock on to a target, like a car or a person, and then have the camera follow that subject. In order to make it work on the Ronin SC, you have to attach a phone on top of your camera. That’s when things get a bit tricky.

Lastly, the Ronin app is just really good. It is easily one of the better companion apps out there. It is stable, it connects to the gimbal almost instantly, it has a lot of customizable options, and it has multiple user profiles. Most importantly, it’s simple to use. If you’re a Fujifilm user, a lot of those features won’t work because both Ronin SC and the older Ronin S don’t support Fujifilm cameras. So features like time-lapses, motion lapses, and panoramas won’t work. DJI says it is working on enabling more Fujifilm support, but it’s not clear when those will be available.

Even without being able to take advantage of all of those features, I still kept my X-T2 on it for most of the week. I just love filming with that camera, and I genuinely loved using the Ronin SC, too. It’s small enough to bring around, and it feels like a piece of gear that will last for years.