DJI Ronin 2 Includes Gimbal 5x Stronger Than Original Ronin

Stjepan Alaupovic of Clear Online Video and Michael from DJI discuss the new pro image stabilization platform that generated so much buzz at NAB 2017, the DJI Ronin 2, with an emphasis on the improvements DJI has made to the popular Ronin 1, including a gimbal DJI says is five times as powerful as the Ronin 1 and equipped to support cinema cams like the RED and accompanying lenses. 

Stjepan: I'm here with Michael on the DJI Phantom booth. We're talking about the DJI Ronin 2. Just came out. Tell us a little bit about it.

Michael: This is the DJI Ronin 2. It's our brand new platform for professional image stabilization, the sequel to the Ronin 1, which we debuted 3 years ago here at NAB. Just a couple of key features here with the Ronin 2: First thing you're going to notice is the payload. This thing is a beast; it can handle up to 30 pounds of payload. You can see the car behind us here; it's rated at speeds up to 75 miles an hour, too. The big enabler for that right here is this giant pan motor that we attached to it. It's 5 times stronger than on the original Ronin. So this thing will really handle anything from your RED cameras, the full cinematic lenses.

The setup is made much easier when it comes to balancing. We've got fine-tune adjustment knobs here on each axis. Then a few other quick features that you'll notice right off the bat: It's a brand new, carbon fiber, ring-style frame. All of the cabling has been internally routed, which is great. Then here on the back side we've got dual hot-swappable batteries, so it gives you 100% uptime on set. The batteries are the same as in the Inspire 2 platform, so the great thing about that is, they're self-heating, which means that you can go down in sub-zero, -4 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, and the Ronin will perform like a champ.

Stjepan: What type of shooter is this product geared towards?

Michael: This is really geared towards the professional, high-end, most demanding environments, but you can even mount a basic DSLR on here, as well. The best part about it is its versatility. This is great for handheld, but it’s also compatible with Ready Rigs, Steadicams, CableCams, car mounts, drone mounts, everything. And speed has really been optimizeD here. There's a quick release right here on the main gimbal access, and it allows you to quickly detach it from one rig and put it right onto the next, again reducing downtime and making it one of the most versatile platforms out there.

Stjepan: What's the average time it takes to set this up?

Michael: With the original Ronin, we said you can set it up in about five minutes. This one should take even less. Again, with those fine-tuning access knobs, which are great, and then the auto-tune just takes a few seconds and you should be ready to go.

Stjepan: Right now this is sort of in the tabletop mode, but is this also something that’s safe to set on the ground and work in that type of environment?

Michael: That's one of the big things that we got, in terms of feedback with the original Ronin, was the stand that you needed to set it down. Now we've put foldable feet right here. So if you're using it in handheld mode, and you need to set it down, take a break, or pause on the set, you can easily do that.

Stjepan: Thank you for your time. Where can people go to learn more information?

Michael: DJI.com.