We are living in an amazing time for filmmaking and video production. The MoVi was absolutely a gamechanger when it first hit the scene, but DJI's Ronin gave it a run for it's money (actually, a bit less) in the last year. Now, DJI, makers of the Ronin, are releasing an updated version that addresses most users major issue: weight.
I've used both the MoVi M5 and the current DJI Ronin, and they are both FANTASTIC stabilizers with a very easy learning curve. Not only that, but when you compare them cost-wise to professional Steadicam rigs, they are a quarter of the price.
That said, having used both stabilizers, I honestly preferred the Ronin over the MoVi for one simple reason: battery life. I was able to shoot most of the day with a Canon C100 on a Ronin with never having to recharge or swap batteries. With the MoVi M5, my battery lasted about 15 minutes.
The weight of the current Ronin is about 10lbs, while the M5 is half that, around only 5lbs. As a result, the Ronin can support a larger payload, but it also weighs considerably more. Since I was running a C100, and at times a 5DmkIII, the Ronin handled them just fine. But, reports coming out of NAB are pointing to a new version of the Ronin, called the Ronin-M, that will weigh only 5lbs, just like its primary competitor the MoVi M5, but it will still boast a battery life of at least 6 hours.
Here's a demo video that was created with the new Ronin-M.
It is being speculated that the Ronin-M will come in at less than $2,000– $500 less than the current Ronin and half the cost of the MoVi M5. More details will likely be revealed this coming week during NAB.
[via resourcemagonline]
AWSOME news! ive been holding off buying the Ronin until they released a newer version as i was wishing they would address the weight issue. Lets hope the performance of the new Ronin is just as good if not better then the original.
Same here, although I did buy the flowcine Serene for my Easyrig, which would probably benefit from the weight / inertia of the original Ronin, I would really like to try this one first.
Very cool. I like that the cross bar handles can be removed and that you can still control the gimbal with the wireless bluetooth thumb controller. ( or the larger 2nd person controller )
Exciting news! Looking at this and Movi M5. Can you expand on your set-up with the DJI Ronin using the C100? Would you fly C100 on Ronin-M with same set-up?
Sure. I detach the top handle and the side grip in order to fit the c100, and with the latest firmware you can indeed control the C100's exposure parameters by mapping the controls to custom assigned buttons.
From what I can tell, the ronin-m should be able to fly a stripped down c100 without any issue.
The c100 mark2 however, will NOT fit on the Ronin. The eyepiece sticks back too far, and I was unable to attach it properly.
Here's some more thoughts: http://resourcemagonline.com/2015/04/hands-on-review-with-the-dji-ronin-...