DJI's new Ronin-S promises to deliver silky smooth, shake-free video

The Ronin-S is DJI's first single-handed gimbal stabilizer for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, and after it was announced back in January at CES we've finally got news on pricing and availability.

The Ronin-S looks like it could become an essential part of any videographer's kit bag, just as DJI's Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal has become a must-have accessory for smartphone videographers. 

Based around DJI's three-axis gimbal technology, the Ronin-S features a new Push Mode that lets you adjust the pan, tilt and roll axis by hand while the Ronin-S is powered on, while there's also an Auto Tune function that automatically adjusts the strength of the motors. 

The Ronin-S is controlled with a high-precision joystick, while there are a host of dedicated buttons to enable operators to start and stop recording, toggle between SmoothTrack profiles, and adjust other settings. Should you want to control focus manually, a focus wheel is included, which can be mounted to either side of the handle via the 8-pin ports.  

Pro-spec camera support

The Ronin-S's high-torque motors support a payload of up to 3.6kg, which means it will happily accommodate popular camera and lens combinations, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Panasonic Lumix GH5S and Sony Alpha cameras such as the A7R III and A7S II.

The gimbal does some clever stuff with image stabilization too, compensating for zoom lenses with external zooming barrels and higher magnification ratios, while its advanced stabilization algorithms work with both in-camera and in-lens technology. It also features DJI’s intelligent battery system, which is built into the handle and enables an operating time of 12 hours.

The Ronin-S can be pre-ordered now, priced at £669 / $699 / AU$1,099. 

Phil Hall

Phil Hall is an experienced writer and editor having worked on some of the largest photography magazines in the UK, and now edit the photography channel of TechRadar, the UK's biggest tech website and one of the largest in the world. He has also worked on numerous commercial projects, including working with manufacturers like Nikon and Fujifilm on bespoke printed and online camera guides, as well as writing technique blogs and copy for the John Lewis Technology guide.