GH4 Ronin or Ronin-M for GH4?

I

Ian Stark

Active member
Other than weight, size and cost, are there any functional differences between the original Ronin and the Ronin-M? Under what circumstances would a GH4 user choose the original Ronin over the Ronin-M?

My anticipated use would be with a GH4 with a Tokina 11-16 plus speedbooster, or the Panasonic 12-35/35-100 lenses.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Last edited:
Only reason to pick the Ronin would be if you plan to someday use a much bigger camera.

If you haven't already, I'd encourage you to also look at the CAME-Mini 3. (Not the 1 or 2)
 
Thanks Joe. I can't find a UK based reseller for CAME-TV products unfortunately, otherwise I would certainly be considering it.

On the subject of bigger cameras, I do have an AF100 that I use extensively but I don't foresee any need to fly it.
 
That's a shame. I've used both the Ronin-M and the CAME (2, not 3) and other than DJI's nice mobile app, the CAME is its equal for less money. With encoders, the 3 is even better.
 
I would personally recommend the Ronin-M

It's a great unit. Operating a medium sized gimbal with one hand does not seem like a good idea to me. To each their own I guess
 
I would highly advise against the Ronin for the Gh4. We have a Ronin at work and it's a complete pain to try and get it balanced for the A7s ii and heavy lenses. Your setup sounds pretty light, although you would not be able to add too much more weight you may also want to check out the Behold DS1. Or the new nebula gimbal. I much prefer the size/weight of the pistol grip.
 
Sadly the Letus gimbal is also not available in the UK as far as I can see. Neither are any of the others that have been mentioned!

fadedjosh are you saying the Ronin or the Ronin-M is a problem?
 
Ian Stark said:
Sadly the Letus gimbal is also not available in the UK as far as I can see. Neither are any of the others that have been mentioned!

fadedjosh are you saying the Ronin or the Ronin-M is a problem?
Click to expand...

Ronin not the Ronin-M. I have a few fiends that use the Ronin-M on similar setups and have zero problems whatsoever. The large Ronin is just overkill for DSLR in my experience.
 
does encoder makes a huge difference to gimbal stability? Comparing between the CAME TV mini 3 with encoder and Ronin M without.
 
Thanks all for the replies. I've pulled the trigger on a Ronin-M. I did find a couple of other manufacturers' gimbals available here in the UK but given the weight of reviews, YouTube videos, etc in favour of the Ronin-M, as well as the number of resellers in the UK compared with other manufacturers I think the Ronin-M makes sense. It was also the only one I could get with next day delivery and I am not a patient man . . .

As a side note, from a financial point of view this purchase is nuts! I am buying it for a specific job, so renting for the day would have been far more sensible. However, I have a feeling this is going to end up being used in everything I do :-)

Thanks again for your advice everyone.
 
Boon said:
does encoder makes a huge difference to gimbal stability? Comparing between the CAME TV mini 3 with encoder and Ronin M without.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is more stable, and easier to balance, but the DRAMATIC increase in battery life is what excites most people. (Dramatic, as in you can run it all day.)
 
I'm running nx-1 and other DSLRs/smaller cameras and I went with the ronin-M in January.

Was in a similar position as you, needed it for a specific job, decided to buy one rather than renting.

I have jobs lined up later this summer that require gimbal work, last year we rented the ronin-m, so I'll be making money back on those as well.

Used it for the job and it did great, and am beginning to use it more now.

Be sure to remember to buy a case when you can as it doesn't come with one.

I bought a nanuk 940 with the foam inserts for it and it's pretty nice. Definitely nice to have the case
 
Boon said:
does encoder makes a huge difference to gimbal stability? Comparing between the CAME TV mini 3 with encoder and Ronin M without.
Click to expand...


??? It was my understanding that the Ronin M has the equivalent of encoders... is that wrong?
 
OldCorpse said:
??? It was my understanding that the Ronin M has the equivalent of encoders... is that wrong?
Click to expand...
It does, and runs for a very long time. Sorry, I was comparing the CAME-MINI3 to its predecessors which did not have encoders and did not compare as favorably to the Ronin-M.
 
Rentability is certainly something in the Ronin's favor. People know the brand and will trust (pay) to rent it, versus one of the "off" brands which don't have the same caché.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top