CES 2018: DJI Reveals New Osmo Mobile 2 and Ronin-S Stabilizers, Earns Best of CES 2018 Award

At CES 2018, DJI has unveiled their latest stabilizers, the Osmo Mobile 2 and the Ronin-S. The Osmo Mobile 2 is the newest version of the Osmo Mobile smartphone stabilizer and the Ronin-S is the latest model in the Ronin camera stabilizer series.

“With the introduction of these two stabilizers, DJI now offers gimbal technology to help unlock the creative storyteller in everyone no matter what camera they’re using,” said Paul Pan, Senior Product Manager at DJI. “Osmo Mobile 2 offers the best in smartphone stabilization at an affordable price, and Ronin-S brings the quality of DJI’s professional gimbal technology to a new form factor that is perfect for run-and-gun filming using your favorite DSLR or mirrorless camera system.”

Ronin-S

Taking home our award for Best Gimbal of CES 2018, the Ronin-S is a really simplified version of the original Ronin. It’s also a pretty big release for DJI because it’s their first single-handed stabilizer for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. And, being designed with what DJI calls “Powerful high-torque motors,” the Ronin-S should be able to support pretty much all the popular camera and lens combinations, like the Canon 5D, Panasonic GH5S and Sony Alpha series. However, the maximum weight that the Ronin-S can hold is not known at the moment.

Controlling the Ronin-S looks to be pretty straight-forward: there’s a tiny thumbstick that you use for panning and framing your shots, and there’s a new Sport mode that’s meant to lock onto fast moving subjects as well as a Push mode that DJI says lets you manually adjust the pan and tilt axis by hand.

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“Capturing stabilized video has never been easier because Ronin-S was designed for easy setup and use. Push mode lets you adjust the pan and tilt axis by hand while the Ronin-S is powered on and axis lock speed up the setup process so you can spend more time filming and less time prepping your gear,” says DJI. “Ronin-S has a comfortable, ergonomic curved design that helps capture smooth cinematic movements from upright to underslung positions without obstructing the camera’s display.”

The Ronin-S also features SmoothTrack technology, which should allow users to get “transitions smoothly from motion to camera angle effortlessly” with just one hand.

The Ronin-S will be released in the second quarter of 2018 from dji.com. It’s price will be announced sometime before its release.

Congratulations to DJI and the team behing the Ronin-S, Videomaker's pick for Best Gimbal of CES 2018!

Osmo Mobile 2

Also announced at CES, the Osmo Mobile 2 is the newest version of DJI’s Osmo Mobile stabilizer, and it looks like it makes a few changes to the original, one of them being the introduction of full support for shooting in portrait orientation.

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Before, the original Osmo Mobile was able to shoot vertical video, but it had to be turned sideways to do so. DJI’s seems to have fixed that uncomfortable issue by designing the new Osmo with the capability to support phones mounted in portrait, letting you hold it upright while still getting that upright perspective.

The Osmo Mobile 2 is also now composed of “high-strength” nylon, and not a mixture of nylon and magnesium alloy.

“Osmo Mobile 2 is made from high-strength modified nylon and features a folding design that makes it perfect for all-day use. The two-way mobile clamp lets you easily pivot between landscape and portrait orientation so that you can chose the most engaging full-screen format for your audience. In addition, a 1/4” universal screw mount ensures compatibility with your favorite photography accessories, making Osmo Mobile 2 more versatile than ever,” says DJI.

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DJI has also updated Osmo with an internal battery that’s reported to last much longer than the original — up to 15 hours or three times as long as the original’s battery life. It’s buttons have also been moved in an attempt to make its layout simpler, with the accessory mount being moved to the bottom of the grip, originally being placed on the side.

The Osmo Mobile 2 will be retailing for a low $129, which is $170 less than the original Osmo. It be available for pre-order at Apple.com on January 23 and at store.dji.com in early February.

Sean Berry
Sean Berry
Sean Berry is Videomaker's managing editor.

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