We all know DJI for their drones, but they’ve also been making a line of cinema-grade cameras and gimbals under the Ronin brand for nearly a decade now. And we’ve heard plenty of good things about their releases throughout the years. The DJI Ronin 4D-8K is the latest addition to the line, bringing cinematic 8K imaging, along with a whole slew of modern camera tech.
Billed as “a cutting-edge and comprehensive cinematography solution,” the device bundles all of the outfit’s most advanced technologies into the modular system, which, they claim, “offers groundbreaking flexibility to solo cinematographers and unlimited possibilities for coordinated shooting.” From 8K imaging and gimbal stabilization to LiDAR focusing and wireless transmission to a whole host of other tech, this is an all-in-one solution for folks who want a serious professional setup for capturing video.
The DJI Ronin 4D-8K retains the same modular design as their previous 4D cinema camera, so you get the main body, which houses the imaging, stabilization, focusing, wireless transmission, and control systems. You then plug in the various included components based on what you need for a shoot. Chief among these is the Zenmuse X9-8K camera, which can shoot 8K at 75 fps (full frame 2.39:1), 8K at 60 fps (full frame 17:9), and 4K at 120 fps (slo-mo) in Apple ProRes RAW, Apple ProRes HQ, and H.264 formats. Camera features include 14.7 stops of dynamic range, 800/5000 dual native ISO, built-in nine stop ND filters, and an interchangeable DL lens mount. It also comes with a DJI DL PZ 17-28mm T3.0 ASPH lens.
Others included components you can attach to the body including a main monitor, left and right hand grips, a top handle, a LiDAR range finder, a focus motor, and a battery system. There are plenty of other optional components, but you’ll have to purchase them as separate accessories if you want them in your setup.
The DJI Ronin 4D-8K has a motorized four-axis gimbal stabilization system, effectively adding a Z-axis to their traditional three-axis gimbals for even better handling of vertical shakes. Combined with a downward ToF sensor, dual-visual sensors, built-in IMU and barometer, and a new correction algorithm, it delivers next-level stabilization to all your video footage. Camera controls are integrated right on the camera grips, by the way, making it easy for cinematographers to trigger different presets and shooting modes, while shooting technologies found in the outfit’s drones, such as ActiveTrack Pro for automatic shot tracking, also find their way to the camera.
It uses a LiDAR-based focusing system that casts 43,200 ranging points within a 10-meter (33 feet) detection range, allowing it to focus faster, maintain focus despite severe motion blur, and do both very capably even in low light. Other features include the outfit’s new 20,000-foot range wireless transmission tech, coordinated shooting modes (broadcast and control), an included 1TB SSD that can be attached to the body, built-in CFexpress Type-B slot for additional storage, USB-C port with external storage support, and a swappable battery rated at up to 2.5 hours of recording time.
The DJI Ronin 4D-8K is available now, priced starting at $12,838.