Exciting New Releases from DJI: The DJI RS4, RS4 Pro and Focus Pro

At this years annual trade show in Las Vegas, produced by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), many companies came out swinging with announcements of their newest products and product lines. Arguably, one of the most impressive of these came from DJI, as they announced their new RS4 and RS4 Pro Gimbals, as well as the Focus Pro. As one would expect, DJI's newest gimbals feature upgrades over their predecessors that include improved stabilization, ergonomic features, more variety in their accessory ecosystem, and even a brand new vertical capture mode tailored to social media video formats at full resolution. The product that really stuck out to me, was the new DJI Focus Pro, and the ways in which it integrates with the entire DJI ecosystem.

Overview

DJI RS4

As previously mentioned, the new DJI RS4 gimbal now supports vertical shooting modes with a redesigned horizontal plate for easier transitions in and out of said mode. Although this mode may not be commonly used by traditional cinematographers, DJI have widened their target market with the massive rise of social media content producers. One of the big changes that I was excited to see with the RS4, was the new Teflon coating on all three axes to help fine tune balancing. Like me, I'm sure many users have also experienced this frustration with earlier DJI gimbals: the sudden slip or surge along the axis when fine tuning the balance with minor adjustments. Sometimes balancing a gimbal can be tricky, and inaccurate balancing can adversely effect the performance of a gimbal, whether it be for battery life or smooth gimbal operation. A Teflon coating on all the axes of the RS4 should make this process quite a bit less difficult than it has sometimes been in the past.

Furthermore the RS4 has an increased payload capacity to up to 6.6 lbs, with stronger torque for the motors and an 8.5mm extended tilt axis. While 8.5mm may seem like a minor increase, when working with film equipment it can make a world difference when attaching accessories like ND filters to the front of a lens.

DJI RS4 Pro

Along with all the upgrades featured in the RS4, the RS4 Pro boasts a few new features and attributes to help justify the higher price tag. With its carbon fiber design, DJI were able to further increase the payload capacity of the RS4 Pro to up to 10 lbs, while also implementing the Teflon axes to help with fine tuning adjustments. Probably one of the most notable differences between the RS4 and RS4 Pro is the addition of the new DJI Focus Pro LiDAR Autofocus system. This new system includes many of the features of the previous autofocus system implemented by DJI, but has been improved upon quite substantially. The new LiDAR Autofocus system has the ability for focus tracking, and human subject focusing of 20m, almost triple the distance of the previous model.

Further upgrades found in the RS4 Pro include longer battery runtimes of up to 29 hours, and fast charging capabilities to recharge the battery grip in under 3 hours. The DJI RS4 Pro has also been created with much of the DJI ecosystem in mind, with the ability to integrate with the DJI Focus Pro lens system and DJI Video Transmission. The RS4 Pro also uniquely supports multiple handheld configurations, and with this the flexibility to work in a variety of setups for car mounts, jibs, Steadicams, sliders and more.

Technical Specifications

DJI RS4 RS4 Pro

Price, Availability & Conclusions

In terms of the evolution of gimbals, the RS4 and RS4 Pro are two of the most user friendly, powerful, and adaptable gimbals that DJI have produced. I personally have had the pleasure to operate on the RS4 Pro, and found it to be quick and easy to balance - even when making slight adjustments for lens swaps. It also performed very well, making it through the entire shoot without any issues. As for pricing and availability, the RS4 starts at $459 USD and the RS4 Pro starts at $799 USD, both of which are available to order online now. If DJI continues to produce innovative products, and listening to feedback from consumers, I for one am very excited to see how these products will continue to develop in the future.