If gimbals had been the celebs of a buddy-cop movie, the DJI RS 4 Mini could be the sharp rookie who learns shortly and steps in on the finish of the film to avoid wasting the day. Though the DJI RS 4 Mini is mild grey, often for manufacturing gear, and sporting smaller-sized motors, don’t be fooled, this stabilizer strikes smoother than the barista who makes my flat whites.
Launched in early 2025, the RS 4 Mini is DJI’s newest light-weight handheld gimbal, particularly designed for content material creators, vloggers, journey filmmakers, and solo shooters. It replaces the RS 3 Mini whereas incorporating simply sufficient options from its bigger siblings, the RS 4 and RS 4 Professional, to ship nice efficiency for its dimension. There have been solely a few issues that stood out to me. However wait, let me confess, I’m a frequent consumer of the DJI RS 4 Professional, and seeing a equally sized RS 4 Mini with smaller motors causes me to check the 2. Comparability kills our pleasure, so I attempted to not, however the two are so comparable it’s laborious to not examine.
Did the Clever Monitoring Module assist the RS 4 Mini develop into the hero by the top of the buddy-cop movie, or was it a function {that a} rookie needlessly focuses on however doesn’t assist? Let’s discover out.
DJI RS 4 Mini Impressions
For all intents and functions the DJI RS 4 Mini seems to be and feels comparable in dimension to the DJI RS 4 Professional, simply mild grey in shade. But, the DJI RS4 Mini weighs slightly below 2 kilos, which is barely greater than a full water bottle, whereas the DJI RS4 Professional weighs over 2 kilos. The distinction in weight between the 2 shouldn’t be a lot and hardly noticeable.
What’s extra necessary to think about is the digital camera weight every can deal with. The RS 4 Professional can carry as much as 10 kilos, and the RS 4 Mini has a 4.4-pound payload. That’s the massive distinction between the 2. That RS 4 Mini is made for mirrorless cameras and/or telephones. The 4.4-pound payload restrict covers most full-frame mirrorless setups just like the Sony FX3, Canon R5, or Panasonic S5 II paired with mid-range zoom lenses.
Sensible Cellphone On RS 4 Mini
The assessment unit loaned to me additionally got here with an adapter to mount a smartphone. I attempted it and I obtained to say, in the event you’re trying on the DJI RS 4 Mini to make use of along with your smartphone, you might wish to attempt DJI’s devoted cellphone gimbals just like the OSMO 7p, which I reviewed right here. I liked the expertise of utilizing that smaller, however phone-centric, gimbal with my iPhone. It was a greater taking pictures expertise.
DJI RS 4 Mini Construct Supplies & Balancing
The opposite distinction between the 2 gimbals construct high quality is discovered within the materials used. The DJI RS 4 Mini options numerous plastic, whereas the RS 4 Professional feels sturdier with extra strong metallic in its vital use spots.
Balancing the DJI RS 4 Mini is precisely like balancing the DJI RS 4 Professional. The similarities between the Mini and Professional are in practically each function, so in the event you used one, you’ve principally used the opposite.
The RS 4 Mini, just like the RS 4 Professional, contains native vertical taking pictures, that means you possibly can reorient your digital camera for portrait-style content material in underneath 10 seconds. Excellent for Reels, Tales, Shorts, or no matter social platform the children are utilizing lately.
RS 4 Mini Clever Monitoring Module
The massive new function within the DJI RS 4 Mini is the optionally available Clever Monitoring Module. Connect it magnetically to the gimbal, and immediately you’ve obtained AI-powered face and physique monitoring that locks on to you want a golden retriever to a tennis ball. Wish to stroll and discuss hands-free? Want an ideal orbit shot? The RS 4 Mini says: “I obtained you, fam.”
The spotlight to me is the Gesture management and monitoring. This function alone can be particularly interesting for solo filmmakers. The gesture management felt like magic throughout testing. My eight-year-old liked it.
For extra skilled filmmakers, the Clever Monitoring Module could get in your approach. I’m a reasonably darn good operator, and I discovered the Clever Monitoring Module to be just a little slower than my efforts, however I’ve been taking pictures for a very long time. Throughout a marching band shoot, the Clever Monitoring Module turned confused with the brass devices as a result of, I feel, they offered the module with a excessive distinction topic than a human face usually presents in video.
Taking pictures Modes: From Refined to Sporty
The RS 4 Mini contains all of the staple taking pictures modes you’d count on from DJI:
- Comply with Mode: Clean pan and tilt, nice for handheld walk-throughs or interviews.
- FPV Mode: Provides roll axis to imitate handheld “floating” or action-cam seems to be.
- Sport Mode: Prompts hyper-responsive motion for fast-paced taking pictures.
- 360 Roll Mode: As a result of generally the shot simply must spin. I in all probability use this greater than I ought to.
And for vloggers or run-and-gun shooters, switching modes is fast by way of the touchscreen. No extra scrolling by means of settings such as you’re attempting to defuse a bomb. This is rather like one finds on the RS 4 Professional.
Battery: All Day and Then Some
Contained in the deal with lives a non-removable 3100 mAh battery, providing you with as much as 13 hours of use per cost. That’s greater than sufficient to get by means of many of the day. The massive draw back: no swappable battery, so you possibly can’t lengthen runtime with out plugging in. However for many use instances, you’re golden.
App and Ecosystem
What I like concerning the DJI RS 4 Mini is one is not required to make use of the Ronin App. You may calibrate and alter the remainder of the settings on the RS 4 itself. I don’t learn about the remainder of you, however I’m sort of bored with utilizing my cellphone for each linked piece of drugs I exploit.
Portability and Practicality
Virtually talking, practically all of DJI’s gimbals, besides the Ronin 2, may be carried for lengthy distances both within the hand, resting on one’s shoulder, or in a backpack. The RS 4 Mini shouldn’t be heavy, and the cameras it’s constructed for aren’t huge both. You’ll be simply tremendous throwing your gimbal, lenses, and digital camera in a backpack and climbing to that magical spot to seize that broll easily.
Professionals
- Light-weight, travel-friendly design
- Helps critical mirrorless digital camera rigs
- Unimaginable battery life (13 hrs!)
- Vertical taking pictures built-in
- Optionally available AI monitoring module is a game-changer
- Quick charging + intuitive touchscreen
Cons
- No detachable battery
- Setup nonetheless has a studying curve
- AI monitoring module is bought individually
- Not ultimate for heavier cinema rigs (go RS 4 Professional as a substitute)
DJI RS 4 Mini Pricing
- RS 4 Mini (gimbal solely): $369
- Combo (monitoring module + briefcase deal with): $459
- Creator Combo (provides cellphone holder): $479
In the event you’re a solo creator primarily taking pictures on a mirrorless digital camera the combo model is price the additional funding. That monitoring module makes solo taking pictures a breeze.
