dji Ronin S2 User manual

DJI Ronin S2
CDA Quick Start Guide
Setup and Basic Operation
Centre for Digital Arts
Concordia University 2022

Contents
P. 3 W h a t is a camera gimbal?
P. 4 A b o u t this CDA Quick Start Guide
P. 5 S e tti n g up the Gimbal
P. 6 W a r n i n g about the gimbal motors
P. 7 S t e p s f o r s e t t i n g u p t h e g i m b a l
1. Charge the battery -P. 8
2. Prepare the Camera-P. 9
3. Assemble and Balance the Gimbal-P. 1 5
4. Test the balance with Auto Tune-P. 2 3
5. Connect the Camera-P. 2 5
P. 2 8 B a si c Op e ra t io n
P. 2 9 W i n t e r W a r n i n g
P. 3 0 O p e r a t i o n M o d e s
P. 3 2 F o l l o w M o d e s
P. 3 5 M a n u a l C o n t r o l o f A x e s
P. 3 6 O t h e r B a s i c G i m b a l C o n t r o l s
P. 3 7 C o n t r o l l i n g E x p o s u r e Remotely
P. 3 9 C o n t r o l l i n g F o c u s Remotely
P. 4 0 I m p o r t a n t S y s t e m S e t t i n g s
P. 4 1 C r e a t e S e t t i n g s
P. 4 2 P r a c t i c a l A d v i c e
P. 4 3 T he DJ I Ro n i n A p p
P. 4 4 D o w n l o a d i n g t h e App
P. 4 5 C r e a t e M e n u O p t i o n s
P. 4 8 A c ce s s o r ie s
P. 4 9 Tw i s t G r i p D u a l H a n d l e s

What is a camera gimbal?
A gimbal is a device that allows smooth camera motion when handholding a
camera.
The DJI Ronin RS 2 is for small still cameras. It has three motors that balance
the movement of the camera. In ordinary use, the motors adjust to the
movement of the hand grip. Use the gimbal for travelling shots that follow a
subject or move around a subject.
You can also do special effects, like getting the gimbal to execute a series of
preprogrammed movements, follow the movement of a phone, or move
during timelapse photography.
The drawback, when using the gimbal, is the difficulty in operating exposure
and focus settings while shooting. You will want set up exposure before
recording and use autofocus.

About this CDA Quick Start Guide
This guide groups essential resources in one place, so you can quickly start using
the gimbal. It collects sources of information from the web. Some of the
procedures can be followed much easier in videos.
I make specific observations on using the gimbal with the Sony mirrorless cameras
and lenses in the CDA EV Depot and refer to specific menu settings in the Sony a7r
III camera. But you can use other cameras with similar settings.
Not all the features of the gimbal are covered in this guide.
I recommend the complete DJI user guide that can be found here:
https://www.dji.com/ca/downloads/products/rs-2
There a more concise paper DJI quick start guide in the bag, that is much less useful
that the complete user guide.

Setting up the Gimbal
DJI Ronin RS2
Centre for Digital Arts

Warning about the gimbal motors
Don’t power on the gimbal until the gimbal is balanced and
the motors are unlocked.
Turning on the power when any of the gimbals’ motors are
locked can damage the device.

Steps for Setting up the Gimbal
Follow these steps for setting up the gimbal. They should be followed in
this order:
1. Charge the gimbal battery
2. Prepare the camera
3. Assemble and Balance the gimbal (with the camera on it)
4. Test the balance with Auto Tune
5. Connect the camera

1. Charge the battery
The battery is in the grip, and will
last for about 12 hours in normal
mode but less in super smooth
mode.
The gimbal uses less power when it
is properly balanced.
There is a USB charging port at the
bottom of the grip.
There is only one grip/battery.
Charge the battery in a place above
5° C but preferably at room
temperature.

2. Prepare the camera
Which camera to use?
The DJI Ronin RS 2 can work with many still cameras. The complete list can be found on this
page:
https://www.dji.com/ca/support/compatibility
In this guide, I refer to the Sony mirrorless cameras as these are the still cameras in the EV
depot with the best video recording quality. However, you can use other still cameras if you
wish. Refer to the specific menu settings required for remote control on the DJI
compatibility pages.
Do not use the RS 2 gimbal with any video cameras. It is not for use with the Sony FX6, FS5
or Z90 video cameras in the EV depot or any other video camera with the exception of
Blackmagic “pocket” video cameras.
Although DJI claim that this gimbal can support a 10 Lbs camera (4.5 kg), I remain skeptical.
It is difficult to balance the gimbal with a load of half that weight. The smaller and lighter
the load, the better the gimbal works.

2. Prepare the Camera
Attachments, batteries and media
Before using the gimbal it has to be balanced
with the camera. Prepare the camera so that
everything that is needed in and on the camera
is attached or inserted.
The neck strap should be removed. Place the
battery and SD card inside. Put the desired lens
on the camera, the lens hood if required and
take off the lens cap.
This advice seems pedantic but if there are any
changes to the camera (for example: removing a
lens cap or attaching a lens hood), the gimbal
will have to be rebalanced. Sony A7R III with the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM
prime lens. This is a good lens to use.

2. Prepare the Camera
Avoid heavy zoom lenses.
The Sony mirrorless cameras come with zoom lenses like the
Sony FE 24-70 GM mm. There is no benefit to using a zoom lens
on the gimbal since you cannot zoom while shooting!
Zooming alters the length of lens that upsets the forward
weight of the camera that upsets the gimbal balance. If you use
a zoom lens, balance the gimbal with the desired focal length.
Changing focal lengths means rebalancing.
Length and weight is an issue. With the Sony FE 24-70 GM mm
zoom lens, for example, the gimbal can only be balanced at the
shortest focal lengths. So, nothing is gained by using the zoom
instead of a shorter, lighter and faster prime lens.
Use small prime lenses on the camera. This will make the
camera light and easy to control. Sony A7R III with the FE 24-70 mm
balanced at the 24 mm focal length.

2. Prepare the Camera
Which lens to use?
Any of the Sony prime lenses in the depot are good to use
with the Sony mirrorless cameras. The shorter focal lengths
are ideal. The larger and heavier the lens, the more work it is
to balance the gimbal.
I tested the gimbal with the Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM and Sony
FE 50mm f1.4 ZA lens lenses. Both worked in a similar fashion.
With these lenses, aperture and focus can be controlled
remotely. Camera and lens control requires a USB C
connection from the gimbal to the camera (more on this
later).
The DJI compatibility pages do not list all the supported
lenses.
https://www.dji.com/ca/support/compatibility
Sony a7r III with the Sony FE 50mm f.1.4 lens

2. Prepare the camera
Quick release plate: Put the quick release plate on the camera. There is a higher
and shorter quick release plate. The higher one does not lock properly, so use the
shorter one only. Mount it on the camera with the arrows pointing forward and
backward.
Use the shorter one!

2. Prepare the camera
Which frame rate to choose?
In general, when shooting video with the Sony mirrorless cameras (or
other still cameras) use the 30p frame rate rather than 24p when
possible. Motion looks smoother at 30p on cameras these cameras.
Shooting at high frame rates for a slow-motion effect (S & Q Mode in
the Sony cameras) in conjunction with the gimbal will result in the
smoothest possible motion.
Specific menu and camera settings to allow remote control are detailed
in the Basic Operation section of this guide.

3. Assemble and Balance the Gimbal
Once you have prepared the camera, you can assemble and then balance the
gimbal. This is easier shown on video, rather than described in a pdf. Here are two
great video references.
Watch this video by Jason Roberts for a detailed explanation of setting-up the
gimbal, balancing and auto tuning the gimbal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0iq89cTDkQ
Once you are more familiar with the setup, DJI have a shorter, more precise video
on balancing. This is good to refresh your memory the next time you balance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObjjN5JxY2k
On the following pages, I will underline some important details about assembling
and balancing the gimbal. These comments are to be used in conjunction with the
above videos.

3. Assemble the Gimbal
The battery grip:
The battery grip lock is a bit deceptive and not very
confidence building.
Press the button inside the lock lever and move the
lever to the unlock position to insert the grip, then
move the lever to the locked position to tighten. Move
the lever as far to the locked position as possible.
There is no click when it locks. It is simply a pressure
lock. The grip cannot come loose without the button
inside the lock being pressed.
Screw the mini-tripod legs on to the gimbal handle. Set
up the gimbal on a hard level surface like a table to do
the balancing.

3. Assemble the Gimbal
Expanding the gimbal:
The gimbal is expanded by
unlocking the roll axis motor.
The gimbal has three motors for
the three axes: tilt, roll and pan.
Lock the motors when mounting
the camera to the gimbal.
Always unlock the motors before
turning the gimbal on.
Roll axis

3. Assemble the Gimbal
front left side
Gimbal orientation:
This is how the gimbal should
be built and orientated. The
front of the gimbal has the
trigger and dial. The rear has
the touch screen. The roll
motor is on the back of the
gimbal.
The arm with the words
“Ronin” is on the right hand
side if you are aiming the
gimbal forward and are
behind the gimbal.

3. Assemble the Gimbal
Mounting the camera:
Mount the camera on the gimbal before
performing the balancing.
When mounting, do not position the camera
too much forward or backwards on the sliding
lower quick release plate. Put it in the middle.
Do not tether the camera to the gimbal with
the USB cable at this point. Tether the camera
after the balancing.
Camera mounted in middle of sliding plate

3. Assemble the Gimbal
The lens strap:
There is a lens strap for supporting larger lenses
that must be placed on the camera before the
gimbal is balanced.
Lenses larger than the 24 mm Sony prime will
need the lens strap to help reduce stress on the
lens mount. You must also use the lens strap for
Supersmooth mode.
The lens strap has two parts: a knob that screws
the strap handle into the camera slide plate, and
the strap handle with the strap.
See the next slide for two variations on how to
mount the lens strap.