When DJI announced the DJI Ronin 4D cinema camera it was like it was a device from the future. This was thanks to its unusual design and the fact that the whole camera was surrounded by its unique built-in gimbal, which actually suspended the camera sensor and mount, leading it to become one of the best cinema cameras on the market if you shot anything handheld.
Well, thanks to website Photo Rumors, the rumor mill has started as it reports that DJI could announce a new cinema camera at the NAB show in April 2024 – but what this new camera could be is quite intriguing.
If the rumblings are anything to go by, then I wouldn't expect too much from the new camera – "new" being the confusing word here. And if we are to believe the rumors, which we always have to take with a massive pinch of salt, the new DJI cinema camera will be almost the same as the last one – but surprisingly it will not feature its standout feature: the gimbal!
You read that right, according to Photo Rumors' sources, the new video camera from DJI will not ship with the signature feature that caught the eye of many cinematographers who want to be filmmakers.
Perhaps this would be a lower-grade option, you might be thinking. Well, according to the rumored specs, that isn't the answer, either.
Apparently, this new video camera will ship with an upgraded SSD of either 3 or 4TB (over the 1TB of the previous model). I can already hear the dollar signs now. It could also be equipped with USB 4, and even feature photo-taking capabilities as well – rather odd on a professionally built cinema camera, if you ask me!
However, some good news for early adopters is that this new DJI Ronin camera will still be able to use all the DJI Ronin 4D accessories. This is a massive bonus when you consider that a lot (if not all) of the extra modules you could need to fill the camera to a full commercial spec are all DJI-specific, and not made by third parties.
Whether this new camera without the gimbal that made the DJI Ronin 4D so special will take off, who knows. But as soon as we hear of more rumors or teasers we will be sure to keep you up to date.
For different kinds of filming, you might also be interested in the best cameras for video and the best cameras for vlogging – and don't forget that the best DJI drones are among the best camera drones, too.
