DJI RS 4 Mini Review

Introduction

If you’re a content creator looking for a compact and lightweight gimbal, DJI’s RS Mini series has probably caught your eye before. 

In April 2024, DJI introduced the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro along with the Focus Pro, an attachable lens control system that uses LiDAR technology to improve the autofocus experience and enable AMF on the higher-end gimbals. 

Nearly a year later, the smaller and more affordable RS 4 Mini has arrived, and it’s brought its own new addition: the Intelligent Tracking Module.

Design

• The DJI RS 4 Mini measures 175 x 182 x 338 unfolded and weighs 880g
• Included accessories include a tripod, briefcase handle and the Intelligent Tracking Module 
• The RS 4 Mini takes several design cues from the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro

The RS 4 Mini is a relatively small and lightweight gimbal at 175 x 182 x 338 unfolded and 880g, though with a payload capacity of up to 2kg, the gimbal is only as light as your camera and lens are.

Of course, this gimbal isn’t designed to hoist heavy professional film cameras, with recommended pairings including the Canon R5, Sony A7 III, Nikon Z7 and Panasonic S5 with a 24-70mm lens or similar. For larger, heavier cameras, you’ll want to opt for the RS 4 or RS 4 Pro. 

The Mini is also natively compatible with smartphones for the first time, provided you pick up the phone holder. That said, if you’re just looking for a gimbal to pair with a smartphone, you might prefer to consider a smaller model designed solely for phones such as the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro, or the DJI Osmo Mobile 7 and Osmo Mobile 7P. 

While the RS 4 Mini is small for a camera and phone gimbal, folding down to just 316 x 64 x 236mm, it’s bulkier than a standard phone gimbal and the handle doesn’t contain an extension rod or tripod as the above do.

There is an attachable tripod in the box, which doesn’t add too much additional height when unfolded. However, it does extend the length of the handle when folded, meaning it adds a bit of bulk when travelling with the gimbal. A bonus to the added length is that it does make it easier to shoot from higher and lower angles in place of an extension rod. The same goes for the briefcase handle in the box, which is both smaller and lighter than its predecessor. 

There’s a 1.4-inch full-colour LCD touchscreen at the top of the handle, which I found to be very bright and responsive, along with an array of physical buttons, including a joystick to move the gimbal, a record button and a trigger on the rear side of the handle and more. There are also new dedicated switches to change the gimbal and joystick modes. 

The RS 4 Mini takes a few design cues from its siblings, including 2nd generation auto-axis locks to unlock the gimbal’s axis locks faster and a 3rd generation native vertical switch to switch the orientation faster. The Teflon interlayers have also come to the Mini, allowing for smoother and more precise balancing.

App and Tracking 

• The RS 4 Mini can be tricky to set up and balance
• The Intelligent Tracking Module enables great AI tracking
• The battery life has increased to 13 hours

Setting the RS 4 Mini up for the first time isn’t the most intuitive process. This is the third RS gimbal I’ve reviewed and I still found myself floundering when watching the videos in the Quick Start Guide in the Ronin app.

Thankfully, I managed to install the camera and balance it after refreshing myself on the process, but I can’t say it was easy. 

If you’re someone who uses an RS gimbal with different camera and lens combinations regularly (or maybe are just good at assembling Ikea furniture), you could probably install and balance your camera in a matter of minutes. However, if you’re new to gimbals or rusty regarding the set-up process, ensure you set aside a good 30 minutes to watch the videos in the Quick Start Guide and wrap your head around the process. 

Once set up, the gimbal is easy enough to use. Much of this is thanks to the DJI Ronin app, which makes it easy to access features like panorama, timelapse track and the virtual joystick.

There’s also new AI tracking functionality thanks to the Intelligent Tracking Module. This magnetic accessory snaps onto the side of the gimbal, enabling DJI’s ActiveTrack technology on any camera or phone. This ensures your subject remains centred in the frame, with DJI claiming the module can keep a human subject in frame up to 10m away even in complex environments. 

I found the tracking to be great, focusing on my partner from several metres away when he raised his hand. A green light on the front and back of the Intelligent Tracking Module lets you know it’s tracking a subject, with the light going red if it stops tracking so you’ll know regardless of whether you’re behind the camera or in front of the lens.

No amount of fast movements got past the little tracker and when he disappeared behind a wall, it had no problem picking him up again as soon as he stepped back into frame. 

The battery life was one aspect I found particularly disappointing on the RS 3 Mini, so it was good to see DJI make improvements in this area. The gimbal now has an operating time of 13 hours up from 10 hours, with both the battery life and charging speed boosted by an additional 30% over the last generation. 

However, unlike the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro, the RS 4 Mini cannot be used to recharge your camera in a pinch. 

Stabilisation and Performance  

• 4th-gen stabilisation makes shooting vertically smoother
• The PTF, PF and FPV gimbal modes cover a wide range of movement
• Some accessories found on the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro aren’t supported here

Another upgrade passed down from the RS 4 and RS 4 Pro is 4th generation stabilisation, which DJI says has been especially improved when shooting vertically. This is great news for those filming vertical content for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and the like, as it means more stable results. 

There are three shooting modes to choose from, including PTF, PF and FPV. PTF (Pan and Tilt Follow) is for moving the gimbal diagonally, while PF (Pan Follow) moves it from left to right. FPV (Pan, Tilt and Roll Follow) is the most versatile, giving you full control of the three axes. Sadly, the Intelligent Tracking Module isn’t supported in this mode. There are also four follow speeds (Slow, Med, Fast and Custom), for which you can choose between prioritising smoothness and responsiveness. 

I found that the three gimbal modes gave the gimbal a wide variety of movement, offering incredibly smooth results on camera. The new gimbal mode switch to the right of the screen was also appreciated, making it much quicker to toggle between the three modes. 

The speed, smoothness and function of the joystick are also customisable, as are the speed and function of the dial. For the latter, you can pick between controlling the focus, ISO, aperture, shutter, roll, pan and tilt. 

The RS 4 Mini does lack support for some accessories that can be used alongside the larger and pricier RS 4 and RS 4 Pro, including LiDAR focusing (on the Pro), the DJI Focus Pro Motor and the DJI Ronin Image Transmitter.

Should you buy it?