Blog

Aug 25, 2023

DJI RS 3 Mini Review

Creators who've thought about adding a gimbal to their kit, but have perhaps

Creators who've thought about adding a gimbal to their kit, but have perhaps been turned off by the bulk and required expertise that go hand-and-hand with powered stabilizers, have a good, compact option in the DJI RS 3 Mini ($369). It's smaller and easier to set up than the regular RS 3 ($549), but is still strong enough to work with full-frame cameras. We also like that it supports vertical video, a must-have for TikTokers. Even so, we recommend the regular RS 3 as our Editors' Choice, as the bigger gimbal gives you more room to grow with a stronger accessory library and support for heavier lenses. If you don't need the extra features, however, the RS 3 Mini does its job of keeping your camera stable for Steadicam-quality footage.

The DJI RS 3 Mini lives up to its name. The stabilizer measures about 12.7 by 7.7 by 3.9 inches (HWD) and weighs about 1.8 pounds. It supports payloads up to 4.4 pounds, which is good enough for many popular full-frame, APS-C, and Micro Four Thirds lens and camera combinations. I tried it with a couple of different full-frame models, including the Panasonic S5 with its 20-60mm kit zoom, and the Sony a7R V with the Tamron 20-40mm F2.8.

The Mini uses a set of brushless motors to drive its aluminum alloy arms, and includes helpful marks on each to help you set up and balance your camera. There is some level of know-how required to get things up and running; the camera must be positioned so its center of weight is, well, centered, along the three axes.

The RS 3 Mini has a set of sliding adjustments and thumb locks to make balancing easier. You'll need to take it one axis at a time, starting with the vertical tilt axis, moving next to the roll axis, and finally to the pan axis. There's a little back-and-forth required to get the camera centered along each, but once it's done your kit should stay still in any position, even when the gimbal is turned off.

You don't always have to get it perfect—the RS 3 has a calibration setting that can fine-tune your results. I've balanced a few gimbals in my day and found the Mini to be quite easy to get going. I missed the geared thumb screw adjustment offered by the standard RS 3, however, as sliding the Mini's arms up and down manually is roughshod in comparison. Even so, I was able to balance a couple of different rigs, each in a matter of minutes, and with little frustration.

Keep in mind that you may have to re-balance the RS 3 Mini fairly frequently. The arms must be retracted a bit to fold it down for storage. This is in contrast to the RS 3 and RS 3 Pro, both of which can fold and lock in place with a camera still mounted and balanced.

Vertical video is in right now, at least on social sites like TikTok, which are built around tall phone screens. The RS 3 Mini supports vertical mounting out of the box, without the need for the $49 adapter that RS 3 and RS 3 Pro buyers need to mount cameras in portrait mode.

With the Mini, moving to portrait mode is a matter of removing part of the gimbal. The mounting platform that your camera normally sits on for landscape video comes off. Once it's removed, you just need to move the camera mounting plate off of it, and onto the side. It's something you can do without tools in about a minute.

There's not much clearance below the camera when it's mounted for vertical video, so the swing-out screens that are common on mirrorless cameras are blocked. There's just not enough room. It's a compromise that may turn off TikTokers who want to self-record video, at least with this gimbal. However, there are a few cameras with screens that flip over the top plate of the frame that make sense for creators to pair with this gimbal: the Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Fujifilm X-E4, and Sony a6400 are among them.

The RS 3 Mini is effective at keeping your camera straight and level, and also supports powered pan and tilt action, so you can easily add camera moves to your shots. A small thumbstick is included for control. It's pretty easy to handhold, even with a full-frame camera mounted. The compact build has a downside, though; since the handle is shorter than that of the full-size RS 3 you'll have less extension between you and the camera for self-recorded videos.

The gimbal gives you the option of inverting axis control if you like, but you will need to dive into the DJI Ronin smartphone app to make that change. Installing the app is a requirement to get the gimbal up and running, too; it's necessary for activation and firmware updates. Activation is a one-time requirement, but it's strict, so you'll need to have access to a smartphone during the initial setup. You can also remote control the gimbal from the app, a plus if you're looking to adjust a shot when you're not near the camera.

A 1.4-inch color display is available for on-handle controls. Here you can change the stabilization mode away from the default Pan Follow (PF) to a Pan Tilt Follow (PTF) or First Person View (FPV). You'll also be able to change the function of the front control wheel; you can use it to adjust exposure, or as a tilt, pan, or roll control. I liked the idea of switching it to roll, which makes it easy to frame up shots at Dutch angles. If you want to bring the gimbal back level to the ground, all it takes is a double tap of the trigger button, positioned just below the front wheel.

The RS 3 Mini supports wireless control (via Bluetooth) with compatible cameras. I tried it with the Sony a7R V and was reliably able to use the gimbal's Record button to start and stop video clips. The control wheel wouldn't change the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO, however. For the Sony, those functions are only supported via a USB-C connection, which is also available on the gimbal. Refer to DJI's list of compatible cameras(Opens in a new window) to see if yours works with remote control.

The RS 3 Mini doesn't support as many accessories as its larger counterparts. It includes a NATO Expansion mount, so you can add a handle for more comfortable low-angle work. However, you can't add the DJI Ronin Image Transmitter, a wireless video transmission system, or a manual follow focus system, both supported by the RS 3 and RS 3 Pro.

An internal battery is good for up to 10 hours of runtime and can recharge in about 2.5 hours. Battery power is a bit less than you get with the RS 3 or RS 3 Pro: each gets up to 12 hours on a charge. The RS 3 Mini recharges using a USB-C connector.

It's worth noting that the included quick-release plate sports a dovetail design for compatibility with Arca-Swiss tripod heads. It's not a difference maker for everyone, but creators who use Arca mounts will certainly appreciate the convenience when moving the camera from the gimbal to the tripod without having to change the baseplate.

DJI hasn't yet put an onboard video light onto its gimbals, so you'll need to attach an accessory light if you want to fill in shadows for recorded interviews and other scenes that could use a little extra light. It's a feature included in some recent offerings from Zhiyun, including the Crane M3, a small gimbal meant for smaller interchangeable lens cameras and phones. We didn't like the Crane M3's performance as much as the RS 3 Mini overall, but certainly see the appeal in an onboard light.

Creators who've thought about adding a gimbal to their toolkit before, but were intimidated, as well as expert users in search of a compact stabilizer, will be well served by the RS 3 Mini. It provides effective, three-axis stabilization for cameras. With support for 4.4-pound payloads, full-frame models are compatible, along with APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras. Most importantly, it's easy to set up and get running, without the need for tools.

Social media influencers making content for different platforms are sure to like the vertical mounting option, though we'll lament that the compact design limits the utility of front-facing screens. Meanwhile, aspiring filmmakers can add a pro-level stabilization kit to their cameras for a bit of instant production value.

There are some limitations that come along with a sized-down stabilizer. The RS 3 Mini doesn't have the cool and useful auto-locking arms from the RS 3 and RS 3 Pro. It's also a bit less capable for accessories; the RS 3 Mini doesn't work with the follow focus and remote video accessories made for its bigger siblings. Because of this, we'll readily recommend the RS 3 Mini to videographers who don't need any extra functionality, are happy keeping things simple, or simply want a lightweight gimbal.

Even so, the RS 3 Mini isn't quite as versatile an option as our the mid-sized RS 3 ($549). The regular RS 3 is a little bit more to manage, but its auto-locking arms, accessory library, and support for heavier payloads makes it our Editors' Choice gimbal for mirrorless cameras.

The DJI RS 3 Mini is an easy-to-use stabilizer for video creators. It handles full-frame cameras and can go vertical for social, but isn't quite as capable as the regular RS 3.

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