When the Ronin RS 2 Fought Back: A Gimbal Tale

On a recent indie short, we tried to get some elaborate tracking shots with a Blackmagic Pocket 6K camera and a set of vintage prime lenses mounted on a DJI Ronin RS 2 gimbal. The idea was to have long, flowing shots through a tight apartment space, pushing the Pocket 6K's dynamic range. What worked surprisingly well was the ActiveTrack feature, once we locked onto the actor, it held focus and framing accurately, saving us from needing an additional focus puller for some of the simpler moves.

What absolutely did not work, despite my best efforts balancing it meticulously, was trying to get smooth, low-angle shots with the heavy vintage glass. The RS 2 just isn't designed for that level of payload distribution with an off-center lens, it would frequently drift or exhibit micro-jitters, especially during quick changes in direction. We ended up ditching those specific shots and resorting to static wide shots or handheld work with a lighter lens for the tighter spaces. Next time, for a similar setup, I'd push for a Freefly MoVI Pro or a larger Ronin 2, something with more robust motors and a higher payload capacity for those heavier lens builds. How do others handle heavy, off-balance setups on smaller gimbals without completely compromising stability?