The Ultimate DJI Ronin SC vs Weebill Lab Comparison!

So the mirrorless camera gimbal space has been heating up over the last few years and with the decline in DSLR camera sales and dramatic uptick in the sales of mirrorless cameras, we feel this is going to continue. Although Zhiyun has been the dominant gimbal brand in the mirrorless camera weight class for almost a decade now, competing brands are starting to pour resources into claiming the title.

Now, over the past few months, we have noticed more and more people reaching out and asking for a dedicated DJI Ronin SC vs Weebill Lab comparison article so we have decided to make this the subject of today’s article. Although we will be focusing the majority of the article on these two handheld gimbals, we just want to quickly point out two new mirrorless camera gimbal stabilizers that have been released onto the market over the last few weeks.

First up, we have the successor to the Zhiyun Weebill Lab, the Zhiyun Weebill S. In our opinion, the Weebill S is the best handheld gimbal on the market right now and does a great job with mirrorless cameras and most light and mid-weight DSLR camera setups. Just behind the Weebill S sits the Moza Aircross 2 and we are so pleased to see Moza have upped their game enough to almost beat Zhiyun.

Either of those gimbals will make a better addition to your camera accessories than both the Zhiyun Weebill Lab and the DJI Ronin SC while retailing at similar price points. That said, as both the Weebill S and Aircross 2 have only just been released onto the market, many videographers and cinematographers are not aware they are even available yet.

This is why we wanted to mention them so soon in the article rather than have our readers go over this whole article just to get to the end and be told there are newer, similar price point alternatives that are better options. Now that we have that out the way, we will still be going over our full DJI Ronin SC vs Weebill Lab comparison below as we are seeing so many people asking for it.

As our regular readers will probably expect, we have our comparison table below with a short breakdown followed by a more in-depth look throughout the rest of the article. We feel that this is the best format for these comparison articles as we know that we have readers short on time wanting a quick and easy to read comparison table while many of our readers want to know as much as possible.

Comparison Table

Last update on 2024-02-15 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Now, as you can see from the comparison table above, the Zhiyun Weebill Lab beats the DJI Ronin SC when it comes to its maximum load capacity while also coming in with a lower price point. In our opinion, it also offers you a very similar level of image stabilization to the Ronin SC making it the obvious option and the clear winner.

We have not been shy about sharing our opinion that the Ronin SC is overpriced when compared to what you are able to get from the Weebill Lab and the great reputation of the Zhiyun gimbal suggests that the community agrees with us. That said, there are a number of videographers who will always go with the DJI option meaning that the Ronin SC also has a decent reputation but in our opinion, the Weebill Lab takes the crown for this comparison.

Performance And Functionality

Now, the performance and functionality of a gimbal is the most important factor for the vast majority of people. With both of the featured gimbals coming from industry leaders such as Zhiyun and DJI they both offer some solid functionality to help ensure that you get the image stabilization that you require to capture the best image quality possible.

As we mentioned back at the start of the article, the mirrorless camera weight class gimbal space is becoming more and more competitive and the maximum load capacity is one area most brands have used to make their gimbal stabilizer more attractive to users. That said, for whatever reason, DJI has not taken this opportunity with their Ronin SC limiting the number of camera setups that you are able to use the gimbal with.

The SC has a pretty restrictive maximum load capacity of 4.4 pounds and although this was pretty standard for handheld gimbals designed for use with mirrorless cameras around five years ago, in our opinion it simply falls short in this day and age. Although 4.4 pounds of load capacity should still be plenty for the vast majority of mirrorless camera setups, it offers little to nothing in the way of future-proofing your purchase.

On the flip side of this, the Weebill Lab comes in with a maximum load capacity of 6.6 pounds of payload weight. Not only does this cover the popular mirrorless camera setups but it can also support the weight of a large number of lightweight DSLR rigs as well as a fair few medium-weight DSLR rigs too. This offers some excellent future-proofing for your gimbal so you can upgrade your camera body or add new cameras to your collection in the future with a good likely hood that the Weebill Lab will be able to support them preventing you from having to purchase a new gimbal too.

Moving onto the maximum battery life of the gimbals and this is probably the only area where the DJI Ronin SC has a slight advantage over the Zhiyun Weebill Lab. The DJI gimbal provides up to eleven hours of power per charge whereas the Zhiyun comes in at ten hours. As you can see, although the DJI has that additional hour, we doubt that it is going to make much of a difference for most people and the ten hours of the Weebill Lab is likely plenty for most of our readers anyway.

On top of this, more and more videographers and cinematographers are starting to carry one of the new high output USB power banks with them. Although they were initially designed for use with laptops, the higher output power banks can recharge your camera as well as other accessories such as your gimbal. This means that you are able to top up the juice in your gimbal in your downtime to keep going as required until you are able to plug it into a wall socket for a full recharge.

All of the clips in the video above have been recorded using the Zhiyun Weebill Lab and offer an excellent sample of the levels of image stabilization that this great little 3 axis gimbal is able to offer. As you can see from the video clips, the Weebill Lab offers some beautiful butter-smooth image stabilization that can really help take your image quality to the next level.

If you are a professional level videographer then this makes sure you are getting the best possible video footage for your paying clients and if you are an established vlogger then you can get the very best clips for your subscribers. As you can see from the clips above, the Weebill Labs image stabilization is free from any lag or hang that gives your videos that highly professional and polished feel.

As we mentioned back at the start of the article though, the Zhiyun Weebill S has been released with a number of improvements to take the image stabilization and performance of the Weebill range to the next level. It has all of the latest tech from Zhiyun as standard and improves on the detection and correction system of the Weebill Lab in almost every way. If you really do want the best possible gimbal then we would highly recommend that you seriously consider the Weebill S over the Weebill Lab and Ronin SC.

On the flip side of that though, the sample video footage above has been recorded using the DJI Ronin SC and as you can see, it also offers some excellent levels of image stabilization. The footage also has a highly polished feel and is also free from any lag or hang and in our opinion, its image stabilization is just as good as what the Weebill Lab is able to provide.

Now, this is due to the detection and correction systems from Zhiyun, DJI and latest Moza system in the Aircross 2 being way out ahead of the competition. All three brands have a very similar balancing algorithm that is able to process movement corrections at lightning-fast speed to issue the correct adjustment to keep your camera stable during use. The actual gimbal sensors are excellent and are able to rapidly detect even the slightest movement in the gimbal head while the high torque gimbal motors then carry out the correction from the balancing algorithm to keep your footage smooth.

When two gimbals are neck at neck with their image stabilization, you have to take other factors into consideration and the lower price tag, higher maximum load capacity, and very similar maximum battery life pushes the Weebill Lab ahead of the Ronin SC. We have said it time and time again, we feel that the SC is just too overpriced for what you are getting when the Weebill Lab has so many advantages over it.

User Interface And Control System

The image above shows the interface and control system for the Weebill Lab with the smartphone mount attatched and in our opinion, Zhiyun really have taken gimbal interfaces to the next level. Although the essentials of your standard gimbal control system is still there with the various buttons, joystick and LCD panel, they have absolutley nailed ease of use with advanced customisation all rolled into one.

So many modern gimbals have very restrictive control systems that can often become a problem for advanced level cinematographers or videographers as the gimbals can be a nightmare to customize. Thankfully, the Weebill Lab offers some excellent, quick and easy customisation to ensure you can tweak it to get exactly what you need. On the flipside of this, the system is also very easy to learn too making it ideal for entry level videographers too who have never used a gimbal before.

Although the smartphone mount is optional and can be demounted from the gimbal handle, if you are wanting to use the Zhiyun intelligent object tracking system we would highly recommend that you have it attatched. The Zhiyun smartphone app was totally overhauled prior to the release of the Weebill Lab and offers some great functionality and makes the intelligent object tracking system much easier to use.

The image above is the control interface for the DJI Ronin SC and as you can see, it is much more basic than the system on the Weebill Lab. Although it is still a solid system, we feel that Zhiyun definatley takes the win when it comes to the interface of the two gimbals.

Although the Ronin SC system is very easy to use and learn for anyone new to gimbals, its advanced level customization is lacking somewhat and can become restrictive for any advanced videographers. Even if you are more of an entry-level gimbal user, the lack of advanced customization on the Ronin SC may hold you back a little in the future as you advance your skillset.

The actual buttons and joysticks on both of the gimbals are great and both brands have ensured that each system keeps its responsiveness in all conditions to ensure you can control your gimbal. Many gimbals from as little as a few years back tend to struggle when it comes to using the joystick with your hands when wet but both the Weebill Lab and Ronin SC keep their sensitivity.

Smartphone App

Gimbal smartphone apps have come along way over the last few years and although many brands are still struggling to put a decent smartphone app out for their customers, both DJI and Zhiyun have solid apps at the time of writing that makes for great gimbal accessories. If you do decide to add either of the feature gimbals to your collection of camera accessories then we feel downloading the relevant smartphone app is well worth it.

As we touch on earlier, the Zhiyun app was totally overhauled prior to the release of the Weebill Lab due to the fact that the intelligent object tracking system features had to be added to it. Thankfully, Zhiyun also took this opportunity to fix the various syncing and connectivity issues that it was suffering from. Although the app is in working order at the time of writing, it is no secret that it had a bunch of problems prior to the overhaul than Zhiyun has thankfully fixed.

Both the Zhiyun and DJI apps have a very clean and easy to navigate menu system while also offering you some solid wireless remote control functionality as well as quick access to your gimbal settings. In our opinion, especially if you are a professional level videographer doing gigs with clients and models on sight, the access to your gimbal settings is the best feature of both apps.

Although you can tweak your settings in other ways, it tends to take minutes whereas doing it via the app takes seconds. Over the course of a working day this can add up to a surprising amount of time being saved making the whole session go smoother with you not having to waste your own, your clients, or the models time while on site.

Build Quality And Design

Another area where Zhiyun clearly takes the lead over DJI is in the design of the Weebill Lab. The Ronin SC follows the traditional handheld gimbal approach whereas Zhiyun has innovated on their handheld gimbal design to include the native underslung mode in the image above. As you can see, the gimbal handle can be released and then placed on the rear mounting plate to offer some quick and easy low angle videography with ease.

The small and compact design of the Weebill Lab continues to score its points over the Ronin SC if you are looking for a travel gimbal. Many people, even those who are not directly working in the travel vlogging and travel videography niches will have to travel with their gear on a regular basis. The small size of the Weebill Lab makes it much easier to store in your luggage without issue.

As both DJI and Zhiyun have been market leaders in the gimbal space for years, you can expect the best build quality possible from both brands and in all fairness, they have both done a great job of putting together a solid, tough, robust gimbal that will be able to perform well. As the Weebill Lab is lighter than the Ronin SC, it can easily be added to your baggage for air travel and potentially not push you over your baggage allowance.

Both of the gimbals do have comfortable handles and we are pleased to see this as even in this day and age, gimbal brands are releasing flagship gimbals that have uncomfortable handles that can make the units a pain to use. Thankfully, both DJI and Zhiyun are well aware of the importance of a comfortable handle that allows you to grip the gimbal for long periods of time without getting aches or cramps.

Our Verdict

That brings our ultimate DJI Ronin SC vs Weebill Lab comparison article to a close and as we mentioned back at the start of the article, in our opinion, the Weebill S is the best gimbal in the weight class at the time of writing followed closely by the Aircross 2. We feel either of these will be a better addition to your collection of camera accessories than either of the featured gimbals as they are newer with the latest technology available.

That said though, our of the gimbals that we have featured, we feel that the Weebill Lab is the better option and its easy to see why it has so many excellent independent reviews from the community. In our opinion, the Ronin SC is too expensive for what you actually get for your money and the Weebill Lab is ahead of it in too many areas for the higher price tag to be worth paying. That said, we also have our own dedicated reviews for both the Zhiyun Weebill Lab and the Zhiyun Weebill S that may be helpful to you if you are considering either of these gimbals instead.