HALO Is a New High-Payload Cinema Gimbal Built to Outspec the DJI Ronin 2
HD Air Studio just revealed HALO, a modular 15 kg cinema gimbal with handheld and remote-head configurations — built to outspec the DJI Ronin 2, which hasn't been updated in nearly a decade. No pricing or release date yet.
The DJI Ronin 2 launched in 2017 at $6,999. Nearly a decade later, with no meaningful update from DJI and prices on the secondary market now running well above the original MSRP due to scarcity and inflation, Polish developer HD Air Studio is stepping into the gap.
The company just revealed HALO, a modular three-axis cinema gimbal rated to 15 kg — 1.5 kg more than the Ronin 2 — with a handheld-first design and full remote-head capabilities built in from the start. No pricing and no release date yet, but sign-ups are open for technical updates and beta access.
What makes HALO different from the Ronin 2
The Ronin 2's design has always prioritized either handheld or remote-head use, with operators configuring the rig differently for each mode. HALO's modular architecture is designed to move between both configurations more fluidly. The full handheld configuration weighs approximately 6 kg (13.2 lb); the head-only remote configuration drops to approximately 4 kg (8.8 lb), with grips, battery, and control hardware removable when flying the head on a crane or vehicle mount.
Each axis configures independently — which HD Air Studio frames specifically as a way to reduce the setup and balancing time that makes high-payload gimbal days tedious. For operators who've spent significant time balancing a Ronin 2 with a heavy cinema package, that's a pain point worth taking seriously as a design consideration.
The spec sheet
- Payload: 15 kg (33 lb) — 1.5 kg more than the Ronin 2
- Handheld configuration weight: ~6 kg (13.2 lb)
- Head-only configuration weight: ~4 kg (8.8 lb)
- Roll and pan: Unlimited 360° via integrated power and SDI slip rings
- Control options: Built-in touchscreen, mobile app, joystick, motion controller, wheels, third-party control systems
- Axis configuration: Each axis configurable independently
The integrated SDI slip rings are worth calling out specifically — unlimited 360° roll and pan without cable management issues is a genuine operational advantage over systems that rely on external cable routing.
Who HD Air Studio is
HD Air Studio is a Polish manufacturer already known in the remote head and aerial camera space for the Cyclo Lite and Elit heads. They're not a new entrant trying to break into cinema gimbal hardware from scratch — they have existing professional relationships and a track record with broadcast and film production crews. HALO is an expansion into the high-payload handheld gimbal category from a company with relevant engineering credentials.
The competitive context
The Ronin 2 has had the high-payload cinema gimbal market largely to itself for the better part of a decade. DJI's focus has shifted toward the consumer and prosumer market (RS series) and its newer Focus ecosystem, and there's been no Ronin 2 successor announced. That's a long time for a product at this price point and payload class to go without meaningful competition.
HALO is the most direct challenge to the Ronin 2 to surface publicly, with specs that exceed it on payload and a modular design that addresses some of the Ronin 2's operational friction. Whether it delivers on those specs in practice will depend on real-world testing that doesn't exist yet — this is an announcement, not a finished product. But the direction is interesting and the company is credible.
What's missing
No pricing. No release date. The sign-up list is for technical updates and future beta access — not a pre-order. For operators who need a Ronin 2 replacement today, nothing has changed. For operators who can wait, this is worth following.
Key Specs:
- Payload: 15 kg (33 lb)
- Handheld config weight: ~6 kg (13.2 lb)
- Head-only config weight: ~4 kg (8.8 lb)
- Axes: 3-axis, each independently configurable
- Roll and pan: Unlimited 360° with integrated power and SDI slip rings
- Control: Touchscreen, app, joystick, motion controller, wheels, third-party systems
- Developer: HD Air Studio (Poland)
- Price: TBA
- Release date: TBA
- Sign-ups: hdairstudio.com/halo-modular-3-axis-gimbal
