At the tail end of 2025, I wrote a news article on an AI-infused camera with a huge reach that was developed by ex-DJI engineers. And as of right now, Farseer has officially launched the RocXZoom on Kickstarter. Billed as the “World’s First Robotic Extreme Zoom Camera,” the RocXZoom has changed quite a bit since I first caught wind of the project.
What’s clever about this device is that it’s designed to cater to more casual photographers as a functioning long-range camera, and serious photographers when paired with a specialist gimbal to help keep track of challenging subjects such as birds in flight.
The RocXZoom is built around a 50MP 1/2.5-inch sensor and houses an all-in-one gimbal and lens providing a mammoth 50x hybrid zoom (20x optical) and a whopping equivalent zoom range of 40-2,000mm. It essentially looks like a smartphone, with a sizable five-inch OLED screen and a miniature gimbal on the end. It weighs in at 400g.
According to Farseer, the camera uses “advanced phase-detection focusing” to maintain focus on faraway subjects, stabilized by that physical gimbal. A key feature is the camera’s AI Smart Tracking, which allows it to lock onto a subject and track it. It references a library of over 300 bird species to help detect various animals.
This is where the camera can be used as an accompaniment to a more serious setup. The RocXZoom Pro adds a large, dedicated two-axis RocXZoom Gimbal to the mix, which can take the weight of a professional DSLR or mirrorless camera setup (up to 5KG) and a long lens.
By attaching the RocXZoom camera to a dedicated camera’s hotshoe and connecting it to the gimbal, the RocXZoom actually controls the larger gimbal, so the larger camera doesn’t lose sight of the subject. As it stands, the dedicated gimbal can track people and birds, but Farseer has confirmed that other subjects, including cars, animals and planes are in the works and "will be added via a free firmware update after shipment." The gimbal also features a hand grip with a joystick, so it can be smoothly operated manually.
There’s also the RocXZoom app, which allows for full camera control from a compatible smart device. The camera's battery is rated for four hours of continuous use and the body is machined from IP54 aluminum, which is rated against dust, rain and vibration.
At the time of writing, the Kickstarter's goal is £7,358 and £66,688 has already been pledged by over 130 backers, and there are still 29 days to go. The RocXZoom Camera itself has an MSRP of $799, with Super Early Bird, Early Bird and KS Special prices set at $449, $499 and $549 respectively. The RocXZoom Pro kit, which features the camera and dedicated large gimbal has an MSRP of $2,099, with Super Early Bird, Early Bird and KS Special prices set at $849, $949 and $1049 respectively.
You might also like...
Interested in something related? New AI camera (not as bad as you think?). DSLR cameras are picture-making machines; mirrorless cameras are picture-making computers: sometimes I just want to go back. And here are the best lenses for bird photography.
