Robotic Zoom Camera From Ex-DJI Engineers Tops Kickstarter Goal
A new camera developed by FarseerTech, a company founded by former DJI imaging engineers, has drawn significant backing on Kickstarter. The RocXZoom, described by the company as the "world's first robotic extreme zoom camera," has raised $247,029 toward its $9,999 goal, as reported by PetaPixel. TechRadar notes the campaign has soared past its original target, with more than 350 backers at the time of writing, and remains open until Saturday, September 28.
The camera combines a 50x hybrid zoom and 20x optical zoom, with a claimed 40mm to 2,000mm equivalent focal range. It uses a motorized gimbal to pan and tilt the camera as the subject moves, paired with AI-powered subject recognition to keep distant wildlife, athletes, and other subjects in frame.
Tracking Technology and Specifications
FarseerTech says the onboard AI can recognize and track more than 300 animal species, including birds, using a YOLO-based computer vision model. A Siamese Network handles subject tracking, according to the company. The gimbal can respond in as little as 0.01 seconds and track subjects moving between 10 and 20 meters per second, or roughly 22 to 45 mph.
The camera uses a Type 1/2.5 sensor, with an optical range of approximately 40mm to 1000mm equivalent, extended to 2,000mm through digital processing. Dual stabilization comes from an integrated gimbal and electronic image stabilization, as detailed by TechRadar. The body is machined aluminum with an IP54 rating, weighs 400 grams (about 0.88 pounds), and includes a built-in 5-inch OLED display. Battery life is rated for up to four hours, and video recording tops out at 4K at 30 frames per second, with 1080p at 30 and 60 frames per second.
Pricing and Availability
Early-bird pricing starts at $449 for the camera, while TechRadar lists the cheapest early bird level at $499 (approximately £370 / AU$700). The RocXZoom Pro Kit, designed to support payloads of up to five kilograms, starts at $849 for Super Early Bird backers. A separate tracking camera is listed at $249.
PetaPixel notes that the RocXZoom is a pre-production crowdfunding product, and final hardware, software, shipping dates, regional availability, and production specifications may change before units reach customers. The system was shown off at CES 2026.
TechRadar quotes the creators as saying the RocXZoom offers "robotic precision to break the limitations of traditional long-lens tripods" and turns "challenging long-distance shots into controlled, trackable handheld captures." The camera is designed for birding, wildlife observation, and distant action moments where set-up time could cause missed shots.
While the camera's small sensor and lens range of f/1.8 to f/3.9 may involve trade-offs in image quality, TechRadar notes the promise is that long-distance subjects remain stable and in frame, whether they are moving or the photographer is.
As a crowdfunding campaign, backers should consider that published specifications and pricing are subject to change. Key milestones for evaluating the product, according to PetaPixel, include independent footage from production hardware, real-world testing of the tracking system with wildlife, confirmed payload performance for the RocXZoom Pro, and clearer information about the companion app's data practices.