First day out at an empty park with the new setup and I am impressed.
The Ronin SC is insanely cool. The app on my phone allows full remote capability (Pan, Tilt, Scan, Roll, Zoom, Record) for my Sony CX-455. You can also pair your phone to a bluetooth game controller, which is much smoother and more functional. I walked across the field with just the ps4 controller and it was still controlling the camera with no meaningful delay. You can customize the buttons and set sensitivity/smoothness as well. I will definitely use the ps4 controller to record games.
The hardest part is balancing the Ronin SC. Based on the weight of your camera, you have to position it so that the tilt, pan and roll axes are all in balance. It's tricky, especially with a really light camera (mine is 0.75 lbs). I wouldn't recommend this for a camera/lens setup under 1.25 lbs (its rated to almost 4.5 lb payload). I had to add some weight in order to balance and am ordering a much larger battery which should get me there.
The second issue is the hdmi cable you need to run the camera. It adds a lot of weight as you extend the tripod to height. The fix for me was in the base of the gimbal. They have hotmounts with covers that screw on with 2 screws. By loosing the screws, you can run a small diameter hdmi cable under the cover and screw down to how in place. This holds some weight near the top, and keeps the cable from unplugging. You can then velcro the cable at each section as you raise it.
So, for about $420 (Gimbal, Light Stand, Controller, Battery) I fell I really improved my setup over the 6 foot manual tripod.