DJI Osmo Handheld Stabilized Camera – First Look and Review

Introduction

DJI is well known for their Phantom series of camera drones as well as their Inspire prosumer line. The ability to take aerial video which is extremely stable has risen the bar on creativity for hobbyists as well as professionals. One of the primary pieces of technology which allows for stable video is the camera gimbal – a carriage which holds the camera level and stable no matter what other forces are acting upon it. DJI leveraged their expertise in these stabilizers to produce a professional handheld gimbal named Ronin. This rig is used by Independent Videographers as well as Hollywood pros to produce stunningly stable video.

DJI has now taken the same stabilizing technology used in their drones and the Ronin and built it into a small handheld camera that sells for less than $600…and named it Osmo.

What is Osmo?

It’s a consumer grade 4K “steadicam”. Osmo is essentially the same Camera module used on the DJI Inspire and Phantom 3 Pro – mounted on a gimbal (stabilizer) sitting on top of a handle. It uses the DJI Go App, the same app used for flying DJI Drones, as a display screen as well as for settings and various camera controls. In addition, the handle features buttons and a trigger which provide functionality. If you are not familiar with how gimbals work, see this article.

What comes with Osmo? [Read more…]