REVIEW: DJI OSMO Handheld Stabilized 4K 12MP Camera

DJI is one of the best known multi-rotor drone makers, especially for the Phantom range, and now they have thrown their hat into the ring to revolutionize the way we shoot from down on the ground from a more personal level with the OSMO, a revolutionary handheld camera stabilizer.

It comes as no surprise to us that DJI have taken “self-filming” to the next level, and we are going to tell you why, we think, the OSMO will change the way people film from the “first person” perspective forever.

The device hooks up to your smartphone, via it handle grips, and you never come under the impression that your phone could fall off and be damaged, as the smartphone gimbal is so well made. Let’s look into the main features below.

Super Smooth, 3 axis, manually operated technology

The OMSO handheld gimbal has a system that uses three motors that ensures that your camera is perfectly stabilized, no matter how much the handle of the Gimbal is moved.

On the handle of the gimbal there is a little joystick that offers you the chance to manually operate your camera angles that can be panned from 320 degree ranges, allowing for 35 degree tilting down motion and 135 degrees in the up motion.

The gimbal also refreshes and corrects itself at the rate of 120 degrees per second!

The gimbal can also be remotely controlled via Android and IOS devices once the OMSO application has been installed.

The device is compatible for a wide range of smartphone devices including all the latest IOS and Android platforms.

Film in 4K resolution, beautifully designed and easy to operate

The Osmo camera brings you 4K quality video at 25 or 30 frames per second so you could even shoot for cinematic purposes if required and the design of device is simple, yet really modern looking.

All the features and functions are really easy to operate, even the joystick to maneuver your camera only take a few tries before you become use to the settings and modes.

The DJI OSMO can be operated from either Bluetooth or WIFI, and we have never never had any issues with the connection as we have had with other models.

The application is really simple to use once you have installed it to your smart device, and has a lot of use tips and tricks on how to use the device as well as how to best use the gimbal for whatever you have in mind.

There is also a nice sections of add-ons you can purchase through the store.

• Video Resolution – 4K Ultra
• Video Recording options – Auto and Slow Motion
• Focus Range – Up To 3.5 Meters
• Photo Formats – JPEG, DNG(RAW)
• Video Formats – MP4/MOV (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)
• Total Weight – 201 Grams
• Model – Zenmuse X3
• Supported device sizes – Max Size: 6.2 (L) x3.1 (W) inches
  2 (L) x 77.9 (W) mm
• Battery Charger – Included
• SD Cards – Micro SD; Max. Capacity: 64 GB;
  Class 10 or UHS-1

Customer Reviews and Scores on Amazon

There has been quite a lot of reviews on Amazon regarding the DJI OSMO, especially as the product has only been available on the market for around 12 months.

Positive reviews

The Majority of buyers really like the product as the overall star rating on Amazon is 3.9 out of 5 stars. As there has been 137 customer reviews since writing this review, most of the buyers have given the product a positive rating.

Most of the positive reviews and ratings seem to state how well the device can capture silky smooth, professional images, no matter on how or where you need to film.

We can confirm this from our end, as the quality of the footage is second to none. Other Amazon users have pointed out how easy it is to operate.

Even those that have never used a gimbal before find it extremely easy to use and setup.

Negative reviews

Apart from the great reviews, there is normally a few that are not so complimentary and the same applies to the DJI OSMO. A few customers of Amazon pointed out that the application is difficult to navigate and is slow to load.

From our experience the application was working perfectly from our Galaxy device, so maybe some of the users are having connection issues from their local Networks?!

Another “issue” that has been pointed out on more than one occasion is the gimbals battery life.

Fully charged, the battery life is between 30 and 60 minutes unless you purchase the external battery extender.

Although the customers do have a point, as a lot of gimbals last a lot longer,  we have to state that the device is operating the gimbal, camera and WIFI all at the same time, therefore, it is no wonder that the small battery doesn’t last long.

On a more positive note, the battery can be recharged really easily and will only take a few hours to be full, so it isn’t that much of an issue with the small battery life.

Our overall opinion

We really love the DJI OSMO. For one, the design on this thing is stunning.

It is incredible easy to operate, and once you “learn” the operational setting on the joystick, your imagery will be taken to the next level.

Once you hook the device up to your smartphone via the adjustable grip, you are ready to start filming, literally a five minute setup.

It is true that the battery life on the device only lasts for around one hour of constant filming, but that is to be expected as the battery powers up everything including the power sapping WIFI.