How to: Use DJI osmo Mobile Gimbal Stabilizer for Smartphones

If you are interested in buying a video camera , please just be patient. This is a super long DJI osmo mobile gimbalstabilizer smartphones review Video shooting is not an easy thing, so it cannot be well described with a word. I just wrote a long article and make it to be continued. I will release more when I knew more. Well, I promise it is not to tantalize you guys on purpose.

As fan digital equipment and a experienced photographer, I have been paying more and more attention to video shooting since last year. Sometimes I play the video of my children’s growth and family life. These memories made me realized that a good picture is not enough. After all, a perfect photograph still cannot restore my baby’s first “daddy” call. It is also unable to playback how my lover smiles through tears. I used to focus on static image and hardly shot a video. My camera equipment is also for static photograph. It seems that I have to make a change. After I made up my mind, a series of investigation and contrast started. I have basically watched videos about video equipment of all levels and brands. There are mobile phones, action cameras, mirrorless cameras, SLR (single-lens reflex), as well as dedicated DV. In the process of investigation, I found out that there is a popular word which appeared frequently on YouTube. That is the hand-held stabilization platform, or we can call it a stabilizer.

Regardless of all the additional functions, the core function of the stabilizer is to increase stability. Actually it is one of the most basic factors to distinguish an entry level and a professional level. No matter what high-end shooting equipment you use, a sloshing video which make people feel dizzy definitely sucks. (I am not talking about the motion video which requires a strong sloshing). And don’t forget that the larger screen you play on, the greater jitter will be amplified.  Sometimes a jitter could be accepted on mobile phone. But when this jitter shows up in your home 65-inch TV, this must be a tragedy. You can check on your previous videos shot during a travel, it must be unstable. Then the video quality is completely poor.

If you want to get a stable video, you may try the following ways

1. Iron hand: Since a video has the time span and the movement of the machine, it is not only to keep the hands steady but the whole body. So, if you don’t have the money for equipment, you can try to turn yourself into an iron man.

2. The tripod: It is only suitable for fixed camera. Of course, you can equip the tripod on the light camera equipment, such as mobile phone or motion camera during a move. It can slightly reduce the vibration. But there are too many restrictions.

3. Image stabilization of camera, video camera and lens: Both electronic image stabilization and optical image stabilization can finally get a nice pic, cooperated with your ‘iron hand’. Peter McKinnon, a famous YouTuber, shot his professional video all over the world just simply by Canon 1DX mark2 and GorillaPod. However, image stabilization is of great help for static pictures and fixed cameras but not for moving images. It often be overwhelmed when shoot scenery in driving cars or chasing the characters in the running. After all, you and I are not Peter McKinnon.

4.  The highlight – STABILIZER: A good stabilizer, cooperate with various software functions, image stabilization, as well as correct posture and pace (yes, this is still very important) can brought magical effects. Movie camera is basic using the professional stabilizer.

All I want to emphasize is that if video quality needs to be promoted, the first hardware worth investing must be a stabilizer!

Why choose OSMO Mobile 2

Basic view of selecting the stabilizer. I had to say, professional equipment undoubtedly has professional price. The price of the above in Hollywood is not our ordinary consumers can afford. Fortunately, many forward-looking technology talents and manufacturers have long aimed at ordinary consumer market. They have developed many consumer stabilizers. And there are a lot of Chinese domestic brands spring up in a short time, with excellent function and cost performance, be praised by many foreign players. Such as DJI, ZHIYUN, FEIYU, etc. The primary consideration for selecting a stabilizer is to see what equipment you’re planning to match. SLR (lens group), mirrorless (lens group), portable camera, mobile phone, action camera, or all of them? The weight of equipment basic determines stabilizer of what load weight that you need. It also determines the corresponding dimension and price of the stabilizer. Those manufactures have already classified the market.

So, if you want a heavier equipment, you have to pay more and accept the inconvenience. There must be a lost when you have a gain. At first, I decided to buy a relatively large one, portable in daily life as well. I intended to buy ZHIYUN CRANE-M which is suitable for both mobile phones and action cameras OSMO Mobile 2 is a New Year’s gift for video players from DJI on the eve of CES2018 on January 8. It is just like a bomb thrown in stabilizer market. In addition to the usual stability, new generation of OSMO Mobile has varies of functions such as intelligent follow, multiple modes of time-delay and shooting. Plus, the new smooth zoom and vertical clamping improved battery life and reduced weight at the same time. The most important thing is, more functions were developed but price was reduced!  How much?  The $150 (USD) of generation 2(G2) is half the G1 price of $300.  As for the simultaneous release of Ronin-S, there is no clear price. Considering the price of the previous Ronin series, I chose to let the mobile phone be stable first! As for the camera, I temporarily keep using the tripod with my iron hand and ninja steps that I’ve been practicing for years… The reason why I didn’t consider the Smooth series of ZHIYUN is the loss of confidence. And more importantly, OSMO Mobile 2 is new! If you want to buy electronics, you’d better buy a new one. After all, DJI must release something new to keep the market or the market will be grabbed away buy ZHIYUN. Since this article is not for a specific comparison, the difference between OSMO Mobile 2 and the same level of products will be left in the future.

Multigraph with comments

How big is it? I put my iPhone6SP on the line and you can look at it. Unpack the box; there is a big bag of foam. The whole OSMO Mobile 2 box is just at a corner of the cardboard box. What about Ronin S? The front and back sides of the package were designed with vertical and banner, and the new features of vertical shooting were emphasized. Brand logo is only on one side, and the other side is occupied by stickers and merchandise registration information. (It was made in February) Well, it seemed that the top seal looks very simply.  Opening the seal is a thin layer of damping foam. The following is a quick start guide, then disclaimer and… What a mess and I can’t believe that is all. The material of bubble box looks a bit cheap, the appearance design is still the logo bump which is front and succinct; cooperate with sinking to bring some appearance change. After opening the box, there were only two things: the stabilizer and the USB cable.

The details of the boxes

Inner part of box looks even cheaper. The internal mold do fit (zoom button sinks on the location corresponding to the upper cover), it can guarantee the stabilizer keep steady and provides adequate protection. I particularly like this kind of manufacturer that has its logo on the USB cable; it makes people feel the brand pride. More importantly, it is easy to find the original wire when I sale it. Take a look at the details from several major sections.

The handle

Because G2 used plastic material, the texture and grip sense just can’t be compared with G1. Key and identity also have some differences; you can search the appearance of the generation if interested. Two generations of buttons have been marked with small ICONS, three power lights and a status indicator. The original zoom lever on the right has been adjusted to the left side of ergonomics, so the extension interface screw hole in the left side has been removed. I mean, I mean, you know, after all, people who play video know that every now and then you need to have a place to fix a mic or a small LED light, or something like that. Then you have to get rid of it. In addition to the cost factor, I guess the manufacturer took the strength of the plastic body into consideration and canceled the design. The zoom adjusted and left space for the Micro-USB charging port, where the stabilizer can be charged. It claims to be full after two hours. On the back of the control button, it is A USB-A port, which is covered with A rubber cover. It can be used to charge other devices by using OSMO Mobile 2. Considering that it contains a 2600 mA 18650 battery, I can’t easily charge my phone or action camera with it. Well, I think it is better to take the power bank by your side.

Look at the detailed picture, you can find that the plastic materials is a little bit cheap, some of the seams are out of order. When you hold the grip, you will hear some noise. But consider the reducing price, why do you have to buy a bicycle? Besides, as for the material I personally prefer to synthetic plastics, not for DJI, just for losing the weight. You will understand when it is winter. You may say, save your words after your phone going through the whole winter without crashes. But the stabilizer may be in a bad mood,” who said that I can only match phones? Shut up if you can’t afford a sports camera.”

Motor and telescopic arm

DJI has designed protrusions on translation axis, pitch axis and roll axis to limit the rotation angle of each motor, so that they cannot rotate 360°. But because of the protrusion, the roll axis can only rotate less than 180°. I mentioned that to avoid misunderstanding from some guys who have used other products (like SMOOTH) might regard it as a bug just like what I used to do. (The specific statistic can be looked up in the technical parameters.) After the upgrade of the previous generation, it said that OSMO Mobile 2 is more flexible than the previous generation. So it proves a larger space to modulate the balance, and more devices are compatible.

Phone holding part

It said that the holding part of OSMO Mobile 2 is suitable for larger phones and devices, which reaching 58.6-85 mm. It matches the upgrade telescopic arm with better compatibility. Although the rubber holding part feels good, the width and the angle of the slotted are not so ok. It seems as if it just available for a new iPhone which doesn’t have a phone case. The same iPhone6SP that use a thin phone case cannot be perfectly embedded. No matter iPhone5 having a case or not, they are both not so good. I didn’t try on other phones, so God bless you.

Detailed information of the devices and the factory is available on the bottom. The two different sizes buttons on different positions are very delicate, with intertwined rolling patterns and directional indications, the twisting movements are smooth.As for the knob of the holding part, I actually made a mistake. Because the first generation does not support vertical shooting, its back knob is to control the phone holder. But the second generation supports vertical shooting, so it uses a spring to control. I don’t like this knob that can modulate the horizontal and the vertical positions, which cannot be control by one hand and may get you injured. Well, let alone one hand, I feel that it is hard to modulate by your two hands. And sometimes, the expansions of two sides will be different. (Maybe some guys have found out the problem from the picture that had shown before.) The instruction is very simple, which mainly describes the name and the function of each part, and how to assemble and modulate the phone. Adjusting the balance is a necessary step, or the stabilizer motor will not work properly. Even it can work; the long-term operation will shorten the device life. To keep your OSMO Mobile 2 work longer, it is significant to say: Leveling! (It said that you should adjust it once you change a device.)

When you adjust, you can use the pedestal (not included in the standard package, which may be sent by other shopping platforms. It is very useful, and I will buy one later) or put the stabilizer on the 1/4 of the handle, place it on a tripod so that you can level it easily and make it perfectly stable as I shown below. (If I didn’t forget to mention this tapped hole before, I won’t tell you this tip.)

After watching the appearance, you should focus on the usage. Before you use it, you should be familiar with the three buttons on the top and the zoom lever of OSMO Mobile 2. After all, they are the foundations. The buttons with staggered lines are joysticks that control the direction (just like the PSP sticks and they should be familiar with you), and the function is simple. But you cannot push or pull it so hard, or the motor will be greatly accelerated. So you need to be carefully to control. In addition, the APP supports setting the directions of horizontal, up and down. But I changed it at the first time I use it.

Red button, both the power button and the shooting/video button. Long press in photo mode can achieve continuous shooting, while in video mode it can be started/ stopped. Button M is a little bit more complicated: Long press for power off. Click it when power on, you can change your mode between locking/following. Double-click when power on, you can reset the PTZ. Triple-click when power on, you can switch the front and rear cameras.（Remember, they are based on the shooting doesn’t start.）

There is nothing need to say about zoom lever. It is very convenient to put them in the right thumb position. Besides, the second generation supports smooth zoom, so the zoom is very smooth. In three days, it can be said that the button functions of OSMO Mobile 2 are very simple and easy to use, and the quality is also very good. The key feels great and the responses are accurate and timely.

APP

Although you can start to use it and see the basic effects of shooting video after learning about the button functions, you should use DJI Go APP to unlock all the secrets. You can down load DJI GO at APP store of Apple. (Notice: not the DJI Go4)

Open the APP after the download. You must register your DJI account on your mobile phone. I am not an aircraft user, but after logging in, it said that the flight safety basic database needed to be updated (in fact, it is the latest no-fly zone GPS setting). Without watching carefully, I updated it without hesitation. But whatever, it’s not so big. After that, you need to select the device, turn to the OSMO, select OSMO Mobile 2, and you can enter the camera. Before you entering, remember to turn on the Bluetooth, long press the power button of the stabilizer for 3 seconds. Then, your mobile phone will be automatically adjusted to the shooting position, and your stabilizer is also shown on the device list. Click to connect. The mobile phone will activate and bind the mobile phone number. After that, it will require authorization to locate and use camera, just click OK.

For the first time you log in DJI Go, it will show you a simple but very helpful interactive tutorial, what you need to do is to follow the prompts or to click the button. I suggest that you follow the basic settings step by step as a novice. As for the rich shooting functions and settings in DJI GO, I may not give you the detailed introductions here. Maybe they should be saved for later introductions. If you find some problem, you can leave a message so that we can figure it out together.

Some discoveries

During the three days using, I was not only shocked by the stability and wonderful foundations of OSMO Mobile 2, but also found something worth reference: If your phone is so big that just like iPhone Plus, you cannot bring it back to the minimum volume after leveling. It is because the axis extends a little too much, and it will block the translation axis. I have tried for many times, but failed when I had leveled it. So if your phone is so big that it just like iPhone Plus with a case, and the springs in the two sides are asymmetric, you should be sure to hold your phone in the middle to avoid damage the roll axis.

Panoramic camera is not so good. As an expert of photography, using the panoramic camera with terrible quality of the pictures is just for convenience. According to my own observation, it seems that the OSMO Mobile 2 always takes pictures in a hurry: Every time it turns to the next shooting position, it takes a picture before it totally stop, which make the picture taken in a state of motion. It would definitely have a bad impact on the quality. And as your phone heavier, the shaking is greater. The panoramic view of 180°, the panoramic view of 330° and the panorama of nine pictures, their pictures quality will be reduced with the increasing shooting positions. So I will not use the panoramic camera if I don’t have to. Or I will make up with saving the origin picture in APP. If I can upgrade the DJI to change the shooting time or if I can set the shooting position in APP, it will be better.

The intelligent follow-up function of OSMO Mobile 2 is awesome. As the evaluations of users who got it earlier said, it is the first-class. I did feel this good selling point that was invincible and powerful, but this did not mean that it was perfect.

During these days, I found that several occasions may lead to follow-up failure: 1.When your target’s movement causes a large exposure change on the screen, such as moving from the light to the backlit position, the tracking fail. 2. When your target is moving very fast, especially when it moving close to you, OSMO Mobile 2 will track constantly so that it will crash at an extreme position. Then you need to double click the M button to reset the machine. If you have a naughty child at home, there two accidences may often happen. My daughter once teased OSMO Mobile 2 like a puppy (Is it too much)?

Summary

Merits：

1. Stable! Very stable

2. Cost performance, cheap but good.

3. With DJI Go APP, you can enjoy rich and great shooting functions.

As for the endurance, stability and durability, the time will tell, so there is no need to make a conclusion so quickly. (I used up the power after I received it on Sunday, I charged it at night and it still has 2 grids of power on today, Wednesday. It is pretty good. However, my iPhone with Bluetooth power on has been charged for a several times. )

Shortcomings:

1. The directions of each axis motor is limited, especially the translation axis.

2. Not so perfect tracking and unsatisfied panorama shooting (maybe I shouldn’t be so serious).

3. There is even no base in the package, it is so mean.

Is it worth? Definitely yes!

Look at the market in early 2018, this low price with the wonderful functions, OSMO Mobile 2, the best partner of phones, definitely cannot be beat. Especially for the novices, only 150 dollars can lead you to a higher state. It is better than buying a full-width camera or a large fast lens. As how to make full use of this 150 dollars to achieve a higher quality, I will explain to you next time.

Author:ZG_MUC

Source: smzdm.com

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