Review: Dji Osmo and Dji Osmo+ Camera

With its futuristic look reminiscent of Dragon Ball or Star Wars, what is this strange object, part camera and part robotic stabilizer? And above all, should we invest in the Dji Osmo?

We are creating more and more video content that we share on the blog. Since June, 5 videos have been published. One common realization during shooting: it is difficult, even with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and its built-in 5-axis video stabilizer, to smoothly follow someone walking while keeping the image fluid. Stabilization in post-production helps, but it's not always sufficient. I suggest watching our video below from Saxon Switzerland, at 0:47.

And here we are on a rush that we consider acceptable, stabilized in post-production. However, most shots of this type simply end up in the trash because they are unusable even when stabilized later. At one time, we tested a steadicam (Glidecam XD-2000), but it was heavy (2.5 kg), bulky, and required practice; in short, it was only used once (as you can see in our video about Corsica) and has been sitting in a cupboard for over a year and a half.

In reality, we adapted our shots to the possibilities offered, and with a handheld camera, those possibilities are quickly limited. Thus, a very light, stabilized camera made us want to rethink our filming style and the type of videos we could offer.

When ordering the camera, the Dji Osmo+ was out of stock in Europe, so we ordered the earlier model, the original Dji Osmo.

While we used our Dji Osmo in Thailand and Tunisia, we recently had the opportunity to test its version at our friends from On Met les Voiles.

The main difference between the two cameras is exactly the camera! The Osmo+ allows for zooming while shooting, whereas the classic Osmo should be viewed as a fixed focal length camera. The drawback is that the Osmo+ requires attention to focus, whereas the classic Osmo can be used without such manipulation, similar to the > type of GoPro Hero.

A well-designed grip (at least for right-handed users), surprisingly light weight (422g, the weight of a full soda can) when held... Honestly, it's a beautiful object! But where do I plug in my phone for a remote screen? Wait, there's no wired connection provided! Everything operates over WiFi.

And here I'm slightly disappointed. While the image is transmitted in real-time and with good quality, having a WiFi connection instead of a wired one quickly becomes annoying. First of all, the Osmo's battery life, even when idle, suffers from this technical choice (around an hour, including standby time). Secondly, pairing the smartphone with the Osmo (even upon waking) takes an average of 1 to 2 minutes each time. The same was true during our test of the Osmo+.

It may seem trivial, but this is how you miss shots that happen in the moment when traveling, like an animal passing by unexpectedly. Thus, the Osmo is only useful when you know you're going to use it, which limits creative possibilities.

Another intriguing detail, the classic Osmo (but not the Osmo+) quickly makes a hairdryer-like noise when turned on and not recording.

Is it because I've already used a Dji product with the Dji Phantom 4? In any case, using the Osmo felt very intuitive to me. The only difficulty being the > which, depending on whether it is pressed or not, clicked once or multiple times, gives different behaviors to the stabilizer. Once these > are remembered (2 clicks to re-center the camera, 3 to switch to selfie mode...), it works exactly as expected!

The results are amazing, and it's better to show you with the example, with our video on the Star Wars theme filmed earlier this month in Tunisia. Other than the shots with Amandine in the village (right at the beginning of the video), and the shot where the camera shakes intentionally when the Force is used by the villain (1:13), all other shots were captured with the Osmo.

The shot at 1:30 will give you an idea of the type of movements that can be made with this stabilized camera (which is impossible with a camera without a steadicam/glidecam).

The image quality is stunning; the Dji Osmo allows, in addition to filming in 4K, to do time-lapses, 180° and 360° panoramas, long-exposure photos (for nighttime, for example)... handheld! You can even take photos in DNG (RAW) format.

However, the built-in microphone is useless except for synchronizing (with difficulty, as the quality is nearly zero) the sound with a real external microphone. The external microphone provided (we tested the one from the Osmo+ in some packages) is barely better.

An excellent camera for creatives, it would be perfect if the connection between the smartphone and the Osmo was faster, if we could select an object to track on-screen like with Dji drones, and ideally also if it were waterproof, for example, to film in the rain.

Tested products: the DJI Osmo and the DJI Osmo+