Design
Weighing in at just 300g, the DJI Osmo Mobile does feel surprisingly well made, giving off a sturdy feel to it. Finding the right balance in weight and use of light materials is crucial here as you do not want to be holding something heavy with your arm extended for lengthy periods of time.
Whilst most other gimbals out of the market have a more streamlined design to it, the Osmo Mobile has cockpit joystick feel to it, with the handle ergonomically designed for maximum comfort, and the controls within easy reach of your thumb.
The battery is inserted at the bottom of the handle and you can charge it either via an external charger, or within the Osmo Mobile with the charging cable provided. Don’t lose the charging cable as you’ll have to buy another one, and a bog standard USB cable will not work. The charging cable has a USB connector one end, and is inserted into the Osmo Mobile via a 3.5mm jack. With the battery rated for 4.5 hours of continual use, you can choose to purchase additional batteries, or charge it whilst its in use. A full charge will take 3 hours, with a discreet LED turning from red to green when the battery gets fully charged.
The smartphone holder just feels solid. Add to this the cushioning provided, you can feel safe that your smartphone is held in place securely. Rather than using a cheap spring option in clamping in place your smartphone, DJI has opted to use a rotating dial at the back of the holder that helps grip your smartphone securely. I found that the grip can be extended quite wide, so the vast majority of smartphones will fit in comfortably. As for different lengths of smartphones, which will affect where the centre of balance is, the arm on the holder can be adjusted to the correct length for your phone.
As you hold it, the power slider is positioned towards the right your thumb. Using a slider as the power switch helps to prevent accidentally turning the Osmo Mobile off by while you are recording. Directly under your thumb are 3 controls; a joystick to pan your smartphone around, a video record on/off button, and a shutter button to take single shots. The ‘trigger’ button under you forefinger is used for a variety of functions; hold down to enable Lock Mode, tap twice to center the smartphone, and tap three times to switch between the smartphone’s front and rear cameras.
