DJI Osmo Mobile 2
CINEMATIC SHOOTING BECOMES A REALITY.
DJI MAKES SOME very advanced camera and drone technology for professional filmmakers, but its latest offering is significantly more affordable. Osmo Mobile 2 is a smartphone gimbal — a device that allows a camera to rotate smoothly in many different directions.
The handle of the device contains its battery, which is charged over MicroUSB and can last for up to 15 hours’ of use. A secondary USB port enables you to charge your phone from the Osmo Mobile 2’s battery.
Mount your phone using the adjustable and secure grip, download the DJI Go app, then pair your phone with the unit. You also have to calibrate the unit with your phone, to let it know where the weight is distributed.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 2 works in basic mode with any camera app, but its full functionality is reserved for the DJI Go app. You can manually orient the phone in portrait or landscape mode (after disabling orientation lock in iOS) and the hardware will recognise it and react accordingly. Once the devices are linked using Bluetooth, the phone automatically turns to face you. Move the whole thing around and it maintains smooth, cinematic sweeps, continually adjusting to keep things balanced.
There are several modes available — upright, underslung, flashlight and portrait, into which the unit switches based on how you position it.
There’s a four-way joystick on the handle for precise control of the phone’s orientation, and a zoom control for wider or tighter framing. The Record button triggers the camera, and inside the GO app, there’s a ton of options for video quality, active tracking, slow-motion or time-lapse recording, pitch lock to maintain level during movement, and even manual controls for ISO, white balance and shutter speed. Captured media can be exported to various sites, as well as via a Share sheet to iCloud Drive, Google Drive and other locations. DJI highlights the Osmo 2 Mobile’s usefulness for self-broadcasting and that’s certainly one of its strengths. As a filmmaking tool, however, it’s a more serious proposition, with its ability to provide very smooth panning shots, track a subject as you move, and eliminate shake and sudden movements. The effect is almost magical, and cinematic in ways you wouldn’t believe from a smartphone. If you’re shooting with an iPhone on a budget, this will absolutely give your productions a more professional feel.
[ HOLLIN JONES ]
AS A FILM-MAKING TOOL, HOWEVER, IT’S A MORE SERIOUS PROPOSITION, WITH ITS ABILITY TO PROVIDE VERY SMOOTH PANNING SHOTS, TRACK A SUBJECT AS YOU MOVE, AND ELIMINATE SHAKE AND SUDDEN MOVEMENTS.