Almost three years after releasing the Osmo Mobile smartphone stabilizer, DJI has revealed the third generation rig – and this one can be folded down for transport in a backpack, or even a pocket ... kind of. The Osmo Mobile 3 is also lighter and easier to use. And a little cheaper too.
The first Osmo Mobile was launched at IFA 2016 in Berlin, Germany, and it certainly proved to be crowd-pleaser in the press pit. DJI chose CES 2018 to reveal the second generation smartphone stabilizer, but has returned to IFA timing for version three – albeit a few weeks before Europe's biggest consumer tech show opens its doors.
"When we began designing Osmo Mobile 3, we went back to the drawing board with the goal of creating a portable yet intuitive product that uses the latest DJI technology," said DJI's Senior Product Manager, Paul Pan. ""We are excited to introduce DJI's first gimbal with a folding design and hope it inspires our customers to imagine new ways of recording content with their mobile phones."
When locked down for travel, the Osmo Mobile 3 has dimensions of 157 x 130 x 46 mm (6.18 x 5.11 x 1.8 in), with DJI promising quick fold-out action to 285 x 125 x 103 mm (11.2 x 4.9 x 4 in) when a photo or movie moment presents itself to the smartphone user. Either way, it tips the scales at 405 g (14.28 oz), compared to 485 g for the second gen model.
Keeping things steady, the device offers one-handed operation of controls on the handle. A trigger is used to lock orientation, rotate the gimbal for selfies and keep subjects in the center of the frame while using ActiveTrack subject tracking.
The 3-axis gimbal can pan from -162.5° to 170.3°, roll from -85.1° to 252.2° and tilt from -104.5° to 235.7°, and has a maximum controllable speed of 120° per second. Quick Roll mode moves the docked phone from portrait to landscape orientation without having to remove the smartphone from the cradle. And there's a dedicated slider to the side, allowing users to zoom in and out without having to touch the smartphone screen, and zoom speeds can be set to personal preference.
Elsewhere, DJI has kept the per charge Li-ion battery life of 15 hours, but has redesigned the device for easier access to the charging and audio ports.
The Osmo Mobile 3 pairs with a smartphone running the DJI Mimo app over Bluetooth. The app can help give recordings a bit more pep, coming with music selections, video transitions and filters to help with editing. It can activate Gesture Control to enable selfie capture without pressing buttons, and make the device more responsive in Sport mode. Timelapse, panorama and slow motion modes are also available via the app.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 3 goes on sale today for US$119, or for another $20 the device can be had with the Osmo Grip Tripod and a carry case thrown in. The video below has more.
Source: DJI
