By: Molly Davies

Motion without blur. Action shots without shake. Perfect video even when you move. Thanks to advanced technologies specifically designed to keep the camera flat no matter how you move it, the DJI Osmo helps you record videos and take photos like never before. It is much more than just a camera. It helps you create with more freedom than ever.

I received the DJI OSMO in January 2016. I hadn’t had much experience with handheld cameras, I’d mainly worked with Canon & Panasonic DSLRs. I was introduced to the OSMO by a friend who had recently seen some great action videos on YouTube. It wasn’t long before I’d watched about 5 videos of the OSMO, in use, that I was in dire need to buy one for myself. One-Click buy and the OSMO was at my door three days later.

I’d never been tempted to buy a GoPro, or anything like this camera before. I’m a big follower of other brands that do stabilisers & action cameras, but I’d never been tempted to buy one. Of course I’d seen lots of GoPro videos, visited their stand at shows & seen it first hand what it can do, but I’d never seen anything like the OSMO. They’ve incorporated 4K/2.7K/HD, a stabiliser, a seflie composition, an action camera, etc into one gimbal for that price – How could I resist.

Worth every penny! Packed to perfection & every details was not missed. I received more then I had bargained for, I couldn’t believe how much I got in the box. For anyone who’s interested in doing unboxing videos, that would be your dream kit. Plenty of gear to waffle on about, I could go on for ages.

To be brutally honest, it took me quite a while to ‘perfect’ the OSMO. For the week I have been testing it out in the office, using it outside / inside, people / product, etc. When I first started using the OSMO, the image was grainy & patchy. I then got to grips with all the settings, turned the ISO right down & the shutter speed up. 4K is absolutely outstanding but for what I’m doing I’ve just been sticking to HD (1080), which is much better then any film I’ve taken with any handheld / HDSLR.

Audio wise – We tried mounting a Shure VP83, which is very much like the Rode Video Mic Pro, but without buying extra accessories. We ended up using a tripod stand and then attaching that to the OSMO. We tried to get it as close to the subject as possible, without getting the foam in the shot. The internal sound quality on the OSMO, is unusable, but with the Shure mic it’s great.

I’m looking to invest in a clip that will attach the mic to the OSMO. One thing I would say, is the OSMO makes quite a loud motor noise while running. Doing a small video for YouTube to quickly demonstrate a product, or tell someone information, I would say having average sound quality is acceptable. If I were to create a short film / documentary, I would invest in a condenser mic & Rycote windshield.

I shall be taking the OSMO out for a day trip, to test the quality, movement, different angles, colours, settings, selfie mode, etc. To see the video keep posted.