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What’s it like to use the DJI Osmo?

Let’s start with a disclaimer – I’m completely inexperienced when it comes to shooting video. There, I said it. I enjoy taking photographs and have worked alongside a number of different camera brands, but video is something I’ve always tended to avoid, largely because I feel that it’s something that, if it’s not done well, it’s probably best not done at all. To my mind, video only really has a place on a blog where the focus is on luxury if it’s done professionally. Who wants to see a shaky, amateurish video shot on your iPhone? So really my video experience has been limited to briefly filming with drones (the DJI Phantom 3 Advanced and DJI Phantom 4) and being on the receiving end of the camera (something else that I’m not all that ‘au fait’ with) such as with this assignment for American Express. Ask someone in the digital media industry what the company DJI is known for, and they’ll most likely reply ‘drones’ in a heartbeat. That’s hardly surprising given their rapid domination of the global drone market, but were you aware of their other products? Make way for the DJI Osmo – a handheld camera that helps you record 4K videos and take photos like never before. DJI Osmo You could be excused for thinking that it’s odd for a drone company to be producing handheld cameras but actually they share some of the same crucial technology – most notably a gimbal camera that helps keep your footage seamlessly smooth and on the level. Using the camera is a breeze. There’s a sturdy frame which holds your iPhone in place and allows you to view what you are filming once you connect to the camera’s WiFi (I struggled slightly with this at first, not realising that each time I turned the camera off, my phone was reverting to connecting to the WiFi of the place where we were staying, which didn’t require a password. But, once I’d overcome that stumbling block, everything was fine. Each of the following videos shot during my recent stay at Elounda Gulf Villas were done in one take after very little prior use of the camera. I won’t for one moment profess to claim they’re perfect (you’ll even spot me in the mirror on occasions) but they are incredibly smooth given that the camera is handheld, I’m a complete novice and I’m going up and down stairs, etc. This is the first place we stayed – Elounda Villa as filmed on the DJI Osmo…
YouTube video
…and this is the second – Villa Erato.
YouTube video
As you’ll see, the DJI Osmo is not only smooth but also does a pretty good job at adjusting to different lighting environments. With the above videos, I go from bright sunlight to shaded areas, and in and out of rooms with different lighting levels, but the camera never takes long to adjust. It’s also easy to control where the camera points, with a small ‘joystick’ that you can control with your thumb, although to be honest I just tended to turn the camera with my hand as I felt this was crisper still. And for the narcissistic among you, the camera can quickly rotate a full 180-degrees into ‘selfie mode’ should you wish. The build quality of the device is excellent and it comes in a secure, protective pouch that you can carry over your shoulder. It also comes with a separate, external microphone (I believe the built-in mic was picking up the sound of the fan too much) but I opted for just adding a music overlay to my videos. And, with a bit more practice and some alternative scenarios, I’m sure I should be able to come up with some more clips worth watching. What the DJI Osmo has taught me more than anything, I suppose, is that there is potentially a place for video on A Luxury Travel Blog. Hands up who would like to see more of this kind of footage…?! Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DJI.

Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.

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8 Comments

  1. It looks so high quality and it feels like a device from the future. This camera could indeed, be great for blogging. Thank you for sharing such a great post.

  2. Nice! Very smooth! You can tell the quality there. I like the way it handles outdoor to indoor and vice versa. Much better than our old Panasonic!

  3. Wow, the videos are so good! I really think this is some equipment to get, if you can. It eliminates the shakes and the wobbles and looks like you are seeing it from someone’s eyes.

  4. what a great bit of tech to capture holidays with,very good quality picture,and very smooth footage x

  5. Interesting. I’ve now got the Flowmotion I crowd-funded a couple of years ago (same thing, not as sophisticated). Part of me thinks that stabilization (on my Pixel 3) has improved so much in that period, I don’t really need a gimbal.

  6. HAS ANYONE EVER TESTED THE STEADI CAM FOR DJI OSMO???

    THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. GOOD VIDEO TO ALL!

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