DJI, which has taken our filmmaking aspirations airborne with its popular line of Phantom drones, has brought its tech genius back to Earth with a new handheld camera with three-axis gimbal stabilization.
The Osmo can record 4K video or 12-megapixel still images all atop a grip with built-in controls, a stereo microphone plus an audio jack for more sophisticated sound recording.
Of course, the star feature of this DJI product is the gimbal stabilization that absorbs movement for a professional, cinematic smoothness to your videos.
Professional quality video fell into hands of consumers, first with DSLRs and then point-of-view action cameras, like GoPro. The smallness of cameras producing 4K video has also boosted creativity among average users, but camera and accessory companies are just now starting to introduce affordable products to temper shakiness.
Just this week, Cult of Mac wrote about a professional-quality hand stabilizer called Aeon for GoPro cameras, currently on Indiegogo for $349.
Photo: DJI
The Osmo, which became available for preorder Thursday on the DJI website, will cost $649. The handle can be purchased separately and is compatible with DJI’s Zenmuse cameras. The price for a handle only is not listed yet.
The handle also has a mount for a smartphone and, with an app, a filmmaker can use their phones as a viewfinder and touch-screen control.
Osmo camera is capable of panoramic shots, long exposures and time lapse and slow motion shots at 120 frames per second.
DJI also has a line of accessories, like a bike mount and arm extension, that fit the Osmo handle.
David Pierini is a former newspaper writer and long-time photographer. Considered a luddite by most of his friends, they did not believe him when he broke the news that he would be writing for a technology website. He is fascinated by human nature and would love to cultivate stories about the people driving the tech bus. Reach out to him at [email protected].
