DJI Osmo Mobile 6 - Product Review
| Price: | $149.00 |
| Website: | DJI |
| Year: | 2024 |
For those of us who have grown up with home movies – now called home videos – we know how far technology has come from the old hand-held eight millimeter cameras. The grainy and shaky home movies that captured our childhoods and family vacations are windows to our past. Today’s generation capture videos on the ubiquitous smart phones. The images are cleaner and sharper than in the past. But now enter the gimbal. The gimbal is a marvel in that it allows for smooth movement when filming objects. Even when they are traveling at high speeds. The latest version of DJI’s Osmo Mobile is great for families.
With spring break, Easter gatherings, summer vacations, Thanksgiving family get togethers, and holiday parties as well as family reunions and birthday parties, capturing videos for future memories is easier than ever. The Osmo Mobile 6 is compact and very light weight. It comes with an easy-to-snap-on magnetic clip that attaches to the gimbal. It also comes with a tripod and extension rod. And to make things just a little easier, there is a travel pouch to keep it all safe when in a suitcase, car, or drawer.
The first thing to do if you get the Osmo Mobile 6 is to charge it with the accompanying USB cord. Once that’s done, the rest is a snap – literally. The tripod screws onto the base, the arm twists up, and the phone (now clipped to the magnet) snaps on. Voila. The gimbal comes alive. It aligns itself automatically.
So, what does it do? Of course you can simply hold your phone in your hand and press the record button to capture videos, but the gimbal adds a lot more. Its main function is to stabilize the phone so it doesn’t shake when you move. It gives you smooth videos automatically. But this little gadget does much more.
Perhaps one of my favorite things when it comes to this unit, is switching from portrait to landscape with just a double click of a button. Another useful easy-to-use side wheel lets you zoom in for a closer look. And the Osmo Mobile 6 has an “active tracking” feature so if you’re taking a video of little Johnny hitting the ball then running to first base, the device can stick with him during this feat of amazement. It tracks his movement and smoothly follows him around the bases. And when little Susie gives her presentation at the science fair, capturing it all is easy. Simply make sure the gimbal is facing her and start recording. You won’t have to watch it all through the phone. You can watch it through your eyes while the gimbal is recording it for posterity.
Click the link to watch how the Osmo Mobile 6 changes quickly from Portrait to Landscape with just a push of a button. Osmo Mobile 6 view change
With the extension rod, it’s much easier to video over people’s heads. Those of us who are not six feet tall understand that little dilemma.
There is a joystick that lets the user move the phone around while it’s on the unit. This is actually another of my favorite aspects of the Osmo Mobile 6. And, yet another button switches the camera from front to back so recording selfies is a breeze. Not only can you record yourself, but you can also move around at the same time and the video will still be smooth and clear. With just a click of a button users can start and stop the recording or take a still photo.
There is more to this little unit than all of this but these aspects are probably the most important for families who want a small, easy, reliable gimbal to save precious memories. The fact that it is light weight is a plus. And the tripod makes it easy to take group photos or group videos without having to miss out on the fun..
The one caveat is there is a slight learning curve to the Osmo Mobile 6. This little unit packs a lot into its uses with different modes and a variety of features. Getting the basics for family use is not too hard. I recommend adjusting to this unit then watching the beginners guides on YouTube, besides the one from DJI. Different YouTubers highlight different uses so it would behoove new users to learn from them and decide what features will be most useful for their own needs.
Now when I watch my old family videos (which have been transferred onto DVDs), I see how far technology has come. The grainy and bouncy videos are precious to me and my family. These videos recorded our past. This new generation can record their family events in a completely different way – one without all the shakes and the blurry pictures. And in 20 years when it’s time to watch Johnny’s 10th birthday party, well, the video will be much better than those of the past.
Gimbals are the updated devices for recording family memories. The Osmo Mobile 6 is small, lightweight, easy to handle, and has a variety of useful features besides the main use of stabilization.
Note: DJI sent me the Osmo Mobile 6 for review. They wanted an honest opinion for family use. And there you have it.
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County.