Review - DJI OSMO Mobile 5 (OM5)
DJI shipped the newest edition of the OSMO Mobile to me last week. In this hand-on review you’ll read all about my thoughts.
Brief
The key features of the OM5 are as follows:
3-axis stabilization
Active track 4.0 (improved)
Portable & Foldable
Magnetic design
NEW: Build-in extension rod (selfie stick)
NEW: Shotguides
As with every iteration, there are old, improved and new features. I’ll run through them here.
Product video
Check out an overview of the product below in just 1:37 minutes.
Introducing DJI OSMO Mobile 5 by Mite Visuals
Stabilization and Active Track 4.0
The stabilization and Active Track 4.0 feature are as expected, as well as respected from DJI. The axis to look up and down is limited when using the joystick, but by using your hand movement right this won’t be any problem.
If you ever used a Ronin gimbal for your camera, the OSMO Mobile 5 will feel very familiar. The setup-time, however, is far faster.. More about this below.
Active Track works like it should but, like any tracking software, it has its limitations. If you adjust your point of view (further away is easier to track) you can work around any obstacles, though. I managed to track people playing beach volleyball whilst running around and jumping, so no complaints from me!
On the handle you’ll find a button to automatically rotate your phone from portrait to horizontal, and vice versa. Just press it twice and enjoy a smooth turn.
Portable, Foldable and Magnetic
As technology evolves, the packages are getting smaller and smaller. The OSMO Mobile 5 is both portable (only 230 grams) and foldable. After folding, it fits into the smallest part of the backpack. You’ll never go wrong taking it with you, and it won’t break either break your back (weight) or the bank (pretty cheap).
The magnetic piece can be clipped on the back of your phone and left on even when not using the OSMO, it is not extremely thick.
And, in this already small package, they now feature an extension rod!
Extra note: I was positively surprised with the battery life. During three shoots (all more or less 1 hour) with the same battery, it lasted without losing a single bar. I’ll have to check this in the future, but if so, I’m very happy with the battery life.
NEW: Extension Rod and Shotguides
The new additions to the OSMO Mobile are the Extension Rod and Shotguides. Frankly, the extension rod was an absolute no-brainer and should have been included in previous versions. The rod adds 215mm / 21,5cm when used on full length. The gimbal remains steady and feels sturdy, they’ve done a good job on this one.
The Shotguides are programmed situations that are recognized by the DJI Mimo app. You can either go into shotguides or wait for the app to tell you it found something similar. Shotguides help you capture specific situations, like filming a person from behind, and shows you how to film it (the video above shows two shotguides throughout the video).
I can imagine these shotguides are targeted at people who’ve just started filming or people looking for inspiration. They are quite simple to follow and learn. I hope they’ll add more guides in the future as there are limited situations available right now. But the idea is alright.
Thanks to Bas van Duin for modelling by the way!
Conclusion
I always second guessed buying a mobile gimbal myself in the past but I’m now convinced you should have one in your kit. Surely, there are limitations, but for about $150 you’ll get a lot of smoothness for your buck! I imagine I’ll use the gimbal for general B-roll and cinematic options like time-lapses. Especially when you don’t want to carry your kit around, you can just carry this gimbal in your pocket.
In addition, mobile phones are getting better and better nowadays. It might not give the exact same result as a regular camera but you can get close with this method!
However, I’d recommend the OSMO Mobile 5 to hobbyists and vloggers to start with. Especially so you don’t break the bank. It is a good piece to start your kit. Afterwards you’ll likely find yourself using it for specific situations.
9/10 Love it.
Cheers, Mike
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My name is Mike Tesselaar, in short MiTe. I’m a photographer from The Netherlands with a heart for traveling and adventuring.
I write blogs about photo- and videography, travel, freelancing and personal related stories. Hope you’ll find inspiration and feel welcome to stick around a little longer!
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