The DJI Osmo Cell 8 is without doubt one of the most sensible and handy choices for on-the-go creators. Constructing on the progress of all DJI’s earlier cellphone gimbals and on the sturdy competitors from Hohem and Insta360, the Osmo Cell 8 is a stable gimbal for many cellphone shooters. It’s a extra complicated story than you might need thought, although. Let’s begin with the fundamentals and dig into the main points.
The Osmo Cell 8 package, plus elective extras: Magnetic Mount and Mic Mini within the decrease proper nook
Meet the Osmo Cell 8
It is a gentle gimbal that folds down small and may match right into a pocket — just like the Insta360 Circulate and the Residence iSteady V3 Extremely, and far lighter than the heavier-duty Hohem M7. I’ve been utilizing it for the previous few weeks, together with on a real-world shoot, and it’s been dependable and efficient.
When you’re already conversant in the Osmo Cell 7P, key enhancements embrace:
- 360° (limitless) pan axis
- Cat and canine monitoring with the Multifunctional module
- Prolonged help for low-angle photographs by tilting the pan axis ahead
- DockKit
- Non-compulsory magnetic clamp
- USB-C energy and counterweight mounting gap on the roll axis
Just like the Hohem M7, the Osmo Cell 8 contains an analog joystick that enables high-quality management over positioning; an enormous improve over the straightforward digital joysticks on the Insta360 Circulate Professional and Hohem iSteady M3 Extremely. Even higher, the joystick right here can work in each horizontal and vertical dimensions, or be locked down to only one after the other. This makes it very easy to drag off clean pans or tilts, with light stops and begins, with no likelihood of unintended sideways motion to destroy the shot.
An analogue joystick makes clean pans and tilts simpler and extra predictable
Osmo Cell 8 additionally integrates a tripod (plastic, however not flimsy) and a telescoping central arm. This design sample has develop into frequent throughout many lighter gimbals and it really works effectively right here.
Whereas this gimbal isn’t fairly as versatile because the M7 when it comes to tilt flexibility, it’s attainable to reposition the highest a part of the gimbal (above the telescopic pole) after which maintain the gimbal in a special orientation to allow a wider tilt vary (improved over the 7P). Fortunately, I didn’t have any points with my cellphone flipping round as I did with the Hohem iSteady M3 Extremely.
An official instance of a low-angle shot
The load restrict right here is 300g, and in case your cellphone is top-heavy, you may assist the steadiness by screwing in counterweights to a newly added mounting gap close to the roll axis.
Controls are easy to be taught and acquainted to customers of earlier Osmo Mobiles. The M button cycles by way of 4 modes: Pan-Tilt-Observe, Pan-Observe, FPV and SpinShot. The Pan axis can now rotate by way of 360°, and the essential stabilisation features are stable.
After pairing, the document button can begin or cease recording in any app, and the “change” button swaps between back and front cameras with a single press — even within the Digicam and Blackmagic Digicam apps. A double-press of the identical button switches between portrait and panorama. These options are a step up from the Insta360 Circulate Professional, which defaulted to portrait, and which had a much less versatile {hardware} document button.
Controls are to related earlier generations of Osmo Cell
Just like the Osmo Cell 7P (and up to date Hohem gimbals), the Osmo Cell 8 features a Multifunctional Module with a monitoring sensor, a fill gentle and wi-fi microphone connection. The module itself can face both ahead or backwards, and naturally it must level in the direction of your topic. It clicks in with magnets to assist with positioning, and releases with a button on the again.
The energy and colour temperature of the sunshine might be managed utilizing a wheel on the aspect of the gimbal, or with buttons on the aspect of the module. Whereas the sunshine will assist when filming in very low gentle situations, it’s in fact no alternative for a full-powered exterior gentle. If the module isn’t related or the sunshine is off, the wheel controls zoom, and once more, this works within the Digicam and Blackmagic Digicam apps.
We’ll come again to the mic help later, however for now, let’s give attention to monitoring.
Monitoring flexibility
This gimbal helps three various kinds of monitoring, and utilizing every technique has professionals and cons, however utilizing the Multifunctional module for monitoring your topic often provides the perfect outcomes.
The Multifunctional Module, in close-up
Multifunctional module monitoring works with any app, and might be began or stopped with a faucet of the entrance set off or a hand gesture. From a filmmakers’s standpoint, the perfect characteristic is that it’ll preserve your topic in the identical a part of the body, it doesn’t matter what app(s) you favor to make use of.
Given the large alternative in different digicam apps (Kino, Remaining Lower Digicam, Blackmagic Digicam, OpenCam and plenty of extra) it’s nice to have the ability to observe somebody with out being tied to only a single producer’s app. Simply press the entrance set off as soon as to activate or deactivate monitoring, then use the joystick to reposition.
Positioning freedom is a key good thing about this module. Once you activate monitoring along with your topic (or your self) in body, it’ll begin with that topic dead-centre. However for those who use the joystick to put your topic’s eyes top-left or top-right rule-of-thirds-grid intersection, and that’s (just about) the place they’ll keep put. You’ll use the DJI Mimo app to manage the velocity of this monitoring (and different preferences) however in any other case you need to use no matter app you favor.
Two inexperienced lights, behind the cellphone and on the high of the central column, will present inexperienced when monitoring is energetic; additionally observe the magnetic mount on this shot
Sluggish monitoring is more likely to really feel extra managed in a story state of affairs, however quicker monitoring is fairly responsive, and will work effectively in a sports activities context. With 360° pan help, your topic has the liberty to stroll wherever they need.
Monitoring with the module and reframing with the joystick works fairly effectively, but when your topic is close to the sting of the body, they’ll transfer rapidly out of monitoring vary — preserve motion on the slower aspect in order for you off-center framing. Additionally observe that the module solely acknowledges and tracks individuals; you gained’t have the ability to routinely orbit round an object with this.
When you don’t need to use the multifunctional module, you need to use DockKit monitoring on iPhone. This interprets the video feed in nearly any video app, monitoring the individual in shot with none additional {hardware}. We noticed this primary on the Insta360 Circulate Professional, and it’s equally helpful right here. It’s not as versatile because the multifunctional module, and there’s no option to re-center your topic within the body as a result of the joystick is deactivated when DockKit monitoring is energetic.
This iOS-powered monitoring might be arrange by holding an iPhone subsequent to the gimbal’s controls
The model of monitoring is sort of completely different too. Whereas monitoring with the multifunctional module is clean and constantly responsive, DockKit monitoring tends in the direction of durations of no movement adopted by faster motion. This can be what you favor, however it’s not one thing the gimbal has management over; that is Apple’s algorithm, and it behaves in the identical manner on the Insta360 Circulate Professional.
Lastly, your third possibility for monitoring is to make use of ActiveTrack within the DJI Mimo app, which helps extra superior monitoring modes (together with dragging a field round an object) with out the multifunctional module. A topic can be repositioned and can keep in the identical a part of the body.
Particular shot sorts are additionally supported right here (together with hyperlapse) in addition to firmware updates, gimbal calibration and a great assortment of tutorials. DJI Mimo additionally lets you use the wheel on the aspect of the gimbal to manage zoom or focus, which is sweet, however there’s no Log help, with or with out HEVC. (Whereas each the Hohem and Insta360 help Log in ProRes, neither help Log with HEVC.)
With out Log to deactivate oversharpening, I think many video professionals will use a third-party app for basic capturing and depend on the multifunctional module’s monitoring powers.
In some methods that is comprehensible. Gimbal makers aren’t going to have the ability to match the choices in Blackmagic Digicam, which is why these app-independent sensors have gotten in style within the first place.
Apart from the monitoring and the sunshine, the Multifunctional Module additionally permits a connection to DJI’s wi-fi lapel microphones.
Microphone and energy help
The DJI Mic 2, Mic 3 and Mic Mini can all be paired instantly with the Multifunctional module. When you then join the module to your cellphone with a USB-C cable, you’ll get a transparent wi-fi audio feed with no further receiver wanted. Even higher, the module also can present energy to your cellphone from the gimbal, enabling for much longer shoot days.
Sound high quality was good in my exams with the Mic Mini, and since it’s not connecting to my iPhone instantly with Bluetooth, high quality isn’t compromised.
Energy is an enormous deal right here too. Usually, for those who’re utilizing a cellphone’s solely USB-C port for energy, there’s no option to join a USB-C microphone, however with this daisy chain, you get each — simply make sure to activate pass-through energy with a double-press of the M button.
A number of USB-C ports can be utilized to offer energy
Even with out the Multifunctional module, there’s a USB-C port that may present energy simply behind the place the cellphone attaches. This lets you run a cable that’s much less more likely to snagged on the gimbal, irrespective of the way it’s oriented.
Why wouldn’t you need to use the Multifunctional module? When you don’t care about monitoring or audio and also you need the quickest attainable mounting setup, you may take away the claw mount and the multifunctional module from the gimbal totally. With the skinny Magnetic Mount mounted with MagSafe in your cellphone, it could possibly then snap rapidly into place on the gimbal.
As a bonus, a part of the magnetic mount folds out and acts as a cellphone stand — intelligent!
Magnetic mounts are nice for fast setup on a day trip
I acquired very used to the click-on magnetic setup on the Insta360 Circulate Professional, and if you find yourself utilizing the gimbal on and off a number of instances throughout a day trip, this could be a massive time saver. If you wish to do a chunk to digicam with a microphone, you’ll want to make use of the claw and the module for mic help, however for clean b-roll, the magnetic mount is clear and easy.
On this mode, you’d plug instantly into the gimbal for those who want energy, and if the gimbal’s working low, simply plug an influence financial institution into the gimbal.
One factor that’s a bit difficult with all of the lighter gimbals is utilizing an exterior recording machine — and bear in mind, if you wish to document to ProRes RAW, that is required. Weight limits are tight on smaller gimbals, and there’s not likely wherever to mount an exterior SSD. Your only option is likely to be a CF Categorical Sort B reader and card related on to the cellphone, which is able to stick out a bit. Nevertheless, this will work.
When you do plan to go this manner for ProRes RAW, bear in mind that with none stabilisation from the cellphone, a handheld gimbal will not be sufficient to supply a secure picture, particularly on the longer lens — take into account inserting the gimbal on a tripod.
A gimbal mounted on a daily tripod provides a fast and straightforward self-shooting resolution
Competitors
The small gimbal market is extra crowded than ever, and each has its personal compromises. Every of us will place completely different ranges of significance on particular options — not everybody values monitoring, or an analogue joystick, or cares lots about weight.
What about Hohem? Whereas the detachable screens on the Hohem gimbals are glorious, the undesirable flipping on the iSteady M3 Extremely was an issue, and the M7 is just too heavy for an off-the-cuff day trip. When you can work previous these points, they’re stable choices.
The Insta360 Circulate Professional is an efficient gimbal with a few minor points (together with a stubby deal with and a flimsy tripod) and whereas I consider most of those points had been mounted within the newer Insta360 Circulate 2 Professional, I haven’t examined that mannequin myself. So far as I can inform, the joystick continues to be small and digital, although.
Conclusion
As a gimbal for informal filmmakers, the Osmo Cell 8 will get lots proper. The analog joystick (with a clean begin and cease) provides way more management than smaller gimbals with digital joysticks. It is a massive deal for those who plan to mount a gimbal on a hard and fast tripod and use the joystick for repositioning whereas recording, and not one of the different gimbals in the identical weight class can do that.
Connecting the cable and Multifunctional Module is price it for those who want longer battery life and a microphone hyperlink
By way of flexibility, the Multifunctional Module brings lots, however it’s a disgrace that it’s not suitable with the magnetic mount. It’s onerous to return to a sprung claw setup after utilizing magnets, however that’s a sacrifice price making to get energy, audio and stability all of sudden. As a lightweight and moveable gimbal that’s fast to arrange, the Osmo Cell 8 is advisable for anybody needing smoother or extra secure photographs from their cellphone. The competitors is tight, however for those who, like me, worth a correct analogue joystick, the Osmo Cell 8 is the choose of the bunch.
When you reside within the US, this gimbal is not anticipated to be out there by way of all regular channels [UPDATE: but is showing up at some US channels anyway, for about US$149]. For the remainder of the world, attempt an area supplier or head to the DJI Retailer.
