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DJI patent imagines a drone that can't fly
DJI has quite a gamut of drones and gimbals, but most are either handheld or airborne. However, the company seems to have ground-based ambitions too, as a new Chinese patent seen by Weibo user "Machine Power" and others shows. The document shows a rugged looking land-based "all-in-one" vehicle with an elaborate suspension holding a stabilized camera. It might be a way for DJI to compete against Tero's ground-based Freefly camera platform.
Fujifilm X-T3 camera update adds advanced gimbal controls
Fujifilm's X-T3 is shockingly good at video while also being a pretty lightweight mirrorless camera, so it makes a lot of sense to stick it on a gimbal. Thanks to an upcoming firmware update, it's going to be a lot more practical to do that, Fujifilm announced. It's been working with popular gimbal makers DJI, Shenzhen Gudsen and Zhiyung to give you very granular control over the X-T3 using the Ronin S, Crane 2 and other products.
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DJI's Osmo 3 smartphone gimbal has a travel-friendly folding design
DJI continues to improve its smartphone gimbal technology with the launch of the Osmo Mobile 3, a cheaper and more travel-friendly version of its last model. The electronic stabilizer has an all-new folding design and locking mechanism that takes up a lot less space. At the same time, it's easier to operate thanks to a new Quick Roll control that switches the gimbal from portrait to handheld mode with no need to remove the phone.
DJI's new gimbal is almost half the weight of the Ronin-S
DJI's new Ronin gimbal for mirrorless cameras was designed to be a compact version of the Ronin-S, making it much easier to carry for your photo or YouTube shoots. The single-handed 3-axis model, called Ronin-S Compact (or Ronin-SC), weighs only 2.4 pounds or just a bit over a kilo -- DJI says that's 41 percent lighter than the Ronin-S released in late 2018. The manufacturer used a combination of aluminum, magnesium, steel and composite plastic to create a lightweight gimbal that's also easy to take apart and fit inside bags.
A closer look at DJI's Osmo Pocket camera
DJI has become known for offering some of the best gimbal setups for video creators, and its latest product is quite promising. The new Osmo Pocket, which leaked earlier today, is a 12-megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. And, as its name suggests, one of its main traits is that it's small enough to fit in your pocket -- so long as your jeans aren't too skinny. It weighs a mere 119 grams (or about four ounces), has 3-axis mechanical stabilization and a 140-minute battery life (at 4K 30p).
DJI’s stabilized Osmo Pocket camera costs $349
DJI has unveiled its Osmo Pocket camera -- a tiny three-axis stabilized camera that can shoot 12-megapixel photographs and 4K video at up to 60fps. The company announced its new camera at a "Because Life is Big" event today in New York, though some specs were leaked just ahead of the reveal. "Innovation is at the heart of every product we create and DJI Osmo Pocket is here to change the way photos and videos are captured, not just by professionals but by parents, couples, adventurers, travelers and everyone in between," DJI President Roger Luo said in a statement. "Osmo Pocket is a portable personal camera crew and we can't wait to see how people use it to capture their stories and share them with the world."
DJI leak reveals teeny-tiny Osmo Pocket gimbal
DJI looks set to unveil a tiny gimbal-based action camera that will compete with the GoPro Hero 7, according to several leaks. Called the DJI Osmo Pocket camera, it will supposedly pack a 1/2.3-inch sensor that shoots 12-megapixel stills and 4K video at up to 60 fps. There's a touchscreen on the back to control the camera and monitor the live feed, along with smartphone support via an all-new app called DJI Mimo.
DJI makes its Ronin S gimbal more useful with 9 new accessories
We called DJI's DSLR and mirrorless Ronin S gimbal "essential YouTube equipment," and it just got even more so with nine new accessories. The most interesting for filmmakers is the $169 Focus Motor for manual focus lenses. It consists of a motor, rod mount set and focus gear strip that can handle a wide variety of lens diameters. Once attached and connected to the Ronin-S, you can can use the existing the $59 Focus Wheel to adjust manual focus with .02 degrees of accuracy.
The new Ronin S gimbal is essential YouTube gear
If you're reading this you're probably a filmmaker or someone who might like to become a filmmaker. If so, you already know that the Ronin S is a gimbal: a robotic stick that stabilizes your camera. The reason your YouTube faves are geeking out over the Ronin S is that it can carry larger cameras than the previous generation -- nearly eight pounds -- compared to the 1.4 pounds of the original go-to gimbal, the Zhiyun Tech Crane-M. The Ronin S is what you need if you want your footage to look both crispy and smooth at the same time.
Steadicam Volt's cinematic smartphone stabilizer is a little fiddly
Steadicam is the company behind iconic tracking shots in films like Rocky and Return of the Jedi, so when parent Tiffen launched a smartphone stabilizer bearing its name at CES 2017, there was a ton of interest. The $195 Steadicam Volt nabbed more than $1 million on Kickstarter and is now on sale at stores. It works very well and can produce natural-looking, cinematic shots, but don't expect it to do that out of the box. It takes a fair amount of time to set it up, and even longer to master.
DJI's second smartphone gimbal gets improved controls and a lower price
DJI's Osmo Mobile set the standard for shooting stabilized smartphone videos, and now the time is right for a follow-up. At CES the company revealed the new DJI Osmo Mobile 2, a redesigned sequel meant to make mobile videography more accessible to the masses. The best part: It costs a reasonable $129.
DJI built a one-handed stabilizer for your SLR or mirrorless camera
DJI hasn't just been working on smartphone stabilizers ahead of CES -- it also built its first single-handed stabilizer for SLRs and mirrorless cameras. As with the refined Osmo Mobile, the newly unveiled DJI Ronin-S is all about keeping things simple in the field.
GoPro's $100 accessory puts Karma's gimbal (almost) anywhere
When GoPro launched Karma at the end of the last year, company CEO Nick Woodman was keen to point out that it's "So much more than a drone." That statement was mostly referring to the bundled handheld grip, which uses the stabilizer from the quadcopter, bringing smooth video to ground-based activities as well. Now, there's a new member of the Karma family, with the self-explanatory name of "Karma Grip Extension Cable." The accessory (pictured on the left, above) brings the gimbal's video-smoothing skills to even more points of view. Albeit at a price.
DJI's new OSMO Mobile captures pro-level selfies
Shaky cam shots are great for indie horror films and Jason Bourne-esque action sequences, but less than ideal for filming your family's holiday. With DJI's latest addition to its popular line of handheld gimbals, you'll be able to perform pans and tilts like a pro.
DJI's new Osmo+ camera adds a zoom lens
DJI's Osmo is already one of the better action camera / stabilizer (or gimbal) combos out there, but a new model is already on its way. Less than a year after the Osmo was released, DJI is introducing the Osmo+, a $649 camera and gimbal combo that improves on the original in one obvious but significant way: zoom.
DJI's pro M600 drone adapts to the camera it's carrying
DJI might be most well known for its ubiquitous Phantom series of quadcopters, but the company makes professional drones and camera kit, too. The latest addition to the pro line is the $4,599 Matrice 600 (M600), a hexacopter that adjusts how it flies automatically, depending what it's carrying. The M600 is also joined by and update to the Osmo hand-held rig, and a new version of its popular Ronin gimbal, as the company reveals its latest professional tools at this year's NAB show.
The revolution in action cameras will now be stabilized
Shaky action camera footage is such a common problem that it's almost become an accepted part of the experience. There are thousands of forum threads seeking advice about what software is best for smoothing out video that's already been shot. The inevitability of the shakes is so accepted that stabilizers (known as gimbals) for GoPro cameras have become their own cottage industry -- with companies such as FeiYu Tech making names for themselves by selling products that keep your camera steady. Revl founder Eric Sanchez clearly had enough of the situation and created the 4K Arc action camera with a gimbal built right in. The Arc is currently on Indiegogo, but you can expect more cameras like this to follow.
DJI Osmo review: A hand-held stabilized camera worthy of its price
Thanks to the rise of small action cameras, camera stabilizers (aka gimbals) are becoming more portable than ever. Amazon has plenty of these coming from random Chinese brands, but most are either poorly designed, or only a partial solution to your problem. For instance, they often lack a handset mount for those who need a live screen. There are also gimbals that use smartphones as the camera, but I've yet to come across one with raving reviews; the current options appear to be more of a nuisance due to their awkward calibration and erratic stabilization. So unless you've tried one and are certain that it works well with your phone, your best bet is to go with a dedicated camera gimbal. In terms of full-featured gimbals, we have only two compelling options so far. The first one is the Aetho's Aeon, which takes a GoPro and has its own display, but it won't arrive until early next year. This leaves us with DJI's latest creation, the Osmo, which we first saw back in January. This device features a 4K camera module similar to the one on the company's flagship drone, the Inspire 1, and it can house your smartphone as a viewfinder on the side. But it isn't just about the hardware, because like the company's drones, the Osmo also has a full-featured companion app for greater versatility. Let's see if this fancy package is worthy of its $649 price.
DJI's slick 4K hand-held gimbal is ready for action
The day has finally come. After our sneak peek at a prototype back in January, DJI's first hand-held gimbal is finally arriving in its slick true form along with a new name: Osmo. This $649 device is designed to house the Zenmuse 4K range of detachable three-axis stabilized cameras, with the default one being the Zenmuse X3 which packs a 1/2.3-inch Sony Exmor R CMOS with an effective resolution of 12.4 megapixels. Together with the single-hand grip and the metallic phone clamp, the whole package is essentially a wingless Inspire 1 and its controller combined as one. Should you decide to jump on the Micro Four Thirds bandwagon, you can also pop on a Zenmuse X5 at an extra cost.
