
DJI has unveiled its latest smartphone gimbal, the Osmo Mobile 4 (OM4). Like its predecessors, the OM4 is an ultra-compact three-axis gimbal for keeping your smartphone footage as stable as possible, with a few other unique features baked in. Visually, the Osmo Mobile 4 isn’t much different than its predecessor, the Osmo Mobile 3 (OM3). It is a light grey instead of a darker grey, but aside from the joystick, trigger and grip being a bit more rubberized, the body of the gimbal remains largely unchanged.
New Features
The DJI Osmo Mobile 4 is a solid and inexpensive three-axis gimbal with all-day battery life, but some of its most interesting features may not work on your phone.
DJI is likely one of the first names that comes to mind when you think of drones, but in pro video circles, the company’s line of Ronin camera stabilizers is just as renowned. Smartphone content creators can enjoy the same stabilization features, in a smaller, more affordable package, with the DJIOsmo Mobile 4, an updated (and rebranded) edition of the previous-generation Osmo Mobile 3. The Osmo Mobile 4 is a very good basic gimbal, especially if you’re an iPhone user. It handles all the basics with ease, though advanced features are hit or miss, and depending on your smartphone, might not be available at all.
Design
The Osmo Mobile 4 is a powered three-axis gimbal with a handheld pistol-grip style design. Construction quality is quite good—the body is sturdy polycarbonate with a rubberized mount. It’s a little heavier than the Osmo Mobile 3 at about a pound, but a bit more compact overall. It measures 7.0 by 4.0 by 2.8 inches (HWD) when folded for transport.
In order to slim the design down from the previous model, DJI updated the connector to a magnetic, spring-loaded grip that attaches to your phone. It’s great in theory, but if you use a Google Pixel 4 or any phone with centre-mounted buttons, you’re going to run into problems. On the plus side, it had no problems with large handsets like the iPhone 11 or the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, but you might have to remove your phone from its case, depending on how thick it is.
On the front of the gimbal, you’ll find a thumb slide joystick for pan and tilt, a multi-purpose button, and an image capture button. There’s also a battery light indicator. The left side is home to a zoom slider, and on the front is a trigger that can be used to switch cameras and turn on Sport Mode. There’s a USB-C charging port and a USB-A port that acts as a trickle charger for your phone.
Battery Life
The Osmo Mobile 4’s battery takes a little over two hours to charge completely, and DJI claims you’ll get 15 hours of use between charges, which seems pretty accurate from our experience. The battery cannot, however, be replaced, so you’ll notice some degradation over time.
Inside the box you’ll the folding gimbal, a screw-in tripod, a magnetic attachment that clamps to your phone, a wrist strap, and a storage pouch. There’s also a special magnetic adapter for smaller phones, as well as a quick start manual.
The tabletop tripod is a nice addition, but it’s very basic. It’s a good starter option for bloggers, low-light photographers, and those who use the Hyper lapse and Time-lapse features. That said, its build quality isn’t great—the legs feel likely to snap if you put too much weight on the gimbal. The Osmo Mobile 4 has a standard quarter-inch tripod thread, so you can swap it out for a sturdier set of legs if you prefer.
Like its predecessors, the Osmo Mobile 4 works in both portrait and landscape modes. Simply double tap the multi-purpose button on the front of the gimbal and your phone will switch positions. The zoom sliders work well, but vary greatly depending on the phone you’re using and its own limitations. On the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, technically capable of 100x zoom, the Osmo Mobile 4 maxed out at 8x. Of course, you can use it with the phone’s built-in camera instead of the DJI app, but you lose access to the manual features, and the gimbal suffers to keep footage perfectly steady at extreme zooms—not surprising given how much harder it is to stabilize telephoto footage.
Get ready to share all your moments with DJI Osmo Mobile 4. Use the intuitive application to access cinematic and professional functions allowing you greater creativity control. This Gimbal is one of the most travel friendly gimbal on the market. Buy Osmo Mobile 4 from D1 Store — DJI’s Authorised Retail Store for Australia and enjoy the peace of mind with expert advice, care refresh support and full genuine Australian warranty.