DJI Gimbals

DJI Gimbals

A smartphone gimbal solves a problem the phone cannot solve on its own. Software stabilisation works by cropping into the frame and shifting it about, which throws away resolution and still leaves a floating, slightly seasick look on anything longer than a few seconds. A motorised gimbal instead holds the phone level across three axes mechanically, so a walking shot, a stair descent or a slow reveal comes out smooth at full resolution. The practical decisions are size and reach. All three models here fold down for a bag or a large pocket, and the difference between them is how much extra reach and support you get once unfolded. Balance is the part people skip: the phone has to sit level in the clamp before the motors are asked to do anything, and a heavy case or an off-centre clamp will drain the battery and hunt visibly on camera. Subject tracking is the other reason to buy one, because the gimbal can keep you framed while you move without a second person behind the phone, which is what makes solo filming workable at all.

All three are DJI Osmo Mobile models. The Osmo Mobile 8 is the current generation, the Osmo Mobile 7P Pro sits below it in Dark Grey, and the Osmo Mobile 7 covers the entry point, also in Dark Grey. For the wider cross-brand selection see Phone Gimbals. Where a phone is not the right tool, the gimbal is built into the camera on the bodies at DJI Osmo Pocket Cameras, while DJI Action Cameras take the mounted and rugged route instead. Add clean audio from DJI Microphones, or see the aerial range at DJI Drones.