DJI released a new gimbal for smartphones: DJI OSMO Mobile 2. And the good news are it’s a lot cheaper than the first edition, 100 USD cheaper to be precise. Gimbals are my favourite accessories as a stabilised video looks so much more professional. So let’s take a closer look at its functions and features.
DJI OSMO Mobile 2 – Landscape & Portrait Mode
DJI OSMO Mobile 2
Battery
DJI Osmo mobile 2 holds a 2600 mAh built-in battery, which allows 15 hours of working time (under normal conditions and well balanced). There’s a micro USB port at the side of the grip for charging and a second USB port at the back to charge your smartphone.
Weight & Payload
Osmo 2 itself weights 485 g without smartphone. A payload is not stated, but it seems to be around 220g.
Pan / Tilt / Roll – Angle
DJI Osmo Mobile 2 offers 320° rotation on the pan axis (+/- 160°) and +/- 155° on the tilt axis. Roll angle is from -90° to +70°.
Body & Mounting
As already seen in the first photo, you can mount your smartphone in landscape and portrait mode, which is beneficial for Facebook live videos. To change mounting mode simply release the knob at the back and turn the clamp. There is a second knob ring on the cross arm to balance your smartphone. The better you balance it, the less the motors are stressed, hence less energy consumption and longer battery life. On the bottom of the grip there’s a 1/4″ standard photo tripod thread to mount DJI OSMO 2 to any photo gear like a tripod.
DJI OSMO Mobile 2 – Balancing & Mount
Buttons & Controls
The control panel provides a flat joystick to control the gimbal’s head. The power / mode switch button sits below. When you short press it the LEDs show the battery status. Long press it to power up Osmo. The shutter button next to it starts/stops video recording or takes a photo depending on your current camera mode. On the side there is a zoom lever that works when using DJI Go app. As mentioned, the USB port at the back can be used to power your phone.
DJI OSMO Mobile 2 – Buttons & Ports
Shooting Modes
DJI Osmo 2 powers up in pan & tilt follow mode. That means when you pan or tilt the grip, the head will follow your movements. Short press the power button and you switch to locking mode. Now all axes are locked and the camera always points in the same direction anyways you move around. Double press the power button to center your phone again. Press the button 3 times to switch between front and rear camera of your phone. There are more options when using DJI Go App. Btw. you can grab the gimbal’s head any time and point the camera in the desired direction. Hold it for a second and Osmo 2 will remember this position. Double click the power button to center your phone again.
Packaging / Accessories
DJI Osmo Mobile 2 comes in a hard foam case, with microUSB cable and multi language manual.
DJI OSMO Mobile 2 – Packaging
Compatibility
Smartphone
DJI Osmo mobile 2 is compatible with a huge variety of smartphones. They just have to be between 58.6 and 85 mm width.
Action Camera
Of course you can use it also with your GoPro, so here’s How to mount GoPro on DJI OSMO Mobile 2:
Basically you can mount your action camera without any accessories when the clamp is in portrait mode. But the gimbal can only turn 160°, so the cam can’t be turned to face forward. Furthermore the clamp covers the touchscreen on the back. Therefor you should get an adapter to mount your GoPro. Since the pan axis doesn’t turn 360° you have to pay attention when using it, otherwise the motor of Osmo will be in the frame when shooting with wide FOV. You have to hold OSMO facing forward, with the crossarm pointing downwards and pitch up the camera using the joystick. This way your view is not blocked by the gimbal.
DJI OSMO Mobile 2 with GoPro Hero5 black
I use this adapter from PGY Tech. It offers full access to the touchscreen & all buttons. The USB-C & microHDMI door can be opened, so you can charge the cam via the gimbal’s USB port. Only the battery door can’t be opened when mounted. The adapter is made of metal and offers a tripod mount at the bottom. PGY adapter is available for 18 USD.
PGY Adapter for GoPro
App
You have to use DJI Go App to activate your gimbal and you need internet connection for that. Otherwise you can’t power up your gimbal! That’s quite bothersome. After you activated DJI Osmo mobile 2 you can power it up without app or use any other app as well. Nevertheless DJI Go App offers some nice features when used for filming and all buttons as well as zoom lever work.
One of these features is face tracking or object tracking (notice the green frame in the screenshot below). Simply mark an object on the screen and while it moves, the camera will automatically follow it. Another great tool is the panorama function. The gimbal turns so the camera can take up to 9 photos which will be automatically stitched for stunning panoramas. The app also offers a time-lapse recording option.
Furthermore the app allows a lot of settings. You can log into your Facebook, WeiBo, YouTube, QQ Zone or other custom profiles to go live via DJI Go App. You can customise joystick and gimbal speed according to your needs and calibrate OSMO 2. There are also predefined profiles like sport or walking speed.
DJI Go App – Camera / Settings / Active Track
Conclusion
DJI Osmo Mobile 2 is a great device to get smooth videos and a great companion for vlogging. The price of the new model is very appealing and the built quality still seems to be very high. Osmo 2 offers a large capacity battery and the longest working time compared to similar gimbals. Talking about competition, I think the closest competitors are Zhiyun Smooth Q, which is a bit cheaper and available for 99 USD. Osmo seems to be of a higher quality but on the other hand Zhiyun is a bit more convenient to use with an action camera as the pan axis turns 360°. Another interesting competitor is the recently released Feiyu Vimble 2 which has an integrated selfie stick and is available for the same price. Guess it depends on which feature is more suitable for your situation.
Zhiyun Smooth Q – DJI OSMO Mobile 2 – Feiyu Vimble 2
Summary
Low Price
high quality built product
gimbal can charge smartphone
easy to switch between landscape and portrait mode
not ideal for action cameras (better options: Feiyu SGP / Zhiyun Smooth Q)
Here’s a comparison of different, but same style gimbals
| Feiyu Vimble C | Feiyu Vimble 2 | Zhiyun Smooth Q | Feiyu SPG C | Feiyu SPG (new version) | DJI Osmo 2 | Zhiyun Smooth 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | |  |  |
| Body: Plastic | Body: Plastic & includes selfie stick | Body: Plastic | Body: Metal | Body: Metal | Body: Plastic | Body: Metal |
| Battery: 5 hr working time | Battery: 7-10 hr working time | Battery: 12 hr working time | Battery: 7 hr working time | Battery: 8 hr working time | Battery: 15 hr working time 2600 mAh | Battery: 14 hr working time |
| Battery Type: built-in | Battery Type: built-in | Battery Type: built-in | Battery Type: exchangeable | Battery Type: exchangeable | Battery Type: built-in | Battery Type: exchangeable |
| can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank | can be powered with power bank |
| n/a | can power phone / camera | can power phone / camera | n/a | n/a | can power phone / camera | can power phone / camera |
| 200g Payload | 210g Payload | 200g Payload | ?g Payload | ?g Payload | ?g Payload | 260g Payload |
| Pan / Tilt / Roll 320° / 320° / 320° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 320° / 320° / 320° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 360° / 320° / 60° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 360° / 320° / 320° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 360° / 320° / 320° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 320° / 310° / 140° rotation | Pan / Tilt / Roll 360° / 320° / 320° rotation |
| not Splash-proof | not Splash-proof | Splash-proof | not Splash-proof | Splash-proof | not Splash-proof | not Splash-proof |
| Controls: Joystick, Zoom, Mode Switch, Shutter | Controls: Joystick, Zoom, Mode Switch, Shutter | Controls: Joystick, Zoom, Mode Switch, Shutter | Controls: Joystick, Mode Switch, Shutter, Zoom | Controls: Joystick, Mode Switch, Shutter | Controls: Joystick, Zoom, Mode Switch, Shutter | Controls: Joystick, Mode Switch, Camera Settings, Shutter |
| Face Tracking | Face Tracking | Object & Face Tracking | Object & Face Tracking | Object & Face Tracking | Object & Face Tracking | Object & Face Tracking |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| - | comes with carrying bag | comes with carrying bag | comes with carrying bag | comes with carrying bag | - | comes with carrying bag |
| 1/4" thread on bottom | 1/4" thread on bottom | 1/4" thread on bottom | 1/4" thread on bottom | 1/4" thread on bottom & 1/4" thread on grip | 1/4" thread on bottom | 1/4" thread on bottom |
| Price: 115 USD | 126.99 USD | Price 99 USD | Price: 109 USD | Price: 126 USD | 129 USD | Price: 299 USD |
| Review | Review | Review | Review | Review | - |
Retailer / Price:
DJI Osmo Mobile 2 is available on DJI’s Website and qualifies for free shipping:
- Price: 129 USD
