Let’s take a deep dive into DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Review. We all know that the latest flagship phones may have great built-in video stabilization. But we cannot deny the fact that vloggers and influencers who want to make videos that look like they were made by professionals can still benefit greatly from having a separate 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, the DJI Osmo Mobile has always been the best phone gimbal on the market.
As it moves into its sixth generation, DJI has returned to calling it “Osmo Mobile” instead of just “OM.” Just know that the Osmo Mobile 6 is the direct replacement for the DJI OM5 model from last year. This doesn’t matter.
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Review: Ultimate Smartphone Gimbal For Travelers And Creators
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Pros
- How helpful is an Extension rod 8.5 inches long.
- Strong construction.
- Excellent ergonomics.
- Easy and quick setup.
Osmo Mobile 6 Cons
- Quick Launch is only available on iPhones.
- The folding design limits the range of motion.
What Is Still The Same As The OM5?
DJI says that the Osmo Mobile series will be updated yearly, so it would be too much to expect complete redesigns yearly. As an alternative, DJI makes small changes to improve filming. The selfie stick-like extension rod on the OM5 was its main new feature. It lets you shoot video from different angles. This wasn’t just a trick but a naturally helpful new feature I often used.
The built-in extension rod is still on the Osmo Mobile 6, and its design looks like the last one. It also has upgraded gimbal motors, which can now hold up to 290g, more than the OM4’s 230g limit.
Pricing
DJI has kept the price of the OM5 the same as the Osmo Mobile 6, which is $159. This is a good deal at this price, especially since its main competitor, the Zhiyun Smooth 5, costs more. The DJI OM5 (now $129 less) and the DJI OM4 SE ($99) are the most appealing alternatives, which is interesting.
Appearance
The Osmo Mobile 6 is a darker shade of gray than its predecessor, which was a light gray. This gives it a more professional look. It looks a lot like the OM5, but if you put them next to each other, the Osmo Mobile 6 is a little bigger.
Quick Launch And Automatic On/off
The most important new feature is that the DJI Mimo app can now be quickly launched and turned on and off automatically. It takes longer to start recording when you use your phone and gimbal. When the Osmo Mobile 6 is opened, the gimbal turns on and stabilizes itself. When the phone is folded down, the gimbal turns off. If you hold down the “M” button, you can still turn it on and off by hand, just like with older models.
If you use the included magnetic mount to attach your phone to the gimbal, the Quick Launch feature will tell you when to start the DJI Mimo App. Compared to opening the app by hand, this makes it open faster. Android users won’t be able to use the new Quick Launch feature because it’s only available on iPhones.
New Led Status Bar
The new status panel shows the battery level and the current gimbal mode. This is another big difference from the OM5. There are four different gimbal modes on the DJI Osmo Mobile 6: follow, tilt lock, FPV, and spin shot. It is easy to tell which mode is on because LEDs light up the symbols. That’s helpful when you’re not recording with the DJI Mimo App but with the camera app or a third-party app like Filmic Pro that doesn’t show the active gimbal mode.
Side Wheel
If there was one thing that the Zhiyun Smooth series lacked, it was the manual side wheel. Now, we have the Osmo Mobile 6. The wheel is conveniently in place and lets you focus or zoom by hand. If you press on the wheel, you can switch between controlling the focus and the zoom.
Cloning in and out is smooth when turning the wheel and changing the focal length. However, the DJI Mimo app will say, “camera doesn’t support manual focus” if you use an older phone model (like an iPhone 12 or earlier) or the Ultrawide camera on an iPhone 13 or 14.
Activetrack 5.0
ActiveTrack is DJI’s object-tracking algorithm, and ActiveTrack 5.0 is built into Osmo Mobile 6. DJI says this new version of ActiveTrack is even better at finding objects and following them as they move than the last one.
The ActiveTrack had no trouble following people during tests, even in various lighting and environmental conditions. It still sometimes needs to be made aware of more minor subjects, like dogs, in certain situations, but overall, it did a great job.
Osmo Mobile 6 Performance
Easy setup
Setting it up is easy and quick. The first step is to attach the magnetic clamp that comes with it to your phone. The angled jaws of the magnetic clamp are nice because they don’t press on your phone’s side buttons, which is a problem with numerous other phone gimbals, mainly when your phone is in a case.
After that, you have to use magnets to attach the phone to the gimbal arm, and you’re good to go. In contrast to older phone gimbals, the Osmo Mobile 6 automatically balances your phone, so you don’t have to do it by hand. Also, you don’t need to use any counterbalances or anything else. That’s because the gimbal’s motors can handle even the heaviest phones right out of the box.
Comfortable and easy to switch between front and back camera
The gimbal is very comfortable, and the extendable rod lets you shoot from high angles without holding your arm up. If you click the camera button twice, you can change the orientation from vertical (portrait) to horizontal (landscape). It’s also simple to switch between the front-facing and back-facing cameras. When you switch to the selfie camera, it will automatically start tracking your face.
Stabilization
The stabilization works very well, and the video quality is so good that it’s possible to record someone purposely exaggerating their jogging motion. The Osmo Mobile 6 is perfect because the latest iPhones and Samsung phones have optical image stabilization that can handle a small amount of shake and jitter.
While other gimbals have weak points, the DJI Mimo App is the best. It has all the features you’d expect, like panoramas and motion timelapses. It also has some extras, like “Story Mode,” which lets you shoot with a mix of pre-set shooting patterns and camera movements. The app also has a simple video editor, but if you want a better editing experience, you can download the DJI LightCut app.
To Sum up the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Review
Even though the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 needs to do more to make people who already own the OM5 want to upgrade, it is surely the best smartphone gimbal on the market right now, and that’s likely to change once DJI releases its successor.
You don’t have to wait long to press the record button because the magnetic clamp design automatically turns the power on and off. Also, DJI has nailed every other part of a gimbal, from where the controls are placed to how it feels to use the software. For the next model, it’s hard to see how DJI could improve it since it already has everything they need.