I have a love / hate relationship with gimbals. I’ve owned some from a number of brands, the most recent one from Hohem. My use case was that I needed an accessory that could count as a second head tracker to my DJI Osmo Pocket 3, which was my main vlogging device for a time.
For one, gimbals are normally huge because of the arm brackets and grip. When I travel, I realized packing the case alone would have the same dimensions as a laptop. And that sucked. I was expecting a big accessory with the new Osmo Mobile 8, the latest gimbal from DJI released late last year and when I saw the box, at least some reservations were put to rest because this one was small. And after tinkering with it for a bit I also discovered some good space saving measures that it took into consideration.
The Osmo Mobile 8 comes with a retractable tripod that also doubles as a tripod mount. The accessory also extends its neck just shy of 9 inches so it’s great for vlogging on a desk without any other 3rd party tripods.
One of the features I truly liked was the built-in AI tracking camera that also comes with a front fill light. It supports hand gestures and is really a good overall icing on top solution if you’re filming alone. Camera tracking also works with support via DockKit, which is a protocol on some accessories to directly support iPhone pairing without the need for additional software. The removable dongle also serves as an external mic audio receiver that you can use to connect other DJI mics.
The DJI Mobile 8 also comes with a second USB-C charging port that can be used to supply power to your phone while being used or idle. It is located right beside the removable magnetic phone clamp so you can easily attach or detach your phone to check your edits or pocket both devices on your left and right pocket. Yes, the Mobile 8 is actually pocketable, albeit with a bulge, but still!
Who is this for?
The Osmo Mobile 8 is a tool meant for vloggers who primarily shoot and edit their workflow on a smartphone. Gimbal rotation and controls aside, the most useful feature – and the feature that everyone will be using, is the AI object tracking. It’s perfect for creators who need to show their space – gym and yoga instruction, professors giving a lecture, chefs doing a cooking demo, and the like. The gimbal addresses the concern of being bulky by integrating the tripod as something that collapses into the cavity of the grip, rather than something that needs to be screwed on.
The DJI Mobile 8 sells for P7,499 and is widely available in DJI stores and partners.
