The DJI Osmo Mobile 7 is a bit of a game-changer for its maker, at least in the mobile gimbal space. These gadgets, which use hardware to keep your smartphone movements steady and smooth when filming video, have come a heck of a long way in the last year or so. Aimed at vloggers and other content creators who use their phone as their primary means, gimbals been able to track subjects automatically for a while – but usually only using their own brand’s companion app.
That’s all changing now, and the DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series, the (you guessed it) seventh iteration of the company’s mobile gimbal, is a perfect example. Until this new model arrived, DJI had lagged behind rivals like Hohem, Zhiyun and Insta360 on the tracking front, insisting that users fire up its DJI Mimo camera app in order to have previous generations of the gimbal track and follow a subject’s movements. Not so the OM 7. Thanks to its Multifunctional Model accessory, it’ll happily follow along while using any app.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t use Mimo, mind you. With it running, the OM 7 gets access to the new ActiveTrack 7.0 system, which DJI says is its most advanced and smoothest tracking setup yet, being able to lock onto multiple subjects or switch between subjects with a single tap. But at least you get a choice this time.
Elsewhere the DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series looks impressive too. It’s the lightest gimbal in its class, weighing 300g, and its folding design makes it genuinely pocket-sized. It can be deployed in one swift motion, and thanks to a magnetic clamp that grips your phone, mounting and dismounting a mobile takes moments.
The Multifunctional Module, which clips on and off the gimbal arm, also serves as an LED fill light (with multiple colour temperature and brightness settings) and a mic receiver, delivering what DJI says is higher quality audio to your phone recordings via a USB connection.
Another new addition is a wheel control on the side of the gimbal. This can be set up to support manual focus or a smooth, steady zoom function, giving creators another tool for creating great-looking content.
The DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series is available to order today from the DJI website, in two packages. The Osmo Mobile 7P (a slightly larger, heavier model which includes the Multifunctional Module in the box) costs from £135 / US$149 / €159, while the Osmo Mobile 7 (which is slightly smaller and weighs only 300g) costs from £85 / US$89 / €99. A range of accessories is launching alongside the gimbals, including a grip tripod, quick-release magnetic mount and a tracking kit.
