DJI Osmo Nano

Design and Handling

• Camera unit weighs 52g and measures 57.3 x 29.5 x 28mm
• Vision Dock adds screen, battery power and connectivity
• Up to 128GB of built-in memory plus a microSD slot

Much like Insta360 with its recent Go cameras, DJI has taken a two-part approach here. The Osmo Nano’s main camera unit is tiny, lightweight and waterproof to 10m, with no physical controls or connectivity aside from a single shutter button, but can be fixed to a secondary Vision Dock unit to boost its capabilities.

The Vision Dock (which is IPX4 splash-proof rather than fully waterproof) features a 1.96-inch OLED touchscreen, microSD card slot and USB-C port, plus a larger battery capable of topping up the camera unit’s own battery when the two elements are docked. It can also be used as a remote control for the main camera, communicating with it via Bluetooth.

The main camera comes with built-in storage (64GB or 128GB, depending on which model you choose), and it’s possible to offload this to a microSD card in the Vision Dock. Annoyingly, with the two elements docked it’s not possible to record direct to microSD, however, and transferring files can take a long time.

For that reason, I’d pick the 128GB model, as it means you can record for longer without having to dock and slowly back up the files. There’s enough space for around three hours of 4K 60fps footage on an empty 128GB drive.

In terms of handling, the camera’s small size and minimal controls make it simple to hold and operate. The touchscreen on the Vision Dock allows you to change shooting settings fairly easily, and the magnet- and clip-based mounting system makes securely attaching the Osmo Nano to accessories or metal surfaces very easy indeed.

DJI offers a wide range of compatible accessories for mounting, and the basic box includes a magnetic lanyard (for wearing the camera around your neck), magnetic hat clip (for fixing it to a cap) and a dual-directional ball joint adapter for fixing it to car bonnets, desktops, windows and the like. This adapter also features a standard tripod thread, allowing the camera to be easily mounted on selfie sticks and mini tripods.

Performance and Features

• Up to 200 minutes of battery life
• RockSteady 3.0 image stabilisation and Horizon Balancing
• Pairs wirelessly with DJI OsmoAudio microphones

DJI has some bold claims about the Osmo Nano’s battery life: 90 minutes of continuous recording on the camera unit alone, or a combined total of 200 minutes when it’s paired with the Vision Dock.

This, however, is with the video capture mode set to 1080p 24fps and the screen and Wi-Fi disabled – settings I suspect few people would use in the real world. 

In my own tests, with the camera set to record at 4K 60fps, it managed a grand total of around 120 minutes with the Dock connected, or about 50 minutes when operating solo. It also overheated on this setting, briefly shutting itself down at around 33 minutes.

But this was indoors at standard room temperature, with no breeze or movement to cool down the internals, and I think it’d manage a lot longer in those conditions. 

The battery charges via the single USB-C 3.1 port which, when paired with a PD fast-charging cable, can charge from zero to 80% in just 20 minutes. The cable also supports file transfers at up to 600MB/s to a computer, tablet or phone.

Alternatively, you can shift your footage wirelessly to a mobile device running the DJI Mimo app, which also lets you quickly change settings, apply firmware updates and remotely control the Osmo Nano. I transferred footage from the camera to my iPhone and found it simple to edit and share.

Image stabilisation is excellent. The camera comes with DJI’s trusty Rocksteady 3.0 electronic stabilisation, which does a fantastic job of smoothing out the judder that can arise from your footsteps or the UK’s bumpy roads. It also comes with a horizon levelling option, but only to around 30º of tilting – so if you want an action camera that can keep the horizon dead level through all manner of acrobatic manoeuvres, this isn’t the one for you.

Like all recent DJI cameras, the Osmo Nano is part of the OsmoAudio ecosystem, which essentially means it can wirelessly pair with one of DJI’s small microphones for high-quality external audio. I think this is a really great feature for those who want to record crisp, clear and rich sound, particularly in outdoor conditions where wind can interfere with the Nano’s built-in stereo speakers.

Video and Photo Quality

• Video up to 4K/120p or 1080/240p
• 10-bit Standard, HLG and D-Log M picture profiles
• 35MP still photos

The sensor on the Osmo Nano is 1/1.3-inch in size, which is the same size as the sensor on the DJI Osmo Action 4 and Action 5 Pro – both full-sized action cameras.

Even if it’s not quite as large as the 1/1.28-inch sensor on the Insta360 Go Ultra, it’s still an impressive feat getting a big sensor on as tiny a camera as this, and it results in some pretty impressive imaging capabilities: 4K video at up to 60fps in regular mode and 120fps in slow-motion, plus the ability to shoot at 10-bit quality. It also includes SuperNight, a dedicated low light video mode that performs admirably after dark.

I shot and edited the footage posted below, captured at 4K 24fps quality both during the day and night during a recent trip to Edinburgh. This footage is presented as shot from the camera, with no colour grading or noise reduction applied by me in post production. The night-time footage was all captured using SuperNight, while I used the standard video mode for daytime footage.

I think the video quality is pretty strong, even in low light, and the daytime scenes show a good amount of detail, even in dark shadowed areas. That being said, I’d still say a full-sized action camera like the Osmo Action 5 Pro offers more dynamic range and detail. For those unafraid of colour grading and correcting, the Nano offers D-Log M and HLG shooting profiles too.

The camera is also capable of capturing 35MP still photos in a pinch, although you’d probably get better results from your smartphone’s camera in most situations.

Should you buy it?