Summary
- DJI’s Osmo Mobile 7 series offers a compact design, longer runtime, and improved ActiveTrack 7.0 – all for $90 or $150.
- Incremental improvements to OM7 include new features like a built-in tripod, lighter shell, and compatibility with various accessories.
- DJI’s OM7 retains the design and control layout of its predecessor but introduces new tracking capabilities and gesture controls through optional accessories.
Pro-tier videography is easier than it ever was in the last decade, with the popularization of optically stabilized cameras on the best Android phones paired with high-resolution sensors. However, there are situations where onboard stabilization doesn’t cut it, and you need smooth, flowy handheld movement. This is where gimbals come in, and DJI is one of the first brands that springs to mind in the category. The company just announced its latest Osmo Mobile 7 smartphone gimbals, available with a slew of interesting accessories.
DJI is known for its compact and consumer-friendly videography drones, which you can use with minimal prior flying experience, but the company also makes three-axis gimbals to stabilize smartphone video, which performs just as well. Upping the ante from the Osmo Mobile 6 released last year, the brand just pulled the wraps off the new Osmo Mobile 7 series comprising a base model and the Mobile 7P.
Last year’s OM6 performed well in my testing, with a portable design and a useful array of accessories such as a tripod stand. However, the OM7’s design isn’t drastically different from its predecessor, and all the controls like the side-mounted wheel, trigger to reset orientation, and other controls, remain unchanged. Even the telescoping extension rod for selfies has been retained. Most of the convenience comes from the DJI Mimo app that syncs gimbal movement with camera tricks to make cinematic recordings a breeze.
The new OM7 features a built-in tripod, a compact design, and a lighter shell that weighs just 300g (10 oz), despite promising a 10-hour runtime on each full charge. The latest products also benefit from DJI’s updated ActiveTrack 7.0 tech that allows tracking a subject like your pet, even if it momentarily steps out of the frame or ducks out of sight in a crowd. ActiveTrack 7.0 adds the ability to track multiple subjects, switch between selected subjects with a single tap, and track smoothly, just like the app allowed with ActiveTrack 6.
Accessories to do more
While the improvements seem incremental, the new Osmo Mobile 7 series is compatible with a wide range of performance-enhancing accessories. For instance, the magnetically attaching Multifunctional Module brings the benefit of active subject tracking to your native camera app — a boon if you’re using a phone with a great camera, and wouldn’t want to mess with color science.
This module also unlocks gesture controls, so you can show the camera your palm to start or stop tracking, show a “V” gesture with your fingers to snap a photo or start/stop video recording, and use the “Double L” gesture to reframe a shot. Other optional accessories are listed below:
- DJI OM Magnetic Quick-Release Mount
- DJI Mic Mini Transmitter
- DJI OM 7 Series Tracking Kit
- DJI OM Grip Tripod
Pricing and availability
Source: DJI
All the improvements DJI made in the Osmo Mobile 7 can be yours for just $90 if you stick with the base model. However, the pricier Mobile 7P retails for $150 on DJI’s website and other major retailers. The company has started accepting shipping already, and there is no preorder window or associated waiting period if you’re looking to get this fantastic new smartphone accessory.
DJI Osmo Mobile 7 Series
The new Osmo Mobile 7 series is an incremental improvement in everything we loved about theOsmo Mobile 6 from last year, and this time, there are a lot more accessories to pair with the gimbal. This includes a Multiutility Module that allows dynamic subject tracking even in third-party camera apps.
