Category: OSMO

A brief segment recorded on Christmas Day with the neat little DJI Osmo Pocket.

The OSMO is a nice tool for catching the action whilst out walking. The image quality when recording is pretty good when using 2k (the 4k video rate is too low). But the look can be a bit “electronic”. This is where Film Convert comes in, the plug-in we use with Adobe Premier. It adds a custom look and changes the feel of the final production. We used this setup for this short beach walk segment.

Since I got the OSMO I have been shooting in full manual mode, in 2K, with a variable ND filter to achieve the best motion look – 100 ISO and 50 fps – double the frame rate (we are in a PAL region).  The results are pretty good in a well lit situation, and with the preset white balance selected (sunny) , it means the shots show no colour variation during shooting.

But of course, especially when on the move, having to stop to adjust the ND is a real pain and the critical exposure readout is very small, though the zebra and wave form monitor does help. However, we found standard full auto created a weird look, mainly because the frame rate was too high, and the exposure varied uncontrollably.

So in this video we tried an experiment. First we set the ND to achieve the best look in manual, (ISO 100 and 50 fps). Then we switched to auto, leaving the ND the same. We found the auto sat around the same setting initially, but occasionally, as we moved around the ISO lifted a little, or the frame rate varied slightly. But the overall look worked quite well. So we will use this setting when we are recording on the move, though will revert to manual on more static shots. We kept the white balance on sunny.

The 2k setting provides the best possible mix between data rate and flexibility, allowing cropping-in in editing when needed, but still maintaining as much detail as possible. 4k data rate is just too low.

Finally, we continue to use the D-Cinelike setting, not D-log. We avoid the log colour setting as the trade off between slightly higher dynamic range and colour is not worth it if the shot is correctly exposed.

The OSMO handheld camera system is quite compact, despite adding the Z-Mount, external microphone and a sun cover for the monitor. We used this set-up for this video which was recorded on a stinking hot summer day at our local beach.

There is still a little wobble when walking, but its pretty manageable. We recorded in 2k cinema mode (the 4k bit rate is too slow) using manual settings and a variable ND filter. We mastered to HD, after adjusting the colour.