Hello,

I am not a professional filmmaker by any stretch so perhaps my critisisms of this devices are unfounded. I've had the Osmo Mobile 3 for a few days now and I am finding some basic features lacking while becoming increasingly annoyed by others. Below are a list of issues / complaints / questions that I have so far. Any feedback would be appreciated.

1. Assisted Pan

Perhaps I'm not finding it, but does this gimbal do assisted pans? I was hoping to be able to shoot panning plate shots (shots without any subject) so I could later add in the subject for special effects. It seems this can be done if shooting timelapse, but I can't seem to find it for video. In my opinion this should be a basic no-brainer function of this product. A nice, controlled, repeatable pan is a neccesary function for almost all filmmakers.

2. Cords & Accessories *BUMP*

I have a Rode mic attached to my Osmo, but it seems impossible to use. The cord always bumps the arm or gets tangled throwing the Osmo into chaos. I also tried charging my phone while recording and it was a nightmare. The cord end would constantly come in contact with the arms ruining my shot. What am I doing wrong?

3. Portrait mode is not how I want to start

I'm not into vlogging what I am eating for dinner so when I film something it is 99.9% landscape. The issue is that whenever I power up the Osmo, it defaults into portrait mode for some reason. Then, I have to take that extra second to flip the image. I intend on shooting a lot of sports, so being able to start up the gimbal and record quickly is key. Those 4 - 5 seconds to flip the phone could be the difference between getting the shot and not.

4. Why not go into standby?

This brings me to my biggest gripe so far with the app. Why is it so full of nonsense? For example, I was practicing for a shoot coming up next week and I put it into standby. Suddely, some video comes blaring over the speakers. What? Do you know how embarrased I would have been if I had done this during the course I am set to film? The app seems to be filled with what I would describe as bloatware. The basic functionality of the camera app is clunky, small, unresponsive and downright confusing. That setting menu... who designed that?

5. Settings. Where are they?

Call me spoided but even my 5 year old computer gaming mouse can program buttons. While looking through the settings I quickly realized that not only does it seem to have been designed by a programmer instead of a UI artist, there seems to be a serious lack of programmable features. I feel that every button should have the option to choose the functionality. 3 trigger presses to switch cameras... no thanks, I would much rather have three presses to switch to some mode I would use. Portrait to landscape, no thanks... I would rather have it tilt lock. Why is this gimbal so limited for customization?

6. Filming

I get that I am no expert with gimals and this is the first one I've owned, but I am really finding it confusing. Say I am standing in one spot and trying to film someone walking by me. Without a gimbal I can point the camera and follow them from left to right, keeping them in frame at all times. With the Osmo, it seems like it lags behind and by the time the subject is on the other side of me, I have my hand at this strange angle as the gimbal struggles to keep up. Sure, I could put it into "sport mode" but then it seems too stiff. Why does the gimbal lag so much side to side?

Also, I find getting many shots a bit unintuitive. For example, imagine going from chest level, flipping the camera as you move down to a low angle shot. Now, I want to track the subject as I move or they do. I hit the trigger for lock and... it doesn't seem to. It seems at that angle it can't do that kind of shot or am I nuts?

...

Basically those are my impressions after using it for a few hours. Many frustrations and questions. Confusion over why certain features seem to be missing that in my opinon are much more important than half of what the app does.

Please let me know what I am doing wrong.

Thanks!

Indeed, it's not a particularly good product and there are many issues - not least the crooked horizon problem.  Its plus points are that it folds, and it has the  gesture control feature.  Other than that there are cheaper and better options.  I'm about to take a short trip where videography and photography will be important and I plan to travel light - so the folding design may carry the day and I'll leave my non-folding gimbal at home - with regret.

fansfe82067d Posted at 12-5 13:02
Indeed, it's not a particularly good product and there are many issues - not least the crooked horizon problem.  Its plus points are that it folds, and it has the  gesture control feature.  Other than that there are cheaper and better options.  I'm about to take a short trip where videography and photography will be important and I plan to travel light - so the folding design may carry the day and I'll leave my non-folding gimbal at home - with regret.

When you talk about the "crooked horizon" are you referring to when you calibrate and it goes through the entire process then at the last second shifts to one side making it not level? I had that and it confused me.

The issue with this product isn't that it is bad, it is that they likely have people working on the software that are programmers and not UI designers (or at least their UI designers aren't very good). Most of this stuff could be solved through software. I'm not sure if it is, but I wish they would open the API up to others so third party apps could come in and improve on this product and make it as good as it should be.

Indeed, it's the app that lets the gimbal down.  Though to enable selecion of gimbal modes without using Mimo, they would have to update the firmware to enable a suitable button push or combo to be used.

With  regards to no. 6 since this is your first gimbal you really have to know the differences between the different gimbal modes (Pan Follow, Follow, Lock Mode, POV) . Sounds like your stuck in Pan Follow and never changed it. It is quite annoying that you have to go through the app to change the gimbal mode.  You still need smooth movements with a gimbal. It won't do ALL the work for you. Sport mode is "stiff" because you need to follow a fast moving subject. It's no stiffer than just going handheld.  I pretty much stay in follow mode 99% of the time.  

PLEASE HELP.

I just got the Osmo 3 and the trigger wont lock the axis. Apparently, pressing the trigger once should lock it. Everything else the trigger was programmed to do; works perfectly fine. I was truly under the assumption that I could lock the acis from moving when I need to focus on one thing. I havent been able to get this thing to work.

Hold the trigger down - when you release it, it unlocks the hold.