I am not giving up on DJI cameras but – not once they can upset my GoPro like this

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It looks as if everybody and their canine is recording their adventures as of late. And why not? Whether or not it is for posterity, to bore your family and friends, or for YouTube fame, it is by no means been simpler to seize necessary moments. 

In contrast to the cameras I used to make use of “back in the day” — which required shouldering and holding as much as your eye (so the particular person recording the second bought a bizarre filtered actuality) — cameras are actually sufficiently small to clip onto a baseball hat or grasp off a pendant.

Cameras do not get a lot smaller than the DJI Osmo Nano, and I have been testing this setup fairly extensively over the previous few weeks.

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The Osmo Nano is marketed as a 4K POV digital camera and vlogging digital camera. It is a step down in efficiency and robustness in comparison with full-on motion cameras just like the Osmo Motion 6 or GoPro HERO13 Black, however it’s a step up in compactness and usefulness.

A tiny digital camera that packs a punch

The Osmo Nano is tiny. The principle digital camera measures 2.25 × 1.16 × 1.1 inches and weighs 1.8 ounces. It isn’t a lot larger than my thumb (although I do have massive thumbs). Even when mixed with the multifunction Imaginative and prescient Dock, which provides one other 2.33 × 1.66 × 0.88 inches and weighs 2.5 ounces, it stays compact. 

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Each models are constructed to deal with the outside, with the digital camera in a position to be submerged right down to 30 ft and the dock in a position to shrug off rain and splashes.

However do not let the dimensions idiot you. That tiny digital camera contains a 1/1.3-inch sensor with an unimaginable 13.5 stops of dynamic vary (placing it on par with pro-grade cameras). This implies it is good whether or not you are out in vivid daylight, snow, or low-light situations. It could seize video in cinematic 4K/60fps or 4K/120fps gradual movement utilizing the 143° ultra-wide lens. 

Output might be saved as 10-bit video, able to discerning a billion colours, or as a pro-grade D-Log M profile that preserves extra element in highlights and shadows, permitting for a lot larger flexibility in shade grading throughout enhancing.

There’s additionally a SuperNight mode for getting the perfect, least-grainy night time photographs.

A observe concerning the D-Log M profile: Solely use this profile if you are going to do some enhancing past the fundamentals and know what you are doing (and what a LUT is). In case you attempt utilizing the uncooked footage, it’ll look flat, washed-out, desaturated, and low in distinction. Whereas it does have extra shade and distinction than a full D-Log profile, it nonetheless requires enhancing. 

Constructed-in storage goes a good distance

Video might be saved on the inner reminiscence (the Osmo Nano is available in 64GB and 128GB variants), and you’ll broaden it with microSD playing cards as much as 1TB. I like that trendy cameras have built-in reminiscence as a result of it eliminates these heart-stopping moments while you understand you have hiked out to a cool location and left all of the microSD playing cards at house.

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Whereas DJI is understood for its drones, the corporate actually is aware of how you can get the perfect out of small cameras, and it applies this experience to its ground-based cameras. 

Battery life is stunning satisfactory

Since these cameras are designed for on-the-move use, they want their very own energy, and batteries are one other space DJI is aware of lots about. The digital camera homes a 530 mAh battery, and the dock provides an extra 1,300 mAh. 

The digital camera alone can run for round 60 minutes, with the dock extending this to 200 minutes. I’ve examined this, and that is positively achievable. When the battery is low, I discovered {that a} 20-minute cost brings the digital camera as much as about 80%. The digital camera also can run whereas related to the dock, which might itself be charging.

What about audio?

Audio is commonly the Achilles’ heel of this kind of compact motion digital camera, however the Osmo Nano as soon as once more delivers. It has two microphones constructed into the Osmo Nano, good for capturing each speaking and ambient sounds. If you’d like extra, you may join the digital camera to as much as two DJI Mic 3 transmitters, making it an ideal setup for vlogging and even interviews. 

This function, for me, takes the Osmo Nano to a complete new degree as a result of I’ve discovered that audio — particularly voice recording — is commonly a weak level in lots of action-style cameras.

Power in numbers

OK, so what is the cope with the dock? Along with the additional battery, the multifunction Imaginative and prescient Dock provides a touchscreen. This offers you a fast, easy strategy to work together with all of the digital camera’s settings, in addition to a display for framing photographs. 

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You may save on battery in the event you study to make use of the button controls to navigate by all of the totally different capturing menus as a substitute of pawing on the touchscreen. Nevertheless, in the event you’re like me and do not use the digital camera recurrently, that easy-to-use display interface is a welcome addition.

The dock additionally has one other trick up its sleeve: You should use it to switch video recordsdata from the digital camera’s inside storage to microSD playing cards. This presents a fast and simple strategy to liberate the digital camera’s inside storage whereas on the transfer.

The combo package additionally comes with some neat equipment. There is a magnetic pendant for carrying the digital camera round your neck and clamping it to clothes (you set the pendant beneath your garments), and a swivel clip that may connect to the pendant or clip to a hat. 

There’s additionally a protecting case for the digital camera that DJI recommends utilizing in the event you maintain it for prolonged intervals (as a result of it may get considerably toasty). I are inclined to maintain the digital camera within the case more often than not for added safety (I am not utilizing it in notably sizzling situations right here within the UK).

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The combo package additionally comes with a suction cup holder, which is nice for infrequent use, however I would not connect it to a automotive or something the place I might lose the digital camera. However in the event you unscrew the suction cup, you will discover a super-useful and ubiquitous 1/4″-20 threaded hole for a tripod or selfie stick.

There are some additional accessories that those wanting to take their videography to the next level might appreciate, such as a set of ND (neutral density) filters, a must for bright-lit scenes.

Why I Switched from my GoPro

OK, so why has the Osmo Nano replaced my GoPro HERO13 Black? Bottom line: convenience. With the Osmo Nano, there’s built-in storage for those “aww shhhhhhhhh….ucks!” moments, and a built-in fast-charge battery means there’s no faffing with external batteries.

It’s also smaller and lighter, and I can dispense with the screen when I need a compact system.

Connection to my iPhone is rock-solid every time, and I like the DJI Mimo app (iOS/Android) for quick footage editing before uploading. And throw in the ability to connect to my DJI Mic 3 transmitters, and that’s the cherry on the already overflowing cake for me.

It’s this marriage of hardware and software that feels like a meaningful advantage for DJI over my existing GoPro setup, and why I’m especially excited to see what’s next for GoPro as it’s releasing the Mission 1 soon

ZDNET’s buying advice

The DJI Osmo Nano is proof that good things really do come in small packages. It’s compact, feature-packed, and incredibly easy to use, making it perfect for adventurers, vloggers, and anyone who wants to capture life’s moments without the hassle of bulky gear. 

At $409 for the 128GB version (I recommend this over the 64GB model since this compromise solely saves you $30), it isn’t an inexpensive digital camera, however it’s an exceptionally good setup. It is good for 

In case you’re searching for a digital camera that is each moveable and reliable, the Osmo Nano would possibly simply be your new greatest pal. It is positively change into my bestie!