PetaPixel‘s Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake aren’t the norm: certainly one of them presents whereas the opposite one operates the digital camera. Fashionable content material creators usually work alone, and that features me. Which means the identical variety of duties which are sufficient of a burden for 2 full-time jobs is someway purported to be crammed into one particular person.
To make that work, you need to make compromises. You need to discover intelligent methods to succeed in the identical high quality bar however with half the manpower. It was earlier than, actually, extremely troublesome. However as of late, the Osmo Pocket 3 is in all places. It’s a cheat code and it does make content material manufacturing as a solo creator a lot, a lot simpler.
But it surely prices $520; it prices over $600 if you wish to get all the great equipment that, once more, make manufacturing that a lot simpler. They’re non-obligatory in fact… however are they actually? It received me pondering, why do I would like the Osmo Pocket if I have already got an iPhone? In my case — an iPhone 16 Professional.
For the final couple of years, I’ve been instructed that the iPhone is a unbelievable video digital camera — by Jordan Drake, particularly. So if I’m already carrying this round with me on a regular basis, why would I would like to choose up one other digital camera that serves the identical function and guarantees the identical functionality?
The Crucial Instruments
The Osmo Pocket has been talked about at size for the final 12 months and I’m not going to let you know something you don’t seemingly already know. It’s small, it has a unbelievable gimbal, the monitoring is fairly darn good, the image high quality is nice too, and the battery lasts greater than lengthy sufficient to get by no matter scenes I’m attempting to shoot.
It’s a unbelievable little digital camera. However, as I mentioned, so is the iPhone. Positive, it has a smaller sensor however when you’re capturing with the primary digital camera and doing so in ProRes Log, the picture high quality in truthful to good gentle is nearly as prime quality as I’ve come to anticipate out of V-Log from the Panasonic GH7. It edits seamlessly into Jordan’s YouTube footage to the extent that I didn’t even notice he was utilizing his iPhone with relative frequency.
However the iPhone doesn’t have a gimbal, which, as I mentioned, is without doubt one of the main promoting factors of the Osmo Pocket. So, to stage the enjoying subject, I picked up the 2 nicest ones I may discover as a degree of comparability: the $160 Insta360 Circulate 2 Professional and the $270 Hohem iSteady M7. The previous is a brand-new gimbal that faucets into Apple’s DockKit as a direct line to the iPhone’s built-in monitoring expertise. The gimbal is Insta360, certain, however the efficiency is supposedly good as a result of it’s made by Apple.
The Hohem ended up on my radar after I used to be chatting with Becca Farsace, who featured it in a few her YouTube videos currently. It’s extra versatile than the Insta360 because it doesn’t require an iPhone to work proper (when you’re in love together with your Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel, you should utilize the Hohem with no downside). It has a removable digital camera that sits on the telephone mount and makes use of Hohem’s monitoring expertise.
Insta360 Circulate 2 Professional
Let’s begin with the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro. Design-wise, it’s fairly small and straightforward to deliver with me — that’s the promoting level of the Osmo Pocket so we’re off to an excellent begin. I even have the unique Circulate Professional right here to check and it’s type of wild how a lot of an enchancment Insta360 made to this factor in lower than a 12 months. This new mannequin is smaller, simpler to deploy, and has a safer MagSafe mount (which I favor versus the clip mount that you should utilize if you’d like).
It has a telescoping neck if you wish to get a taller shot, which the Osmo doesn’t provide. It has bodily controls like this set off and buttons and these are there to primarily handle the course and facet ratio of the iPhone. For greater than that, that you must use no matter seize app you want.
That’s the great factor concerning the built-in help for DockKit. Due to it, a ton of apps work in tandem with it, so that you don’t have to make use of Insta360’s app when you don’t wish to. Because you’re most likely going to wish to shoot in ProRes Log when you’re capturing on iPhone (since common footage appears over-sharpened and dangerous), which means you should utilize the native Digital camera app and even the Blackmagic app, if you’d like.
In the event you use the Insta360 app although, you get what the corporate positions as even higher monitoring by melding Apple’s DockKit with Insta360’s AI monitoring. I haven’t seen a serious distinction myself.
Maybe extra helpful is that if you’re utilizing the Insta360 app, you should utilize gesture controls to start out or cease recording or monitoring, which is tremendous helpful in case you are attempting to shoot your self, like I’m. Sadly, gesture management doesn’t work when you’re additionally attempting to shoot in ProRes Log. This appears to be an iPhone limitation — it could possibly’t deal with that a lot information processing. That’s a disgrace because it means I mainly by no means use the gesture controls. So if that you must faucet a topic to interact monitoring however you may’t try this when you can’t see the display screen, how do you successfully observe with this factor?
Insta360 says that it recommends a second iPhone (which may join remotely to the gimbal) or an Apple Watch. Since most traditional individuals don’t have a second iPhone, I don’t think about this an precise repair. As for the Apple Watch, whereas it does work for distant monitoring, I couldn’t get it to reliably activate monitoring. Fortunately, holding down on the gimbal’s set off prompts monitoring, so even when the iPhone show is going through away from me, I can begin monitoring. I’ve discovered this to be extraordinarily dependable.
Hohem iSteady M7
PetaPixel has lined the Hohem iSteady M7 at length in its full review, however a few of that data bears repeating. Hohem’s monitoring functionality is, at the least so far as I may inform, distinctive as a result of it features a separate digital camera system together with a wi-fi display screen and distant. Which means I can shoot high-quality footage on my iPhone and have built-in monitoring in addition to a monitor to see myself, multi function system. Extra on this under.
I discover the bodily controls on this factor to be hilarious. It’s like the corporate didn’t wish to maintain it easy as a result of it wouldn’t look “skilled” in order that they put a bunch of buttons, knobs, and dials on right here that we most likely don’t want. For instance, there’s a dial on the facet of the digital camera and the default setting for that is altering the colour temperature of the small LED on the entrance of the monitoring digital camera module. Sure, it may be reprogrammed to different duties like tilt, however when there’s a joystick on the primary management interface, this feels redundant and pointless.
The most important draw back of Hohem’s system is that it’s monumental. Provided that it’s for a smartphone, it’s comically massive and I don’t love touring with it. For the reason that thought is that I’m going to wish to seize content material alone and the chances are excessive I’ve received one thing else to speak about aside from my stabilizer and iPhone, it’s downright cumbersome.
In The Discipline
I feel the Osmo Pocket feels most at dwelling when the digital camera is going through you, which is thanks primarily to the beautiful little display screen on the again. It’s a small, unassuming digital camera system that feels straightforward to speak to and doesn’t entice lots of consideration. You can say the identical of the Hohem because of that little digital camera and selfie display screen built-in to the deal with.
Conversely, the Insta360 gimbal feels prefer it was designed to be higher at capturing content material that’s in entrance of me quite than me. Insta360 did the perfect it may with making a pocketable system designed to work with the iPhone nevertheless it feels bizarre that my greatest monitor when capturing video of myself is just a bit mirror on the again. Does it work? Positive. However I don’t have to love it.
All three of those programs provide a straightforward method to set them down on a flat floor. The Osmo Pocket has a removable mini tripod and so does the Hohem. Insta360 went a step additional and constructed one into the deal with that conveniently slides away if you’re not utilizing it.
Each of the iPhone gimbal options provide a telescoping neck, which suggests you aren’t capped on top adjustment like you might be with the Osmo Pocket. That is tremendous useful if you don’t have a monopod or tripod, which I actually don’t like bringing with me once I’m out of the home if I will help it. The much less stuff I’ve to schlep, the higher.
Monitoring
Whenever you’re capturing content material by yourself, the most important and most necessary characteristic is monitoring: the digital camera has to remain on me and if I’m not actively holding it, it higher comply with me and what I’m doing.
I feel that in most circumstances, the Osmo Pocket does a wonderfully tremendous job of sustaining monitoring on me. It’s actually not the perfect although and an space that DJI can iterate on for at any time when it makes the following model of this helpful little digital camera. I’ve additionally seen that in tougher lighting circumstances, it tends to hunt a bit, which is distracting. Nonetheless, if I keep mid to vibrant gentle, it’s rock stable.
The Insta360 Circulate 2 Professional is definitely the perfect of the three and does a unbelievable job. When it’s locked onto a topic, it sticks, so leveraging Apple’s expertise clearly pays off right here.
Hohem’s is not any slouch both, nevertheless it ranks the weakest of the three choices. It received’t trigger any looking or pulsing for the reason that monitoring digital camera is completely different from the seize digital camera, however which means you’re on the mercy of the autofocus on the iPhone preserving you in focus. It normally does, however you received’t know till you assessment the footage later.
Total, it’s extra inclined to dropping a topics behind objects and has a barely jerky look to the footage. It’s minor, although, and I feel that the advantages of the distant display screen and controls are definitely worth the tradeoff in pure monitoring functionality.
Equipment Are ‘Optionally available’
When you actually can take the naked Osmo Pocket and your iPhone out and begin capturing movies, when you’re attempting to make the best-looking footage, you’re not going to be doing that. As talked about, the iPhone’s video prowess actually solely jumps off the display screen as soon as you utilize ProRes log. And, like all log footage, you may’t simply set all the pieces to auto and anticipate your footage to come back out. Log expands the dynamic vary, however you wish to attempt to lock ISO and white stability. To do that, you’re going to wish to maintain highlights from blowing out through the use of ND filters.
Filter Attachment
The iPhone is perhaps an awesome digital camera however the design doesn’t take to equipment notably nicely. The addition of MagSafe actually helps in relation to issues like batteries and exterior storage, however the three-camera array simply stinks. To get round it, you’ll want a case designed to deal with particularly designed equipment. I’m utilizing the Second system, however there are others.
Look, these work, however I’ve by no means been a fan of those circumstances for on a regular basis use as a result of the mounting factors like to catch and entice mud and dirt in addition to catch on my garments. Which means I’ve my common case that I take advantage of more often than not but when I wish to shoot video with my iPhone, I’ve to swap it out for my Second case.
All these identical points are mirrored on the Osmo Pocket besides the little digital camera was made with the usage of attachable equipment in thoughts. DJI makes a set of three ND filters and so they simply magnetically snap to the entrance of the lens. Similar to that, you may shoot in D-Log with out blowing your highlights.
The issue with DJI’s little digital camera is attending to these handbook settings, nonetheless. I actually don’t love the menu system on this digital camera. Half the time I really feel just like the contact display screen isn’t recognizing my contact and I even have the toughest time with minute changes like getting the precise ISO or shutter velocity that I need. Additionally, all of the phrases utilized in handbook settings are too large for the house DJI has on the tiny little display screen, so you find yourself seeing these transfer like a bit inventory market ticker. Every thing simply feels mashed and claustrophobic.
There are professionals and cons to the interface on the iPhone and the Osmo Pocket, too. On iPhone, as difficult as it’s to get equipment hooked up, at the least I’ve a very massive display screen with which to enter my settings. It’s actually irritating that I nonetheless don’t get waveform — neither of those digital camera programs has it — and I’m compelled to make use of a histogram. That mentioned, it at the least is seen on the iPhone. The display screen of the Osmo is simply too small to point out it successfully, however at the least I can see what the digital camera is capturing in real-time versus my iPhone choices.
Professionals and cons, like I mentioned.
The factor is, if I’m afraid a scene goes to have troublesome lighting, I can simply use the usual recording profile on the Osmo Pocket as a result of it appears fairly darn good. It’s not over-sharpened and the big Kind 1 sensor on this digital camera is one I do know will produce some great-looking video. The identical can’t be mentioned of the iPhone. For me, it’s log or nothing as a result of the usual profile may be very over-sharpened and, nicely, appears like smartphone footage.
Audio Choices
One thing else to contemplate is audio. When you actually can shoot and not using a devoted microphone, your outcomes shall be markedly much less skilled sounding. I’ve argued that if you need to select between getting excellent visuals versus excellent audio, take the latter. Blown highlights and shaky footage are way more tolerable than dangerous audio. Dangerous audio makes individuals flip a video off or, as they mentioned in my day, change the channel.
For this, DJI affords a direct and fast, no-hassle hyperlink with its Mic 2. Simply flip each on and so they immediately acknowledge one another and join. The audio is fairly nice and not using a devoted capsule and, when you get an excellent one, it could possibly settle for these too. Simply don’t get DJI’s capsule — I feel it sounds fairly dangerous.
Capturing on iPhone is extra difficult. I’m utilizing Rode’s Wireless Micro and these join with the iPhone utilizing a devoted USB-C dongle. It is usually on the whim of talking backwards and forwards with Rode’s app which is extraordinarily naked bones. Throughout my testing interval, the Rode mics refused to attach, so I couldn’t use them. If I didn’t have the Osmo Pocket and the DJI mic, I wouldn’t have been capable of shoot a video in any respect.
It Comes Right down to Usability
Firstly of this comparability, I posed the query, “If the iPhone is so good, why would I would like an Osmo Pocket?” Let’s dissect that.
The iPhone takes nice footage, however the design of the system was by no means meant to deal with this sort of content material seize. Whereas the Insta360 is nice, it requires an iPhone case, ND filters, a working audio answer, and the willingness to speak to a mirror on the gimbal in an effort to work proper. Whereas the Hohem choice provides us that display screen so we are able to monitor ourselves, it’s not the precise digital camera that’s capturing me which is at all times a threat. Additionally, the factor is simply so darn big.
So whereas true that I at all times have my iPhone with me, in each circumstances, the Hohem and the Insta360 lead to me having to hold one thing that’s at the least as massive, if not considerably bigger, than what the Osmo Pocket is in its entirety. Even once I’m all arrange and utilizing these instruments with my iPhone, it simply seems like each programs had been constructed both to get across the iPhone’s inherent weaknesses for any such work or aren’t nicely designed for use to seize footage of myself in any respect.
That’s the Osmo Pocket’s energy. It’s a product tailored to shoot what all the businesses as of late are calling “vlogs.” Yeah, vlogs are lifeless, however content material creators nonetheless must goal a digital camera at themselves to allow them to speak about one thing to an viewers. That’s not a vlog, however the idea of what would have made a vlog product nice nonetheless stands.
Whereas I feel the footage out of the iPhone might be higher than what I can get with the Osmo Pocket, the planets need to align for that to be true. More often than not, the Osmo Pocket’s footage — even customary profile footage — appears higher. I’m not keen to sacrifice the benefit of use of the Pocket to get to the best highs that the iPhone can attain — the space between these two merchandise just isn’t that huge.
Plus, and I’ll once more reference something Becca Farsace said, it’s simply good to have a digital camera that isn’t my iPhone. I’m not turning it on and getting distracted by emails or notifications. It’s only a flip, it’s on, and I’m working.
There was a time that I might have been impressed by a “Swiss Military knife” like factor such because the iPhone which might be so many issues to me. A digital camera, a pc, and an enhancing platform. However as of late, I’m extra involved with having one thing that makes particular duties simpler and, if I’m fortunate, extra enjoyable.
