Shaky hands are the enemy of good photos. You don't want to take a blurry shot at a memorable moment.
But an average person can't stay still like a professional photographer. That's why camera companies are creating various tools for us to remain steady.
Typical anti-shaking methods include:
- Optical image stabilization (OIS). It can be found on a lot of smartphones. When you tilt the phone, the lenses will tilt toward the opposite direction to offset the shaking.
- Electrical image stabilization (EIS). Smartphones, cameras and camcorders all can be equipped with such technology because it's mostly about software. The system over-scales the video by about 10 percent and uses the "out-of-boundary" part to offset the shaking. Obviously a good algorithm is key.
OIS and EIS can be very helpful when taking photos with a selfie stick. /VCG Photo
- Gimbal stabilizer. Put your phone inside the gimbal-like device, and the three motors will help you maintain the camera's direction.
Today we're talking about a new solution. World-leading drone maker DJI is trying to create another new gadget type with its expertise in drone camera stabilizers.
The Osmo Pocket is the combination of a gimbal and a hi-res camera. So the users don't need to settle with the smartphone lens.
According to DJI, the 116g, banana-sized device is capable of shooting 4k60p videos at a maximum 100mbps bitrate – that translates to "semi-professional" quality.
The company also claims that the stabilization effect will be better than OIS and EIS.
"We managed to squeeze a touchscreen in it because we think its completely necessary," Christina Zhang, the company's strategy director, told reporters at the press release in Beijing.
DJI's Christina Zhang illustrates the company's gimbal camera Osmo Pocket in Beijing, November 29, 2018. /DJI Photo
"We created the drone category in the past few years. And now we'd like to create more," she told CGTN.
The device is a bit similar to GoPro, a camera brand famous for versatility.
"GoPro is perfect for extreme sports. And the Osmo Pocket is not trying to compete with it. It targets not only the video enthusiasts, but also the general public," a DJI fan told CGTN after trying the new product.
"YouTubers and vlog creators will love it," Zhang said about the target users.
With all the cool features, we at CGTN found a small problem on the Osmo Pocket: The lens is not swappable. No telephoto lens is available if you want to shoot far-away targets.
Zhang is confident that the Osmo Pocket is unique. "We welcome any rival company to make similar products."
As drones become more and more restricted in China, it seems like DJI is looking for new areas to show off its technology.