This Smartphone Gimbal Is Like a Camera Person You Can Carry Around

The basics

Being the first “P” model in the Osmo Mobile line, The DJI Osmo Mobile 7P is both a refinement of DJI’s previous gimbals, and kind of a whole new product. Let’s start with the familiar.

If you’ve ever used a selfie stick, you’ll immediately click with the basic premise. When you unbox the Osmo Mobile 7P, you’ll see a handhold grip with a few controls on it. and a 0.7-foot pull-out extension arm. At the end of that arm is a flip out gyroscopic holder for your phone, with a slot for the included magnetic phone grip. Place your phone into the grip, flip out the holder, and, once you’ve connected your phone to the Osmo Mobile 7P via Bluetooth and the DJI Mimo app, you’ll be able to use it like any other selfie stick—but with a few added bonuses.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

First is phone stabilization. It’s the reason for that flip out gyroscopic holder at the end of the extension arm, and it is what makes this a gimbal instead of a mere selfie stick. I’ll get into finer controls in a bit, but basically, it works by compensating for your motion as you move the grip around, making sure your shots are always perfectly level. This can be good for action shots, but it’s also great for when you need to take professional photos in a hurry and don’t have the time to perfectly line up every shot. It’s also got access to multiple modes that allow for varying degrees of rotation, in case you need to do the odd dutch angle, or just turn off stabilization altogether.

Additionally, you'll have motorized control over your phone’s positioning. Rather than needing to manually move a selfie stick into the perfect angle for your shot, you can instead simply adjust the Osmo Mobile 7P’s joystick, and the device’s gimbal section will rotate and twist your phone into your desired position for you. This is great for fine adjustments, making some shots more convenient, and even enabling shots that wouldn’t be possible on a non-articulated phone mount.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The controls on the grip mean you don’t need to reach out to your phone to actually interact with it. There’s a record button that you can press once to take a photo, or hold to take a video. Below that, there’s a small button with a rotating arrows logo that you can double tap to move between horizontal and vertical filming. To the side is a slider for controlling zoom, and underneath your index finger is a trigger that will reset your phone to its default positioning with a double tap (or spin your phone’s rear camera around to face you if you press it three times).

These are just the basics, and if it stopped there, the Osmo Mobile 7P would be good enough for most people, but it does more. I found figuring out how to put it to use a little daunting at first, but after a quick read through the manual, it quickly became second nature, enough that I took it to an industry event the next day, where it proved to be a lifesaver. Just watch out for the Quick Launch feature, which will turn your gimbal on and activate the motors as soon as you unfold the phone holder. This can be convenient, but it did catch me off guard more than once (luckily, you can turn it off in the Mimo app).

But all of this, really, was available on prior Osmo Mobile devices. What makes the Osmo Mobile 7P special is that it also adds a new accessory that works alongside the gimbal—the multifunctional module—and while I didn’t need it during my first field test, I can see it being a key part of any solo filmer’s kit.

What’s new on the Osmo Mobile 7P

New with the Osmo Mobile 7P, and what makes it a “P” model (though don’t ask me what the P stands for), is the multifunctional module. Included with your device or sold separately for $99, this small little attachment sits below your phone and opens up a number of additional features.

The most noticeable of these is built-in subject tracking and gesture control. While prior DJI gimbals allowed for software-based versions of these features through the DJI Mimo app, the module bakes them into the hardware. This is useful for one big reason—you no longer need to capture footage through the Mimo app’s camera interface for them to work. With the multifunctional module attached to your gimbal, you’re free to use your phone’s built-in camera app.

This was especially helpful for me, since while the Mimo app can do everything the iPhone Camera app can (and also comes with simple built-in editing tools), it’s also prone to pop-ups and prompts to log-in, and while I’m sure someone who’s used the app more frequently would be able to quickly work their way around these, I found them to be a pain to navigate, especially because the mounting arm for my phone frequently blocked the pop-ups I needed to press to progress through them. I’m glad to now be able to ignore the Mimo app entirely.

Additionally, the module offers a built-in LED light with multiple brightness levels. Whether this will be useful to you depends on how much you film indoors versus outdoors. In sunshine, it won’t make much difference, but in a dim environment, it works like a ring light. You won’t get as much coverage as you would get with a larger spot, but it’s one less thing to carry, and it gets modestly bright.

Also on that “one less thing to carry front,” the multifunctional module can act as a receiver for the DJI Mic Mini lapel mic. That’s great if you’re already bought into DJI’s ecosystem (a lot of content creators are), especially because you actually wouldn’t be able to use the receiver and the module at the same time without this feature, as they both use up your phone’s USB-C port. You could connect the Mic Mini to your phone over Bluetooth, but that would give you lower quality audio than the receiver proper. That the multifunctional module can act in its place just makes sense.

How the Osmo Mobile 7P saved my job

So, how is actually using the Osmo Mobile 7P? Long story short, this thing might be the reason I still have a job right now.

Shortly after getting the Osmo Mobile 7P in for testing, I was invited to an important press event with pretty heavy restrictions on how I was allowed to film. I only had a short amount of time for photo-ops, and because of some odd rules, I needed at least part of my body to be in most of my photos—I couldn’t take photos of just the product I was covering.

If I had just walked in there with only my iPhone camera, which is my normal routine when I’m playing at being Peter Parker, I would have been stressed out of my mind. With my DJI gimbal in hand, it was relatively smooth sailing.

First, the stabilization and the motorized camera control: At the event, I was in a heavy crowd of people, with limited time for filming, and I often couldn’t get up close to what I needed to film, or had to film from awkward angles. With just my phone out, I felt like I had to bump and prod everyone else like a cartoon paparazzo just to get my turn. But with my gimbal, all I needed to do was pull out the extension arm far enough to get in the vicinity of the photo subject, then use the joystick to frame my shot and press shoot. My mood and work pretty quickly improved, and I was happy to check my shots later and notice how perfectly stabilized each shot was, which definitely isn’t the case when I’m shooting handheld, even in the best of scenarios. How often can you say that you can film off-the-cuff without taking the time to frame everything perfectly and still be happy with what you get? With the Osmo Mobile 7P, that pretty quickly became my norm.

To stress test it, I later took the gimbal on the treadmill to see how well the stabilization held up across all its different modes. I can’t share the video, since the gym was pretty crowded, but it basically turned my iPhone into something that could go toe-to-toe with a GoPro, despite it being much larger.

But there was also filming to consider—when I needed to go freehand and get into frame. For the past few years, I’ve carried around a cheap phone tripod that I absolutely hate. I got it for free, and it’s sometimes helpful if I need to go freehand, but it’s also prone to falling over, and you need to adjust the camera angle manually, which increases the likelihood of it losing balance and falling over again. The Osmo Mobile 7P soon had me wondering how I ever put up with it.

Shooting freehand with this thing is as easy as setting it down, pulling out the tripod included in the bottom, adjusting the extension rod to as high as you need it, then setting your camera angle with the joystick, and pressing record. There’s more you can do if you’re shooting vlogs, but even with just the basics, the Osmo Mobile 7P immediately had me wondering how I lived without it.

That said, I did run into one pain point: The extension rod, while useful, is still relatively short. This isn’t a problem if you’re placing the gimbal on a desk, but if you have to place it on the floor, it’ll only reach about waist height. Luckily, there is a tripod hole on the bottom of the gimbal you can use to attach legs to add some height, but that does add some cost and reduce the portability of the device.

Gesture controls makes it perfect for solo filmers

I’ve already spoken about how useful the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P was for more traditional filming, but really, this thing’s strengths lie in allowing vloggers to shoot professional video without anyone else’s aid.

That comes back around to the tracking and gesture control, which I tested by setting the gimbal down on a desk, pulling out the extension rod to about head height, and pointing my phone’s rear camera system toward me.

You can see my results in the video below, alongside the multifunctional module's brightness levels and mic connectivity. Suffice it to say, I was impressed.

With the multifunctional module attached to my phone, I didn’t need to flip it around to check my phone screen once. I was essentially able to act and direct from the comfort of my chair, thanks to gesture controls.

Start filming with one simple hand signal

When you’re using the multifunctional module or the DJI Mimo app, you’re able to start filming by holding up a peace sign. At that point, if you’re using the module, a yellow light will start blinking for about 3 seconds, then it’ll turn solidly green and you’ll know you’re live (if you’re using the app, the screen will show a countdown timer, but if you’re not able to see your screen, you’ll have to intuit when to start talking). When you’re done filming, hold up the peace sign again to get a similar timer, after which the light on the module will turn red and you’ll know you’re not being recorded.

I was skeptical of this method going in, but it worked as advertised every single time. It never even confused similar gestures for a peace sign, like when I held up three or four fingers. You can turn off gesture controls in the Mimo app if you’re worried about unintentional responses, but I started relying on them pretty quickly.

Reliable tracking

Also included in gesture controls is the ability to enable and disable tracking, which allows solo vloggers the opportunity to do shots they otherwise couldn’t. Simply hold a palm up to the module or Mimo app (or pull the gimbal’s trigger once, if you’re really against gesture controls), and you’re good to go: The gimbal will now focus on you, or whatever else is the most prominent subject in frame, and follow you around as you move.

Again, I was skeptical, and again, I had no reason to be. Right, left, up, or down, I was perfectly centered in my shots at all times. Like with my photos at the press event, this took the stress out of worrying about framing or getting the perfect take, and instead allowed me to focus on the content. 

And I can just imagine what type of content that could be. While my test was pretty modest, if I were a Tiktokker without a dedicated camera person, reliable tracking would open up a ton of shooting methods. I could shoot myself doing anything from a skateboard trick to a walk-around interview without needing someone else with me. And if I suddenly didn’t need to track myself anymore, I’d just need to hold a palm up to the gimbal to keep my shot in place (there’s another gesture you can use to temporarily pause tracking, but I didn’t find it that useful, since you need to do it again to start tracking back up, so you might as well just use the palm).

Strong battery life

If you’re out on extended shoot, this thing will last a while. It’s rated for a 10 hour battery life, and after using it for much of that all-day press event, I believe it. Plus, new on the Osmo Mobile 7P, it can act as an external battery for your phone. Just plug your phone into its USB-C port, and it’ll start charging it for you.

Really, about the only negative it presents for solo filmers is that using the multifunctional module eats up your phone’s USB-C port, which does sadly mean you won’t be able to use it and record to an external SSD at the same time. Ideally, future versions of this module would allow it to pass a signal through it, as well.

Works well with DJI accessories (but only DJI accessories)

DJI also sent me a Mic Mini to test the Osmo Mobile 7P with, and while this isn’t a review of that (though my voice has never sounded so crisp), I’m of two minds on its connectivity with the gimbal.

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

The upside is that it can even connect to the multifunctional module at all. If you’ve ever seen TikTokkers or YouTubers hold up their mics to camera, you know how common DJI microphones are, and if using the multifunctional module meant having to connect to your mic over Bluetooth rather than with a dedicated receiver, I could see some content creators write the thing off entirely; the loss in audio quality just wouldn’t be worth it. It was kind of a necessary feature in order for the new accessory to land with DJI’s most hardcore audience, but it’s well implemented here nonetheless.

The problem is that the Mic Mini is the only microphone the multifunctional module is compatible with. DJI has a whole slew of other microphones, and while the Mic Mini is the newest and most popular, it’s far from the only one.

It’s also not DJI’s most powerful microphone, so if you’re a DJI fan who’s already invested in one of its older mics, or you’ve upgraded to a more powerful model, you may be left feeling a bit burned.

Should you buy a DJI Osmo Mobile 7P?

Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

We all used to laugh at selfie sticks, but even though the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P isn’t technically a selfie stick, it’s turned me into a full-on convert. Most casual, and even some professional, filming happens on smartphones these days, this device is a quick, simply, and effective way to make your filming suddenly look like it could air on TV, while also saving you some logistical headaches along the way, especially if you’re a solo filmer.

And it’s affordable, too. At $150, it’s expensive next to even the best selfie sticks, but throw in the gimbal features and it’s actually on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Plus, if you don’t need the multifunctional module or an extension rod, you could instead opt for the $89 Osmo Mobile 7 or $69 Osmo Mobile SE. If you don’t care about the module but do want the extension rod, you could get the $109 Osmo Mobile 6.

Whatever option you pick, you’ll see immediate results. I know seeing me use it made an impression amongst my fellow members of the press, but even at your next family gathering, I think its convenience and the new features it enables will quickly turn you into a believer.