A few years ago, the only options for camera stabilizers were awkward rigs that required carefully balanced passive gimbals, or clunky, large weights strapped to the bottom of a camera to add shake-reducing mass. As the drone industry has pushed micro-gimbal technology forward, it’s fascinating to see it become implemented in tinier and cheaper platforms.
This tiny new mechanically stabilized camera from DJI, launched today, looks like a nice accessory for project documenters, YouTube makers, and Maker Faire attendees. We got to see it in person in the Make office and the size is truly stunning — it’s barely larger than a couple of USB thumbdrives stacked on top of each other, but offers impeccable steadiness and a 4k sensor. The built-in tiny touchscreen is a nice new addition, as is the way it plugs into your phone for additional control and larger viewing. It includes a lot of functions; we were excited about the auto-tracking feature for one-person livebuild broadcasts, and its timelapse capability for adding smooth motion to long builds.
With its moving parts it doesn’t feel as robust as a GoPro, the unit is pretty solid. There’s also a waterproof case option that looks like a good dust shield for the workshop. Additional accessories clip onto it for even more control.
DJI says the unit is available now for preorder and will ship on December 15th. It costs $350.
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