The DJI Osmo Pocket is a powerful little camera that has a built-in gimbal to keep your shots smooth and steady. However, it is a common problem with gimbals to get a slight up and down motion when walking or running. This goes for all gimbals, not just the Osmo Pocket. Gimbals are traditionally stabilized on 3 axis’s, tilt, pitch, and roll. There is no stabilization for up and down. This up and down motion is referred to as the 4th axis or z-axis. Scotty from “Scotty Makes Stuff” has developed a 4th axis stabilizer for the Osmo Pocket and it works extremely well. This handle takes out the up and down motion and can be adjusted depending on each individual user to help you get the most stable shot possible.
One thing to note is that this 4th axis stabilizer is 3d printed and that is not to everyone’s taste, but I can confirm that it is built extremely well and after using it for several weeks I have had no issues with the build quality or durability. This stabilizer does add a lot of bulk to a camera that is supposed to be small and portable. It may not be an accessory that you use every day, but when you really want a nice smooth cinematic shot then it does come in handy for those situations. Scotty makes two different versions, one is more comfortable to hold and can be configured to hold in many different angles, but it is large and not easy to bring along if you want to pack light. They also offer a smaller version that folds up into itself, even with the Osmo Pocket mounted inside. This model still allows you to put it into your pocket when not in use. The downfall to this version is it is not as comfortable or configurable for different holding angles.
Up until this point I have never used a 4th axis stabilizer and was not quite sure what to expect. When I used it for the first time the unit seemed to be bobbing up and down wildly while I was walking. I remember thinking to myself that the footage is not going to look good in fact it will probably be more unstable. To my surprise when I viewed the footage it was amazingly smooth and there was no up and down motion that was normally present. That wild bobbing up and down was actually the 4th axis stabilizer doing its job. Sometimes you don’t realize just how much up and down motion is present when walking.
You can watch my youtube video demonstration were I show before and after and even side by side examples of the DJI Osmo Pocket filming with and then without the 4th Axis stabilizer from Scotty Makes Stuff”.
4th Axis Stabilizer: http://bit.ly/2HWpBHT
DJI Osmo Pocket: http://bit.ly/2RU7iVT
