DJI releases camera stabilizer for smartphones
A visitor to the launch event of DJI’s portable camera stabilizer Osmo Mobile tests the device at the company’s office in Seogyo-dong, western Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of DJI Korea
By Yoon Sung-won
Chinese video-recording device maker DJI unveiled a new portable gimbal device on Friday named Osmo Mobile, which stabilizes smartphones while recording video.
DJI Korea’s country manager Moon Tae-hyun said the new device is expected to draw a more favorable response, especially in the Korean market as consumers here are keen on mobile devices and visual production technology.
“In terms of sales scale, we project that the new device will record 1.5 times greater sales in Korea compared to other markets,” Moon said during a press conference in Seoul, Friday. “This is because Korean customers have been quick to understand the stabilizing functions of gimbal technology. The high penetration rate of smartphones here also supports our projection.”
Established in 2006 in Shenzhen, China, the company has rapidly grown into the world’s largest maker of drones while expanding its portfolio to more diverse video-recording devices including gimbals.
On the back of explosive popularity of drone flying as a leisure activity, DJI Korea opened a flagship store in Seogyo-dong, western Seoul, on March 12 and established a drone test area called DJI Arena in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, last month.
Moon said the company plans to boost its presence not only in the consumer market but also in the industrial drone and video-recording device market here on the back of eased regulations on drones.
“So far, we have concentrated on targeting consumers here,” he said. “In the future, we will also strengthen our drive for industrial products by promoting awareness of the benefits of industrial drones and professional video-recording devices.”
Osmo Mobile taps into the three-axis gimbal stabilization system and the company’s exclusive SmoothTrack technology to allow balanced movement of an attached smartphone even when the user records a video while moving dynamically. In particular, the company’s DJI GO mobile application provides the ActiveTrack function, which allows the camera to automatically track a moving subject to maintain focus.
“While most consumers use smartphones to take videos, they are still prone to trembles especially when they are handheld,” a DJI Korea official said. “Combining the portability of smartphones and our Osmo gimbal technology, we can help users make better visual content.”
DJI Korea said the new device is compatible with smartphones released after 2015. An Osmo Mobile has been priced at 400,000 won in Korea and will be available in the market early this month, the company said.