—Jan 11, 2020—
So I decided to spring for this because we’re going on more trips these days. It seems useful, even though modern iPhones have good image stablization. Being a gimbal adds automatic levelling, automatic angle maintenance, and automati tracking a person’s face. These seem useful for nature photography and dance performance.
I got it in the +$20 combo package that includes a tripod and hard case. The basic product includes a soft bag and no tripod.
So the sad thing right off the bat is the hard case cannot hold the tripod inside. It does have an elastic pounch, but that’s likey to lose its stretch over time and risk the tripod falling out. Plus it’s ugly and irregular. It is a strange design decision.
I don't know how this gimbal works in actual use, but I’ll update this page as I learn more.
For sale at Apple Store (as of 1/11/2020), not an affiliate link. Otehr stores carry this as well.
—Jan 12, 2020—
I shot a few long test videos at last night’s dance.
Combined with the iPhone’s own stabilization, the Osmo gimbal and Memo app produced very shake-free video with little graininess at less than bright indoor lighting. I was walking around a lot, and croched. few times. I found I can tilt and pan using the handle (slowly) or the joy ‘stick’ button. It took experimentation to find that I must place my thumb on the joy-button for best control. Simply nudging it from the side always did something wrong. Also, any use of the button produces a sharp movement, so if used while recording it shouldbe considered a scene break opportunity. It’s best to just slowly rotate the handle itself for a smooth pan or tilt.