DJI has simply launched the Osmo Nano, a tiny, thumb-sized motion digital camera able to 4K movies. On paper, it feels like a dream for FPV pilots — light-weight, compact, and highly effective. However how does it truly evaluate to cameras just like the DJI O4 Professional Air Unit? On this assessment, I’ll undergo its strengths and weaknesses as an FPV motion digital camera, and the place it matches into your setup.
Study extra about motion cameras for FPV drones in our purchaser’s information: https://oscarliang.com/action-camera/
The place to Purchase
Get the DJI Osmo Nano digital camera from:
Design and Options
The DJI Osmo Nano is extremely small — concerning the dimension of your thumb — and weighs solely 52 grams. It’s designed as an all-in-one digital camera, with no detachable battery or SD card slot. As an alternative, it depends on a dock module that handles charging, knowledge switch by way of USB-C, and features a microSD slot for exterior storage. The dock additionally encompasses a touchscreen, permitting you to observe footage immediately. The general idea is much like the Insta360 GO 3 we reviewed a few years in the past.
DJI gives two variations, 64GB and 128GB. For less than US$30 distinction I believe it’s price it to get the 128GB option- you’ll want the additional storage for 4K footage, and it saves the effort of continually offloading recordsdata.
The Osmo Nano itself doesn’t have a built-in display screen, which helps preserve the digital camera compact and light-weight. Nevertheless, this additionally means you may’t view recording standing or regulate settings immediately on the digital camera. As an alternative, you’ll want to make use of both the dock’s touchscreen or the DJI Mimo app in your smartphone (linked by way of Wi-Fi) to vary modes and settings.
Aside from 4K decision, the digital camera helps D-Log M coloration mode for higher post-processing flexibility, and pictures will be stabilized utilizing Gyroflow or DJI’s built-in Rocksteady stabilization.
One other nice contact — the lens is detachable, permitting you to swap it out for ND filter to realize smoother, extra cinematic footage and added safety throughout flights.
Picture High quality: DJI Osmo Nano vs O3 and O4 Professional
Let’s get to the large query — how does the DJI Osmo Nano evaluate to DJI’s FPV techniques?
Towards the DJI O3 Air Unit
The Osmo Nano is a noticeable enchancment over the O3. It handles publicity and highlights higher, the picture is cleaner, and higher coloration grading outcomes. The O3 usually struggles with shiny mild transitions and crushed blacks — one thing the Nano handles gracefully. For FPV pilots nonetheless flying O3 or older analog techniques, this can be a main step up in video high quality.
Towards the DJI O4 Professional
General, the Osmo Nano’s footage high quality rivals the DJI O4 Professional, delivering wealthy colours, secure 4K footage and spectacular dynamic vary. The colour copy is shut between the 2, although the O4 Professional stays barely sharper with a wider discipline of view (FOV). The distinction is refined except you zoom in and evaluate facet by facet.
In case your drone already makes use of a DJI O4 Professional Air Unit, including an Osmo Nano isn’t actually mandatory — you’re going to get fairly related high quality footage from these cameras, so would even argue the O4 Professional footage look barely higher. Nevertheless, for drones that don’t have HD recording functionality, similar to analog system, the Osmo Nano is a good light-weight motion digital camera.
Efficiency and Recording Modes
The DJI Osmo Nano helps 4K at 120fps and makes use of the identical picture processor because the Motion 5. It gives each regular bitrate mode (60–80 Mbps) and excessive bitrate mode (110 Mbps). Most individuals could be proud of regular bitrate, however excessive bitrate offers barely extra tremendous element — although it additionally makes the digital camera run hotter and movies take up more room.
Thermal testing confirmed that the Nano does get heat, particularly in excessive bitrate mode. When mounted on a drone, it advantages from airflow, so it’s often tremendous throughout flight. Nevertheless, if you happen to dwell in a scorching local weather, chances are you’ll need to regulate temperatures, as overheating may trigger early thermal shutdowns.
In 4K regular bitrate mode, you may anticipate about 20 to 25 minutes of steady recording time per cost. Whereas that’s not sufficient for a whole day of flying, you may put the digital camera again within the dock for a fast cost between battery change.
Utilizing the Osmo Nano on FPV Drones
The DJI Osmo Nano is marketed as a wearable motion digital camera, however as FPV pilots, the query all of us need answered is: is it a superb FPV drone digital camera?
Not like cameras built-in into FPV techniques such because the DJI O4 Professional, the Osmo Nano information independently. This implies its recording settings don’t intrude together with your FPV feed — as an illustration, you may document in 4K 30fps with a hard and fast ISO for higher picture high quality, whereas holding your DJI FPV system set to 100fps with dynamic ISO for minimal latency and optimum publicity throughout flight. And even when your drone loses sign or energy mid-flight, the Nano continues recording with out interruption.
This independence is a large benefit, particularly for pilots flying FPV techniques with low onboard recording high quality, similar to analog or HDZero. It additionally makes the Nano extremely versatile — you may simply transfer it to a special drone, giving each rig high-quality 4K recording functionality with none rewiring or configuration modifications.
It makes use of the identical magnetic mounting system because the DJI Motion 4 and Motion 5, so if you happen to already use these cameras, mounting the Nano is easy.
Nevertheless, there are some trade-offs:
- It’s another gadget you should bear in mind to cost.
- Not like the O4 Professional, you may’t see its recording standing or remaining recording storage by means of your FPV goggles.
- It provides one other 50 grams to your drone — which reduces flight time and efficiency.
- That further weight received’t matter a lot on bigger quads, however on smaller cinewhoops, it’s important.
Ultimate Ideas – Ought to You Purchase It?
The DJI Osmo Nano looks like a mini model of the Motion 5 — acquainted in interface, taking pictures modes, and total usability.
It’s a fantastic different to the DJI Motion 2, in addition to different thumb-sized cameras just like the Insta360 GO 2 and GO 3, Hawkeye Thumb, and RunCam Thumb. For FPV pilots who need to scale back weight, fly smaller rigs, or improve from older analog setups, the Osmo Nano strikes a candy stability between efficiency, picture high quality, and portability.
Nevertheless, in case your drone already has the DJI O4 Professional Air Unit, for most individuals there’s no use to make use of it — the O4 Professional already gives the identical stage of picture high quality, if not even barely higher. However if you happen to’re flying the rest and wish cinematic 4K video from a light-weight, self-contained digital camera, the DJI Osmo Nano is completely price contemplating.