Introducing The DJI Osmo Nano: A Compact Vlogging And POV Camera

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Good day, folks. Shawn here from Air Photography. Today, DJI has launched its brand new compact, easily mountable vlogging and point-of-view camera, the DJI Osmo Nano. In this video, we’re going to go over some of its features, capabilities, and we’re going to test out the video quality, audio quality, and stabilization. I’m a really big fan of these small, wearable cameras. For some activities, a traditional action camera can be a little bulky and get in the way, especially if you’re trying to capture point-of-view shots. The DJI Osmo Nano is a small, minimal camera, and it’s not going to get in the way, allowing you to enjoy your activity and the moment while still capturing high-quality video.

Design and Durability of the DJI Osmo Nano

Now, the Osmo Nano takes some inspiration from the DJI Action 2 because it has a separate camera module and a new multi-functional vision dock. The camera can be used completely independently without the dock, but this really enhances its capabilities. The Osmo Nano supports 4K at 60 frames per second and also supports slow motion at 4K 120 frames per second. It can capture 10-bit color in both a normal color profile and while capturing in DLOG M. It’s capable of achieving up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range. It has a 143° field of view, and you get all of that in a small, compact camera that weighs 72 grams.

As nice as some of those specs are, what I really like about what they’ve done with the Osmo Nano is made it much more durable. The Action 2 was a great little camera, but it was actually quite fragile. It had a touchscreen on the back and a lens that was not replaceable, so in the case of an impact, the camera could be severely damaged. But the new build of the Osmo Nano is quite durable. It has a nice hard casing, and the visual appearance is actually kind of interesting; it’s semi-transparent, very similar to that of the DJI Mic 3. On top of that, this lens cover is now replaceable, so if it happens to get damaged or scratched, you can easily replace it. There’s really not a lot of damage you can do to it. So, this camera, due to its quality and its durability, is going to be great for activities where the camera could potentially take an impact, such as mounting it on an RC vehicle, which is something I do all the time. With a camera like this, I don’t have to worry about it being damaged if the RC vehicle rolls or flips. I can capture some great point-of-view shots and not have to worry so much about damaging the camera. It’s also great for people who want to mount it on something like a skateboard or even an electric scooter or e-bike. Again, due to its durability, you don’t have to worry so much about damaging it. It might even be a great little camera for mounting on FPV drones. Now, I’m not a traditional FPV flyer; however, I do fly the DJI Avata quite a bit. So, what I’ve done here is mounted the Nano on my Avata 2. And that way, you can get a feel of what the footage would look like.

Storage and Battery Life

Now, the camera module itself has built-in storage. You can get it in configurations of 64 GB and 128 GB. However, the multi-functional vision dock can expand your storage capabilities. It has a built-in memory card slot, so you can put a nice large memory card in there, and you can offload the content from the internal storage at high speed over to the vision dock when that internal memory gets full. On top of that, the multi-functional vision dock serves many other purposes, including charging up the camera module, as there is no direct USB-C charging port right on the camera. You just simply connect it to the dock, and it’s going to go ahead and charge up the camera, and it supports quick charging, so it’s actually pretty fast. You can use the camera while it’s mounted to the vision dock, and that’s going to extend the battery life even further. According to DJI specs, filming at 1080p, you can expect about 90 minutes from the camera module. And if you’re using it in conjunction with the multi-functional vision dock, you can expect approximately 200 minutes. Of course, if you’re recording in 4K at a high frame rate, that number will be significantly less. I do have a video that I am working on where I am going to be doing some battery runtime comparisons.

Vision Dock Functionality

But of course, the multi-functional vision dock also becomes our display screen. This is how we can preview our shots and change all our settings. And the nice thing is that the vision dock is reversible. So now, in this configuration, if you’re going to be using the Osmo Nano for vlogging, you’re going to be able to line up your shot easily. Another nice benefit of the vision dock is that we can detach the main camera module, and the vision dock becomes a preview remote. We can still go in and change all our settings. We can start and stop recording, and we can get a visual preview, which is great when you have the camera mounted away from you. So here’s an example where this module is very beneficial. Right now, I’ve got just the camera module mounted on my chest, and I have the display module here on my handlebars. I can keep an eye on the feed to make sure everything is lined up exactly the way I want it, and I can go in and change settings very quickly. So, it is a really convenient tool. So, now while we go for a little bit of a ride, I can make sure that everything is framed exactly the way I want it. And right now, looking at it, it does look a little low. So, I can easily adjust it just like that. So, yeah, really beneficial. And now if I want to stop to change a setting, perhaps I now want to film in an ultra-wide field of view, I can easily just change it right on the screen there.

Magnetic Mounting System

Now, the DJI Osmo Nano is fully compatible with the DJI magnetic mounting system. As you can see there, we can connect just the camera module to any of the DJI magnetic mounts. So if you have existing ones that you’ve already invested in, they’re going to be fully compatible. And of course, the magnetic mounts also work with the multi-functional vision dock. The other nice thing about the magnetic mounting system on the Osmo Nano is that it is now reversible. So, as you can see, we can attach it one way, and then we can flip it and attach it the other way. So, that’s something new now with the Osmo Nano and these new magnetic mounts that come with it. However, as mentioned, the old magnetic mounts will work just fine.

Audio Compatibility

The Osmo Nano is fully compatible with Osmo Audio. And that includes the DJI Mic 2, the Mic Mini, and the new DJI Mic 3. And the really nice thing is you don’t even need to use the multi-functional vision dock once you have them initially paired. You can just power on the camera module independently, and it will still connect directly to the microphone. So, in that configuration, something like the Mic 3 and the Osmo Nano is going to make for an extremely minimal vlogging kit.

Audio Samples and Wind Noise Test

All right. So, now we’re going to do some audio samples so you can hear what this camera sounds like using the built-in microphones. Ideally, if you’re going to do any type of vlogging with it, you’re going to want to connect a third-party microphone, but sometimes that’s not always an option, especially if you’re just out doing some run-and-gun filming. So, this is audio coming directly from the built-in microphones. So, now we’re going to go for a little bit of a bike ride. And that way, we can see how it handles wind noise because when I’m riding a bike like this, there’s going to be a lot of wind going across the microphones. And it’ll be a good demonstration to see how it handles that wind noise. Right now, I’m traveling 31 kilometers per hour. It’s hard to see that screen there. So, we’ll see when I get home what the audio sounds like. I had to go back because my hat blew off.

There we go. No harm, no foul.

Super Night Mode and Capture Initiation

Just like the Action 5 Pro, the DJI Osmo Nano supports Super Night Mode to record and get nicely exposed footage even when lighting conditions are not ideal. It’s great for those who are going to be filming at sunrise, sunset, twilight, or perhaps even under a dark tree canopy. Now, something interesting that they’ve done with the Nano is they’ve added some new ways to initiate a capture, and they can be really beneficial, especially if you have this mounted on a helmet or chest-mounted. We get this new auto menu, and we can enable ‘pat to start recording.’ We can enable ‘nodding,’ and they even have a custom mode. So now, all I have to do is do a double tap on it, and I can do that now whether it’s attached or detached from the vision dock. That’s one of the options you can set in the parameters. But you’ll notice here I did a double tap. It powered on and automatically started recording, and it will record for the duration that we have set, or we can manually stop it at any time. If you have this on a helmet or on your hat, you just have to do a nod gesture, and again, it will automatically start recording.

Overheating Concerns

Now, one question that some people might be wondering is whether this camera overheats. I don’t know that answer 100%. All I can say is that I’ve had it for about 5 weeks, 4 weeks now. I’ve done quite a bit of recording with it at the end of summer on some really hot days, and it has not overheated on me once yet. So, for most people using it in normal scenarios, overheating is probably not something you’re going to have to worry about. That’s not to say it won’t overheat, especially if you have it stationary for a long period of time at a high frame rate. Most action cameras will overheat in those scenarios, but for everyday usage, it’s not like the Action 2, which did have some heat issues.

Waterproofing

Now, the camera module itself is waterproof down to 10 meters, so you can take this directly in the water. The Vision Dock, however, is only IPX4 rated. So that means it is splashproof. So it’s still great for days around the pool or at the beach. If it does happen to get splashed, it’s going to be just fine.

Available Packages and Accessories

Now, there’s going to be a variety of packages and accessories available, including the standard combo. This is going to be a popular combo for a lot of people just because it gives you everything you need to get up and running. With it, you’re going to get the pendant. This is going to allow you to get those interesting point-of-view shots—a really simple and convenient way to get those types of shots. It’s going to come with a hat clip. Again, a great way to get some point-of-view shots. And this is actually magnetic as well. So, when you have the camera attached to it, you can stick this directly to metal surfaces. Now, the Osmo Nano back is magnetic as well. So, you can stick the camera itself directly to metal surfaces for quick and easy hands-free shots. The combo pack also comes with this magnetic suction cup. And this will be especially useful if you want to mount your Osmo Nano in your car or on your windshield or any other smooth surfaces. The suction cup is removable, and underneath there is just a standard quarter-20. It also comes with an extra casing that’s going to add some extra durability to it. And when it’s mounted in the case, it’s fully compatible with the Vision dock. There’ll be other accessories available as well. I’m not sure exactly what will be available on launch day, but they do have this nice headband. Again, a nice simple way to capture point-of-view shots. So, all in all, I think this is a great new camera from DJI. I’m glad that they didn’t give up on that modular camera design. A great addition to some people’s kits, especially for some activities where you just don’t want to be bogged down with gear. Perhaps you just want to capture some simple point-of-view shots. You’re on vacation, you’re traveling, you just want something that’s going to allow you to capture high-quality video without getting in the way.

Internal Memory Limitation

Now, one thing I do want to mention here quickly before I go: there is one limitation with this camera. That’s at the time of filming this video. I’m not sure if that’s going to be changed later on with firmware, but currently, when recording, you can only record directly to the internal memory. Although the multi-functional vision dock does have a memory card, you cannot record video directly to it. If the internal memory on your camera gets full, you do have to transfer it over to the memory card manually. Now, some people might find that a little bit limiting. Myself, I haven’t really found it to be a problem. The transfer is actually very quick, and on the 128 GB version, you can actually store quite a bit of video. So, for me, it’s not a big issue, but I just wanted to point that out so everybody was aware.

Now, if this is a camera you’re interested in, make sure you’re subscribed as I will be covering it fully over the coming weeks and months, including a beginner’s guide, which will be coming in a few days. I’m going to be doing some comparisons against other similar cameras and other videos that you might find helpful. Hopefully, you enjoyed this video and found it had value. Thanks a lot for watching, and we’ll see you on the next one of the next one.