DJI Osmo for Weddings?

[Noa Put]

The person who made the post about the Osmo being unusable in low light must have had no idea what type of camera he was getting

Is this not normal for any new product that just has been released? You only know for sure once you have it in your hands and tried it. If a camera has a small sensor doesn't necessarily mean it will perform very poor in low light, my ax100 doesn't perform better then my cx730 in low light, despite the sensor size differences, in fact, my cx730 provides a cleaner image at it's highest iso.

If the x5 performs the same as a gh4 considering it has the same size sensor and if you can combine it with a f1.7 lens then this will be usable in darker venues at weddings.

[Malcolm Debono]

I have one on order so I don't have a clue about what to expect. However I did encounter this video on vimeo and by the looks of it I wouldn't say that the Osmo is unusable in low light.

DJI OSMO test footage - short film ICE CREAM on Vimeo

[Michael Silverman]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Is this not normal for any new product that just has been released? You only know for sure once you have it in your hands and tried it. If a camera has a small sensor doesn't necessarily mean it will perform very poor in low light, my ax100 doesn't perform better then my cx730 in low light, despite the sensor size differences, in fact, my cx730 provides a cleaner image at it's highest iso.

If the x5 performs the same as a gh4 considering it has the same size sensor and if you can combine it with a f1.7 lens then this will be usable in darker venues at weddings.

I'm not really sure what your reason is for posting this. It sounds like you're just trying to play devil's advocate. The person who posted their review of the Osmo said "I wanted this product to make my jaw drop but it's not fast nor great in low light which is what it needs to be for me to get excited." If someone is expecting a 1/2.3" sensor camera to be "great in low light" then slams it for not meeting those expectations, they need to re-evaluate their expectations.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I'm excited about the product. Steady cam/weddings are small part of my business so it's an enticing entry level product. Ease of setup, ease of use, and small form factor are a huge selling point. I've worked with colleagues who use ronin/movi and it's a expensive cumbersome affair that requires an operator who knows what they're doing. I don't view it as a threat to my job for the reasons others have mentioned, it takes more than a camera to make a great movie.

It obviously would be ideal for outdoor weddings. The degree of low light performance would make or break it for me. Might be enough to mix in some steady shots here and there throw in some lights and might fit the bill. In my opinion steady cam work has become over used. I was watching weddings on vimeo and a number of them almost the entire movie was filmed with a steady cam. I like steady cam work for a few moments like dramatic entrances ie procession, first dance and b-roll things like cake etc.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Michael Silverman

I'm not really sure what your reason is for posting this. It sounds like you're just trying to play devil's advocate.

My reason for posting this because you said that " I think this person has a very poor understanding of what to expect from a small sensor camera", a small sensor doesn't automatically mean bad low light performance as I have 2 camera's with a significant difference in sensor size yet the smallest sensor sized camera performs better. Does this then mean that you have a very poor understanding of what to expect from a small sensor camera? The person you referred to did have too optimistic expectations but that doesn't mean a small sensor size cannot surprise you in performance, there is more to it then sensor size alone to determine low light performance.

[Michael Silverman]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

My reason for posting this because you said that " I think this person has a very poor understanding of what to expect from a small sensor camera", a small sensor doesn't automatically mean bad low light performance as I have 2 camera's with a significant difference in sensor size yet the smallest sensor sized camera performs better.

There is definitely more to low light performance than sensor size, but a 1/2.3" sensor is going to produce noisy footage at every reception venue I know of. To expect it to be "great in low light" is unrealistic because he's expecting too much from camera with that small of sensor.

[Noa Put]

My sony cx730 has a 1/2.88 inch sensor yet it manages to have an equal low light performance compared to my 1 inch sensor ax100 but it outperforms the ax100 in terms of noise reductions at it highest gain settings. I have had ceremony recordings where I had to apply neat video to the ax100 footage because the noise was that obvious but my cx730 footage was fine as is. I"m not saying that the osmo x3 would be capable of similar results but just saying that a small sensor equals noisy footage in low light is also not always right.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

To play devils advocate Sony EX1 line is 1/2" and my JVC hm600 1/3" yields a serviceable wide ceremony shot.

That being said my expectations are more in line with Michael. But I'd be more interested in the x5.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Michael Silverman

If you're interested in buying a new camera and stabilizer you may want to wait until used A7S cameras start getting really cheap and buy one of those along with a Ronin-M. If you can get a Ronin-M and and a used A7s for $3000 then it will be far better in low light since the X5 likely won't look all that great once you have to raise up the ISO.

You are comparing apples with oranges, the dji osmo is for ease of use, it's a stick with a mini camera on it. I could see this being attached to a belt while moving around while getting other shots on a tripod, something I couldn't see myself doing with a Ronin m and sony a7s and lens attached to it.

I did not look much further into this x3/x5 camera's yet but just did and the x3 would probably be used by the same people that now use a gopro, you can use it for weddings but that ice cream video that's linked to in this thread shows some clearly visible noise so very likely only useful for the brighter parts of the day. If I"m right it's only 650 dollar for this setup which I think is pretty cheap if you compare it to the price of a gopro 4 black. which is camera only and imagewise it should fit in just fine with any other camera.

The x5 however is another animal, I saw the "dji osmo - on set with the x5" video on youtube and eventhough the camera was used in controlled situations the footage it produced looked very cinematic and free of noise. Given the fact that it has a m4/3 sensor and can be coupled with fast prime lenses low light performance should be similar to a gh4, though that is just guessing right now, but if that would be the case and if a iso of 6400 would be possible then this could be a very capable combination for weddings, even candle lit ones. Not sure however what this set up will be costing?

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Not sure however what this set up will be costing?

B&H have Gimbal, X5 camera and 1.7 lens for $2298, plus the handle will cost you $269. You get a lovely remote controlled follow focus for $1999 to complete the set. A veritable bargain - hmmm!!! Well, I'd like one, but I've got a gimbal for a lot less; not as convenient maybe as this. Then there's the smartphone required to monitor the image; how responsive it is and how good for focus, who can say. It's a nice gadget for sure, but there are probably better gimbals to come in the future going by developments so far.

[Michael Silverman]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

I did not look much further into this x3/x5 camera's yet but just did and the x3 would probably be used by the same people that now use a gopro, you can use it for weddings but that ice cream video that's linked to in this thread shows some clearly visible noise so very likely only useful for the brighter parts of the day.

Noa, this is exactly what I said yesterday: "If he does in fact have the X3 then this is essentially a GoPro and is not designed for low light. Expecting a GoPro to look great in a dark reception is kind of absurd and that's basically what this guy was expecting." I'm scratching my head as to why you felt a need to argue the value of small sensor cameras in low light and then post that the X3 probably will be bad in low light.

[Noa Put]

Actually you just jumped to conclusions saying that the guy had very poor understanding of what to expect from a small sensor camera, the fact that he found out while using it that it didn't perform to his expectations shows he didn't have seen any other reference footage to know the footage was noisy in low light, that doesn't mean he has a "poor understanding". Like I said just because the sensor is small it doesn't necessarily mean it performs bad.

I now just base my conclusions on what I see in that video, something that guy most likely had not seen before he bought/used it.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Steve Burkett

B&H have Gimbal, X5 camera and 1.7 lens for $2298, plus the handle will cost you $269. You get a lovely remote controlled follow focus for $1999 to complete the set. A veritable bargain - hmmm!!! Well, I'd like one, but I've got a gimbal for a lot less; not as convenient maybe as this. Then there's the smartphone required to monitor the image; how responsive it is and how good for focus, who can say. It's a nice gadget for sure, but there are probably better gimbals to come in the future going by developments so far.

Wow that is pricey. I was under the impression it was $600 or was that for the x3? This feels like the future of steady caming. For me thats too expensive for such a specialized tool but I could see myself renting it.

My biggest issue with the Ronin is its size and the inability to put it down. You need a stand.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Pete Cofrancesco

Wow that is pricey. I was under the impression it was $600 or was that for the x3? This feels like the future of steady caming. For me thats too expensive for such a specialized tool but I could see myself renting it.

My biggest issue with the Ronin is its size and the inability to put it down. You need a stand.

Yeah the X3 is about $649 I think. However there's a X5 that is a micro 4/3s camera. The price i quoted includes a 1.7 lens; its cheaper without the lens. As you say, a steep price. Nice gadget but bit too much for me. There'll be other gimbals. This is really only the first year or so of them being on the market, so still early days.

[Art Varga]

The X5 has been out for a while as an aerial camera option for the Inspire. It's claimed to have 12.8 stops of dynamic range and an ISO range up to 25,600. You'll soon be able to mount it to the Osmo handle but not until DJI releases a needed adapter

DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography

The Osmo/X5 setup will run you $2300 for the camera and lens + $270 for the Osmo handle kit. If that price doesn't scare you there is also the X5R that shoots raw at $5K for the body only. I was really tempted to pull the trigger on the Osmo/X5 but after hearing the early reports of quality issues with the Osmo I'm going back on the sideline to watch and wait.