How to Use DJI Osmo Mobile 3 or OM 4 with Filmic Pro
I just tried the new FiLMiC Pro features with my DJI OM 4 and they’re great. In this video, I’m going to show you how the new features help you shoot more cinematic video.
One of the most commonly asked questions I get about the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 and OM 4 is whether it is compatible with FiLMiC Pro. Well, after a bit of a wait, now it is.
FiLMiC Pro is the leading camera app for video for both iOS and Android. But until now, there was no way to control the app via the OM 3 or 4. Which meant that to do focus pulls or zoom in and out, you had to use your phone’s screen.
Connecting FiLMiC Pro to your DJI Gimbal
First thing you need to do is connect the gimbal. So here’s how:
- make sure bluetooth is enabled on your smartphone.
- mount your smartphone.
- power up the gimbal
- open FiLMiC Pro
- tap settings.
- tap the hardware icon
- toggle on DJI Osmo Mobile
FiLMiC Pro now automatically searches and finds your powered on Osmo Mobile gimbal. You should get a message under the toggle saying the gimbal and app are now connected.
At least that’s how it worked with my Samsung S9. Your device may work differently. I believe with some devices, the gimbal will appear and you need to tap it to connect.
Record Button
Now that FiLMiC Pro and your gimbal are connected, pressing the record button on the gimbal will start the app recording. Tap the same button to stop recording.
Access FiLMiC Controls
To access various controls, use the slider at the side of the gimbal. Push up (or push down) and release to cycle through 4 different modes. The different modes are indicated by a circle with various symbols in the middle of the screen.
In any mode, when you move the joystick, the circle will display a thick line around that icon to show you what you’re adjusting.
Pan & Tilt Mode
The first mode is pan and tilt. You will know you are in this mode when you get a circle and 4 arrows. So now the joystick will tilt and pan, depending which way you push it.
However, this isn’t really a feature of FiLMiC Pro, because the gimbal does this anyway, whether you’re connected to FiLMiC Pro or not. Rather, this is more the default mode. The gimbal doesn’t need to connect with FiLMiC Pro to tilt and pan, as this has nothing to do with manual camera control.
It’s good to know that the joystick sensitivity works with the FiLMiC App, as it does with the Mimo app. This means the tilt or pan will move faster depending on how far you push the joystick.
The joystick has sensitivity to how hard you press it. I managed to get 3 different speeds. It’s a little tricky to get the hang of, but it can be done.
Manual Mode
A push and release cycles to the Manual Mode. This is indicated by a moon symbol left, a sun symbol right to indicate that exposure is controlled by moving the joystick left or right. And a flower bottom and infinity symbol top, to indicate focus is controlled by moving the joystick up and down.
I discovered that you can lock shutter speed. This means if you want the film look motion blur from a slower shutter, you can set your shutter to say 1/48 or 1/50. Once the shutter is locked, the joystick will only control the ISO.
Zoom Mode
The next mode is the Zoom Mode. You will know you’re in this mode when you see this circle with the magnifying glass + and – symbols top and bottom. So push the joystick up to zoom in and down to zoom out.
Pushing the joystick left or right in this mode locks and unlocks the exposure or focus reticles. The reticles are the circle and square used for setting and locking focus and exposure. Red is locked, white is unlocked.
So let’s say you wanted to use the joystick for a nice smooth pan shot. But you don’t want the exposure setting changing during the shot. So you go to the Zoom Mode, lock exposure, then switch back to Tilt and Pan Mode.
Now you can make that smooth pan and the exposure will stay fixed, making your shot look a lot more professional.
Auto Mode
The 4th and final mode is Auto Mode. This is similar to Zoom Mode, except the exposure and focus reticles are switched to live mode. When you unlock the reticles, you get FiLMiC Pro’s live focus and live exposure.
So unlocked live focus, for example, will allow your smartphone’s auto focus to adjust while you are shooting, using the centre of the frame to set focus. And the same goes for exposure.
This is a useful mode when vlogging and you want your phone to keep your face well lit, no matter where you move.
Changing Speeds
While the joystick sensitivity works for pan and tilt, for zoom, focus or exposure it seems to act only as an on-off switch. In other words, no matter how softly you press the joystick, you only get one speed.
But this speed can be adjusted in FiLMiC Pro using the slider to the right of the focus and zoom control. If you set it to 2 or 3, I find that gives you a nice smooth focus pull.
Smartphone Video – Beginner to Advanced
If you want to know more about smartphone filmmaking, my book Smartphone Videography – Beginners to Advanced is now available to download for members on Patreon. The book is 170 pages long and covers essential smartphone filmmaking topics:
Things like how to get the perfect exposure, when to use manual control, which codecs to use, HDR, how to use frame rates, lenses, shot types, stabilisation and much more. There’s also my Exploring the Film Look Guide as well as Smartphone Colour Grading.
Members can also access all 5 episodes of our smartphone shot Silent Eye series, with accompanying screenplays and making of podcasts. There’s other materials too and I will be adding more in the future.
If you want to join me there, follow this link.
