Comparison DJI Osmo Pocket 3 vs Xiaomi FIMI PALM 2

— Phone mount(like a screen). The ability to use your smartphone as your stabiliser screen. The device's camera is not used in this case: filming is carried out either on the built-in camera of the stabiliser or on the action camera attached to it. Note that the smartphone can be used not only as a viewfinder but also to control the camera; specific features depend on the stabiliser model.

— Focus control mechanism. A device that allows the stabiliser controls to focus the lens on the installed camera. It simplifies the use of manual focus lenses greatly.

— Two-handed handle. The two-handed handle increases agility, stability and precision.

— Quick release plate. This element makes it possible to quickly install and remove the camera from the stabiliser without using third-party tools.

— Tripod. The presence of a small tripod in the stabiliser kit — a tripod, which allows you to use the device in a stationary position, setting it on a flat hard surface. Usually the tripod is detachable.

— Remote control. The presence in the kit of a small remote control. It is convenient when the device is installed at a remote distance, for example, in a car.

— Bag / Case.... The presence of a bag or case in the standard package of the stabilizer. Bags often come with handles or a strap for convenient carrying, while cases are somewhat simpler — they don't have handles and are designed to be carried in a travel bag, backpack, etc. A bag or case protects the device from dust and other contaminants and to some extent shields the contents from damage in case of bumps or falls. Additionally, bags or cases can often be used to store extra accessories.

The range of rotation angles supported by the steadicam.

In this case, it means turning the camera to the right or left, without tilting back and forth.

The range of forward-backwards tilt angles relative to the vertical position supported by the stabiliser.

It can be written in different ways.

The simplest option is when one angle value is indicated in the characteristics. This may mean that the camera can deviate from the neutral position in both directions by the same angle, which is half the range.

Another option is used when the angles of tilt forward and backward are not the same. In such cases, the horizontal position of the camera on a vertical steadicam is taken as zero, the “-” sign indicates the maximum angle of camera deflection back, lens up, and the “+” sign — forward, lens down.

The maximum controlled speed supported by the stabiliser is, in fact, the highest speed of rotation of the camera along one axis or another, provided by the device. This is the maximum rotation speed of the entire structure, at which the stabiliser automation can provide effective stabilisation along the corresponding axis (that is, keep the camera stationary).

This item is directly related to the purpose of the stabiliser — for shooting while hiking or cycling on flat terrain, a high stabilization speed is hardly necessary, but during surfing, acrobatic aerobatics and other similar activities, the “slow” stabiliser often turns out to be ineffective.

Quad HD (2K) video recording capabilities supported by the stabiliser's bundled camera.

Specifically, the 2K standard includes video formats that have a resolution of more than 1920 pixels horizontally, but do not reach 4K (see the relevant paragraph). 2K stabiliser's cameras usually operate at a resolution of 2704x1520 pixels.

The ability to record 4K Ultra HD video.

There are no uniform resolution requirements in 4K; 3820x2160 is considered the minimum value for modern consumer video equipment (2 times more than Full HD on each side and 4 times — in the total number of pixels), but higher values are also found — for example, 4096x2160. Recording in Ultra HD 4K allows you to get very clear and detailed images. However, to properly work with such video, powerful hardware and capacious drives are required.

The angle of view of the complete stabiliser camera.

Two things depend on this parameter: the width of the space that enters the frame, and the degree of zoom provided by the camera. A large viewing angle allows you to fit more of the surrounding space into the frame, but details in such a picture will look small. Conversely, a narrower angle limits the field of view but gives a greater magnification and allows you to see the details of what is still in the frame better.

File formats in which the built-in stabiliser camera can save recorded video. In brackets, the type of codec used for recording, for example, MP4 (H.264), can be specified.

This parameter is critical if the footage is planned to be viewed on a consumer video player, media centre or other similar device — this device must support the appropriate formats. But if you plan to watch the video on a computer, you can not pay much attention to file formats: modern operating systems have extensive sets of codecs (and the missing ones can be downloaded and installed additionally), so there are usually no problems with playing the main types of video.

The degree of digital zoom provided by the stabiliser's bundled camera.

Digital zoom is performed as follows: the camera electronics take the central part of the image from the image sensor and "stretch" it over the entire frame, creating an enlargement effect. This method is much simpler and cheaper than the optical one, but it degrades the image quality and the visibility of fine details.