Getting Started: Osmo Mobile Counterweights

Osmo Mobile Counterweights

Achieve Full Gimbal Control

The OM 4

One of the greatest questions we face in our customer support inbox is the latest Om 4 from DJI works with our Moment Lens and case… short answer is yes! Well, most of the time.

You have two options on how to mount the phone to your OM 4.

Attaching the Magnet Clamp onto your phone to then snap into the magnetic holder on the gimbal.

Permanently marry your phone to the Magnet (without the clamp) by sticking it to the back of your phone. However, this prohibits you from using wireless charging, a GPS clip in your car, etc.

The magnet clamp does work with our lenses, the magnet sticker does not.

Fits well in the hand.

Easy to use.

Using the magnet to securely hold the phone in place.

How To Balance the OM 4:

We’re essentially looking at the phone as a seesaw; the side of the phone with the lens is one end, and the side with the counterweight is the other end. If you didn’t have the counterweight, the weight of the lens wouldn’t be balanced and you’d have to essentially hold that other end in your hand to effectively keep it in place. Adding weight to your seesaw will help keep it totally balanced, that way the gimbal’s motors do not have to work as hard.

If you’re wanting to see which phone / case / lens work well with the OM 4 specifically, please check out our compatibility chart here.

How To Install

Enough with the wordy talk, let’s show you how to do this. The video below is incredibly useful and we highly recommend you take a gander at our handymen, Andrew and Spencer, to better show you.

Mount the clamp and phone. NOT the sticker, just the clamp.
Attach your Moment lens.
Attach the counterweight by threading them into the pinhole. Use 1 to start, possibly 2 as a next step.
Balance the weight and the phone accordingly. You want it to sit on its own.
Good to go.

There are three grades for the compatibility chart linked above. “Works” / “Mostly Works” / Doesn’t Work At All”. Our Wallet cases are a great example of what doesn't work at all, considering the wallet portion of the case is too thick and the clamp won’t securely attach over its outer shell. Definitely keep an eye out for which case / lens you’re looking to use to achieve the best results before purchase.

The Osmo Mobile 3

The Osmo Mobile 3 is an incredible piece of equipment for mobile filmmakers looking to take their footage to the next level. This is the most affordable, easiest-to-use gimbal out of the box. The only downside is that the small, folding body of the Osmo 3 can’t handle plus-size phones with lenses and filters attached. However, with a proper counterweight, you’re able to attach such accessories without any issue. That means you’re finally able to use Mobile lenses and filters. Boo yeah!

But, counterweights can be a convoluted piece of tech. Without instructions, they’re often confusing for first-timers and present a set of challenges. This page is specially designed to help you get started with your counterweight, hassle-free.

Let’s hop to it.

What’s In The Box?

When your package arrives, you’ll find a total of 4 17-gram weights inside a microfiber carrying bag. These weights will have knurled texture around the edges to make installation a bit easier for the user. They are, in fact, stackable, so not only do they screw right into your gimbal, but they can stack on top of each other for precise balancing. They’re made from machined stainless steel — making them ultra-durable, built to last, and thread themselves perfectly into the arm of the Osmo 3.

A total of four (4) 17-gram stainless steel counterweights
Microfiber carrying bag

How To Install

Setting up the Osmo 3 for your phone is pretty easy and straightforward. Setting up the Osmo 3 with a lens and counterweight, however, requires a bit more patience and fine-tuning. Keep in mind that each device will inevitably balance uniquely, but the steps to get to that balance are the same. If you’re wondering if the Osmo 3 and counterweight system will work for your device, be sure to check out our gimbal compatibility form linked on this page here.

Let’s break this down into a few steps.

First, attach a lens to your phone. In our video’s example (displayed above), we’re using the Tele 58mm lens on an iPhone X.
Place your phone with the lens into the gimbal clamp so that the edge of the lens is almost touching the gimbal motor.
With the gimbal powered off, use your hand to take the phone through a full range of motion to ensure clearance. If you’re using a bigger phone, like an 11 Pro Max, your phone will likely hit the gimbal at some point.
If your phone does hit, slide the phone out a little bit further from the gimbal motor.
Continue adjusting the phone outward until it no longer hits the gimbal, but don’t go any further than you absolutely need to.
Now, attach a counterweight to the threaded insert on the back inner side of the gimbal. Add more weights one at a time until the gimbal sits level or is angled just slightly downwards towards the side that has the weights.
To begin balancing, hold the pitch axis motor in your hand while you balance the roll axis. If the phone is angled down towards the weight-side, slide the phone towards the lens-side to help balance it out.
Once your phone is leveled, power that baby on and you’re ready to go!

FAQs:

Before we get into some shooting tips, let's go over some frequently asked questions.

If I use a counterweight can I use phone + lens + filter?
- Unfortunately, the lenses with filters over them are too big for the Osmo 3 setup. You can, however, use smaller 37mm filters on their own with the Osmo 3.
What other accessories can be supported in weight with a counterweight?
- You can use all of our lenses and the 37mm filters with our counterweight.
How to mount lighter vs heavier phones and finding the correct balance with each.
- You can use all the phones we make cases for with a lens attached with the counterweight. Samsung phones, however, will NOT work because the camera is center-weighted. Most phones with lenses will work with the Osmo 3 counterweights, but for some of the heavier phones, you may want to check out the Freefly Movi for mounting lenses. The Freeflyis more robust and can handle heavier loads than the Osmo 3.

4. If you’re a bit more detail-oriented and still unsure if your combination will work, check out our gimbal finder sheet.

Thank You!

We sincerely hope this was helpful in getting started with your Osmo 3 counterweights. As always, be sure to reach out with any questions or comments. Get out there and have some fun with the Osmo 3 and Moment lenses!