The DJI Osmo pocket is a new release in the series of Osmo gimbals that beats every predecessor with a big margin.
DJI almost made it seem like a another way to laugh in the face of GoPro after they released the Gopro 7, but now that we're in 2023, is it still a relevant camera?
The original DJI Osmo Pocket is still a very relevant stabilized camera, even after the release of the Osmo 2 and many Gopros, as it delivers high quality stabilized footage in a 4k format.
It's also not a direct comparison to the GOpro cameras, that would be the Osmo Action more like it.
Of course they are going to be used for different things, but with this new device I think DJI has captured most of the market when it comes to small portable cameras.
And the main interesting feature of this new device is an incredible 4k 60p camera attached to a 3 axis gimbal that does magic.
There's no doubt you saw a lot of vloggers or people taking videos on social media that simply made you dizzy just because the video was not stable enough.
Good image stability can completely change how qualitative your video looks, regardless of poor image quality.
However, don't worry because not only does the Osmo pocket have a stunning 3 axis gimbal, but it also comes with a very capable camera on top.
A camera this small should not even be close to some of the older point and shoot cameras, right?
Wrong!
This camera is not only capable of recording up to 4k 60fps, but also slow motion in 1080p and all this at a 100 Mbits/s.
The thing that contributes most to the cinematic effect, compared to the similarly sized go pro cameras is the recording field of view. The 80 degree field of view is in my opinion perfect for capturing a tighter but more "film-like" shot of the environment or even your face.
There is no fish eye effect, and that's a good thing, because that should be used for sport videos, and not everything else.
It just looks amateurish.
If this camera-thing-device called the Osmo Pocket looks tiny to you, well... it's even smaller in real life.
The name isn't for nothing, as you can actually keep it in any pocket and have it ready to go in a few seconds for capturing whatever you want.
The ability to turn the camera by pressing the button 3 times toward you or away from you makes this the ultimate tool for vloggers.
No more need to have a bulky cam around and maybe one that doesn't even have a flip screen so you have no idea if you can see yourself in the frame.
The new Osmo Pocket seems to have been strategically priced to be a slightly cheaper alternative to the GoPro Hero 7 Black.
Or that might just be my stupid conspiracy theory.
The specs for the Osmo pocket are out of this world, considering its size, but specs aren't always everything, so I do recommend you check out my full review down bellow where I have tested it on an off-road track to test its stabilization.
As mentioned previously, the OSMO comes with a novelty for this size of camera. The 3 axis gimbal stabilization is pretty much the highest quality image stabilization option in the modern world.
The electronic stabilization in cameras like the new GOPRO are getting quite good, but they have to crop from the image and they have a considerable disadvantage when it comes to night time video stabilization.
In the middle there's my panasonic camera with a natural looking lens, but although the quality is amazing, I have to keep to camera farther away from me to even be able to capture my entire face.
The osmo has a perfect field of view in my oppinion, being able to capture without distorting things and keeping things crisp at the same time.
The gopro makes me look tired and the field of view is too wide for my taste
The photo above is considerably smaller than the original, so don't think this is the standard sharpness. Osmo takes 4000x3000 pixel photos that are super sharp in quality.
I wouldn't consider it to be great when taking pictures at night though, as they can end up blurred.
DJI seems to have made the osmo good for quick use when you actually need it fast.
The most useful features in that regard are the two buttons in the front.
Besides the red button that starts and stops video and takes photos the other single button can do the following functions:
Of course, you can hold the right button to turn it on and off at anytime in about 2-3 seconds.
I was scared at first that the osmo would be to fragile to be left jus as it is and that it always needs careful handling.
However, the reality differs.
The most fragile thing is the moving part of the gimbal, which dji made in such a way that if you put the osmo on any surface that represents too much of a burden for the motors, they will shut down temporarily and relax so that they don't break.
This feature means you don't have to turn the osmo off everytime you put it facing down.
Another very important safety accesory is the case that comes with it. Which is very well built and easy to use.
A recent update made the gimbal capture the perfect position to be put in the case after you shut down the osmo, so you don't have to manually handle it while putting it inside.
The osmo comes with quite a complete ecosystem of settings just by itself.
However, that doesn't mean connecting it to a phone is useless.
The small touch screen on the osmo is very responsive and handles important settings like:
Changing between camera modes
Choosing one of the 3 gimbal modes:
There's also many other settings, including if you want to see the osmo screen in a square format or 16 by 9.
The phone is definitely not necessary to have if you wan to use the osmo pocket.
It would be such a waste if it would become necessary to have, considering how big of an advantage is the small size of this device.
However some of the advantages of connecting the phone are:
An annoying thing I found out is that when you connect the phone to the osmo, it doesn't directly connect and you need to try again while listening to that annoying tutorial again. Hope this will get fixed with a new update.
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