DJI Osmo Pocket Complete Review with Video 2019,

What is the DJI Osmo Pocket?

The Osmo Pocket is the world’s smallest 4K camera with a 3-axis mechanical gimbal.

Designed for vloggers, YouTubers and budding Edgar Wrights, it’s about the size of a Mars bar and weighs just 116g.

The Osmo Pocket’s camera and gimbal are much like the one observed on the DJI Mavic Air drone, with the Pocket having a brighter f/2.Zero aperture to boost low mild overall performance and a barely narrower 25.7mm focal duration.

While it looks like the non secular successor to pocket cameras just like the Flip Video and HTC Re, and a rival to the GoPro Hero 7 Black, the Osmo Pocket is pretty plenty precise. Its USP is that three-axis gimbal, which mixes with software program features like item monitoring that will help you create cinematic video consequences that just aren’t feasible on smartphones.

Unlike movement cameras, the Osmo Pocket isn’t waterproof with out an optional case, and needs accessories and your cellphone to unencumber its complete capability. Your iOS or Android cellphone plugs into its aspect through the protected Lightning and USB-C adaptors, which then launches DJI’s new Mimo app.

If you’re prepared to place up with the slight awkwardness and additional cost of this modular layout, the Osmo Pocket is an incredible, precise little digital camera for everyone who desires to take a step up cellphone video, both in first-class and innovative alternatives.

DJI Osmo Pocket – Design

The Osmo Pocket is surprisingly small for a digicam with a mechanical gimbal. Some may marvel why you’re wearing round an optician’s ophthalmoscope, however anybody I confirmed it to was just amazed by using its size, even folks who’d visible it earlier than in photographs.

In the hand, the Osmo Pocket feels very well built and comes with a carry case for delivered protection. On the top is its final touch – that three-axis gimbal, which holds a tiny digital camera that can shoot 4K video at 60fps and 12-megapixel stills.

Mechanical gimbals carry  huge benefits. The first is stabilisation. Like the GoPro Hero 7 Black and phones like Google’s Pixel three, the Osmo Pocket senses motion in three axes.

The difference is that, as opposed to changing that into digital image stabilisation (like the GoPro) or combining E.I.S with optical lens stabilisation (like the Pixel three), the Osmo Pocket counterbalances your motion with three tiny vehicles throughout each axis.

Despite some huge current advances in telephone and movement camera stabilisation, the gimbal remains the gold wellknown for clean video in all lighting fixtures conditions, as the Pocket confirmed in my aspect-with the aid of-aspect comparisons. The conventional disadvantage of gimbals is bulk, however the Osmo Pocket negates that with the aid of being, well, pocketable.

The different bonus of gimbals is cinematic camera results. Because the vehicles can pass the digital camera around in a managed manner, you may create certainly some exceptional video results like pans or tilts. That approach you may think beyond just framing motion pictures, and begin weaving collectively fancy digital camera moves that provide your films a few expert sparkle.

At least, that’s the principle. Perhaps a fair larger challenge DJI confronted when making the Osmo Pocket this small became making it usable. It’s finished a terrific task right here, and the Pocket is fun to apply after a few exercise, but you want to analyze its foibles and limitations first.

DJI Osmo Pocket – Controls and features

The Osmo Pocket is a mild compromise of shape and function, but it packs a large amount into its 12cm-lengthy body.

Below its gimbal are two buttons and a one-inch touchscreen. This highly beneficial postage stamp helps you to preview videos and stills, as well as giving you access to a few, but no longer all, of its controls.

Press the power button and it’s prepared to head in 5 seconds. You can then swipe the display from the right for shooting modes (Photos, Video, Slo-Mo, Timelapse or Pano). An greater swipe proper helps you to choose the taking pictures mode, which include 4K and 1080p at each 60fps or 30fps.

Flick up from the base of the screen and also you’ll get finer gimbal controls, like the capability to position it in ‘follow’ mode (which locks the roll axis, while stabilising pan and tilt), ‘tilt locked’ (which enables you shoot video in portrait), and ‘FPV’ (an action cam-style locking of the roll axis and another dig in GoPro’s ribs).

What you may’t do with the Osmo Pocket’s display is pass the camera even as recording, that's a moderate disgrace. To unlock its creative capability, you need to attach your smartphone and use the controls within the new DJI Mimo app.

Underneath the screen is a selection slot, and this is in which you slide within the Lightning or USB-C connector (furnished inside the box) to your phone, and a few different non-obligatory accessories.

I don’t think DJI has pretty nailed the way your telephone connects to the Osmo Pocket – my iPhone felt barely loose and, due to the connector’s position, became in no way flush with either the Osmo or flat surfaces. My Apple iPhone 8 Plus, which isn’t exactly massive for a smartphone these days, also dwarfed the Osmo Pocket and supposed it wasn’t precisely an ergonomic delight.

That stated, you could set up a shot inside the DJI Mimo app (like a movement timelapse), unplug your smartphone, and the Osmo Pocket will still carry out the shot on its personal. You just can’t manipulate the Osmo Pocket remotely from your phone or use a physical manipulate wheel – to do this, you need a few optionally available accessories that aren’t bundled inside the field…

DJI Osmo Pocket – Accessories

The flipside of the Osmo Pocket’s exceptionally compact size is that there isn’t one best manner to control it.

Use it on its personal and you've got a very compact, stabilised video camera, however restricted controls and a small display for framing pictures. Plug in your phone and you've got a massive viewfinder with lots of controls, however an unwieldy digital camera and a every now and then frustrating touchscreen d-pad for panning.

This in which its add-ons come in. Together they help restore the 3 things you may’t do with the Osmo Pocket out of the container: control it wirelessly from your telephone, mount it someplace, or circulate the digital camera with bodily controls.

Enter the Wireless Module (£fifty three), Accessory Mount (£23) and Controller Wheel (£fifty three). These can sold as part of a £ninety nine ‘Osmo Pocket Expansion Kit’, which I’d advise doing if you can.

The Controller Wheel is, in particular, a completely available 0.33 way to manipulate the Osmo Pocket. When the use of the DJI Mimo’s virtual d-pad, it could be pretty tough to always control pan speeds or avoid finger slippage. But the Controller Wheel’s grippy end and capability to work with tilts too (simply flick the switch below it) without a doubt improve the Osmo Pocket’s cinematic capability. It’s a shame it isn’t protected within the box.

Still, an awesome signal for the Osmo Pocket is the sheer range of different add-ons that are en route. There’s a case of ND (Neutral Density) filters, which limit the quantity of mild entering the lens and can be used to prolong shutter speeds for adding motion blur to movies or stills.

Vloggers will also be eager to get the three.5mm adaptor for including an external mic, and probably the Extension Rod or Waterproof Case. That charging case additionally has a satisfyingly sci-fi beginning mechanism, plus the capability to hold your ND filters and microSD card.

DJI hasn’t released pricing or launch dates for those add-ons but, however it indicates this is simply the start for the Osmo Pocket. They also together deliver it into the area of being a device for pros to don't forget (as long as they are able to take delivery of the 1//2.3in sensor), as well as being something for amateurs to explore.

DJI Osmo Pocket – Performance

Some occasionally fiddly controls apart, the Osmo Pocket punches well above its weight in maximum regions, which include battery existence, video first-rate and all-round camera overall performance.

It’s an excellent vlogging digicam, definitely the nice around at this size and rate factor. Press its characteristic button three times and the digital camera will flip around into full narcissist mode, with FaceTrack routinely equipped to observe your mug. The Osmo Pocket’s focal duration is likewise precise for speaking to digicam (as long as you don’t mind protecting it at arm’s length to get your complete head in shot), and the brilliant aperture can come up with some adorable bokeh too.

The handiest obstacle is audio high-quality. There are  microphones, one at the the front and one below, which together give you passable audio. The sound you’re recording does need to be at once in front of the Osmo Pocket, even though, and it could warfare a little with wind noise. I’m searching forward to trying it with that coming near near 3.5mm adaptor.

Moving back to video excellent, the digicam’s capability to awareness (in preference to being stuck in fixed cognizance like a GoPro) is a actual bonus, if not with out its downsides. The appropriate information is that focusing on foreground subjects manner you could get said bokeh, which makes photos or stills appear to be they’ve come from a far larger camera. But I did also discover that its non-stop autofocus changed into once in a while gradual when transitioning among near and a ways subjects, specially at night.

Some occasional consciousness searching apart, it’s first rate to have the ability of choosing awareness factors in video, and this additionally lets in DJI’s problem tracking mode referred to as ActiveTrack. Like on DJI’s drones, this allows you to draw a rectangular across the challenge you want it to comply with and, so long as you or the problem don’t move too quickly, it’ll easily turn the gimbal to preserve it in shot. It commonly works nicely and is notable for adding greater movement on your films, although it’s unluckily now not available whilst taking pictures in 4K.

Two of the Osmo Pocket’s other shooting modes additionally virtually benefit from its 3-axis gimbal. With Motionlapses, you may draw a ‘route’ of up to 4 factors across its 180-degree view for it to pan among while recording a timelapse.

With a bit of patience, you can get some tremendous results that aren’t possible with a smartphone (unless you put one in a gimbal like the DJI Osmo Mobile 2).

Similarly, its gradual movement mode works properly if you film whilst concurrently moving your toes and the digital camera. Again, there are a few limitations – it’s handiest to be had in 1080p and it vegetation your image in a large manner, making it difficult if you’re near your problem. But so long as you shoot in respectable mild, you could get a few lovely, dramatic slo-mo.

I became impressed via the Osmo Pocket’s battery life too. DJI claims it could shoot 4K at 30fps for 2 hours, and in my checks it lasted 1 hour 52 mins. Because you’ll probable be taking pictures snippets rather than one-shot films, you’ll discover the Osmo Pocket will ultimate you maximum of the day in practice – and you may constantly top up its battery through the USB-C port.

DJI Osmo Pocket – Video quality

The Osmo Pocket’s video best is stunning for this kind of small camera, but it’s also no miracle employee.

Behind that 25.7mm lens is a 1//2.3in sensor, which in terms of length is in the ballpark of what you’ll find in compact cameras and top rate smartphones.

There’s more to photo exceptional than sensor length, but that does limit the Osmo Pocket’s performance in tough conditions, like combined lights and occasional mild. In terms of dynamic range, it does have a propensity to overwhelm the blacks and blow out the sky a bit, and may conflict with sun flares a bit on vibrant days.

Of path, that’s pretty ordinary of a digital camera this size, it’s simply well worth bearing in thoughts its limitations. You’re now not actually buying the Osmo Pocket for the digital camera itself, which isn’t a big jump from a flagship telephone, but what the gimbal and software assist you to do with that camera. And those things are pretty extraordinary.

In precise light, its video is sharp, with accurate coloration and only a few artefacts, and it’s usually high-quality to leave white balance set to ‘car’.

The Osmo Pocket does additionally carry out pretty well in low light, for its length. There’s obviously a chunk of noise while shooting at night time or indoors, that's mainly noticeable in slo-mo, but its pictures is extra than usable and it’s free from the artefacts you’d get from a gimbal-much less digicam that’s trying to follow electronic stabilisation.

Dig into the Pocket’s menus and also you’ll find a unexpected amount of guide controls. You can tweak ISO (from 100 to 3200) and shutter pace (up to 1/8000). There also are options for anti-flicker (to forestall fluorescent lighting strobing), including a histogram, and zebra strains for checking overexposure. You can also alternate the video bitrate from ‘Fine’ to ‘Superfine’, though I didn’t see tons distinction between the two.

While it’s tremendous to have those alternatives, in some approaches they sense like overkill for a camera with this sensor length, which wouldn’t commonly be used for seasoned work. This makes me assume that DJI may also be making plans a professional, if non-pocketable, model of the Osmo Pocket, possibly with the only-inch Hasselblad camera just like the one visible on its

Why buy the DJI Osmo Pocket?

If you’re a vlogger, YouTuber or just a person who desires to take a step up from telephone video, then the Osmo Pocket is a exquisite new device.

It’s the only pocket camera that mixes 4K recording with a 3-axis gimbal, which makes it quite unique. Throw in software program hints like ActiveTrack and Motionlapses and you have a flexible little digicam that does things that none of its rivals can.

Of direction, the Osmo Pocket isn’t with out its boundaries. Its audio doesn’t quite fit its video exceptional, and you would possibly need to shell out on greater accessories to genuinely unencumber its capability. Also, while it’s able to capturing crisp, cinematic 4K video, the quality itself isn’t a big bounce up from a flagship smartphone, even though its stabilisation and creative outcomes are.

Those who often shoot out in the rain or whilst doing excessive sports are likely nonetheless higher off with the GoPro Hero 7 Black too.

Once you’ve learnt the DJI Osmo Pocket’s foibles and obstacles, though, it will become a captivating, powerful little creative tool that is, like all the nice cameras, constantly with you.

Verdict

A fascinating, unique little digicam that mainly overcomes the constraints of its size to supply astounding, cinematic video

Features

Megapixels (Megapixel)	12
Image Sensor	1/2.3in CMOS
Shutter speed	8s-1/8000s
Max output resolution	4K (3840×2160)
Other resolutions	1920×1080 at 24/25/30/48/50/60/120fps
ISO settings	100-3200
Video (max res/format)	4K / MP4 / MOV (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264)
Memory card slot	MicroSDMax

Physical Specifications

Dimensions Width (Millimeter)	36.9
Depth (Millimeter)	28.6
Length (Millimeter)	121.9
Weight (body only) (Kilogram)	0.116