DJI Osmo Pocket Review
DJI is a leading manufacturer and already settled in the market. The DJI Osmo Pocket achieves great results and has a built-in gimbal and can shoot up to 4K video and still images in a variety of shooting modes. The camera is housed inside a three-axis gimbal which keeps footage steady even as you’re doing the walk and talk.
It can record up to 4k 60fps and can last 140minutes. Osmo Pocket is aimed at everyone who has a story to tell. For that reason, DJI also developed DJI Mimo. This specialized application will allow you to explore the limits of your imagination thanks to its editing tools and templates.
The device is small, smaller than you imagined, and it is very well manufactured. The feeling of quality of the gimbal is very high, the product is very compact on your hand.
The Osmo Pocket transforms all your life’s moments into amazing videos and images. It takes photos in stunning detail, thanks to a 1/2.3-inch sensor, 80° FOV, and f/2.0 aperture. It can also shoot 4K/60fps video at 100 Mbps, slow motion video at 1080p/120fps 4x, and shoot photos at 12 MP.
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Design
DJI has created a completely new category with this device, in fact, they have managed to shrink the gimbal and turn it into a truly portable device. Unlike other devices with the word “Pocket” in its name, you can really put it in your pocket.
The measurements are 121.9 × 36.9 × 28.6 mm and 116g as weight, it’s a really reduced size makes it very comfortable to travel without worrying about space.
With all the small camera technology that they have developed for drones, we were expecting DJI to face the GoPro action camera market for a long time, and this is the closest they have come to doing so far.
However, it is a device very different from something like a GoPro Hero7, which seems much more robust, but also made to be placed on a car or a helmet.
Battery
The Osmo Pocket’s battery performance is pretty good. The hour and a half is achieved without any problem, being able to reach in many occasions the maximum of 140 minutes DJI promises us. Although the resolution and other recording settings will affect the performance of the battery. Because the work that the image processor must do by recording at 1080p at 30p and decent video quality is not the same as 4K resolution video.
The battery for the Osmo Pocket is internal and cannot be replaced. If you need to use the Osmo Pocket for an extended amount of time you can simply use a portable USB charger to charge the Osmo as you are using it.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Great image quality 4K | Not resistant to water |
| Amazing 3-Axis Stabilized | The built-in WIFI or Bluetooth isn’t that good |
| In-camera stabilization | You need to connect to a smartphone to change resolution and speed |
| Very lightweight | |
| Decent audio quality | |
| Touch screen controls |
Photography
Among the capture options, you can shoot photos with up to 12 megapixels (4000 x 3000 pixels). The photography with the Osmo Pocket that looks similar to what you will get from your smartphone. The 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor and the F2 lens are very similar to those found on smartphones.
The photo quality is not the best but pretty good, the pictures taken with the Osmo Pocket sometimes have somewhat washed colors and, above all, an excess of sharpness. It may seem that the sharper an image is, the better, but that is not the case at all since the edges of the objects are accentuated too much and everything seems very artificial.
We can also find an interesting feature on the DJI Osmo Pocket, which are night shots with Pro mode (long exposure shots to create interesting effects) and panoramic, both 180º that joins three images taken in the same plane as those of 3 x 3 (nine images to create a single image of very high resolution).
We can also have the option, besides the aspect ratio and resolution, to choose if we want the picture to be saved in jpg format or in RAW format to preserve more information and be able to edit them better in post-production.
Video
The Osmo Pocket can record up to 4K recording, videos up to 60 frames per second and HD up to 120 frames per second in slow motion. This device also incorporates noise-canceling microphones and a battery that lasts up to 140 minutes, although DJI says you can record for two hours at 4K / 30 frames per second.
When the lighting conditions are good, the Osmo offers us a 4K video with the highest quality and with a clean stabilization without bumps. At night you might have some noise problems, which is quite usual considering the size of the sensor.
Stabilization
The Osmo Pocket costs less than the GoPro Hero 7 Black. The Osmo has image stabilization built-in, with stabilized footage better than what you’ll get from top-of-the-line smartphones.
The stabilization in this camera is really good, stabilization and image quality are at a high level. This small Osmo Pocket can come to surprise to some people when they see what it is capable to do with its size.
The camera is very lightweight, a consequence of the low weight is that when we want to make slower movements it’s easy to record some small vibrations. These vibrations, in spite of the compensation of the stabilizer, are noticeable in the final clip.
Smartphone app
The smartphone app is a must if we want to have a more comfortable use and control experience. With the app, you can gain full visibility of the video or photo capture, and also quick and convenient access to advanced configuration options. In this PRO mode, we can adjust parameters such as ISO, shutter speed, white balance, autofocus mode (single or continuous), show or not the screen grid for recording, histogram, and more.
As data, in the latest firmware update, v1.4.0.20 allows access to that Pro model without the need for the MIMO application. So if you bought an Osmo Pocket and do not see the options on the device, it’s up to you to update.
Sound
Built into the Osmo Pocket device are internal two microphones but with no audio input connector, this limits the ability to record high-quality audio recording with an external microphone. The sound is a bit compressed and lacks a body but the good thing is that via adapter we can connect an external microphone and gain quality but also a more bulky set.
Should you buy it?
So should you get it? If you have reached this point in the review of the DJI OSMO Pocket, you will have already realized that it is a very interesting device and that, although it has room for improvement, it hits the key spot on some aspects, such as stabilization, Video capture quality and expanded options with the smartphone.
But in general terms, the performance of this small Osmo Pocket is quite striking and rewarding. The final verdict but it does not seem that it will disappoint many, even less for the price at which it is sold.
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DJI Osmo Pocket: https://amzn.to/2YlFPAr
