Review: DJI Osmo Pocket innovates with mechanical stabilization in a mini camera

DJI's Osmo Pocket brings quality mechanical stabilization and 4K recording to a camera that fits in your pocket

O Osmo Pocket it is a camera from the company DJI that has an integrated mechanical stabilizer. As the name suggests, the gadget's focus is on portability and ease of use. The construction and specifications of the product show that it was made exclusively for external recording where there is a lot of movement, being a camera ready to face all situations and record videos in high quality.

We received the product for testing and you can check in this review if it fulfills its purpose of being the ideal mini camera for your vlogs or adventures.

Design

O Osmo Pocket what the user is looking for when behind a portable camera. It is lightweight and fits in any space, including the pocket, having only 116 grams and dimensions 121.9 x 36.9 x 22.75 mm. The camera comes equipped with a small rubber case that protects the lens, screen and the stabilizer joint, already thinking about the mobility that the product will have with the user.

Details of Osmo PocketOsmo Pocket very small and fits in any space

The camera comes in black and its body is made of plastic, Appearing to be very resistant and robust, except for the articulation of the stabilizer. This specific part of the camera seems to be very fragile falls, that is, try not to count on luck and take good care so that the Osmo Pocket do not fall flat on the floor.

Even though it is made for external use, the mini camera of the DJI It is not water resistant, which removes much of the concept for which it was built. Compared to competitors like GoPro and Sony, this is a revs that can make the user weigh his purchase, even if the company sells a case that does this job.

Osmo Pocket mini-screen1-inch mini-screen prevents fine-tuning of scenes to be recorded

The gadget has a mini 1-inch screen, USB-C port for charging and connection with accessories made for the camera, such as REC button, multitasking button and a USB-C connector for connection to the smartphone.

Osmo Pocket buttons and USB-C connectorOsmo Pocket USB-C connector allows connection with smartphone

The footprint of Osmo Pocket very good, its body fits well in the hand and the mini screen is well positioned so there will be no accidental touches when holding it in your filming.

Photos and video recording

O Osmo Pocket can record in 4K and 1080p at 24/25/30/48/50/60 FPS and take photos with Panorama functions, Time-lapse, Motionlapse and Hyperlapse. All of these functions, in general, are difficult to control due to the small screen that integrates the gadget.

During testing, the camera DJI it proved not to have a good automatic mode, bursting the image during sunlight and blurring scenes in the foreground. The lack of HDR leaves quality below what we can achieve with a GoPro Hero 7 Black, for example, or even with a Drone of the company itself that comes equipped with the technology.

Osmo Pocket CameraThe lack of HDR harms images taken with Osmo Pocket

All this lack of control is because it is difficult to analyze the image through 1 inch screen. Because it is very small, you cannot know exactly what is happening with the recorded image and you cannot even handle its functions precisely. This would be easily resolved if the Osmo Pocket had some kind of IA to identify the scene and adjust better to the environment.

This control is best when connecting the Osmo Pocket via USB-C on the smartphone and use it with the application Mimo DJI. However, this form of use takes away the "Pocket" of product. Being used like this, it looks more like an accessory dependent on your application than an independent mini camera as it should be.

Using Osmo Pocket via Mimo DJI AppOsmo Pocket allows use via the DJI app, connecting to the USB-C port on your smartphone

Use by the application Mimo DJI improves the results, bringing focus controls, control of the position of the camera and the various functions that the gadget has.

Speaking of the videos, the camera films very well in all light conditions, but as it does not automatically adapt to the scene in an efficient way, the user needs to make this manual control by the application to obtain better results.

J a video stabilization something to praise. In all the recordings I made, there was no balance in the image. In this regard the user can rest assured, the Osmo Pocket it delivers good results in walks, runs, transportation and other situations that in other cameras would be very shaky.

In addition, it is possible to configure a mode so that the Osmo Pocket follow a certain object in the scene or even the face of the person being recorded. This very functional and competent resource for those who want to use the gadget to vlogs.

Other features like Hyperlapse it's the Motionlapse they are incredible and the camera creates very interesting images in these scenes at high speed. Their use is also very intuitive. At the Motionlapse, for example, the camera can be set to record from one point to another and during recording it moves automatically. The only revs is that to record 1 second of the image, the user needs to record the scene for 1 minute. This spacing can be a little uncomfortable, but nothing that a software update does not solve the small problem.

Storage

O Osmo Pocket it has a serious problem that makes it impossible to use: the mini camera does not have internal storage. If the user does not have a card micro SD, the gadget does not allow you to take a simple photo.

Osmo Pocket CameraOsmo Pocket camera is mobile and can capture scenes at a wide angle in motionlapse and panorama mode

When connecting on the smartphone to use with the application Mimo DJI, you can use it as an integrated camera and save the videos directly to the smartphone storage. This is the only use that the camera allows without having a micro SD inserted.

Compared to its competitors, the cameras in the line HERO gives GoPro have an integrated memory of 16 MB, enough for 25 photos and a short video.

Drums

The battery Osmo Pocket delivers what it promises. It has only 875 mAh and during our tests, we were able to record in 4K The 60FPS for almost 2 uninterrupted hours, which is a great result if we analyze the size of the gadget and the portability it promises to have.

Osmo Pocket USB-C portOsmo Pocket USB-C port works for charging and DJI accessories

When needing more time, the user can choose recording profiles in lower quality to increase the useful life of the load, but it is always good to walk with a powerbank to not miss a moment and have the Osmo Pocket always available.

Completed

O Osmo Pocket gives DJI a good solution for those looking for the highest resolution in a gadget that fits in your pocket. But, looking at its competitors and the cost-benefit ratio, it is currently not advantageous to invest around R $ 2,400 in an option that has fewer functions and resources than one. GoPro 7 Hero Black, for example, which can be found for approximately 600 reais cheaper in retail.

Osmo Pocket CameraOsmo Pocket camera is mobile and can capture scenes at a wide angle in motionlapse and panorama mode

Even having good functions and a first-rate mechanical stabilization for such a small product, the Osmo Pocket still needs refinements to become a camera with competitive power in the market.

O Osmo Pocket gives DJI is available for sale at the price of R $ 2,395.00 at official dealerships of DJI in Brazil.

Osmo Pocket technical specifications

Product Osmo Pocket
Camera sensor CMOS 1 / 2.3 Effective pixels: 12 M
Lens Field of view: 80 F2.0
Photography modes Single shot Panormica Timelapse Motionlapse HyperLapse
Video resolution 4K Ultra HD: 38402160 24/25/30/48/50 / 60pFHD: 19201080 24/25/30/48/50/60
Storage Only via Micro SD (mx: 256 GB)
Stabilizer range Rotation: -230 to +50 Inclination: -95 to 50 Rotation: 45
Drums LiPo 875 mAh – 140 min autonomy
Dimensions 121.9 36.9 22.75 mm
Weight 116 g
Price R $ 2,395.00
  • Design – 9/10
  • Camera – 7/10
  • Microphone – 5/10
  • Drums – 9/10
  • Stabilization – 10/10
  • Extra features – 8/10

8/10

Osmo Pocket camera

DJI's Osmo Pocket brings quality mechanical stabilization and 4K recording to a device that fits in your pocket

Pros

  • Mechanical quality stabilization;
  • Ergonomic design;
  • Fits in any pocket as it is ultra-portable;
  • Satisfactory quality in photo mode;
  • 4K and 60 FPS recording on a small device.

Cons

  • Low quality microphone;
  • Automatic camera mode disappoints;
  • Fragility of the stabilizer gimbal.
  • Without water resistance
  • Lack of internal memory