DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Review
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 makes capturing smooth, high-quality content easy and fun. The Osmo Pocket 3 finally feels like a professional tool that helps you film everything from fast-moving action, vlogging, or cinematic shots without needing a traditionally bulky camera setup - but is it worth the money?
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00:00Should you buy or skip the DJI Osmo Pocket 3?
00:03I've been using this pocket-sized camera
00:05for the past few weeks to help you decide
00:07if it's worth $519.
00:09The Osmo Pocket 3 is DJI's third update to the lineup
00:16that makes capturing smooth,
00:17high-quality content easy and fun.
00:20It's marketed as a pocket-sized camera
00:22with built-in stabilization that's great for filming
00:24everything from fast-moving action shots,
00:26vlogging, or cinematic shots,
00:28without the need of a traditionally bulky setup.
00:31I've used its two predecessors,
00:32and this year we see some of the biggest
00:34performance upgrades, though it does come at the expense
00:37of increased size and a much higher starting price.
00:41In the past, these small, all-in-one gimbal cameras
00:44have been great for more casual video content,
00:47but they've been held back by their smaller sensors,
00:49which struggle in low light or high-contrast scenes.
00:53That said, DJI has really stepped it up this year,
00:55and the Osmo Pocket 3 feels like
00:57a more professional tool that can either be
00:59a really reliable A-camera or easily be used
01:03alongside your other mirrorless cameras.
01:05But, is it worth the money?
01:08The first reason I think you should buy
01:10the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is because
01:12of its larger one-inch CMOS sensor.
01:14Now, compared to 2020's Pocket 2's
01:171 over 1.7-inch CMOS sensor,
01:19the Pocket 3 is able to capture better video and photos,
01:22especially in low light where its predecessor
01:24and most of the competition continues to struggle.
01:27But, aside from the increased brightness
01:29and detail and lower noise,
01:31the Pocket 3 can now change its focus point,
01:33allowing you to get that nice, shallow depth of field
01:36that you'd expect with higher-end mirrorless cameras.
01:39I mean, the focus point is, like, really good.
01:43I think that gives you, like,
01:44more of that professional look.
01:46Whereas the previous Osmo's video quality
01:48was more on par with smartphones,
01:50the Pocket 3 is now more comparable
01:52to, say, a small point-and-shoot.
01:53But, of course, with the added benefit
01:55of a built-in gimbal with powerful subject tracking.
01:58The next reason you should buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 3
02:01is its support for higher frame rates
02:03and more professional picture profiles.
02:05We can now shoot crisp, slow motion
02:07in 4K, 120 frames per second,
02:09while the Pocket 2 maxed out at just 4K, 60 FPS.
02:13For a lot of creators, though,
02:14the other big advantage comes with D-Log or HLG,
02:18which allows for increased dynamic range
02:20and more flexibility in the post-color editing.
02:23If you don't mind the extra effort,
02:24this really helps you dial in your look.
02:26A final reason you should buy the Pocket 3,
02:28and something everyone can appreciate,
02:30is its longer battery life and super-fast charging speeds.
02:33It has a larger 1,300 milliamp battery
02:35that can easily get you two to two-and-a-half hours
02:38on a single charge,
02:39depending on what mode you're filming in.
02:41I usually manage to get a full day of use
02:43when shooting a mix of shorter clips
02:44and a few one-to-two-minute longer ones
02:47at 4K, 24 or 4K, 120 frames per second.
02:50It now also supports fast charging
02:52to 80% in just 16 minutes and 100% in 32 minutes.
02:56If you don't mind splurging a little bit more,
02:58you can also extend your runtime by about 60 minutes
03:01with this optional battery handle.
03:05There are several other things
03:06that make the Osmo Pocket 3
03:07an excellent tool for content creators,
03:10but there are also a few reasons
03:11this might not be worth your money.
03:15The first reason you might wanna skip out
03:17on the Osmo Pocket 3
03:18is because it's relatively expensive now.
03:20Considering that you can buy
03:22a renewed Pocket 2 Creator Combo
03:25for half the price,
03:26which comes with a battery grip,
03:28a wireless mic,
03:28and a bunch of other handy accessories,
03:30you may wanna second guess
03:31if the newer model is worth that extra cash.
03:34You now have to cough up $669
03:37to get the Pocket 3's Creator Combo,
03:39which is putting it into a very premium category
03:41and no longer the easy, affordable pick it once was.
03:45For more casual users,
03:46you can probably stick with the Pocket 2
03:48and you won't miss out on much.
03:49I also think the Osmo Pocket 3
03:51isn't necessarily the right choice
03:53for someone looking for a camera
03:54that prioritizes portability and simplicity.
03:57Now, don't get me wrong,
03:58the Pocket 3 is still very much both of those,
04:01but it's worth mentioning
04:02that it sees a noticeable size increase
04:04and is now about 60 grams heavier
04:06than its predecessor.
04:07With its larger sensor,
04:09its more usable rotatable screen,
04:11and of course that bigger battery,
04:12I think this is worth the trade-off,
04:14but for a lot of people,
04:15it might not be.
04:16Tied in with this,
04:17as great as D-Log and HLG picture profiles are,
04:20to make the most of them,
04:21they need more time to color grade
04:23in order to look right.
04:24Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of the edit,
04:27but for those who just want something
04:28that looks great out of camera,
04:30the advantages of the Pocket 3
04:32are less realized
04:33when just sticking to that standard picture profile.
04:36Finally, if you're someone
04:37who's either after more of a point-and-shoot
04:39or a dedicated action camera,
04:41the Osmo Pocket 3 and similar all-in-one cameras
04:44may not be the best choice.
04:46A point-and-shoot will usually have the advantage
04:48of a true optical zoom and higher pixels
04:50for better still images.
04:51Similarly, as great as the stabilization
04:53offered by its gimbal is,
04:55for intense action,
04:56an action camera like the Osmo Action
04:58will go a long way.
04:59Aside from their increased ruggedness
05:01and waterproof rating,
05:02they offer far more mounting options
05:04without worrying about the camera falling off.
05:07The Osmo Action may not be as impressive in low light,
05:09but it has incredible stabilization
05:11and even has the same 10-bit D-Log M
05:14with the added benefit of a wider field of view
05:17if that's something you're after.
05:19If it were me spending my $519,
05:21I would buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
05:24The improved picture quality
05:25with better low-light performance
05:27and increased dynamic range,
05:28combined with its support for creating a more pro image,
05:31not to mention also its longer battery life,
05:34faster charging speeds,
05:35and its larger rotatable screen
05:37are all worth the premium asking price
05:39compared to its predecessor.
05:41While the Pocket 3 is no longer the simple recommendation
05:44that it used to be
05:45for anyone looking for an affordable,
05:46fun, and capable camera,
05:48the 3 offers so much more now.
05:50With its super deep discounts though,
05:52the Pocket 2 is more appealing than ever.
05:54But if you see yourself needing a combo gimbal camera
05:57with some of the best video quality
05:59that you can get in this form factor,
06:01the Pocket 3 has raised the bar.
06:03Either way, I've linked the DJI Osmo Pocket 3
06:05in the description if you're interested
06:07and included some of the best deals
06:08that you can find today on the Pocket 2.
06:10So you can check those out as well.
06:12As always, you can see the latest cool tech
06:14that we're testing on socials everywhere at Tom's Guide,
06:17and you can follow me for a more behind the scenes look
06:19into our next project.
06:21Until the next one, I'll catch you later.