If you want to keep a blog with videos, start a YouTube channel, or post your videos on other (social) media, you need to know what kind of equipment you need to bring along on your travels. Well, heads up: We are still learning as we go but we are happy to share our experiences with you.
This time I want to discuss the DJI Osmo Pocket with you. One of the smallest hand-held cameras I have ever seen. It comes with an internal gimbal on all axes, 4K, and 60FPS… It’s impressive for its size.
Yes, there is a new version of the DJI Osmo Pocket, but we are poor travelers (help us by clicking affiliate links and ads). The first version works just as well. The downside is that accessories and add-ons are really hard to come by for the older version.
What can this small thing do? Well, record videos and take pics. Although I don’t recommend taking pictures with it, because they aren’t that great. Since there are plenty of websites that can tell you all about this device, I am just going to highlight the most important items for when you are traveling.
It records videos with a maximum resolution of 4K with 60FPS and 1080P with 25 FPS as a minimum. It also supports 30 and 50 FPS. 2.7K resolution is available too. You can change these settings very easily because of the small touch screen on the back of the device.
It’s just 121.9 mm tall and weighs around 116 grams. You can put it in your pocket (… hence the name) and take it everywhere. You can operate it with one hand unless you connect your phone to it by using the supplied adapter. It gives you a bit more control, but it feels big and lumpy.
It starts up really quickly and the battery lasts pretty long. It should last for 140 minutes. To be honest; I never tried it, but I am amazed at how long the battery lasts for a day. But better safe than sorry, so I always carry a power bank with me.
It has two microphones. One on the back right above the buttons, and one underneath. There is an SD slot on the side that can hold cards compatible with UHS-I MicroSD cards up to 256GB.
No matter how small this thing is, it has quite some features. I’m not going to name them all, but just the ones that are really cool or handy.
The 3-axis gimbal is attached to the Osmo Pocket and gives you those smooth recordings we all love. It is also possible to turn the head 180 degrees and turn the Osmo Pocket into selfie mode. Perfect for vlogging.
The DJI Osmo Pocket also has active tracking. Meaning you can focus on a subject and the camera will follow it automatically. This will come in handy if you try to film animals that usually do those things you don’t want them to do.
Another cool feature is the panorama option. If you try to take a panorama picture with your phone, you always have to stay between two lines… Which never really works that well. The Osmo Pocket will turn itself. Just hold the camera and let the device do the work. Downside; it will only take a 3×3 panorama picture, not 360 degrees. Can we still call it a panorama then?
There is also an app you can install on your mobile phone. It’s called Mimo, but you won’t find it in the app store or Google Play. Reason: DJI is Chinese. You can still get it though. Just go to the website of DJI and find the download. Or click here.
With the supplied adapter you can use the app Mimo to get more professional options for your DJI Osmo Pocket. But, as I said before, it kinda feels lumpy when you connect your overly big phone to such a small camera and miss the point.
It’s not all perfection. One thing I really miss is a zoom function. Yes, you cannot zoom with the DJI Osmo Pocket. The camera is just too small for this.
Another thing is the holding. You hold it with one hand, a little bit in front of you. There is no way to attach a wristband to the device to catch it in case of dropping or stealing. That is why you see this white thingy on my Pocket. I 3D printed something that can hold a string and can be placed in the adapter slot.
It needs some practice. Don’t think you can buy it and create awesome videos on the same day. The handling, position, and settings are something you need to get used to. If you own other DJI devices, some features may seem familiar to you.
It’s not water-resistant. As you can see in the images, most parts are open. They say you can go underwater a little bit, but I wouldn’t risk it at all. There are waterproof cases if you do want to try this. If you want to film underwater, you’d be better off with an action cam.
Other than that… I didn’t really find anything that bothered me. It’s just a fun gadget that is super handy when you travel.
Neutral Density Filters (or ND Filters, or NDFs) are small lenses you can put on a recording device. This will control how much light a camera receives. They give just a little bit extra that you can’t fix with post-editing. There are ND Filters for the big cameras, but they are also available for the DJI Osmo Pocket.
These are really small lenses you can click on the camera. They are magnetic, so it’s easy to attach and remove them. I highly recommend checking this out. It can help you out a lot!
You can get the lenses almost everywhere. Amazon has a good amount of lenses, with different prizes.
That concludes the DJI Osmo Pocket. Did you know DJI also manufactures drones? We bring along a DJI Mavic Mini, which is also a great addition to our technical luggage.
Yes, I am a fan of the Osmo Pocket. What about you? Please share your thoughts. Maybe you use a different device or have other valid points on the pocket (positive or negative). Let us know!
Find this post helpful? Buy us a coffee!
New here? Join our mailing list and be the first to hear about news, discounts, and other related subjects.
This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission (for which we are very grateful). We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own.
