DJI Osmo Pocket and Expansion Kit Combo

The Osmo Pocket is quite literally a drone camera that has been attached to a handle. Just like the original Osmo, the Pocket leverages DJI’s drone technology and a lot of the tech that they have developed over recent years. DJI has always pushed the boundaries with what is possible. The Mavic Pro really was an engineering marvel, given its capabilities and small size. The Osmo Pocket builds on this philosophy of miniaturizing tech and making a product that is as small as possible. But will it be a case of style over substance?

If you compare the original Osmo which was only released three years ago, to the Osmo Pocket, you can see just how far technology has come. DJI is essentially giving you a very similar product that is a fraction of the size at a lower price.

IT’S TINY

The Osmo Pocket is absolutely tiny and unlike the BMPCC 4K, this actually does fit in your pocket. I wasn’t quite ready for just how small and lightweight it actually is. It’s 4.8″ (12.19cm) tall and weighs just 4 oz (113.4g). The physical size (or more specifically, the lack of) is what sets it apart from any other product on the market.

WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT ISN’T

I’m going to come out and say it, the Osmo Pocket is a consumer product, not a professional one, and I have absolutely no problem with that. DJI isn’t targetting this product at professional users, but that’s not to say it can’t be used in a professional environment, but you really need to be aware of its limitations. Anyone who buys an Osmo Pocket and expects it to be some sort of miracle device that can replace other more expensive gimbals and cameras is probably going to be disappointed.

The image quality is not going to rival a GH5, BMPCC 4K, X-T3, Sony a7, or any other similar camera. The Osmo Pocket uses a tiny 1/2.3-inch sensor and a fixed f 2.0 lens. The focal length is around 26-28mm (35 mm format equivalent).

It’s certainly not a replacement for a larger gimbal, but more of an additional tool you can keep in your bag. Even though it is squarely aimed at the massive consumer market, there is no reason it can’t be used by a professional. If you were, or still are an Osmo owner or user, you will probably be quite happy with what the Pocket has to offer. In saying that, it does have quite a few limitations, and as long as you are aware of those limitations, you can get fairly decent results in the right conditions.

For Vloggers, VJs, news crews, people wanting to shoot BTS footage, and anyone who needs to get occasional stabilized shot and not draw attention to themselves, the Pocket is a nice bit of kit to have in your bag.

BUTTONS AND CONTROL LAYOUT

The buttons and layout of the Osmo Pocket are simple and straightforward. With this device being aimed at a large consumer market, DJI needed to design the Pocket to be easy to use and operate.

There are only two buttons on the Pocket, a record button and a multi-purpose button that acts as the power on/off, menu button and as a function button when you are shooting. There is also a kind of locking hot shoe style interface where the lightning connector, USB-C connector, and accessories can be attached. Speaking of locking connectors, if you don’t have a phone that uses a lightning or USB-C port then you won’t be able to attach your phone to the Osmo Pocket. The only way of using a phone that doesn’t have a lightning or USB-C interface would be to use the optional DJI wireless module.