DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Review: Why This Isn’t Just a Small Upgrade Over the Pocket 3

So, this is the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4. And I’ll say it straight away, this is not a small incremental update over the Pocket 3. On paper, it might seem like it — similar size, still a 1-inch sensor — but once you actually start shooting with it, especially in real-world conditions, you realize DJI focused heavily on fixing limitations rather than just adding new features. So, in this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Osmo Pocket 4: image quality, low light, slow motion, tracking, audio, usability. And along the way, I will also compare this to the Osmo Pocket 3, so you can decide for yourself whether it’s worth upgrading or not.

What’s in the Creator Combo Kit

First, let me show you what you get in the kit so you know what you’re working with when it comes to the Osmo Pocket 4. You still get that carrying bag for the Osmo Pocket 4, but let me tell you, you won’t be needing that because if you get the Creator Combo — which is the best value deal — you also get a pouch. This is the carrying pouch for the Osmo Pocket 4 where everything you need fits perfectly, and it’s so much lighter and easier to carry around.

First, we have the Osmo Pocket 4, obviously. We still get that tripod mount. We have the tripod extension, but this time we don’t have the battery extension which you could mount on the bottom to extend the battery life of the Osmo Pocket 4. You only have this to be able to mount the tripod. Besides that, we have the wide-angle lens. We also have a DJI Mic 3, still magnetic and everything, but this one is so much smaller than the DJI Mic 2, which was in the kit of the Pocket 3.

But now, we also get this: a magnetic light that attaches to the Osmo Pocket 4, and this is going to be one of the biggest game-changers for this device this year. As you can see, we have those little connectors, those pins on the light itself, which we can easily just snap onto the camera, and when we power it on, it will power on. Now, the cool thing about this light is that it rotates and adjusts depending on your needs, so you can move it around, adjust the angle, and point it towards whatever object you want to light. And you have three different levels of strength depending on your needs — you can cycle between all of them. You also have three different temperatures that you can cycle between: a more neutral type of light, a colder light, and then a warmer light. So, three different levels with three different colors, and that is insane.

One more thing I actually forgot to mention is the gimbal lock mechanism that you have here, which is semi-magnetic and just snaps on the gimbal. It’s so easy to put and then to remove — the same way. Super easy and compact. It eliminates the need for that gimbal cover that we had on the Osmo Pocket 3, the whole case that you had to use. Now, this is a lot more portable.

Design and New Physical Controls

Now that you know about everything that comes in the kit with the Osmo Pocket 4, let’s take a closer look at the design of the Pocket 4 itself. Physically, it’s very very similar to the Pocket 3. We have the same concept, same always-with-you type of camera, and it’s slightly larger and slightly heavier, but let me tell you, you won’t really notice the difference.

What changes the experience quite a bit though is the control layout. You now get a proper joystick, and it’s not just a gimmick — it’s pressure-sensitive. So, the more you push it, the faster the gimbal moves. This definitely feels a lot more precise than the Pocket 3. Also, we have two new added physical buttons right under the screen: a zoom button and a custom button which you can assign for various different features.

Image Quality, 14 Stops of Dynamic Range, and 10-Bit D-Log

Now, let’s talk about image quality and color because this is where most of the real improvement is. You still get a 1-inch sensor, but now paired with up to 14 stops of dynamic range, and it really makes a difference in those high-contrast scenes like shooting sunsets or bright skies or backlit subjects. This is where the Pocket 4 holds onto highlights a little bit better while also showing a lot more detail in the shadows.

And then we have 10-bit D-Log — not D-Log M, but D-Log. This makes a huge difference because DJI is pushing this towards the more professional products that they have from their lineup. Only the Mavic 4 Pro has D-Log from their drones lineup, and now the Pocket 4 is also equipped with D-Log instead of D-Log M.

This is comparable to S-Log 3 on Sony cameras and to D-Log on the Mavic 4 Pro, and you can really mix and match all of these cameras perfectly. If you color grade properly, you can really match those cameras perfectly in your setup. So, if you’re one of those people who relies on color grading your footage and you want to extract the most out of this camera, D-Log is going to do that for you. Because of the 10-bit D-Log workflow, we have smoother gradients, less banding, and significantly more room for color grading.

Another thing that makes me believe DJI is pushing towards a more professional position for the Osmo Pocket 4 is the fact that the white balance can also be customized in terms of the tint. So, not only the white balance itself in terms of Kelvins, but also the tint, which is exactly the same thing that we have on the Mavic 4 Pro. So, you have a lot more control over how your image is going to look. And that leads me to believe DJI is hoping to attract many professionals who would like to use this in their arsenal.

However, if you don’t want to color grade and deal with D-Log, you have 10-bit normal color profile as well. And now, DJI has also introduced film tones on the Osmo Pocket 4. Recently, they released that on the Osmo Nano, so now it’s trickling down to the Osmo Pocket 4 as well, and we have a couple of different film tones that you can easily apply and change the strength of. If you want straight-out-of-camera footage that looks great no matter what, depending on your taste and the shooting scenario, you have a couple of different presets that look super nice in my opinion. But make sure to not overdo them. Don’t use them at 100%. I think they’re a little bit too strong, so play with the intensity and focus on what works best for you.

Low-Light Performance and the Built-In Light

Here I am in a pitch-black room using low-light mode on the Osmo Pocket 4. The maximum ISO that the camera uses is 25,000-something, so I assume this footage is quite grainy. I will not touch it. I will show it straight from the SD card. But now, let’s turn on the light.

This is the built-in light, and obviously, things look a hell of a lot different when we turn it on. Keep in mind, this light is set to the medium strength. I don’t like the maximum strength as I believe it’s a little bit too harsh on the face. At the same time, this is what we’re getting out of the Osmo Pocket 3 in low-light mode where the maximum ISO is 16,000, which I assume we are currently at. Obviously, we don’t have any additional lighting, so this is what we are dealing with. The results are quite drastic.

Here is a realistic scenario: you’re trying to vlog at night, and as you can see, it’s kind of dark, but we have some street lighting, which to an extent works fine. So, this is the Osmo Pocket 3. This is the Osmo Pocket 4. And now, let me put on the light. Things get quite ridiculous in a matter of a second.

Low-light performance on the Osmo Pocket 4 is amazing — not only because of that additional light that you can put on top of the Pocket 4, but also the automatic low-light enhancement mode, which works when shooting in 4K 30 frames per second. Combined with the improved dynamic range, you get much cleaner shadows and better highlight control.

4K at 240 Frames Per Second Slow Motion

One of the biggest upgrades we have on the Osmo Pocket 4, and one of the things that I’m super excited about, is 4K 240 frames per second slow-mo. Yes, you heard it right: 4K 240 frames per second. This is cinema-level slowing down of your footage, and it just works incredibly well. For comparison, the Pocket 3 topped out at 4K 120 frames per second, which was already solid, but this is just another level.

This is especially useful for action shots, movement-heavy B-roll, and cinematic sequences where timing matters a lot. And because it’s still stabilized from the gimbal of the Pocket 4, you end up with footage that is actually usable and smooth straight out of the camera.

I recently started going out for runs, so I was really curious how the Osmo Pocket 4 would perform in those scenarios where we have a lot of shakes. I think what makes the biggest difference is that we have an actual gimbal that stabilizes the footage instead of the digital stabilization that we have on action cameras. So, in theory, this should be working much, much better than any other action camera. Although, I wouldn’t really recommend running with the Osmo Pocket 4 as it’s not really that comfortable to hold.

2x Zoom Across Every Mode

We also have a 2x zoom, which you can use during recording, and this is one of those things that really changes how you shoot. This zoom feature now works across all different modes, including tracking, using D-Log, and even photos. And especially with the built-in zoom button, you can cycle between 1x and 2x easily with the press of a button. Or if you want to make a smooth transition between 1x and 2x, you can use the joystick to zoom in and out. Because it integrates with tracking, you can actually create more compressed and cinematic shots, especially for portraits or subject-focused videos.

Creative Modes: Slow Shutter Video and Portrait Tools

We also have a few creative modes on the Osmo Pocket 4, and this is where DJI is clearly trying to push this beyond just a vlogging camera. We now have slow shutter video, which allows you to introduce motion blur directly in camera without any post-processing. So, instead of everything looking super sharp and digital, you can create that more cinematic motion feel, especially useful for night scenes in my opinion, or traffic, or stylized B-roll.

You also get improved portrait tools such as beauty filter and skin smoothing. Things that we as men probably won’t use, but it’s good for the women out there who don’t want to deal with any editing and want that beauty effect applied to them. You can do that easily with the Osmo Pocket 4. Again, compared to the Osmo Pocket 3, this is just one more built-in tool that saves you time so you don’t have to deal with additional editing or plugins later in post.

ActiveTrack 7 and Improved Tracking

Tracking is one of the main reasons people buy this camera in the first place. Here, we have an improved tracking mechanism called ActiveTrack 7. This one promises to be more stable and more reliable, especially in difficult situations like subjects moving quickly, people walking in and out of frame, or busy environments. It also supports tracking at higher zoom levels, which wasn’t possible on the Osmo Pocket 3.

Four-Channel Audio Recording

Next, we have audio, and this is also another big step forward in my opinion. We now have four-channel audio recording, which means that we can record two wireless microphones, ambient sound, and internal microphone audio all separately on different tracks. So, for interviews, podcasts, or just more complex situations, this is a massive upgrade over the Pocket 3.

Built-In Storage and Faster Transfer Speeds

One thing that I’m super happy to see on the Pocket 4 is that we have built-in storage. Yes, we do have an SD card slot, but I haven’t even put an SD card in my Pocket 4 ever since I got it. Now I rely only on the built-in 107 GB internal storage, which is great to have. Also, a few more things about the user experience: the transfer speeds are up to 800 MB per second, which is great if you’re transferring a lot of data. And finally, the charging speeds — I’m not exactly sure how fast they are, but this thing charges insanely quickly. It is probably the best charging experience I’ve seen on any product. It just goes through the battery and fills it up super, super quickly.

Should You Upgrade from the Pocket 3?

Compared to the Osmo Pocket 3, should you upgrade? Well, here is the deal. The Pocket 3 is still a fantastic camera. If you already own it and you’re just casually shooting with it, you’re fine. But the Pocket 4 feels like it removes friction. It has better dynamic range, better low light, more flexible shooting, better accessories, better audio, and a faster workflow. None of these alone might convince you, but together, they make the camera feel way more complete.

For me, this actually feels like the first pocket camera that can go beyond just a vlogging camera and can now actually be mixed with my drone footage, with my Sony footage, and with the rest of my workflow — to not be a constraint, but to be an addition.

This article is based on a video by Mike from Drone Supremacy. You can read more of his work on his DroneXL author page.