I’m a big fan of the DJI Pocket series cameras, I purchased the original at launch, and it still gets plenty of use to this day. The DJI Pocket 2 then followed in 2021, with meaningful upgrades like a larger sensor and wider FOV. However, there were a few things that made both of these cameras a bit of a pain to use, with the main one being the minuscule built-in display.

Now, the successor has finally arrived, and it tackles the small-screen problem head-on with a new swivelling screen. It also boasts a 1-inch sensor, as well as boosted frame rates, tracking capabilities and recording formats.

The question is, with large-sensor smartphone cameras becoming more common, as well as electronic image stabilisation getting better and better, does DJI’s mini gimbal camera make as much sense as it once did? I was keen to find out.

Price, specs and options

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 was announced on October 25, 2023, and made available to purchase immediately. It comes in two main configurations, detailed below.

The standard Osmo Pocket 3 package retails for $519 / £489 / €539. This gets you the camera itself, a protective cover, a wrist strap, a handle with tripod threading and a USB-C cable.

Then, there’s the Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo, which goes for $669 / £619 / €670. This package gets you the same gear listed above, but also adds a carry pouch, a DJI Mic 2 transmitter with windscreen and clip magnet, an extra handle with a built-in battery, a wide-angle lens adapter and a mini tripod.

DJI is also selling various accessories separately, including a black mist filter, wide-angle lens adapter, ND filters, handle and battery grips. These range in price from around $20 to $70 with the battery handle at the top of the pricing scale.

Interestingly, there has been no word about the DJI Mic 2 just yet, but I’d expect that it will replace the original DJI Mic and be sold as a complete set with the transmitter and receiver. If that’s the case, it might cost in the region of $160, like the original.

Design

Upon taking the Osmo Pocket 3 out of the box, the first thing that struck me was how large it is, at least compared to the original. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very compact and portable filming solution, but whereas the original was something that you could happily carry in your pocket, you’ll need some pretty large pockets to manage this one. The plus side of this is that it’s much more natural to hold, especially when the included handle/tripod adapter is snapped into place.

The next thing I noticed is that DJI seems to have ditched the idea of attaching the Pocket 3 to your phone, which I’m personally quite happy about. If you’re unfamiliar, the previous generations of Pocket camera have both come with little USB-C/Lightning dongles to connect the camera to your phone. Once in place, the phone acted as a larger viewfinder and settings control panel. It was a nice idea, but it was something I never used, opting to control the camera wirelessly with the app instead, which has been an option from the get-go.

Part of the reason for this phone attachment concept, in my estimation, was a workaround for the almost comically small touchscreen LCD on the Pocket and Pocket 2. With the Pocket 3, that’s no longer necessary. DJI has come up with a brilliant solution, in the form of a swivelling 16:9 display, which can show your viewfinder in either portrait or landscape orientation, depending on the format that you’re recording in.

The touchscreen is infinitely more usable, thanks to the extra real estate, but that’s not the only thing that makes the new camera easier to use. There’s now a prominent joystick underneath the display to allow you to control the motion of the gimbal. This was completely missing on the original Pocket and added as a modular panel on the Pocket 2. This joystick is much larger and, as such, much easier to use.

The only thing I found a bit disappointing was that this joystick is not pressure-sensitive. This means you can’t gently push it for slow panning shots, it’s a single speed no matter what. Thankfully, there’s a setting to change the speed, but I can’t help but wish it was in the quick-settings shade, so I could get to it quicker.

Like its predecessors, there’s still no mounting solution on the camera chassis itself, but thankfully a 1/4-20 tripod thread adapter is included in the box, no matter whether you opt for the Creator Combo or not. This snaps onto the base of the camera with two little latches, a bit like the magnetic mounting system of the Osmo Action 4. This blocks the USB-C port on the base of the camera, but DJI has thoughtfully included a passthrough port, so you can still power the camera and transfer files with it in place.

The case is different this time around, and the camera now sits in it sideways, at least compared to how the case worked before. This design is, again, less pocket-able than before, but it does pack in some extra utility. Firstly, there are little sections in the case for storing filters, including a little magnetic section for the wide-angle adapter that comes as part of the Creator Combo. The fact that the case doesn’t cover the base of the camera also means that it can be used while the tripod adapter or battery handle is left in place.

The case is pretty well-designed, and it ensures that the gimbal, lens, screen and joystick are all kept safe from knocks. I do wish DJI had included some microSD card holders in there, though. There’s plenty of room, and it seems like an obvious addition alongside the filter holders.

Accessories and features

As you’ve probably gathered by this point, I was sent the Creator Combo for testing, which comes with a variety of accessories to bolster the Osmo Pocket 3’s capabilities. The most exciting of these, in my view, is the DJI Mic 2.

This new wireless mic has a transparent shell, very much the trend in 2023, but beyond that, DJI hasn’t shared how it differs in features. What I do know, is that it has similar dimensions and the same button layout as its predecessor. It’s attachable with a magnetic tab, or via the built-in clip, just like the older model. In use, it sounds great, and it comes pre-paired, so using it with Pocket 3 is as simple as turning them both on.

It also comes with a battery extender, which looks almost identical to the tripod adapter, only about an inch longer. It works in the same way, clipping to the base of the camera, and it also has a 1/4-20 thread on the bottom. However, rather than offering a USB passthrough, this USB-C port is used to charge the 950mAh internal battery pack.

I was surprised to see that the Osmo Pocket 3’s software recognises the battery. It’ll display both the camera’s battery percentage and the external pack percentage on the screen -very handy.

There’s a wide-angle adapter included in the package, too. This magnetically attaches to the lens of the Pocket 3, so you can squeeze more into the frame. It has its uses, but I was hoping for a more dramatic increase in FOV, it’s effectively like taking a step or two backwards with how much you can fit into the shot. It also adds a bit of barrel distortion when fitted, which may or may not be desirable, depending on your tastes.

Lastly, there’s a mini tripod, which is essentially a smaller version of the one that comes with the DJI Osmo Mobile 6. It’s handy, especially since the Pocket 3 struggles to stand on its own, but you’d still be better off with a proper tripod with a ball head. It all comes packed, quite tightly, into a soft-shell travel case. It’s all neatly segmented and there are little elastic stash pockets for NDs and filters, should you add those to your collection.

For the most part, the Osmo Pocket 3 offers the same shooting modes as its predecessors. Panorama, photo, video, slow motion and time-lapse are all present here, including motion time-lapse, which is one of my favourite ways to use the Pocket-series cameras. Just like the Osmo Action 4, there’s no longer a dedicated HDR video mode, instead, the camera should offer the maximum dynamic range in normal video recording – and you’ll get the best results at 4K 30fps and below.

Taking its place is a new low-light video mode, which optimises your settings to give you the best-looking image in dimly lit scenarios. It’s a great way to clean up your nighttime footage if you’re relying on automatic settings, as most users are.

The tracking features have been boosted on the Osmo Pocket 3, not only does it take advantage of all of DJI’s recent subject detection improvements, but you have much more control over the framing of your subject, too. My favourite mode is called Dynamic Framing, and it places six focal points on the display. You frame your subject over the desired point and click the joystick to start tracking, then, as your subject moves around, the camera will try to keep them in that area of the frame. Following the rule of thirds has never been so effortless.

Performance

The DJI Pocket cameras have always been about video more than photography, but that’s even more evident in the Osmo Pocket 3. It now maxes out at just 9.4MP for still images, compared to 64MP on its predecessor.

This move makes sense to me, as you can just use your smartphone for stills, and you’ll likely get better results that way. A 4K frame is only about 8.3MP, so the sensor won’t have to rely on pixel binning while shooting video, leaving more processing headroom for higher framerates. And on that front, the Pocket 3 delivers the goods. It can now shoot slow motion at up to 4K 120fps with no crop, or 240fps in 1080p, great for that cinematic B roll to tie together your vlogs.

Watch in 4K on YouTube

Footage from the Pocket 3 looks great, it’s extremely sharp and detailed, and the new 1-inch sensor means that you get a shallower depth of field, better separating your subject from the background. It also means that the camera performs better in low-light conditions, resulting in a less grainy image than we’ve seen from its predecessors.

A shallow depth of field means that the autofocus has to work extra hard, but thankfully, DJI’s full-pixel autofocus system is extremely fast and accurate. It’s especially great for showcasing products, and will quickly snap between your face and the object you’re holding up to the camera. The only thing to watch out for is the focus breathing, which is quite noticeable, similar to what we’ve seen with DJI’s drones. It’s not bad in general use, but if you tap the screen to refocus while recording, you’ll often get a jarring punch in and out as the focus hunts.

The stabilisation is excellent, as you’d expect from a camera with a built-in gimbal, but the usual gimbal caveats apply here, too. It does a good job of minimizing shakes and vibrations, but there’s only so much it can do on the Z-axis, so if you want Hollywood-level tracking shots, you’ll still need to perfect that ninja walk. That said, it’s a massive step up from EIS that’s offered by vlogging cameras like the Sony ZV-1 II.

The built-in microphones are quite impressive, too. They record in stereo, so you get some nice spatial positioning, and wind noise is decently suppressed. You’ll have to be careful about where you grip the camera though, as rubbing your thumb near one of the mics on the side is sure to introduce handling noise, this is easily avoided with the extended grip installed, but more of an issue using the camera standalone.

Of course, using the DJI Mic 2 improves this even further, especially when it comes to wind noise, and if you’ve got vlogging aspirations, I’d definitely consider going for the creator kit. In the future, you’ll be able to pair two of these wireless mics to the camera, but at present, I don’t know when they’ll be available, or what they’ll cost.

Verdict

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 improves on its predecessors in almost every way. The larger sensor makes for even better video, especially in dimly lit situations, the autofocus is quick and reliable and the audio is great. It’s also much easier to use, thanks to the 2-inch swivelling touchscreen display.

The only downsides, really, are that it’s a lot larger and more expensive than its predecessors. However, compared to the competition, I still think it’s one of the more compelling options for creators on the go.

If you’re creating videos for YouTube or social media, you’ll get much more appealing shots with something like this over an action camera, and it’s much easier to use than something like the Sony ZV-1 II. Plus, it offers things like subject tracking and motion time-lapse capabilities, both of which would require separate gimbal hardware to achieve with other cameras.