I Replaced My $5,000 Camera with the DJI Osmo Pocket 3?!

@paulAntill used the Osmo Pocket 3 as his only video camera for 1 week. This is one of the best small travel cameras in 2024, but is it good enough to replace his $5000+ “pro” setup? Here’s everything he likes about this lighter pocket-sized camera and some of its biggest limitations.

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When it came time to pack my bags, the Pocket’s compact size saved me a ton of space and weight. Unlike my usual setup (Sony a7siii + DJI RS3 Pro + Sigma 24-70) which tends to take over half of my bag, the Osmo Pocket 3 and all its accessories – including the DJI Mic 2 - which I highly recommend pairing with this, its battery grip, a selfie stick, and tripod feet – fit neatly into just one compartment.

Testing this for a week straight, the Osmo Pocket 3 was incredible for my trip. For capturing my experiences, and being able to take it everywhere I went, it was the perfect tool. In the future, I can see myself using this as my main travel video camera, but I’ll still be taking along my a7siii and some kind of zoom lens for that additional flexibility and range when I need it. If DJI ever manages to fit a zoom lens in the future on this thing, it’ll be huge.

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0:00 - The Challenge
0:33 - What I'm replacing
0:47 - Saving space
1:19 - Less Awkward
2:18 - "Pocketable"
3:24 - The Case for No Case
4:07 - Speedy
4:55 - "Vertical" or Not
5:28 - DJI Mic 2s are a Must
6:35 - Flying Under the Radar
7:31 - Give me that Zoom
8:34 - The Perfect Travel Camera?

[TomsGuideUS]

Would you replace your camera with the Osmo Pocket 3? 

[PilotPerkins]

I got rid of the case and just put the OP3 in a microfiber eyeglass bag. Works great.

[AdventuringWithNala]

I think the sensor in the pocket 3 is actually more squared off rather than 16x9 so I do think you get some additional coverage up top and bottom (not much though) in "vertical" mode when it's doing its cropping. . I do think it was a miss by DJI not implementing a way for the gimbal to actually function vertically to get the full coverage of the 4k sensor like you can with some of their drones. Thanks for the review. I have the pocket 3 and still watched this whole thing :)

[BikeStuffPDX]

I just upgraded to the Pocket 3 and I love it as a cycling camera. That said, I still use the Insta 360 RS-1 inch camera for wider shots and the A7sIII with 85mm to create really nice separation between subject and background or for shooting objects that are far away. Still, all of my equipment still fits in a small camera bag with the exception of my stand, which I carry on my bike or in its own bag.

[paolo.oribiana]

Hello! I have the osmo pocket 3 and the fuji xh2s with the 16-55 zoom lens. I find that for vlogging - the pocket 3 is the hands down winner due to it being light, compact and very easy to snap and use. On the other hand, if you want more cinematic, bokeh, range options then its where our mirrorless comes in. I think they should both be used in conjunction with each other.

[GadgetAddict]

Is it hard ti frame your shots with the pocket 3?

Your sony shots look great but in the DJI shots your head is at the bottom of the frame and its almost like the camera is pointing up.

[yogamazing]

Great video, what selfie stick did you purchase?

[TIMagicProd]

I've owned my Pocket 3 since its release and there is one thing that I noticed about the focal length having some barrel distortion due to the ultra wide focal length. Not a huge deal, but it does get noticeable when people say that they look like they are in front of a fun house mirror.

[NELA_Realtor]

Great video. I agree with flying under the radar and enjoying the actual experience. A few things to point out that may have missed from my experience. You can power up the Pocket 3 with the red button. It is very useful when you don't want to flip the screen. Also in vertical mode it captures images at 4K resolution using the widest part of the sensor while when in horizontal mode it uses a dedicated section of the sensor for 3K resolution, ensuring a larger vertical field of view compared to cropping a horizontal shot.

[rasecroel]

I just did a real estate video for a reel using the pocket 3 and the dji mini 3 pro. The quality from the pocket 3 looks so professional.

[stowgood]

I currently use two a7Iv's when my wife and I go out often we will have one each. It's tempting to get this instead as it's so hard to carry all the lenses you need etc. I can't wait for the future when this will have iphone style multiple focal lengths (same applies to the mini drones) and it would be cool if all devices had time code for when I drop footage from multiple cameras into my editor.

[schoeferfilm]

Don’t forget, most important is the man behind the cam 😅

[GaryFujiokaSr]

Good review and I agree with all your observations, particularly about being less conspicuous. I bought the Osmo Pocket 3 for the size and convenience. I migrated from a Lumix G85 with RS 2 gimbal, to a Sony ZV-1, to the OP3 and my iPhone. I also use a Insta360 and Osmo Action when necessary. Quality has not been an issue. Only 24% of my content is viewed on a laptop or desktop, so basically the 4K is just for me. (I consider the ZV1 a waste of money) .

[MariMV]

Do you recommend this camera for the setup you use in this video when you where talking upfront? How is the quality in those setups?

[ShowseeTravels]

Yeah I didn’t buy it to be the main camera. I bought it because of its small stature and because of the gimbal. I have virtually same setup as your A rig, but it’s so noticeable, you catch people trying to duck out of the shot rather than just continuing to do what they do… smiling, eating, talking, and so on. Cool video thanks for sharing

[CarlosSilva]

Great video, really loved the real-world experiences and your input on it. Keep it up!

[BridgettHarrison]

This was good! I went from a a7c to a pocket 3 and love how easy it is for vlogging. I just miss my bookah when I’m out in public…

[cliffcastle]

Thanks for the review. For someone who is looking to upgrade to a DSLR camera or a portable video you make some very good points, both pro and con. In essence I think there are really good reasons for having both .

[dreamndrive]

I fully agree. Since I bought it I struggle to think the moment I'll need my sony a7IV and the gimbal. Obviously the quality of the Sony and the lenses gives you an extra, but most times it doesn't worth the hustle.
For content creation is sure good enough, not so much for professional jobs.
The only thing I miss is better zoom. x2 digital zoom is nothing

[Derrickbtrujillo]

Thank you for the video.

Can you monitor audio levels from both DJI LAV Mics on the OSMO Pocket 3? It always looks to me like there’s only one channel being displayed.