DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Review

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is a compact three-axis gimbal camera designed primarily for video, although you can also use it to shoot stills and panoramas. The Osmo Pocket is a standalone device that incorporates a camera and gimbal in one. This latest version features a large 1-inch CMOS sensor, mechanical gimbal stabilisation rather than electronic, and an integrated touchscreen, all in a body that genuinely fits in a pocket. It shoots up to 4K/240fps, supports 10-bit D-Log Pro colour profiles, and includes ActiveTrack 7.0 for intelligent subject tracking.

It’s aimed at vloggers, content creators, and hybrid shooters who want cinematic-quality stabilised video without carrying a full camera rig. It handles stills too, producing 37 MP photos, but whilst it takes still video, it is very much its primary purpose. The Creator Combo I have been sent to review adds the DJI Mic 3 wireless transmitter, rather than the Mic 2 that featured with the Pocket 3, and a magnetic fill light, making it a compact but genuinely complete content creation kit.

When it comes to use, the Pocket 4 works as a standalone device or paired with the DJI Mimo app for expanded control and editing. While we mainly focus on photography here at Camera Jabber, and the Pocket 4 is video-centric, stills are possible, but creative control is limited, and it is better thought of as a video tool with photo capability rather than the reverse.

It’s also worth noting that this is not an action camera; I know these sounds obvious, but just in case you’re thinking small camera from DJI, with gimbal mic, etc., perfect for extreme sports. While it is small and can be worn as a personal camera, it lacks weather sealing and the rugged build of the Osmo Action series. You can read the review of the DJI OSMO Action 6 here. This camera is far better suited to vlogging, travel, and studio content than mountain bike or water sports use.

Sensor: 1-inch CMOS, 14 stops dynamic range
Video: Up to 4K/240fps | 4K/60fps standard | Slow motion to 4K/240fps
Photo: 37MP computational
Colour profiles: 10-bit D-Log Pro, HLG, standard
Stabilisation: 3-axis mechanical gimbal
Tracking: ActiveTrack 7.0 with dynamic framing and registered subject priority
Storage: 107GB built-in | microSD slot
Transfer: USB 3.1 wired up to 800MB/s | Wi-Fi 6 wireless up to 90MB/s
Battery: 1,545mAh — approx. 2 hours continuous
Display: Touchscreen
Audio: Dual built-in mics | OsmoAudio 4-channel output | DJI Mic 3 (Creator Combo)
Connectivity: USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth
Dimensions: 144.2 x 44.4 x 33.5mm
Weight: 190.5g
In Creator Combo: DJI Mic 3, magnetic fill light, wide-angle lens, mini tripod, carry bag

The Pocket 4 is marginally larger and heavier than the Pocket 3 at 190.5g, but in practice the difference is hardly noticeable. It still fits comfortably in a jeans pocket, and the new gimbal lock, which is a slim clip that replaces the bulky plastic cradle of the Pocket 3, actually makes the overall package more compact in transit. DJI has also popped a fabric carry case in the box that just helps to keep everything tidy and lightweight if you don’t want to take the usual case.

Build quality is once again excellent and very DJI. The device feels solid and well-made, and the new 5D analogue joystick is an improvement; essentially, the gimbal speed responds proportionally to how far you push the joystick, giving more precise and natural control than earlier versions.

The two under-screen buttons are also a great addition with the zoom toggle shifting quickly between 1x and 2x zoom, though it is worth noting this zoom is fast and as yet I haven’t found a way to slow it down, even so it’s useful in most shooting situations, but not a subtle cinematic tool.

The right-hand custom button can be assigned to any function you use frequently, which follows most mirrorless cameras that generally always have at least one or two custom buttons.

The swivel touchscreen remains much the same, doubling as the on/off switch. This screen is once again responsive and well integrated alongside the physical controls, and the combination of joystick, buttons, and screen means you can access almost everything without reaching for the Mimo app.
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Battery life has also been extended from the Pocket 3, delivering roughly two hours of continuous shooting before needing a charge, and the battery grip accessory, which I also used in this review, extends this further for longer shoots, or if you just forget to charge the thing between test shoots.

The built-in 107GB storage is another addition that I really like and one that DJI has been featureing on their drones for a few generations. It’s a small feature, but absolutely invaluable.

The 800MB/s wired export via USB 3.1 also now means that offloading the footage at the end of the day is nice and quick, no searching around for a card reader, just plug it in and download.

For most typical use, 107GB comfortably covers a full day’s shooting even at higher bit rates.

The headline hardware upgrade is the new 1-inch CMOS sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range, replacing the Pocket 3’s already decent sensor. Alongside this is 10-bit D-Log Pro, which enables the Pocket 4’s footage to be graded and matched alongside material from professional cameras in a way the Pocket 3’s HLG and D-Log M profiles did not fully allow. If you’re a videographer working with several different cameras, then being able to shoot in Log so you can match the footage is an essential feature.

One of the features that most interests me is the 4K/240fps slow motion; this takes a bit to locate as it’s not in the usual frame and resolution options. To find 4K/240fps is not straightforward from the camera’s own controls; it requires navigating through the Mimo app rather than being immediately accessible in-camera. In practice, the default slow motion mode drops to 1080p, which is where most users will end up unless you specifically seek out the 4K option in the app and switch.

Another nice addition is the built-in film tones, CC Film, NC Film, Pastel, Warm Tone, Movie, and Retro. These are new additions and may appeal to creators who want a finished look straight from the camera without having to edit excessively and grade.

CC Film and NC Film, in particular, produce a really nice cinematic result. I just wish there was also the ability to switch the aspect ratio to something like 21:9 to get the real cinematic look.

Essentially, shooting in one of the film tones does have its limitations; once you have shot in it, you cannot reverse it in post. If you’re confident in your aesthetic choices using one of these tones, then this ,ay, well be a useful creative shortcut. If you prefer flexibility, shooting flat and grading still remains a far better option.

Tracking is always a feature that amazes me with these gimbals and with DJI’s advancements with the Ronin Mini 4 last year, the new ActiveTrack 7.0 is where the Pocket 4 shows just how much this feature has progressed and if it’s a feature you use a lot on the Pocket 3, then I’d say this is the biggest reason that you would want to upgrade.

The new tracking features, Face Lock and Registered Subject Priority, enable you to pre-load specific faces and prioritise them in a crowd. This works incredibly well and reliably, enabling crowded shooting scenarios that would have traditionally been very tricky to film.

The new dynamic framing mode is another great feature, as, rather than locking the subject rigidly to the centre of frame, it allows them to move naturally within the composition based on the golden ratio, producing footage that feels organic and human rather than mechanically tracked. It is a subtle distinction with a significant impact on the quality of the final footage.

As I’m seeing with a growing number of products, gesture control enables you to interact with the camera without needing to push any buttons or access an app. A palm gesture, for instance, activates tracking, a V gesture will then start and stop recording, and this is all far more useful than it might initially sound.

For solo tripod shooting or presenting directly to the camera, the ability to trigger the camera remotely just makes life easier and again helps to cut down editing time.

In the box alongside the Pocket 4 is a magnetic fill light, at least it’s included in the Creator Combo, and it clips cleanly to the gimbal head and moves in sync during tracking. The light  offers three brightness and colour temperature levels and is most useful for close-range portrait and vlog work indoors or in dim conditions, while it’s bright enough for close-quarter work and distance, and the power will struggle.

Audio pickup with this type of camera is essential, and here the DJI Mic 3 replaces the Mic 2 from the Pocket 3 Creator Combo, and whilst it is a capable, easy-to-use wireless microphone, as I noted in the review of the Mic 3, it’s no Mic 2 when it comes to groundbreaking quality and versatility.

The Mic 2 could accept an external lavalier microphone via its 3.5mm input, enabling discreet recording without visible DJI branding. The Mic 3 doesn’t offer this option. For straightforward vlogging, it’s a great option, but for professional interview work or any situation where branding matters, the Pocket 3 Creator Combo’s Mic 2 remains the more flexible solution and is fully compatible.

Another point about the Audop is the four-channel audio output, which essentially combines two wireless mics with the camera’s onboard microphones. This is a pro-level feature for interview and two-person shooting, enabling clean vocal isolation with ambient sound captured separately.

In daylight, the Pocket 4 produces footage that is immediately impressive; the colour is rich and well-reproduced at standard settings, and sharpness holds up well at 4K/60fps. The default profile is slightly, it would seem, by design, so that it’s instantly pleasing to the eye without looking processed.

The more significant update for videographers and creators is the addition of D-Log Pro. Where the Pocket 3’s D-Log M profile gave limited grading latitude, 10-bit D-Log Pro genuinely enables Pocket 4 footage to sit alongside material from professional cameras in a colour grade such as the Sony A7 IV.

If you’re using this as a B-camera alongside a mirrorless or cinema rig, that is a major improvement and actually enhances its practical usefulness, which is an important fact if you’re looking for a reason to buy. The Pocket is a device that’s small, easy to use and will fit into a professional workflow in a way that previous Pocket iterations couldn’t quite manage.

Low-light has also been vastly improved over the Pocket 3, mainly due to the new sensor, and the difference when you use the camera regularly is apparent.

The 14-stop dynamic range makes a visible difference to sky rendering, particularly the cyan cast that could appear in overcast conditions, with the Pocket 3 noticeably reducing it, and the handling of graduated tones in bright sky areas is a little more natural and controlled.

Evening footage again showed better shadow detail, less noisy highlights, and a cleaner overall image that holds up better on a larger screen. It remains below the capability of a mirrorless camera with a dedicated sensor and larger optics, and it would be misleading to say this small camera was resolving that amount of detail. But for a device of this size, carried in a pocket, the low-light results are genuinely impressive.

The mechanical gimbal stabilisation continues to be the main differential between the Action and the Pocket series. While EIS is good, in fact, on a par with mechanical, it does come at the cost of some of the sensor resolution, so by mechanically stabilising the footage, you keep everything that is captured by the sensor.

In practice, the walking footage is remarkably smooth, running footage holds up with only the natural vertical bounce that is unavoidable from this type of mechanical gimbal, and switching to fast tracking mode during rapid movement shows just how capable this camera-gimbal combo is.

One of the features that I was really impressed with was the dynamic framing. Rather than locking the subject rigidly to the centre of frame with the tracking, it allows them to move naturally within the composition, using the golden ratio to determine how the camera repositions.

The result is footage that feels directed and organic rather than mechanically tracked; essentially, it’s the kind of natural-feeling camera movement that you would normally only get from a skilled operator behind the lens.

If you shoot vlog or travel content regularly, then this is the feature that makes the Pocket 4 feel like a genuinely new tool rather than an incrementally updated product.

However, background blur remains the one frustration that no amount of incremental improvement addresses. I’m sure I commented on this in the last Pocket review, and this is especially relevant when DJI has added depth of field adjustment to their action camera.

The product showcase mode still is the only way to provide a degree of background blur, and in close-quarter situations, it works to some extent, but it falls well short of the subject-background separation that users, particularly those coming from photography or looking for a true cinematic look, are expecting.

The iPhone’s cinematic video mode has set a clear benchmark for what background blur in a pocket device can look like, and the Pocket 4 does not approach it. For a camera that handles almost everything else so well, and that is clearly aimed in part at professional and semi-professional creators, the absence of background blur seems like a real missed opportunity.

Stills from the 37MP are pretty decent and go along with the usual semi-action camera vibrance style, but are well detailed, well-exposed, and perfect for social media posts.

If you’re coming from a mirrorless camera, however, the creative options are minimal, as I said before, there’s no depth of field control, no RAW output, and the beauty and portrait filters are the primary tools for any kind of image adjustment.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is not a dramatic reinvention over the Pocket 3, but then, with little competition, it doesn’t need to be. The Pocket series already set the standard for compact gimbal cameras, and the Pocket 4 builds on that foundation with a better sensor, smarter tracking, more refined controls, and genuinely useful built-in storage. Really, it’s just bringing it up to date.

For me, some of the key new features include the Dynamic framing, as it just helps to bring a level of naturalism to automated tracking that changes how the footage feels, not just how it looks. Then the new sensor really does help to boost the visual quality. I’m just disappointed with the Mic 3’s flexibility in the combo kit, but was pleased to note that it is compatible with the Mic 2.

If you’re new to the Pocket series, this is the version to buy without hesitation. However, if you’re an existing Pocket 3 owner, the decision is more difficult. The dynamic framing and low-light performance are excellent, and if those are features that you genuinely think will be useful for what you do, then this upgrade, however incremental, makes sense.

However, if you shoot primarily in good light and rarely push the tracking system, the Pocket 3 remains an excellent camera.

For me, the background blur omission continues to be the one feature that would make me instantly want to upgrade due to the boost that it would give on the creative range of this camera, and its continued absence is quite annoying for a device that is otherwise so complete. That aside, the Pocket 4 is the best pocketable video camera available, although a quick look online and I still can’t really see anything to compete.