The DJI Osmo Pocket series quickly became one of the most popular vlogging camera lineups on the market. Its latest iteration, the DJI Osmo Pocket 4, builds on what made the series successful to deliver an even better experience.
It features a better sensor with higher dynamic range, higher frame rates, built-in storage, and more. But are these upgrades enough to justify an upgrade? And if you’re a first-time buyer, should you go for the latest model or save money with an older one? Let’s find out in our DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review.
Design and Build Quality
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 looks almost identical to its predecessor. DJI has retained the same form factor, which is great because it remains easy to operate, comfortable to hold, and highly pocketable. It’s slightly larger and heavier, but the difference is barely noticeable.
We like the included plastic gimbal clamp, which does an excellent job of securing the moving parts during travel or while stored in a pocket. It’s also very compact, adding virtually no bulk to the device.
The body is still made of sturdy plastic with a textured finish for added grip. It also resists fingerprint marks and smudges well. There are larger ridges on the front compared to the Osmo Pocket 3, making it easy to distinguish the two models.
The Osmo Pocket 4 is ergonomic and easy to use, although its slim profile makes the buttons slightly difficult to reach with your thumb, especially if you have larger hands.
Overall, we’re satisfied with the DJI Osmo Pocket 4’s design. If we were to nitpick, we’d like to see some level of water resistance, even something around IP54, for peace of mind when vlogging in light rain.
Hardware
The star of the show is the larger 1-inch CMOS sensor paired with an f/2.0 aperture and a 20mm lens. It offers an ISO range of up to 25600 under Low-Light Video mode and supports up to 14 stops of dynamic range.
The camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal with a maximum mechanical range of -240° to 63° for pan, 180° to 98° for tilt, and -220° to 63° for roll. A four-pin magnetic port at the base of the gimbal allows for accessory attachment.
One of the series’ signature features is the rotatable 2-inch display, which has a sharp ~319ppi pixel density and up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness. As before, rotating the screen automatically powers the device on or off and starts or stops recording.
Rotating the screen horizontally also reveals two new buttons behind it: a zoom button and a customizable preset button.
Below the screen is the 5D joystick, which recognizes up to three presses. Beside it is the record/shutter button.
The right side houses the lanyard holes and one of the three microphones.
On the left are another microphone, the microSD card slot, and the Pocket 4 branding.
The front-facing microphone sits on the front panel alongside the DJI logo. At the bottom is a USB-C 3.1 port for charging and data transfer.
Internally, the device comes with 107GB of built-in storage, which we found more than enough for a full day of shooting. Storage can be expanded via microSD cards of up to 1TB. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 for faster file transfers and accessory support.
Accessories
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Standard Combo includes everything you need to get started. Inside the box are the camera, gimbal clamp, USB-C to USB-C cable, lanyard, carrying pouch, and a handle attachment that improves grip while adding a standard 1/4-inch thread for mounting to tripods, cages, and other accessories.
For those who want the complete package, there’s the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Creator Combo. It adds a DJI Mic 3 transmitter that connects directly to the Osmo Pocket 4 without requiring a receiver. It includes a dedicated magnetic charging cable instead of the standard charging case bundled with the standalone DJI Mic 3. The package also includes two windshields and a magnetic clip.
There’s also the Osmo Pocket 4 Fill Light, which attaches magnetically via the pins at the base of the gimbal. Physical controls allow you to adjust brightness and color temperature.
You also get a magnetic ultra-wide lens adapter for selfies. It attaches securely, although its small size makes it prone to fingerprint smudges during handling.
The Creator Combo further includes a compact tripod and a larger carrying case with dedicated compartments for all the accessories.
We’re big fans of the included accessories. Everything works well, especially the Fill Light, DJI Mic 3, and ultra-wide adapter. Whether they’re worth the additional Php8,500 for the Creator Combo is up to you, but personally, we think the upgrade is justified and worth the money for the full setup.
Camera Quality
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 can capture 37-megapixel still photos and 180-degree panoramas. You can trigger the shutter hands-free using a peace-sign gesture. The sensor is also sharp enough to confidently crop or shoot at 2x zoom for still images.
Photo quality is excellent. The sample image above looks sharp, with well-controlled dynamic range despite the bright sunlight. There’s also a pleasing shallow depth of field, while fine details remain crisp throughout the frame.
As expected, image quality sees a noticeable improvement over its predecessor, and the gains are even more apparent in video.
The Osmo Pocket 4 can record videos at up to 4K@60fps in a 16:9 landscape aspect ratio. For 9:16 portrait shooting, resolution is capped at 3K while retaining support for up to 60fps. Slow-motion recording is available at up to 4K@240fps.
Hyperlapse recording is supported at up to 4K@30fps. DJI’s ActiveTrack intelligent subject tracking and focusing also performed exceptionally well, even when we deliberately tried to confuse it.
Advanced users can shoot in D-Log, providing greater flexibility for color grading and achieving a more cinematic look in post-production.
Overall, we’re highly impressed with the still and video quality the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 delivers.
Battery Life
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is equipped with a 1,545mAh battery. DJI claims it can record 1080p@24fps video for up to 240 minutes.
In our testing, we were able to shoot roughly two hours of 4K footage throughout an entire day and still had around half of the battery remaining.
Charging speeds are equally impressive. The device supports select 65W fast chargers and can be fully charged in approximately 35 minutes.
Verdict
The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 successfully refines an already excellent formula. While the design remains largely unchanged, the meaningful upgrades come where they matter most: image quality, video performance, dynamic range, and overall usability.
Its more capable 1-inch sensor delivers sharper footage with better low-light performance, while features like ActiveTrack, D-Log recording, and the reliable 3-axis gimbal continue to make it one of the most capable pocket-sized content creation tools available.
What makes the Osmo Pocket 4 particularly appealing is how easy it is to use. Whether you’re a beginner vlogger, a travel creator, or a seasoned videographer looking for a compact B-camera, it offers a polished shooting experience without the complexity of larger camera systems.
If you already own an Osmo Pocket 3, the upgrade may not be essential unless you regularly shoot in demanding lighting conditions or want the latest imaging improvements. However, for first-time buyers, the Osmo Pocket 4 is easily the best Osmo Pocket yet and one of the most complete compact vlogging cameras you can buy today.
Pros
- Large 1-inch CMOS sensor
- Superb 3-axis gimbal stabilization
- Reliable ActiveTrack subject tracking
- Up to 4K@60fps and 4K@240fps recording
- D-Log support for color grading
- Compact and highly portable
- Generous built-in storage with microSD expansion
- Fast charging and long battery life
- Useful Creator Combo accessories
Cons
- No water or dust resistance rating
- Buttons can be awkward for larger hands
- Portrait video limited to 3K resolution
- Ultra-wide adapter smudges easily