Here are five reasons why the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 beats your iPhone for filming in almost every situation. Whether it’s the buttery smooth footage from its built-in gimbal, its ability to capture cinematic pans and tilts, or the long-lasting battery with removable storage options, this camera is a content creator’s dream without the bulk or the big price tag. Unlike phones, which often struggle in low light and overheat during extended shoots, the Osmo Pocket 3 handles everything with ease all without draining your phone’s battery. If you’re serious about stepping up your video game, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is hard to beat.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00So, I've been using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 since March, and this small camera has been
00:04the biggest surprise of the year for me.
00:06Every time I go on a trip, work on more adventurous projects, or just want to capture crisp video
00:10without breaking my back, the Osmo Pocket 3 has become a huge part of my setup.
00:15It's a powerful video tool, especially for solo creators like myself who don't always
00:19have the time or someone else to help them film.
00:22Its video quality, particularly with its dynamic range, is incredible.
00:26It has smooth stabilization, and it's one of the best subject tracking systems that
00:30I've tried to date.
00:31And to get all of that in something this small should have every other camera brand worried.
00:35I'm more surprised we don't have more competitors to the Osmo Pocket 3 yet because
00:39I really think the future of big camera setups is going in this direction.
00:44Speaking of which, one of the first videos I ever made on the Osmo Pocket 3 was how I
00:48replaced my $3,000 Sony a7S III and DJI Ronin gimbal combo with this little guy.
00:54And sure, the Pocket 3 isn't going to fool you into thinking it's a full-frame camera
00:57paired with a lens that alone is twice its price, but under the right conditions, especially
01:02when I'm filming outdoors, I've found it gets shockingly close.
01:07But while the Pocket 3's video quality is great, I think it's really its size and
01:11convenience which makes this camera so special.
01:13So it's got me thinking, how does this stack up to the camera I already always have on
01:17me, my iPhone 15 Pro?
01:20Now, I've shot a lot of video on this and sometimes it's really all you need, but
01:24if you're ready to step up your video production and you want a camera that's nearly as small
01:28and easy to use, here are 5 reasons that the Osmo Pocket 3 wins every time.
01:33Alright, let's do a little bit of a spec recap here.
01:37The Osmo Pocket 3 packs a 1-inch sensor that can shoot 4K up to 120 frames per second.
01:42With its 3-axis gimbal built right in, it keeps your footage smooth, even with faster-paced
01:47action, whether you're walking, running, or even chasing rally cars.
01:50Combine that with its ActiveTrack 6.0, which just locks onto your subject and follows them,
01:55including yourself, it's like having a mini-DP in your pocket.
01:59At just 150 grams, it's incredibly lightweight, making it the perfect companion for anyone
02:03who needs high-quality video without the bulk.
02:06Now let's compare that to the iPhone 15 Pro.
02:08It's got a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 12-megapixel telephoto, and
02:14it can shoot 4K up to 60 frames per second.
02:16Now, support with ProRes Log, but that does have a lot of caveats.
02:20Video quality as great as it can be, honestly, can still feel underwhelming, because at the
02:24end of the day, it still looks like it came from a phone.
02:27It comes down to a few things.
02:28It lacks realistic depth of field, and it's often over-sharpened.
02:31It looks too digital, especially if you're using Apple's default camera app.
02:35On top of that, it's not great in low light.
02:38Shooting in ProRes Log does unlock more dynamic range and control over your final video look,
02:43but those file sizes are massive, burning through my 256 gigabytes of storage faster
02:48than I'd like, not to mention 60 frames per second is locked to recording with an
02:52external SSD.
02:53For me, the extra video quality you get just doesn't justify the hassle, especially if
02:57you consider how much easier and better looking the footage comes out straight from the Osmo
03:02Pocket 3.
03:04Arguably the biggest advantage with the Osmo Pocket 3 is its built-in gimbal.
03:08While the iPhone 15 Pro has impressive software stabilization, it just can't compete with
03:12physical stabilization with a gimbal.
03:15The Osmo Pocket 3 gives you impressive results whether you're walking, running, or filming
03:18out of a car window.
03:19It's all rock-solid.
03:20In fairness, as long as I can remember, the iPhones have had some of the best video stabilization
03:26of any phone, but even to this day, its electronic and software magic can only do so much.
03:32Results are impressive with slower movements, and at times, it can be way better than it
03:35has any right to be, but video quality also quickly falls apart in low light.
03:39Even under ideal conditions, you'd still be running into weird jerkiness or warpiness
03:43from the system just trying to keep up with your fast movements.
03:46In comparison, because the Pocket 3 has an actual, physical gimbal, you can get those
03:51incredible shots in the darkest of scenes, whether it's nighttime or just low-light
03:55rooms.
03:57Next up, that gimbal isn't just great for hiding bumps in your movement, it's also
04:00the perfect tool for cinematic pans or tilts.
04:04Sure, you can try to mimic it hand-held, but even with the most steady of hands, and even
04:08if you're really slow, there's a good chance you're catching some unwanted shake in your
04:12shots.
04:13Not to mention, just as in the example before with running or walking, digital stabilization
04:18really struggles in low light, and it's going to be even worse with these kinds of
04:22movements.
04:23On the other hand, with the Osmo Pocket 3, you can actually manually control with the
04:25joystick or program in your gimbal movements in seconds to really elevate your production
04:31quality, because you can do awesome time lapses or repeatable camera movements that
04:36barely take any effort, but the results are definitely worth it.
04:40Next up, if you want a camera specifically for vlogging, the Osmo Pocket 3 might just
04:44be the perfect vlogging camera.
04:46I'm someone who hates to film in public, but the Osmo Pocket 3 makes things a lot easier
04:50for me.
04:51And you can't even really tell that I'm doing it because, one, I'm not really maintaining
04:55eye contact, but just holding this out a couple feet from me, you never really even know I
05:00was recording a video.
05:01It's small and discreet, so it doesn't really draw a lot of attention to myself.
05:04It also means I can bring it into venues or other places where traditional cameras definitely
05:09wouldn't be allowed.
05:10I also love how with just three taps, the camera faces me and I can say what I want
05:15to camera, three more, and it's back to facing what's in front.
05:19Combine that with its really bright two-inch screen, and it makes framing a breeze, even
05:24in bright sunlight.
05:25And let's not forget its great built-in mics, perfect for quick videos like this,
05:30and also, when paired with DJI Wireless Mic 2, the Osmo Pocket 3 feels like it's just
05:37more capable for capturing those impromptu and personal moments a lot easier.
05:43One of the other things that really helps the Osmo Pocket 3 shine, especially when doing
05:47these more close-up shots, is its depth of field.
05:50You get this beautiful cinematic bokeh that blurs out the background nicely, giving you
05:55decent subject separation that's usually reserved for larger, more expensive camera
06:00setups.
06:01Now, this isn't going to give you that, you know, f1.2 look of a 50mm full-frame camera,
06:08but it gives your footage that extra-polished pro look that, again, smaller cameras can't
06:13really match.
06:14Phones are getting better at this, especially with their portrait or cinematic modes, but
06:18those are usually software tricks that are hit-or-miss and can often look messy.
06:24Even when I'm not filming myself, I want to show off a cool new gadget that I'm reviewing.
06:29The Pocket 3 helps me get all those beauty shots without needing to pack my big setup,
06:34and I actually really like the results.
06:36Finally, when you're out capturing, the last thing you want to do is worry about your device
06:39running out of juice or storage.
06:42The Osmo Pocket 3 has you covered with impressive battery life, giving you up to 166 minutes
06:46of 4K recording on just a single charge.
06:48If that's not enough, picking up the battery grip accessory, which I highly recommend,
06:52sends your recording time to 253 minutes, or just over 4 hours of continuous filming.
06:57That's crazy.
06:58I go the whole day without worrying about battery levels, and unlike my phone, which
07:02is the lifeline for everything else, the Osmo Pocket 3 is a dedicated tool that I can always
07:06rely on.
07:07That means no stressing about draining my phone's battery while I'm out filming a
07:11big shoot.
07:12Similarly, I also hate running out of space on my phone.
07:15The Pocket 3 has 64GB of built-in storage and supports microSD cards up to 1TB.
07:20I really wish phones could bring this back, but I think we're way past that now.
07:24All that to say, the iPhone, or any other phone, isn't a bad video camera, but if
07:28you want to take your content creation to the next level with minimal effort and investment,
07:32I think the Osmo Pocket 3 kit is the way to go.
07:35Phones are continuing to get more impressive each year, but just as with Apple and every
07:39other brand, they're trying harder, but it's mostly with software, and there's
07:43only so much they can do with the camera sensors that they can currently fit into these small
07:47phone bodies.
07:48The Osmo Pocket 3 is effectively bridging the gap between pro and casual filmmaking
07:53in a way that's accessible and fun for everyone, while also being super portable and, I think,
07:58relatively affordable.
07:59But let me know what you think about the Osmo Pocket 3.
08:02For more cool tech, you can follow us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to
08:05see what I'm reviewing next.
08:06Thanks for watching.