DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Review: The End of Travel Mirrorless Cameras

For the last decade, travel vloggers faced a brutal compromise.

You could either carry a heavy, $2,000 mirrorless camera to get beautiful, blurry-background cinematic footage, OR you could use an action camera (like a GoPro) that fit in your pocket but produced grainy, terrible video the second the sun went down.

With the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, the compromise is dead.

The 1-Inch Sensor Magic

The secret to the Pocket 3 is its sensor. It features a 1-inch CMOS sensor. This is significantly larger than the sensors found in smartphones or GoPros.

In the camera world, larger sensors do two things:

1. They capture more light. You can walk through a dimly lit night market in Tokyo, and the footage will look incredibly clean, bright, and free of digital noise.
2. They create optical depth of field. When you film yourself, the background naturally blurs out (bokeh) without using fake, computational "Portrait Mode" software.

It produces an image that looks like it came from a massive Sony or Canon mirrorless camera.

Mechanical vs. Electronic Stabilization

Your smartphone uses Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). It crops the video and uses software to warp the edges to smooth out footsteps. In low light, this warping creates a hideous "jitter" effect.

The Pocket 3 uses a physical, 3-axis mechanical gimbal. Tiny motors perfectly counteract your hand movements. You can literally run down a set of stairs, and the footage looks like it was shot on a Hollywood dolly track. Zero jitter, zero warping.

The "Creator Combo" Ecosystem

If you buy the "Creator Combo" version of the Pocket 3, it comes with a DJI Mic 2 transmitter.

This is the greatest quality-of-life feature on the device. The receiver is built into the camera itself. You turn the microphone on, clip it to your shirt, and your audio is instantly synced. No cables, no dongles, no syncing in post-production.

The Flaws

It is not perfect.

• It is fragile. The robotic gimbal head is exposed. If you drop it on a rock, the motors will break. This is NOT an action camera. You cannot take it surfing.
• Battery anxiety. The battery is internal. When it dies, you can't just pop a fresh one in; you have to attach the included battery handle or plug it into a power bank via USB-C.

The Verdict

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is the greatest travel vlogging camera ever made.

It takes 2 seconds to turn on (you just flip the 2-inch OLED screen sideways). It tracks your face automatically. It sounds incredible. It fits in the pocket of your jeans.

Unless you are shooting wildlife with a telephoto lens or doing paid commercial client work, leave the heavy mirrorless camera at home. Buy the Pocket 3.

• Buy the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 on Amazon