DJI Pocket 2 review: Super-smooth 4K footage

 

Quick verdict

Pocket 2 takes what was awesome about the first Osmo Pocket, by providing up to 60fps of 4K video, and makes it better. It'll quickly become a must-have for any videographer's camera bag with ActiveTrack, mechanical stabilization and a design that can easily slip into your pocket.

For

High-quality and seamless 4K video

Highly compact and easy

Great lifetime of batteries

Against

Harsher and darker slow-motion video than standard videos

The small touch screen is fiddly.

(Pocket-lint) - Ah, 2020 has been a strange old year that has seen a variety of businesses try various new items. For DJI, it is the branding that has evolved, but it is all about refreshing and improving existing goods. We've seen Osmo-branded goods completely lose the Osmo moniker, while the follow-up to the launch of the Mavic Mini is simply the Mini 2.

The Pocket 2 is one product which fits into the new sans-Osmo camera lineup. It's the successor to the camera-and-gimbal Osmo Pocket device that was introduced back in 2019. The latest model retains all the good aspects from the original, but with some pro-minded modules, it boosts the internal ones and makes it even more flexible.

Instant pocket-ability

• Dimensions: 124.7 × 38.1 × 30mm / Weight: 117g
• 3-axis gimbal stabilisation

The Pocket 2's greatest joy and greatest appeal is the same as the first Osmo Pocket: its pocketability. See what they've done there with the name? It's the fact that this balanced camera-on-a-gimbal that's small enough to put in your pocket and walk around with has been developed by DJI. It's not a big Ronin-esque handheld gimbal for a full-size camera, it's one of the most convenient video cameras.

The Pocket 2 is about the length of a smartphone, but obviously less large, and it ships with a hard protective case that you can easily slip it inside so that it won't get damaged when you just throw it in your pocket or in a bag.

To control it, you get a grand total of three keys. Two of them are sitting under the small front touchscreen. One is for start/stop recording, the other is a sort of multifunction that you'll often use by either double- or triple-tapping the camera or flipping it about 180 degrees. The only other button, which is the on/off power button, is on the hand.

The size of the Pocket 2 not only makes it pocketable, it also guarantees that you can keep it when taking video and you're not likely to get tired. It is easy to grip and lightweight. Plus, the fact that you've got it on you also ensures that it has that element of quick access. To whip out, turn on and start recording, it's quick.

That means it's more convenient in certain respects than using your mobile. Especially if you want the smooth, physically balanced footage that only a mechanical gimbal can give you. Something like the OM 4, DJI's new smartphone gimbal, is your next best option, but that's far larger and much less comfortable to walk around with. While the envelope is often pushed by phone manufacturers, such as the gimbal camera in the Vivo X51.

Of course, there is the touchscreen on the front of the Pocket 2 that, while serving as your display, if you do not have a smartphone attached, is also how you get to some of the other settings. To reach different settings, you can swipe up, down, left or right, whether it is to select your video resolution and frame rate, or to switch to a different shooting mode, such as slow-mo or timelapse.

Modular marvel

• Adapter for connecting smartphone
• Creator combo with wireless mic/tripod mount
• 875mAh battery - good for 140 minutes video capture

The extension of its modularity is what's fascinating about Pocket 2. Much like you did with the original, you can connect a phone to the camera using a small adapter, allowing you the ability to use a much larger display as the monitor instead of having to use the tiny square one.

This needs an app to be installed on your computer, but you get a much simpler way to monitor all the different settings once you have done that, including allowing the ActiveTrack function for subsequent topics. But if you get the Creator Combo, you get a few other attachments to clip onto the bottom of the Pocket 2 as well. One allows you to mount a small fold-out tripod so that the device can stand on its own. The other is a wireless microphone kit, which means that you can clip a microphone and pair it wirelessly with the Pocket 2. Which is super helpful if you need to record yourself talking to the camera (for example, if you're vlogging).

During our research, battery life was never a concern either. For an afternoon of filming, we could quickly take the Pocket 2 out, then film almost two hours of footage without having to think about its durability. That kind of peace of mind is inestimable. It's quick enough to power up using a USB Type-C cable if you're in a hurry and need to.

Photo and video

• 64-megapixel, 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 93-degree field of view
• Slow-motion, timelapse and motionlapse
• 4K up to 60fps, HDR video at 2.7k
  

As we've mentioned about DJI in the past, its best features are those that allow you to capture the kind of footage that when you're only keeping your smartphone or dedicated camera is very hard to do. It's elements such as the automatic ActiveTrack function of the Pocket 2 that locks on a subject, or stuff such as motionlapse that allows you to shoot a moving timelapse without costly motorize camera equipment.

For example, there is a function that lets you choose to lock on a face automatically whenever you shoot a video of yourself. So if you do a piece with the wireless mic attachment to the camera, then you can have it so that you never lose sight of the camera and hold you in the picture, regardless of how much your arm may be moving about.

The three-axis gimbal automatically stabilizes your footage when you film video, whether you are shifting on purpose or just to equalize natural hand-shakiness. You can also choose between whether you want it to move with you in the 'Follow' mode for deliberate travel, or whether you want it to keep looking in the same direction as you move.

If you review some of the sample videos in our video above, what you can find is that - if you walk with the camera - any time a foot hits the ground, you can always see some movement. The person holding the camera can still be told that he is walking, but the other movement in between is smooth and shake-free. Similarly, when panning and turning the camera around manually, the motion is very smooth.

Changing between a scene's light and dark areas results in a seamless exposure change, too. So you don't get the jumpy dark-to-light effect, when it knows the scene has become much lighter, it only gradually changes, to make sure it's not over-exposed.

In general, the footage looks fantastic, too. With rich yet real colours, it's sharp and doesn't suffer from an over-processed appearance. No harsh contrast or oversaturation occurs.

When you go into slow-motion mode, the only time that changes is. Switching to this results in a harsher, darker picture that doesn't look as bright or vivid as we've seen with various smartphones for years. The change is nowhere near as seamless between highlights and shadows. Even, you can get good-looking slow-motion footage in uniformly lit scenes.

The Pocket 2 also takes decent images in a pinch, showcasing identical features with great colours and detail in good light. The only problem we encountered was with strong backlighting - while shooting in automatic mode. The camera tends to fail to be able to balance out an image's very bright bits. With the sun behind us, taking a selfie resulted in an over-exposed backdrop with some lens flare.

Verdict

The DJI Pocket 2 takes what was awesome about the first Osmo Pocket, and by offering up to 60fps of 4K footage, makes it better. It'll quickly become a must-have for any videographer's camera bag with ActiveTrack, mechanical stabilisation, and a style that can easily slip into your pocket.

The best aspects of the Pocket 2 are the first-generation features we enjoyed: having a mechanically balanced camera that fits comfortably into a pocket.

You get the flexibility to shoot at several new resolutions and frame rates for this latest gen, as well as HDR (at 2.7k resolution), plus a battery that can capture more than two hours of video.

Like the removable module at the bottom for external accessories, the touchscreen is a little fiddly, but overall, the Pocket 2 provides a great combination of performance and comfort. On the market, there is nothing quite like it.

Also consider

DJI OM 4

It's not exactly like Pocket 2, but most of the same features can be activated by OM 4, except that you use your phone as a camera. For any experienced or aspiring videographer, it is a fantastic gadget that doesn't cost the Earth.