Really thinking about snagging one of these...would be slick to take on vacations.

I bought a GoPro in 2015 for a trip that we expected to include (and did include) river rafting. I've used it twice since. I really only have two other applications for it, including MB riding, and I really don't do much riding now.

Not discouraging any purchase; just think about what you will do with it. There are decent cheap action cams if you're looking at only one or two applications -- one time or ongoing.

Yea, I don't use my GoPro as much as I used to. Maybe 3 times a year. But, I think this would be worth it as a replacement. Especially when it has a gimbal and it fits in your pocket. I would definitely use this over my phone when I know I'm gonna be taking video. My GoPro was also my Dive camera and I've had issues with jittering the gimbal would fix that and the dive housing for this goes 195 ft deep!

A direct connection to my phone is also enticing since GoPro's wifi is slow with my Hero 4.

Wow, this thing is only $349. I was expecting twice that.

https://store.dji.com/product/osmo-pocket

Just ordered from Best Buy. Happy birthday to me

Anyone pick one of these up for Christmas? Thoughts? I've read many reviews and watched a ton of video...but just can't quite pull the trigger. Looking for someone to push me either way.

Other than being smaller, what does this have over an iPhone? I've got a pistol grip for my iPhone and use it a lot, actually.

Not getting into the technical side, one big thing is that it's not your phone.

I get the convenience of shooting on a phone, but there's something to be said for being able to strap up a camera to shoot with and not worry about calls, texts, losing it, etc.

It doesn't have much over the iPhone, but one trait it has is the camera stabilization which helps produce a smoother picture. I do a lot of filming and video editing for fun so this is perfect for me. I bought a gimbal for the same price 4 years ago for my GoPro. The picture was more crisp but the gimbal was crap with calibration. It had a slight 5 degree tilt that I could never fix because it was made by some small Chinese company. I'll be getting one next week. My parents got one for fun and I played with it.

I would like to add, that this device has the potential to be more versatile than an iPhone. They've got some accessories coming that I wouldn't put my iPhone in, like a dive housing or selfie stick. I've used a GoPro for diving but this will be so much better for diving with the stabilization.

A smartphone gimbal from the same company is about a third of the price. I don't worry about calls, etc. -- airplane mode and all and I wouldn't be doing this when I'm expecting something important. Of course, you may be different, so by all means get one and let us know how it works!

Day one review...
I played with my parents OSMO Pocket at the family Christmas. Like what fig96 just said, I didn't burn through my phone battery because I wasn't filming with my phone. Shooting video kills the battery on a phone. I had nice experience with it so far. It wasn't love at first sight out of the box. Filming for the first time felt weird but once I figured out the controls I mastered a good part of it quickly. The best mode is FPV and it isn't FPV out of the box, they had it in Follow mode so I had a hard time trying to film my dogs till I figured out I had to change the mode. It feels very sturdy like an old 1960s metal camera, but tiny in my big hands so I hope theres a handgrip accessory in the future. The touchscreen isn't bad at all. The reviews on YouTube are right. One mentioned a up and down oscillation effect, that does happen but it's not terrible, just have to keep a steady hand. The videos come out nice and smooth and the microphone is great. 4K video does not transfer to the phone via connector but 1080p will. You have to have a computer to retrieve the 4K video for editing so I filmed in 1080p 60 fps for the day. The phone connector is cool that it can swapped for a different phone, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMOVE YOUR PHONE CASE! I advised my mother to buy a lightning extension cable so she doesn't have to remove her Lifeproof case when transferring files to her phone. My parent's don't have a powerful home computer anymore for video editing so they have to use 1080p to get the video on their phones for editing.
The app is alright but could use some UI improvements and I don't need that dang instructional video every time I use the app.

I was about to pull the trigger on the Smartphone gimbal for Christmas but luckily DJI announced the Osmo Pocket before I did. It's nice to put a gimbal in your pocket.

AB2 said:

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Anyone pick one of these up for Christmas? Thoughts? I've read many reviews and watched a ton of video...but just can't quite pull the trigger. Looking for someone to push me either way.

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I've got the older version and will upgrade to this later this year. Solid product.

91AggieLawyer said:

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I bought a GoPro in 2015 for a trip that we expected to include (and did include) river rafting. I've used it twice since. I really only have two other applications for it, including MB riding, and I really don't do much riding now.

Not discouraging any purchase; just think about what you will do with it. There are decent cheap action cams if you're looking at only one or two applications -- one time or ongoing.

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If you or a loved one have a toddler, strap that sucker to the toddler and enjoy.

I got one right before the wife and I went to NYC last week. Got some neat hyperlapses with it and enjoyed the tracking features. The battery life is surprisingly good. Had a lot of fun shooting on it. Lots of people asked what it was and thought it was really cool once I showed them.

Y'all convinced me. Ordered last night, pickup today.

https://itstoasty.com/products/dji-osmo-pocket-handheld-3-axis-gimbal-stabilizer-with-integrated-camera

On sale for $260 at itstoasty

Anyone been using theirs and want to give an update? Kids are wanting some kind of video recorder for Christmas. They want a Go Pro but don't really need an action camera. Leaning more towards this. Have a first gen Osmo Mobile I used to use but went back to still photography myself so haven't used it much the last year or so. Having a more compact version seems more versatile than big setup with a phone.

The new GoPros have gotten really good at video stabilization without a gimbal.

Pros of a GoPro Hero 8 Compared to DJI Osmo Pocket
-Built in mount adapter.
-Built in wireless tech to connect to phone
-Bigger Display
-No Moving Parts
-GoPro Mods
-Built in WaterProofing and Ruggedness
-Not Subject to Trump Tariffs (OSMO Pocket is $50 more expensive than it was pre-tariff)
-Wide angle camera
-Better microphone

Pros of DJI Osmo Pocket Compared to GoPro Hero 8
-Actual gimbal for smooth and always level video (Main reason to buy over GoPro)
-Hyperlapse with panning motion via gimbal
-USB-C port to directly plug phone in.
-More portable with hard carrying case to protect the gimbal in pocket.
-Cell phone angle camera

Verdict
Last year, OSMO Pocket would have been the camera to get because it was $50 cheaper than the GoPro 7. My idea of what DJI was trying to accomplish was eliminating the awkward phone gimbal and having a pocketable camera for vloging. The lower price made it optional for a user to buy accessories to match the GoPro if they wanted to and at the time(Pre-Trump Tariff), and the average joe figured out that they don't go outside as often or travel as often as they used to. Personally I never saw a need for upgrading my Hero 4 all of these years up to the 8, but now the 8 is tempting with everything packed into one device.

You get more for your money with the GoPro Hero 8 and it has today's camera tech inside vs yesterday's in OSMO Pocket. But if they care more about cinematography in getting an always level video and no built-in wide angle lens, then OSMO Pocket.

I love my OSMO Pocket, but recently it has been collecting dust like my Hero 4. Mainly because I haven't been doing a lot of activities lately.

Do you feel like if you had a Hero 8 it wouldn't be collecting dust? Or you feel like even if you had the Hero 8 it would be collecting the same dust? Thanks for the write up.

aggiebq03+ said:

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Do you feel like if you had a Hero 8 it wouldn't be collecting dust? Or you feel like even if you had the Hero 8 it would be collecting the same dust? Thanks for the write up.

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For me, the 8 would probably collect dust as well. It's attractive because you get more bang for your buck. It all depends on what they want to use the camera for. Vloging and everyday use is perfect for the OSMO Pocket because you're not using your phone camera all the time and burning/degrading battery. OSMO Pocket is less awkward to carry around.

Well, I bring this thread from way back as sort of a mea culpa (or whatever). I've come full circle. The interesting thing is, while I owned the device I recommended (smart phone gimbal), I never actually used it. Instead, about a year after I posted, I broke down and got a GoPro 8 and used it until this week (for sale in Classifieds). I've decided I don't like it anymore (no real action cam use) and have ordered the DJI Pocket II (used, as the Pocket III may be here soon).

I still think the smart phone gimbal may be useful for some, and the smart phone apps are pretty good. But with the bigger sensor and better compact size of the DJI, I see now why it is hard to pass up.

Anyway, for those who've had the Pocket, I'd like to hear tips and tricks. And about accessories, especially lighting and sound.