The DJI Osmo Pocket is the ideal dinky handheld camera for adventure holidays

DJI drones feature some amazing technology, not least their gimbals that enable them to create super-steady video in buffeting winds. The DJI Osmo Pocket harnesses that magic in a 12MP mechanically stabilised camera that fits in the palm of your hand and weighs a meagre 116g.

It's a great choice for vlogging and it’s also a superb choice for those of you heading off on a late summer holiday or a big outdoors adventure. That’s because the Osmo Pocket is super-compact and tough, so it’s able to withstand life on the trail just as well as if you’re lounging by the pool all day and grabbing some stylised poolside selfies. (Note: this isn't DJI's primary action cam – for that you want to head to our DJI Action 2 review.)

This dinky, 3-axis stabilised handheld camera sits quietly in your backpack when not in use, and swiftly starts recording as soon as you want to capture some impromptu action on your holiday or outdoors adventure. Thanks to a comprehensive editing suite, you can even add cool filters or music to your videos before sharing them.

Sitting behind the 26mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 lens, which captures an 80-degree field of view, there’s a 1/2.3-inch sensor capable of producing 4K (3840x2160) footage at 60fps and 100Mbps. 

Alternatively, Full HD footage can be recorded at up to 120p for ace slow-motion playback, or you can shoot stills, panoramas, time lapses and motion lapses. And although there are automatic shooting modes, you can also take control over aspects such as the shutter speed, white balance and sensitivity (ISO).

The smart part, however, is that as well as ironing out the inevitable shake that comes from hand-holding a camera, the mechanical gimbal enables it to track faces or other subjects that are selected with a tap on the touchscreen.

DJI supplies the Osmo Pocket with a neat plastic cover that keeps the gimbal and lens safe when you’re carrying it in your pocket – and at 121.9 x 28.6 x 36.9mm, it fits in many. However, a quick flip of the retaining strap and a press of the power button means you’re ready to film within two or three seconds. 

Controlling the camera is easy with taps and swipes on the screen or the occasional press of a button. If you prefer, you can also connect it to a smartphone via the included Lightning and USB-C connectors. This gives you a bigger view of the scene, as well as more intuitive control.

The DJI Osmo Pocket saves video and stills to a microSD card and you can either transfer the files to a computer for editing or use your phone. Even though you can only transfer Full HD footage and not 4K, the Mimo app dishes out plenty of editing control, enabling you to trim and join clips. Once you’ve finished, the video is saved to your phone’s photo album for sharing.

Naturally, the best results are created when you edit 4K footage on a computer, but the results from the Memo app are tremendous and you can quickly produce a slick-looking video while you’re still on holiday.

It’s well worth splashing out an extra £53 to get the DJI Controller Wheel as this gives easier, smoother and more precise control over the panning and tilting of the camera in the gimbal without connecting a phone.

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