Not Perfect, and That's Okay (problems w/the Osmo Pocket 3)
*for full sample video footage, please watch the YouTube video above
Roughly one year ago I got my hands on the popular Osmo Pocket 3.
It was a camera I decided to pick up in Japan because, why not?, the prices were cheaper.
I figured it’d be convenient to record the world around me, take photos and b-roll of myself, and document the experience in general.
Fast forward 1 year and 4 trips later, it’s proven to be one of the most useful cameras in my toolkit.
But no camera is perfect, and the Osmo Pocket 3 is no exception.
We’ll be covering some workarounds based on my real world experience, just know that your mileage may vary.
This is also not a tech or spec review, so don’t expect every little detail to be covered.
Let’s get started.
My General Experience
The Osmo Pocket 3’s greatest appeal is probably it’s size and convenience.
This is generally a camera people get to record video on the go, run and gun, without having to think too much about it.
It’s useful for vloggers, videographers, or just people who need something to record stuff with.
You can bring it to most places like coffee shops, airports, restaurants, and film stuff without drawing too much attention.
And the best part: it’s a stabilized gimbal - meaning shakes and turns are much less of a problem.
The footage itself is also pretty high quality, making it a great way to bridge the gap for those who are used to a smartphone and wants to explore something better.
This is in part due to the sensor size - a 1 inch sensor makes a solid difference in picture and video quality.
You can also shoot in D-Log M, allowing you to edit and practice color grading if you want.
Personally, I bought this camera to record simple stuff while I traveled.
I have other cameras that would technically be better if I wanted something of a higher quality or more cinematic, but I prefer to stick to photography on those cameras.
And having something like the Pocket 3 makes it easier to record video at the same time, without having to flip flop back and forth hybrid mode on my other cameras.
Switching to your secondary is faster than reloading, right?
It’s been a great tool to document interesting streets as I’m walking down them, record myself taking photos, and get me doing work for b-roll in these videos.
It’s honestly a great alternative to an action camera because the footage is better, it’s more stabilized due to the gimbal, and easier to control and use.
And if you’re not doing anything water, sand, and dirt related, it’s probably a better option than a GoPro.
Now, I want to be clear, I do think the camera is great but it does have a few shortcomings.
This is probably me nitpicking a bit, because for all intents and purposes, the camera does it’s job really well.
But I feel like it’s important to mention because I’ve had problems with some of these things.
Let’s cover some of these issues.
Focus Breathing
I’ve mentioned this before, but focus breathing can be an issue with the Pocket if you’re not careful.
What is focus breathing?
Focus breathing is what happens when your camera focuses in and out between different subjects.
This typically happens between two objects of different distances and usually results in distracting blur and a bit of warping.
It’s basically getting confused on what to focus on and flip flops.
On higher quality and more expensive lenses, focus breathing is minimal, meaning the transition between focus is smoother and less noticeable.
However on the Osmo Pocket 3, this can be quite apparent.
I’ve recorded myself eating or doing work many times and would sometimes look at the footage later and see the focus breathing.
It’s not the end of the world, but it’s distracting, and a lot of shots become unusable.
The simplest workaround here is to properly set the focus before you record.
Press the screen and a yellow box should show up.
Tap the area you want to focus on, use the joystick to adjust the frame, and you should be fine.
I’d also recommend to hold the camera farther or set it up somewhere further from you.
This can help minimize breathing because there’s more distance, making a focus adjustment less noticeable.
Also make sure there’s no objects in between you and the camera.
That can confuse the camera and make it think it should focus on that thing instead.
Because even with the focus box set, if a new object enters that zone, the Pocket can focus on it.
There’s also a new firmware update with a setting called “Breathing Compensation” which can help with this.
I’m still in the process of testing it out, although I’d expect it won’t eliminate the problem completely.
Focal Length
The Pocket 3 sports a 20mm full frame eq focal length.
In theory, this is a decent focal length, suitable for catching most things and vlogging.
However in my personal experience, I’ve found it to be a bit tighter than expected.
If you want to get b-roll of yourself eating, doing work, or walking, you’re gonna have to place or hold the camera much further than you expect.
This can be challenging, especially if you’re seated in tighter area.
In my opinion, this can’t be helped - you can’t expect one focal length to do everything and this is probably the right middle ground for both cinematic shots and vlogging.
Your primary solution for a tight field of view is to use the wide angle filter that comes with the Creator Combo.
It turns the focal length into a 15mm equivalent, which helps a bit with vlogging or just recording yourself.
This is also great in theory, but I found there were problems of its own.
You may or may not remember from my first impressions video, but I lost this wide angle filter.
This is because the magnet itself isn’t super strong and it’s also too thick for the lens.
So turning the camera on and off will actually brush the filter against the camera and either loosen it or push it off.
Meaning you have to remember to take your filter off before turning your camera off or you’ll lose it.
There is a spot to store the wide angle filter if you have the protective cover, but again, it still means taking it off every single time.
I’d often find the filter loose in my pocket or on the camera and I knew it was just a matter of time before I lost it entirely.
Now, I have heard that the K&F filters are better, but I haven’t tried them myself.
They are less than half the price of the DJI ones though, so they’re more replaceable and could be a great alternative if you still want a wider focal length.
Now, you might say this is user error and that I should have known better, but in my opinion, this was a design flaw.
Especially for a camera like this, where you’re going to be on the go, and you’re often not thinking about the filter, it should be made to stay on.
And having to take it on and off every single time or you’ll lose it is just not practical.
Plus, just imagine a Pocket 3 that was actually built with a gap large enough to accommodate filters.
Wouldn’t that be so much better?
Shaking
A common expectation you’ve probably had for this camera is stabilization.
The camera is a 3 axis gimbal, allowing you to vlog, walk around, and film with minimal shaking.
This is true for the most part, although I have found small instances where you have to be careful.
Walking in particular requires more attention to detail than you’d think.
If you’re going to walk like how you normally would, with just the camera in your hand, you’re gonna end up with bouncy footage.
Meaning the camera is going to bob up and down in cadence to either the movements of your arm or your hips as you walk.
It’s still stabilized technically, but it doesn’t look good.
So if you want smoother footage like you’re just gliding through crowds, you have to make sure you hold the camera level.
It makes sense in retrospect but this wasn’t something I thought about at first.
Another common issue I’ve noticed with this camera is desk shakes.
Due to the lightness of the camera and the lack of a stable base, it can actually pick up movements on the surface below it, especially if the table isn’t that solid.
Similarly, not every surface is stable, and many platforms can tilt or sway when you’re leaning on it, waiters are putting plates down, whatever.
I’ve found that even an inch or two of shaking, although not noticeable in real life, can pop up in the editing room.
Now some people might say, “That’s what the tripod attachment is for”.
But I personally don’t think it’s the best solution because the camera can still tilt, slide, or fall over.
It also adds bulk and makes the camera less pocketable when you’re on the go.
So one of the best investments I made for the Osmo Pocket 3 was this silicone desk mount.
It’s a much better solution, at least for me, because there’s less of a footprint and the material itself serves as a grip for the camera.
So it’s more effective for little secondary bumps and sways, the camera doesn’t fall over as easily, and there’s less rocking.
Now obviously it’s not perfect and the best solution is to not lean or touch the platform in the first place.
But it’s pretty good for 7$.
Flicker
Flicker is an issue for all video, not just the Osmo Pocket 3.
What is flicker?
Flicker is what’s referred to the flashing lights that can sometimes show up in your video.
It’s pretty annoying and can actually be difficult to edit out of.
Many of my clips are unusable because of this.
Flicker usually happens because of shutter speed - shooting at the wrong shutter speed can lead to flickering.
This is because different countries have different electrical grid frequencies, usually 50 or 60 Hz.
If you’re traveling often, your best bet is to make sure your settings match the area you’re in.
For example, in Japan, different areas run on different Hz, meaning some of my footage had flicker simply because I didn’t know any better.
I just set my shutter speed to double the frame rate and shot at 30fps, which would have been fine in North America.
It’s a little confusing, but apparently I was supposed to shoot at 1/100 or 1/50 in 50Hz regions.
This can be tough to remember on the go, so you may forget to change the setting, and look back at your clips later, disappointed.
If you’re unsure of the shutter speed you have to shoot at, you can google the country or region you’re in and figure out what Hz they run on.
I’ll also include a link to Red’s website, which will help you calculate your shutter speed.
The Osmo Pocket 3 also has an anti-flicker setting.
This might help with flickering a bit, but I haven’t tested it out yet.
And I’m guessing it can’t eliminate the problem 100%.
Again, this is a video problem, not exclusive to the Pocket 3, but something to keep in mind when you’re using the camera.
Convenience Over Perfection
At the end of the day, the Osmo Pocket 3’s greatest strength is it’s convenience.
It’s obviously not perfect, but the camera has come a long way from it’s previous generations.
And unlike my initial impression of the camera, it’s much less hands-off than I thought.
When buying this camera I thought I could just turn it on, press record, not worry about anything, and get great footage.
But as we’ve learned, it’s not as simple as that.
There’s focus breathing, a fixed focal length, desk shakes, and flicker.
All things that could alter and change your footage from how you want it to be.
And while some of these aren’t problems specific to just the Pocket 3, they are problems I’ve had.
Similarly, there are more things I haven’t yet talked about.
Sometimes the gimbal will be off or crooked just slightly and you won’t notice it and have to rotate the footage in post.
Sometimes the focus will be on something else and you won’t realize it until later.
The start-up time for this camera is a bit slow and you’ll sometimes miss shots.
And pans and sweeping shots require you to go much much slower than you think or else the video will look bad.
Again, some of these are user-specific or “skill errors”, but I think they all have something in common: monitoring.
Although the camera sports a larger screen than it’s previous versions, it’s still quite small.
I mainly use it to frame the shot, but little things that might be off like the gimbal tilt or the focus I never notice until later.
This is partially because I’m used to bigger screens on bigger cameras, so if you’re coming from something like that, take note.
But it’s also just hard to see those details on a device like this in the first place.
You’re best bet is to monitor through your smartphone on the DJI app, but that can be less convenient to do.
The point of this is to say: monitoring with this camera is difficult, especially if you’re on the go.
And if monitoring is difficult, it’s more likely your footage will have some of the problems we mentioned earlier.
Furthermore, trying to get perfect shots on this camera is going to require more effort than you think.
The build and controls are more optimized to be run and gun, rather than fine tune and set.
Which doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but getting that “perfect footage” is much easier on a proper mirrorless setup.
At the end of the day, this is because the camera is built for convenience, not perfection.
It’s easy to get fooled by the image quality, the stabilization, and the sensor size, such that you’ll be tempted to use this camera for everything.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, of course, but I’ve learned from my experiences.
The Osmo Pocket 3 is not perfect…and that’s okay.
I’ve found where the camera works well and where it doesn’t.
I try my best to workaround some of these problems but it doesn’t always work out.
And if the footage is a little botched here and there, I’m honestly okay with it.
Because the trade-offs of using this camera are still worth it.
I use this camera because it’s easy to use, not because it’s the best tool for the job.
All of this is to say:
If you’re trying to make amazing cinematic videos, stick to your main setup, use this as a B-cam to fill the gaps.
If you insist on only using this camera, expect it to take a bit more time and effort to get the shots right, or just be okay with slight imperfections.
And if you just need something to press record, you’re honestly fine.
Much of this is me being picky because I can’t help it…
Keep in mind the limitations and workarounds, but otherwise don’t sweat it too much because that’s not what this camera is meant to do.
Anyways, if you found this useful, send it to a friend who’s interested in the Pocket 3.
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Thanks for reading, have a great day.
