Will the DJI Pocket 3 win my camera of the year award

2024 is well underway and this little camera still impresses me every time I use it.
The video footage is stunning, providing you get some basics set up before you start your Pocket 3 journey.
Once set up correctly, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between the DJI Pocket 3 and the Sony A7 SIII, it really is that good.

Who are DJI

We all associate DJI with Drones, but recently they have really taken the camera market by surprise with the Pocket 3 and the Action 4.
Their intuitive menu system is a joy to use and they really do deliver the goods in terms of user experience and quality.

What I like about this camera is, not just the image quality but the menu system and reliability, which we will cover later in this article.

There are so many superb articles and videos on this camera set up, I think it will serve no importance to go over it all again, so what we have here is my personal thoughts regarding this camera and how it fits into my daily life as a content creator.

DJI Pocket 3 – the curse of the pop ups

Those annoying pop ups will drive you crazy, they hang on the screen what seems like forever, dont expect to switch on and get that quick shot because the microphone connection label will cover the screen. By the time it has gone, so has that oppertinity to get the shot.

I found the Gimball to be my biggest stumbling block, although it offers fantastic stability – It comes at a cost.

How does the DJI Pocket 3 work for filming in the field?

I can't fault the image quality and the talking head shots, but it does cause me some problems when out metal detecting and wishing to film excavations of targets, it's not ideal.
Firstly the procedure.

  • Put the Pocket 3 on a tripod
  • Adjust the Gimball so it is facing into the dig area

  • Check the position and press the screen for focus

  • Press record and hope everything is in line and focused

Why manual focus instead of autofocus

Her lies the problem….if using autofocus the camera hunts for the nearest target, very often this is your hand or pin-pointer, this ruins the shot.
This is not a fault of the camera, it is simply me, wanting the camera to do something it is not designed to do.

There is a single focus option, but when your hands are covered in mud, touching the screen is not the best practice.

Reliability

I cannot fault the reliability, this is where it really excels over the Go Pro, when your living depends on getting good footage, you can't have a monkey on your back costing you footage and quality. I'm done with Go Pro products, if nothing else, to save my sanity.

What would I like to see in future updates

Top of the list would be voice activation
Then remove the annoying pop-ups when you turn on
A Gimbal lock, not just a press and hold feature like we have now.
That is all I would change, I really believe this camera is the future.

One thing is for sure DJI are innovators and certainly the company to follow.