I Replaced My iPhone 17 Pro With the DJI Pocket 4 Pro... No Regrets!

Duration: 10:39 1725 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

In this comprehensive comparison video, the creator pits the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro against his new iPhone 17 Pro Max to determine which device offers superior performance for content creation without any post-production editing or color grading. The analysis begins with standard 4K video quality captured entirely handheld, revealing that while both cameras deliver excellent image fidelity, they possess distinct stylistic differences. The DJI Pocket is praised for producing richer, more vibrant colors and significantly smoother stabilization thanks to its built-in three-axis mechanical gimbal, which allows for fluid panning shots that mimic professional cinema equipment. In contrast, the iPhone relies on electronic stabilization that can introduce slight snapping during movement and often renders images with a flatter appearance in bright daylight conditions, though it remains highly capable out of the box. When shifting focus to photography, the verdict flips entirely in favor of the iPhone 17 Pro Max under various lighting conditions. The smartphone excels at exposure balancing, particularly when managing high-contrast scenes like bright skies against dark shadows, resulting in a more natural look compared to the DJI's tendency toward overexposure on lighter surfaces. Apple's HDR processing preserves cloud details and controls highlights effectively without appearing artificial, while also delivering superior sharpness in fine textures such as architecture and foliage. The iPhone further dominates in low-light photography and nighttime shots, where it produces dramatically brighter images with significantly less noise than the DJI unit, which begins to appear grainy when daylight fades. Selfie performance is also notably better on the iPhone, offering more natural skin tones and sharper facial details that give portraits a cleaner finish. The comparison extends into specialized features like telephoto zooming and slow-motion capture, where each device demonstrates specific strengths depending on the environment. Surprisingly, both cameras perform nearly identically at 3x optical zoom in bright daylight, but the DJI Pocket 4 Pro pulls ahead significantly when pushed to higher digital zoom levels up to 12x, retaining much more detail and clarity than the iPhone which softens considerably. For slow-motion footage, the two are evenly matched in good lighting with plenty of detail from both sensors; however, once filming moves into evening or low-light scenarios, the DJI's mechanical gimbal ensures smoother motion without blur while maintaining a warmer, more natural white balance that preserves atmospheric depth better than the iPhone's cooler tone. Ultimately, the creator concludes that neither camera is strictly superior across all categories but rather serves different primary purposes based on user needs and budget constraints. The internal microphones of both devices are acknowledged as noisy in outdoor environments without external receivers, though this limitation applies equally to both smartphones and dedicated cameras when relying solely on built-in audio inputs. While the iPhone remains the preferred choice for still photography due to its exceptional dynamic range and low-light capabilities, the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro emerges as a stronger contender for video-centric workflows, offering cinematic stabilization and superior performance once the sun sets. The final recommendation suggests that users who prioritize videography or frequently shoot in challenging lighting conditions should consider investing in the DJI system, whereas those focused on photography might find more value sticking with their smartphone ecosystem despite the price difference between the two devices.

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All right, this is the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro and this is my iPhone 17 Pro [music] Max. In today's video, we're going to be comparing both of the cameras on these. One is half the price of the other. Let's go ahead and see if this is comparable or even a much better camera than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. All of the chapters are linked down below if you want to see any specific sections. We're going to check out the video quality, the photos, slow motion, the audio quality with the internal mics and many more. So, let's go ahead and dive straight in. Let's kick things off with the standard 4K video quality. First of all, I want to point out that every single clip you're seeing here was filmed completely handheld. Neither camera was mounted on a tripod or any other handheld mount, and I also haven't applied any color grading or filters afterwards. This is simply how both cameras perform straight out of the box using their standard automatic video modes. Looking at the footage side by side, both cameras produce excellent image quality, but there are definitely some noticeable differences. The first thing that stood out to me was the color. The Osmo Pocket produces footage that looks a little richer and more vibrant, but without crossing the line into looking overprocessed or overly saturated. Blues in the sky have a bit more depth. Greenery has a little more life, and overall, the image just feels more balanced and cinematic. The iPhone still delivers a fantastic image, but in comparison, it can sometimes appear slightly flatter, especially in scenes with lots of bright daylight. Apple's image processing is still excellent, but I personally found myself preferring the overall look coming straight out of the DJI. The biggest difference though is stabilization. Because the Osmo Pocket uses a built-in threeaxis mechanical gimbal, movement feels incredibly smooth and controlled. You can see this most clearly during the panning shots. As I pan from left to right, the DJI glides across the scene with a slow, fluid motion that almost looks like it's on professional camera equipment. The iPhone relies entirely on electronic stabilization, which is impressive for a smartphone. But during those same pans, you can see it making quicker corrections and snapping slightly as it tries to keep the image level. For handheld filming, especially if you're walking, traveling, or creating cinematic B-roll, I'd definitely give this category to the Osmo Pocket 4P. The combination of smoother stabilization and more natural looking colors simply gives the footage a more polished camera-like appearance straight out of the camera. Now, let's move on to photo quality. And this is actually where my opinion completely flips compared to the video test. Just like before, every photo you're seeing was taken using the standard automatic photo mode on both cameras. There's been no editing, no color correction, and no filters applied. So, this is exactly what each device produces straight out of the box. Looking through these sideby-side samples, I consistently found myself preferring the photos from the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the biggest thing I noticed was exposure. The iPhone does a much better job of balancing bright skies with darker shadows, producing images that look much more natural overall. In comparison, the Osmo Pocket often pushes the exposure a little too far, making some scenes appear brighter than they should, particularly around buildings, pavements, and lighter surfaces. Apple's HDR processing is also incredibly impressive. Cloud detail is preserved nicely. Highlights are well controlled, and there's a really balanced look to the final image without it feeling artificial. Sharpness is another area where the iPhone comes out ahead. If you zoom into fine details like architecture, trees, or textures, there's just a little more clarity and definition throughout the frame. The DJI photos still look good, but they don't quite have the same level of refinement. Selfies were also surprisingly better on the iPhone. Skin tones look more natural. Facial detail is sharper, and the overall image has a cleaner, more polished appearance. But the biggest difference by far comes once the sun goes down. Take a look at this nighttime fountain shot. The iPhone is in a completely different league here. The image is dramatically brighter, significantly sharper, and there's far less visible noise. Water detail surrounding trees and reflections are all much clearer, whereas the DJI image starts to look grainy and noticeably softer. But since we are on the topic of nighttime shots, let's take a look at some low light videos I've taken with both these cameras. Now, this is where the results completely change again because once the sun goes down, the Osmo Pocket really starts to show why it's built specifically for video. It produces a cleaner, brighter image while still keeping the scene looking natural. The sky retains a much deeper blue tone, whereas the iPhone tends to brighten the image more aggressively, making the sky look flatter and losing some of that evening atmosphere. Another noticeable improvement is noise. As you look around darker areas of the frame, particularly trees, buildings, and shadows, the DJI footage appears cleaner with less visible grain. The iPhone introduces more noise and a slightly softer image, especially as the available light starts to disappear. Motion is another big advantage for the Osmo Pocket. Thanks to the mechanical gimbal, panning around the scene remains incredibly smooth, even at night. With the iPhone, those same movements become a little blurriier, and you can see the electronic stabilization making quick corrections, particularly when changing direction. The difference becomes even more obvious when filming people. Looking at these clips of me standing and walking, the DJI keeps my face and clothing noticeably sharper while maintaining a smoother overall image. On the iPhone, there's a little more softness and blur, especially once I start moving. Overall, if nighttime video or lowlight filming is something you do regularly, I'd comfortably give this category to the Osmo Pocket 4P. The combination of its dedicated low light video mode, smoother gimbal stabilization, and cleaner image quality simply makes it the stronger performer once daylight disappears. Next up is the telephoto comparison, and this one actually surprised me. Starting at 3x zoom here in Piccadilly Circus. Both cameras perform really well. Detail is sharp, colors look great, and honestly, there's very little between them. You will notice some light banding across the large LED billboards, but that's simply the camera shutter interacting with the screen's refresh rate, and both cameras show the same effect. The real difference appears once I push both cameras all the way to 12x zoom. Looking at these flower shots, the Osmo Pocket 4P retains noticeably more detailed. The flower petals stay sharper, edges look cleaner, and the overall image is much clearer. The iPhone starts to soften quite a bit once you reach this level of digital zoom. I genuinely wasn't expecting the DJI to perform this well. Its dedicated telephoto lens combined with DJI's digital zoom processing does an excellent job of preserving detail. So, while it's a draw at 3x optical, once you start pushing into higher zoom levels, the Osmo Pocket is the clear winner. Okay, in bright daylight, I'd honestly call this one a draw. Both the iPhone and the Osmo Pocket produce really smooth, slow motion footage with plenty of detail. And unless you're looking very closely, there's very little separating them. The difference only starts to appear once we move into low light conditions. Looking at this fountain clip, the DJI produces a warmer white tone that actually looks much closer to how the scene appeared in real life. The iPhone, on the other hand, shifts towards a cooler daylight white balance, changing the overall mood of the scene. The DJI footage also looks just that little bit sharper, especially around the water droplets and finer details, giving the slow motion clip a slightly cleaner finish. So, in good lighting, I'd say both cameras are equally matched. But if you plan on shooting slow motion in the evening or in lower light environments, I'd give a slight edge to the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P thanks to its more natural color reproduction and slightly sharper image. So this is the audio coming from the internal mic on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro. Now, obviously, I haven't connected any DJI mini wireless microphone. Not the new one, not the old one. That would probably be the best situation. It's quite noisy in this park that I'm sitting in. But this is how the audio will come out if you don't have any USBC receiver connected into your Osmo Pocket 4 Pro and you just decide to rely on the internal mic. So, let's go ahead and compare it with the internal mic of the iPhone 17 Pro. Okay, so I'm just using the selfie camera on my iPhone. And this is the audio arms length away. So, normally I would connect a USBC receiver to my iPhone and connect it with a wireless mic. But if I don't, then this is the standard audio quality coming from the internal mic on my 17 Pro Max. How does that compare against the Osmo Pocket 4 Pro? So, that's everything. Overall, this is a very powerful camera. Now, I have to say I'm impressed with the quality of the video, not just with the standard 4K recording, but also the stabilization in comparison to the iPhone, but it is a gimbal camera, so that's kind of expected. But, there is some things that the iPhone Pro Max does better. But, I'd like to hear what you think. Do you think it's worth investing in one of these? [music] I'm going to be using this for a lot of my content creation needs. I'm going to use my iPhone a lot more for photography. I think it's just a really great camera to have. But just look at the price differences and let me know what you guys think in terms of value for money. Any questions, as always, drop them down below. If you like that, make sure to hit that like button. Make sure to subscribe and I will see you all next time. [music] >> [music]