DJI Osmo Pocket 4 vs Pocket 4P

Buy the Osmo Pocket 4P if you shoot people from a few metres away and want real 60mm portraits or long zoom from a pocket camera. Buy the Osmo Pocket 4 if you mostly film yourself or wide scenes and want the smaller, lighter body with longer battery life. For selfie vlogging the second lens does nothing for you.

Every listing is on the price pages: Pocket 4 Standard Combo, Pocket 4 Creator Combo, Pocket 4P Standard Combo and Pocket 4P Vlog Combo.

What actually differs

These stay the same, and DJI confirms most of them directly: the 2-inch 556×314 screen at 1000 nits, three microphones, a 1545 mAh battery, charging to 80% in 18 minutes and full in 32 minutes with DJI's 65W charger, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth specs, and 4K up to 60fps in normal video.

What each difference means when you shoot

The 60mm lens. This is the reason to buy the 4P. A 60mm equivalent view flatters faces far more than 20mm does, because you stand further back. DJI says the f/1.8 lens gives background blur roughly equal to f/6.3 on a full-frame camera. That is a gentle blur, and it beats anything you get from the 20mm wide. For wedding candids, interviews and product shots, this changes what the camera can do.

The smaller second sensor. The 60mm uses a 1/1.28-inch sensor, smaller than the 1-inch wide. Expect the two lenses to differ in low light. Use the 60mm where there is decent light.

Zoom. The Pocket 4 is a single 20mm lens with digital zoom up to 4x in video. The 4P reaches 12x in video and 9x in photos, starting from the 60mm optical view at 3x. DJI suggests 6x and above for stages and street photography. A digital zoom still crops the picture, so keep the far end for when you cannot get closer.

Dynamic range and Log. DJI puts the 4P's new 1-inch wide sensor at up to 17 stops with its new D-Log 2 profile, against up to 14 stops for the Pocket 4. It matters most when shooting out of a window or into a bright sky, and it only pays off if you grade your footage. Note that DJI limits 10-bit D-Log 2 to 1x zoom, so the 60mm lens and the extra zoom range do not get it.

Close-up work. The 4P's wide lens focuses to 0.09 m, against 0.2 m on the Pocket 4. Food and small product shots benefit. The 60mm focuses to 0.2 m.

Tracking. The 4P uses ActiveTrack 8.0 with tracking up to 12x zoom and a Multi-Person Tracking mode for up to 8 people, which keeps a group centred. The Pocket 4 uses ActiveTrack 7.0 with tracking up to 4x. DJI notes that zoom is unavailable while Multi-Person Tracking is on, so set your zoom first.

Size and battery. The 4P is 39.5 g heavier, 15.3 mm longer and 18.9 mm wider. On a daily vlog that you carry for hours, this is what you will feel. It also loses 30 minutes on DJI's battery figure with the same 1545 mAh pack.

Upgrade if, stay if, or buy the older one if

Both cameras are current, so "older" here means the simpler, smaller one.

Pay for the 4P if:

• You shoot portraits, interviews or weddings, where 60mm suits faces better.
• You regularly need more reach than 4x digital zoom gives, or you grade footage and want D-Log 2 at 1x.

Stay with the Pocket 4 if:

• You mostly hold the camera at arm's length for selfie video, and you want the longest battery life and the smallest kit.
• You shoot in dim places and do not need the 60mm lens. Both cameras have a 1-inch f/2.0 wide lens, so low light alone does not justify the 4P's extra size.

Buy the Pocket 4 and not the 4P if:

• You would only use the 60mm a few times on a trip, and the live gap below buys you a useful accessory instead.

If you own a Pocket 4 already, move to the 4P only for the portrait lens, longer zoom, closer focus or D-Log 2. DJI says the Pocket 4's Protective Cover and Carrying Bag will not fit the larger 4P, while its Battery Handle and Fill Light will. Compare the Pocket 4 with the previous generation in our Pocket 4 vs Pocket 3 guide, and with other vlogging cameras in our vlogging camera guide.

The real cost beyond the camera

Both cameras include over 100 GB of internal storage, so a card is optional at first. Add one before a long trip, and add a mic if your voice matters.

Cards. DJI's list for both cameras names Lexar Silver Plus and Kingston Canvas Go! Plus cards in U3 A2 V30, from 64 GB up to 1 TB. DJI puts the 4P's 103 GB of internal space at about 210 minutes of 4K 60fps at standard bitrate, and the Pocket 4's 107 GB at about 220 minutes.

Power. Both cameras can run from a USB-C power source while recording, and DJI says they only charge once recording has stopped. Charge the camera fully first, as DJI recommends, and carry a power bank for long events.

Audio. Both record two DJI wireless transmitters with no receiver. Both also accept a third-party mic through USB-C or a 3.5 mm adapter. Our wireless microphone guide covers the choices.

Filters. DJI says you can add ND or Black Mist filters to the 4P's lenses. Budget for those if you want slow shutters in daylight.

Before you buy

Read the bundle name carefully, because a Standard Combo and a larger Combo come with different accessories. Hold both if a store has them, since the 4P's extra width is easier to judge in the hand than from a spec table. Ask the store which items are in the box before you compare listings.