DJI Osmo Pocket 4P Firmware V01.02.1149 Released – 18x Zoom, Smoother Lens Switching and Scene Presets

Firmware Update

by Nino LeitnerToday

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DJI has released firmware V01.02.1149 for the Osmo Pocket 4P, and it is the biggest update the dual-camera pocket gimbal has received so far. The roughly 1.1GB download raises the maximum zoom from 12x to 18x, improves ActiveTrack and the 60mm telephoto camera, adds Stage and Sunset scene presets, and promises smoother transitions between the two cameras. That last point is the one I was waiting for, because it targets the exposure jump at 3x. First owner reports say it is better now, but not fixed for everyone.

The Osmo Pocket 4P is a camera that our team has spent a lot of time with. It pairs a 20mm-equivalent f/2.0 wide camera on a 1-inch LOFIC sensor with a 60mm-equivalent f/1.8 medium telephoto camera on a 1/1.28-inch sensor. We reported on the European launch of the Osmo Pocket 4P in July, and in our DJI Osmo Pocket 4P Lab Test (yes, that is my face in the latitude shots), the wide camera measured 16 stops of dynamic range at SNR = 2, the best result we have ever recorded. In August, DJI added cloud uploads and D-Log for slow motion. The new firmware goes much further. Let’s look at what it brings.

18x zoom, but only 3x is optical

The headline number is the new maximum zoom in photo and video modes: 18x instead of 12x, which is approximately 360mm in full-frame terms. Let’s be clear about what that means. Only the step from the 20mm wide camera to the 60mm telephoto camera is optical, and that gives you 3x. Everything above 3x is a crop of the telephoto sensor and, at the higher factors, an upscale of a small part of it. I would not expect 18x to give usable images for professional work, and my guess is that DJI added it mainly for the spec sheet and for social media clips.

The zoom changes that matter more to me are less visible. DJI says the telephoto camera now gives better image quality and sharpness in 4K/30p, and that zooming is smoother. Owners have already noticed one side effect: a long press on the zoom button now runs all the way to 18x, and there is no setting to stop it at a chosen factor. (DJI, a zoom limit in the menu would be a small change with a big effect. Please add it in the next update.)

The exposure jump at 3x: partly fixed

According to the changelog, transitions between the two camera modules during a zoom should now look more natural. This is the fix many Osmo Pocket 4P owners asked for. Since launch, the camera has shown a clear jump in brightness when it switches from the wide to the telephoto camera. That is not a big surprise, because the two cameras are different systems. In our lab test, the wide camera recorded D-Log 2 at a native ISO of 1600, and the telephoto camera recorded D-Log at a native ISO of 400.

First user reports on Reddit and Facebook are mixed. Several owners say that the jump in D-Log is gone, but only at ISO 400, the lowest ISO of the telephoto camera. Others say the jump is now approximately 1/3 stop, compared to one to two stops before. Some still see a visible change in brightness. My feeling is that DJI has improved the exposure match at specific settings, and not across the full ISO range. That is only my guess, though, so if a seamless zoom through 3x is important for your shoot, test it before you rely on it.

More ISO range in D-Log, according to users

Some changes are not in the official list. Several owners report that D-Log now starts at ISO 100 instead of ISO 400. D-Log 2 seems to get an Auto ISO option with a selectable range for the first time, but that range starts at ISO 400. DJI has not confirmed this. A lower ISO in D-Log is useful in bright sun when you do not have ND filters with you. Keep in mind that our lab results are for the native ISO settings, so we cannot yet say what ISO 100 does to the dynamic range of the telephoto camera.

Tracking, HDR and live output

DJI has also improved the performance and stability of ActiveTrack, the tracking function in which the gimbal keeps a selected subject in the frame. According to the release notes, the update also gives:

• Steadier gimbal stabilization
• Better image quality for Wi-Fi livestreams, the DisplayPort output and webcam mode
• Better results in HDR scenes when portrait mode is off
• Improved HDR playback on the camera screen

The livestream and webcam improvements show that DJI sees the Pocket 4P as more than a vlogging camera. It is also a small streaming and video call camera. DJI does not say how much the image quality of these outputs has changed, so I will not guess a number here.

Scene presets, Intelligent Highlight and file access

Two new scene presets, Stage and Sunset, adjust the camera settings automatically. A stage mode is also part of the Insta360 Luna Ultra firmware update with 15x zoom from September. I don’t think that is a coincidence: both companies now compete for concert footage, and both use long digital zoom ranges to do it. Intelligent Highlight finds highlight moments automatically during recording. Users can also mark highlights during playback and share them through the DJI Mimo app.

The other additions are about getting files off the camera:

• Auto Media Transfer: photos and Live Photos can move to the smartphone automatically after capture.
• Huawei Direct Transfer: owners of Huawei devices with HarmonyOS 6.1 or later can transfer footage from playback with one tap.
• File access when off: the camera now connects by USB to a computer or an OTG-capable smartphone when it is switched off. In sleep mode, users can view and download footage through DJI Mimo.

For me, file access in the off state is the most practical change in this list. The camera no longer has to be switched on to show its 103GB of internal storage to a computer, which removes a small but frequent step at the end of every shoot day.

How to install the update

Firmware V01.02.1149 is free and available now through the DJI Mimo app. When we performed the update, we did not see it in the settings menu and could only find it on the start page of the app instead.

I also recommend a hard reset after the installation: hold the power button for 10 seconds to restart the camera.

DJI’s product and download pages are not available from the US, where the Osmo Pocket 4P is still not officially sold.

Price and availability

The Osmo Pocket 4P is available in Europe, the UK, Canada and Australia. DJI lists the Standard Combo at €599 and the Vlog Combo at €689, including VAT, on the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P product page. CVP lists the Standard Combo at €515.35 and the Vlog Combo at €588.98, excluding VAT. B&H does not list the camera, because it is not sold in the US.

Have you installed the new firmware on your Osmo Pocket 4P, and is the exposure jump at 3x gone on your camera? Let me know what you think in the comments below!