{"id":574764,"date":"2026-07-30T02:53:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T02:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/574764\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T02:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T02:53:11","slug":"taking-the-dji-osmo-pocket-4p-into-a-war-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/574764\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P into a War Zone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gone are the days when news and current affairs were captured using traditional 2\/3\u2033 broadcast ENG cameras. These days, especially in war zones and other difficult filming environments, a lot of news crews have shifted to mirrorless hybrids, camcorders, GoPros, Osmo Pockets, etc., or a collection of all of the above.<\/p>\n

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4P is certainly a camera that could be used for certain shooting situations for news, especially because of the dual lens system. Historically, the usefulness of these cameras was limited due to them only offering a wide-angle perspective. <\/p>\n

Recently, Jason Bellini, Scripps News\u2019 Chief International Correspondent, Dateline: Kyiv, Ukraine, got in contact with me after using the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4P. <\/p>\n

Here is what he told me:<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve long harbored the fantasy of jetting off to cover a major story and carrying in just my backpack all the gear I need for doing live shots and filming short- and long-form pieces. That\u2019s why, after the Osmo Pocket 4P was released in China in June, I needed to get my hands on two of them.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
Scripps\u2019s Jason Bellini and Noosphere\u2019s Anna Conkling in Kharkiv\"Screenshot
Controlling two 4Ps during an interview using the monitor\/ joysticks<\/p>\n

I got two to see how they would perform if they were the only cameras I used for some two-camera interviews, which I would otherwise film with Sony FX3s. They also needed to be the \u201cvlogger\u201d kit, which includes the tiny monitor-joystick device, so I could check my framing with a quick look down at it between questions.<\/p>\n

One of the big, I think biggest, new features of the 4P is the 3x lens. It really gives you a decent focal length for interviews.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot
Using the Osmo Pocket 4P on scene of a fiber optic drone attack on a gas station in Kharkiv, Ukraine<\/p>\n

Here in Ukraine, I didn\u2019t have the nerve to conduct that only-Osmos experiment on any important interviews. Then, an on-the-fly opportunity arose. Two minutes of setup time, max. I locked my two 4Ps on my subject\u2019s face and mine and gave it a go.<\/p>\n

The results were pretty good. Not as good, of course, as my Sonys with their prime 85mm lenses. Nonetheless, airworthy.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

Where it really shone was run-and-gunning. If you\u2019re handing it off to a producer or a fixer, they need to learn to use the AI face and object tracking. And I wouldn\u2019t trust anyone but myself right now to set the white balance and ISO manually. For that matter, when filming in bright sunlight, I don\u2019t really trust myself to get the exposure right. I got it wrong a few times. Even while shooting in Log, I filmed some material that was unusable. To get serious with the 4P, you\u2019ve really got to become a ninja with clip-on ND filters. I\u2019m still like a yellow belt.<\/p>\n

Would I connect it to my TVU pack and do a selfie live shot with it? Definitely. Surprisingly enough, this Osmo iteration does play nicely with HDMI connections. I tested it with our tech ops folks. I\u2019ll give that a try sometime soon, no doubt.<\/p>\n

As a camera that a producer can pick up and film some B-roll and do some B-cam work, the 4P is no doubt good. But I think the 4P only becomes a serious camera when it\u2019s in the hands of someone who takes seriously learning how to use it properly.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n


\n By Matthew Allard ACS
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew Allard is a multi-award-winning, ACS accredited freelance Director of Photography with over 35 years’ of experience working in more than 50 countries around the world.<\/p>\n

He is the Editor of Newsshooter.com and has been writing on the site since 2010.<\/p>\n

Matthew has won 51 ACS Awards, including six prestigious Golden Tripods. In 2016 he won the Award for Best Cinematography at the 21st Asian Television Awards.<\/p>\n

Matthew is available to hire as a DP in Japan or for work anywhere else in the world.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n