- HanJin
The DJI Pocket 2 is a new compact drone that will outlive any other camera on the market. It also has a remote focus for 8K videos. The GoPro Hero 9 is a new product that will have unlimited recording time and 4K at 60 fps. In this blog, we will look at the DJI Pocket 2 and GoPro Hero 9 and find out which camera is worth purchasing for our time on a trip or vacation.
Table of Contents
DJI Pocket 2 Vs GoPro Hero 9
Hero 9
Pros
- Great bundle price
- An excellent front-facing screen
- Battery life is improved
- Quality construction remains rugged
- 5K video and 20-megapixel photographs
- A stable connection to a telephone
- Larger rear display
- Remote control
Cons
- Some accessories are now redundant because they are larger than ever before
- Unresponsive touchscreen
- Backward-compatible batteries are not possible
- Improved voice controls, but still a little buggy
- There is no 4K/120p option
- HDR processing slow
- Max is heavier than the Max (bigger).
DJI Pocket 2
Pros
- The most stable and pocket-friendly camera on the market
- The Creator Combo is perfect for vloggers
- It’s a very useful function for tracking.
Cons
- Low light performance is bad
- High-contrast scenes can be difficult to handle
- When you’re filming 4K, it can get extremely hot
Real-World Conditions
Let’s begin by comparing the cost of each option and what you will get. It might be difficult to determine if you only look at the base models. The DJI Pocket 2’s core configuration is less refined. This is great for purists but not as useful as the built-in features of the GoPro Hero9.
What if you buy the DJI Pocket 2 Creator Combo instead? MSRP is not a tie. The Wireless Microphone Transmitter is the best option for both cameras. You get a mini tripod. You also get the Do-It-All Handle which includes a wireless module, Bluetooth, a wireless mic receiver, and a speaker.
Value is just as important as the price. Two feature-rich options are available at the same price. It will all come down to personal preference.
Sensor Comparison
DJI Pocket 2 features a 16.0MP1.7 (1/1.7) sized CMOS sensor. GoPro Hero9 Black, on the other hand, has a 23.0MP 1/2.3 (6.17 x 5.55 mm) CMOS sensor. It also features a GP1 processor.
The sensor of the GoPro Hero9 Black has 7MP more than that of Pocket 2, which is a huge advantage in real-life. Your images can be printed larger or cropped more easily. However, the Max sensor resolution is only one determinant of the resolution power. The final resolution of the image is affected by factors such as low pass filter, optical elements, pixel size, and sensor technology.
The sensor area of Pocket 2 is 1.5x larger than that of GoPro Hero9 Black. Larger sensors give photographers more control over the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensors when shot in the same focal length and aperture.
Lens
Boot Up to Filming Time
You see something amazing, but your camera isn’t live? The Hero 9 won’t let you capture it if it’s moving away. The Pocket 2’s one-second transition into 4k filming and then back to boot is unbeatable. The Pocket 2 is a great battery-saver, as it can be powered down between shots and then power up almost immediately.
Screens
This category was much closer to the time this article was written. The Pocket 2 was tiny, but it still worked. Hero 9 had all kinds of responsiveness problems.
All hail the firmware update! Although not perfect, the GoPro’s screens can now be used again. It has front and back screens. The front screen is also larger than DJI‘s single screen.
Rough Action
As if you needed any more. It is not a good idea to bounce around a physical gimbal. The GoPro is ruggeder, more waterproof, and offers better mounting options for bikes and cars. Anybody who claims otherwise is riding without a helmet.
Native Audio Pickup
Sometimes it doesn’t really matter how many mics you have. This is not the case.
Superior sound quality right out of the box and a smart four-microphone setup that allows you to capture audio in many creative ways.
Batteries
Battery Capacity: DJI Pocket 2: 875 mAh
GoPro Hero 9: 1720 mAh
This is the most crucial but also the least satisfying category in the battle between Pocket 2 and GoPro Hero 9. This should be a significant point, but it turned out that neither camera was able to meet the brief.
The DJI Pocket 2’s battery has a longer average life and takes a shorter time to fully recharge, but it is not swappable. Although the GoPro’s battery life is shorter, you can still swap it. Both are not the best.
Stabilized Video Quality
DJI is the master of stability, much like GoPro is synonymous with rugged use. Is that the same for the new generation of hardware?
There are no surprises in the contest between Pocket 2 and the GoPro Hero 9. GoPro has the freedom to tweak their software as they wish, and their most recent firmware update did address some shadow issues. The gimbal has 4k and 60 FPS stabilization. No artifacts. No shadow flickers.
Unstabilized Video Quality
This was the one that was up for grabs until GoPro introduced their 5k mode. Although it only offers 30 FPS, the difference in resolution between 4k and 5k is very palatable. You don’t need stability or high FPS. If that’s the case, you can choose the stunning higher resolution each day.
Features
DJI Pocket 2
The DJI Pocket 2 can be described as two cameras in one. The stabilized vlogging camera is the first. The second camera operator is fixed in place and follows you around while you chat away or walk around your kitchen, vlogging what you do or whatever else vloggers do.
The three-axis DJI Pocket 2 is a gimbal system that handles wobbles and walks like a champ. You could buy an action camera, but you’ll still get micro-judder when shaking is being smoothed. These are not present in Pocket 2. You could also get a smartphone grip.
This would take up your phone, and the performance will vary from one mobile to another. This funky little camera can be used on a stick.
There are three modes available: Tilt locked (up/down rotating disabled), Follow (camera remains horizontal), and FPV (full range). These differences are not immediately apparent, so we recommend spending an afternoon sipping coffee and bouncing around in your living room or garden before you actually take it on a shoot.
The app allows you to control mode switching, panoramas, manual shooting, and object tracking on the Pocket 2. The Creator Combo will give you even more options, especially when it comes to ultra-wide capture, thanks to the clip-on lens that props the Pocket 2 up on a mini-pod. You can also record external audio with the app.
GoPro Hero 9
The combination of the class-leading HyperSmooth stability, first introduced on the Hero 7 Black, and clever software features such as TimeWarp has been GoPro’s unique sauce. The Hero 9 Black adds to these capabilities and expands its range, but it doesn’t offer a compelling reason to upgrade to the Hero 8 Black.
There are some important changes underneath the hood. The 12MP sensor was used in GoPro’s Hero 3 Black, 2012, and Hero 9 Black added a new sensor to increase the resolution to 23.6MP. It can shoot 5K/30p video, take 20MP stills, and supports the HyperSmoothBoost stabilization mode, which crops your footage by 25% in all resolutions.
However, a higher resolution does not necessarily translate into better image quality. Image processing, lens quality, and sensor size can all impact the final result. The Hero 9 Black’s 1/2.3in the sensor has the exact same size as the predecessors. This makes it smaller than the Insta360 One R 1-inch Edition module.
The Hero 9 Black’s main features are still accessible thanks to the 23.6MP resolution. If there is good lighting and the right conditions, it’s clear that the Hero 9 Black’s 5K/30p mode can capture more detail than any GoPro.
The Hero 9 Black’s resolution increase also allows it to have the additional pixels required for HyperSmoothBoost stabilization. This can eliminate judder from bumpy mountain bike rides in both 4K/60p or 5K/30p modes. This is simply not possible with the Hero 8 Black.
HyperSmooth 3.0 and TimeWarp 3.0 are not significant improvements over their Hero 8 Black counterparts. HyperSmooth 3.0 basically gives you Boost stabilization at those two higher resolutions. It also provides handy horizon leveling that was previously only available in the GoPro App.
TimeWarp 3.0 is still a favorite GoPro effect, but it only allows you to add a speed ramp to your video in the middle to temporarily slow it down and add audio. Although it is a nice feature that speeds up the editing process, it’s not a major upgrade.
The Hero 9 Black’s new “Power Tools” is even more interesting. These little software tricks were revealed in GoPro Labs, a new platform that allows GoPro users to try new beta features. The Hero 9 Black now has some of the most popular ones.
Our favorite is “Hindsight.” This will turn on the action camera, and it will continuously buffer video in anticipation for something GoPro-worthy to happen. If the incident does occur, such as your cat doing a perfect cartwheel, you can press the shutter button to retrieve the 15-30 seconds of the previous video. If you want to capture the Rube Goldberg machine at work, it’s a great way to save memory cards.
Other ‘Power Tools’ such as scheduled capture and ‘duration capture’ feel like they should be on GoPros years ago. However, they work well and increase the Hero 9 Black’s versatility.
Conclusion
The GoPro Hero 9 has a dynamic range that is much better than the Pocket 2. It also has a longer battery life and is more durable. However, the DJI Pocket 2 is smaller and has a higher resolution, shallow depth. In the end, it really depends on what you are looking for in a camera.
We hope this article will be helpful for you when choosing Pocket 2 or Hero 9. If you want to know more other the comparisons, you can access our website Lucidcam to learn more information.
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