Why did DJI launch the new Osmo Pocket 3 with a suboptimal photography capability even though the 1 inch sensor should have given us better photos than the Pocket 2?

DJI has just given us another firmware update for the Pocket 3 but it did not include any improvements when it comes to photography. Despite the 1 inch sensor we can still only take 9 megapixel photos. Even worse is that we still only have 1:1 and 16:9 photo aspect ratios. Who in their right mind takes photographs using either of these aspect ratios?  I know 3:2 is the standard for photography, but even 4:3 is better than either 1:1 or 16:9. The old Pocket 2 offered 4:3 photo aspect ratio (as does the new Osmo Action 4).  Even the DJI Mini 4 Pro drone (which I also own) offers 4:3 aspect ratio for photos.

The photo capability of the Pocket 3 is not as good as the old Pocket 2 (in my opinion) so I don’t bother taking any photographs with the OP3 camera, especially since I invariably have my iPhone 15 in my back pocket and it takes excellent photographs. Maybe that’s the reason why photography is the poor cousin compared to videography in the Pocket 3 - because DJI know that people own smartphones that are much better for taking photographs. That said it’s a real pain taking video with the Pocket 3 and then getting a smartphone out to take a photograph at the same time. Given the one inch sensor, we should be able to take both high-quality video and photographs with the same Pocket 3 camera.  To be fair video quality on the Pocket 3 is excellent.  I just wish DJI would invest some time developing the photography side of things.

I miss my Pocket 2 camera!!  It took up to 64 megapixel photos (which I know was 4 x 16MP photos stiched together) and offered a 4:3 photo aspect ratio even though its sensor was only 1/1.7”

Such is the trend and I see your point. The cripple hammer is everywhere.

I agree.  It feels like lazy product development and release management.

+1 for more photo and pano features.

Blellow Posted at 5-16 08:33
Such is the trend and I see your point. The cripple hammer is everywhere.

I had to look up what “cripple hammer” meant

Hello.Thank you for your support. Image quality depends not only on pixel count, but also on factors like sensor size, lens resolution, and algorithm performance. While Osmo Pocket 3 has a lower effective pixel count than its previous counterparts, it boasts a larger sensor of 1", surpassing the 1/1.7" size of its predecessor. Additionally, Osmo Pocket 3 has achieved a pixel size of 3.2 µm, representing an approximately 300% increase from DJI Pocket 2. Furthermore, the newly designed 1" high-resolution optical lens, coupled with powerful algorithms, contributes to significant improvements in image quality, particularly in low-light and backlit conditions, allowing you to record more details and clearer images.

DJI Susan Posted at 5-17 02:33
Hello.Thank you for your support. Image quality depends not only on pixel count, but also on factors like sensor size, lens resolution, and algorithm performance. While Osmo Pocket 3 has a lower effective pixel count than its previous counterparts, it boasts a larger sensor of 1", surpassing the 1/1.7" size of its predecessor. Additionally, Osmo Pocket 3 has achieved a pixel size of 3.2 µm, representing an approximately 300% increase from DJI Pocket 2. Furthermore, the newly designed 1" high-resolution optical lens, coupled with powerful algorithms, contributes to significant improvements in image quality, particularly in low-light and backlit conditions, allowing you to record more details and clearer images.

Thank you for the detailed response. Putting the technical enhancements to one side, photo (and video) quality is very much a personal judgement and preference. When it comes to video, for example, some people are quite happy with 1080p whereas others crave 4k.  In terms of photo quality, I personally think my Pocket 2 photos are superior to the ones taken with the Pocket 3.  I am sure others will disagree which is fine.

Based on your response it sounds like we have got the best photo resolution and quality we are going to get. (As an aside I think the video quality on the Pocket 3 is outstandingly good.) However, could we please have 4:3 aspect ratio on the Pocket 3 for photos. Yes I could crop a 1:1 or 16:9 photo to achieve a 4:3 aspect ratio but this would be done at the expense of photo resolution/quality. The DJI Action 4 camera offers 4:3 aspect ratio for photos. The DJI Mini 4 Pro drone (which I also own) offers 4:3 aspect ratio for photos. Is there a reason why the Pocket 3 does not have 4:3 aspect ratio for photos?  
I just wish DJI would spend some time enhancing the photo capability of the Pocket 3

Steph Jant Posted at 5-17 08:11
Thank you for the detailed response. Putting the technical enhancements to one side, photo (and video) quality is very much a personal judgement and preference. When it comes to video, for example, some people are quite happy with 1080p whereas others crave 4k.  In terms of photo quality, I personally think my Pocket 2 photos are superior to the ones taken with the Pocket 3.  I am sure others will disagree which is fine.

Based on your response it sounds like we have got the best photo resolution and quality we are going to get. (As an aside I think the video quality on the Pocket 3 is outstandingly good.) However, could we please have 4:3 aspect ratio on the Pocket 3 for photos. Yes I could crop a 1:1 or 16:9 photo to achieve a 4:3 aspect ratio but this would be done at the expense of photo resolution/quality. The DJI Action 4 camera offers 4:3 aspect ratio for photos. The DJI Mini 4 Pro drone (which I also own) offers 4:3 aspect ratio for photos. Is there a reason why the Pocket 3 does not have 4:3 aspect ratio for photos?

Would love to see open gate of the full sensor for video and photos.

I've stopped taking photos with my iPhone and Galaxy since using the Pocket3.

Pocket3 provides good HDR photos, more natural than Pocket2.
The resolution is 4K, but it's good enough for web publishing.

As I understand it, perhaps somewhat counterintuitively, the slightly lower megapixel count of the OP3 vs the OP2 actually favours video performance. So it's geared more to video.
In line with this, I did notice the timelapse results I obtained of the OP3 compared to OP2 really weren't much better, even slightly worse.