The Removu K1 vs Osmo Pocket From DJI!
Welcome to our ultimate comparison article where we will be putting the market-leading DJI Osmo Pocket up against its closest competitor at the time of writing, the Removu K1. Since there releases, both units have won over large portions of the action camera/gimbal communities with their growth remaining steady as both units pretty much leave the other competing units on the sideline.
The DJI Osmo Pocket has the best reputation within the community to date due to it having the best performance available, an excellent build quality, and being extremely easy to use. That said though, the Removu K1 has also earned itself a great reputation within the community too due to offers a more budget-friendly option that performs very well for the price.
Now, make no mistake about it, both of these units are excellent for their relative price points in the market and you have to understand that they are not actually direct competitors. The DJI Osmo Pocket is the premium level all in one action camera gimbal solution while the Removu K1 has been specifically designed to be more of an entry-level, budget-friendly option with a lower price tag and lower level of performance to match.
That said though, we are constantly seeing people reaching out and asking about a Removu K1 vs Osmo comparison article so we have decided to go ahead and publish this post. Our hope is that it will help any of our readers who are considering purchasing either of these units and are looking for advice on what product to add to their collection.
Comparison Table
Last update on 2023-09-02 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Now, in our opinion, if you have the budget available, you should always go with the DJI Osmo Pocket as it is a much better option to provide you with the best video quality possible. It supports higher frame rates at higher video resolutions to ensure that you are able to capture the absolute best image quality possible while out on your adventures and offers much smoother video footage than the Removu K1.
Additionally, the image stabilization offered by the DJI Osmo Pocket is second to none. DJI has taken all of the experience and knowledge that they have gained from their DJI Ronin S and other gimbal units and built on it to ensure that the Osmo Pocket has one of the best gimbals available at this price point. If you are wanting to use your video footage for a YouTube channel or your social media profiles than the higher image quality can really help your content stand out against the competition.
That said though, if you are on a tight budget or if you are just looking for an all in one camera and gimbal unit to capture some video footage for fun then the Removu K1 is a great option. At the time of writing it is around $100 cheaper than the DJI option and although it does not support the higher frame rates, it is able to provide some high-resolution video footage that looks great.
If you are looking for more of a vlogging unit rather than a camera rig for fast-paced action sports then the Removu K1 will probably be able to meet your needs too. As vlogging is usually slow-paced based on the camera pointing at you while you move at a steady pace, the lower frame rates of the K1 is not as much of a limitation as it is for fast-paced action sports where the DJI Osmo Pocket leaves the K1 for dust.
So to round it up quickly before we take a deeper look at both units, if you have the budget available and need the very best or are going to use the unit for anything fast-paced, go with the DJI Osmo Pocket. If you are on a tight budget or know you will be using the unit for slow-paced activities and can live without the higher frame rates and better image stabilization, go with the Removu K1.
Performance And Functionality
Now, unlike the vast majority of other handheld gimbals available on the market these days, the all in one nature of both the DJI Osmo Pocket and the Removu K1 means that there is no variable load capacity needed. Both manufacturers were in total control of the weight and dimensions of the camera that would be used with the gimbal and this offers some advantages that both models have put to use.
As you know exactly what the camera unit on the gimbal will weight, you are able to design the both the gimbal motors and gimbal stabilizers for each unit to meet the exact requirements that you have. Not only does this increase efficiency but also helps to ensure that the user is able to capture optimal video footage with the best possible image quality at all times.
With a traditional 3 axis gimbal stabilizer, the user is not only free to mount a number of different camera bodies on their gimbal but they can also switch up the lenses and other camera accessories that they use too. Not only does this change the payload that the motors and balancing algorithm has to work with but longer lenses can also change the center of gravity of the gimbal too. This leads to inefficiency while also potentially increasing the costs of producing the gimbal. Thankfully, this is not an issue with either the DJI Osmo Pocket or the Removu K1 as the camera is permanently mounted to the unit.
When it comes to maximum battery life, we have listed both units as supporting a battery life of two hours but this is the average battery life. There are reports for both units where the user reports the battery lasting for as long as four hours per charge of the battery. There are so many variables available when it comes to battery life that it is a nightmare to offer any real solid numbers.
For example, using your gimbal for downhill mountain biking on a rough route with a bunch of vibration is going to need a lot more battery power to stabilize than recording yourself walking down a street vlogging. Although we have not actually tried this ourselves, many people are starting to carry small USB powerbanks with them to top up their units in their downtime to ensure that they have all the battery life they could ever need between charges.
You can see that the video resolution is excellent ensuring that you are able to get the best image quality possible. The gimbal motors in the Osmo Pocket are silent too ensuring that they do not accidentally contaminate your audio track when recording either. The image stabilization provided by the DJI Osmo Pocket is butter smooth and effortless too with the product definatley setting the bar for any competing brand to aim for if they want to stand a chance of knocking DJI off the top spot.
As you can see, the resolution is excellent too and is supports the same 3840 x 2160p resolution as the DJI Osmo just at a lower frame rate. This ensures that you are able to capture some excellent video footage with a great image quality and although there are some initial reviews out there saying the footage looks a little grainy, we did not experience this and feel that the K1 provides a clean and sharp picture quality.
The image stabilization of the K1 is also great for general use but if you are planning on using it for any fast-paced action sports, expect the image stabilization to suffer as the gimbal motors and balancing algorithm struggle to adjust to movements and vibration as quickly as the Osmo can. That said, considering that the K1 is around two-thirds of the price of the Osmo and targets a different market, we feel that this is an acceptable sacrifice.
When it comes to performance, we feel that both units perform very well for their price point and meet the needs of their target market well. Although the DJI Osmo Pocket definatley has the better level of performance, this is expected due to it having been designed to meet the needs of the premium level customer base while also having a higher price tag. The Removu K1 does an excellent job for its price and is definatley the best entry-level all in one solution available on the market right now.
User Interface And Control System
When it comes to the control interface for both the DJI Osmo Pocket and the Removu K1, there really is not much difference between the two systems. As both of the units have been designed to be as small as possible, the available space for a fancy interface is limited and they both use a very similar system.
This allows you to quickly and easily control the gimbal as required with minimal effort on your part. You are also able to cycle through the various available settings for each of the units with ease too and the simple to follow navigation menu on both units make it easy for you to quickly get to key settings and tweak them to meet your needs.
The LCD Panel on both units is great with excellent picture representation to allow you to see what you are actually recording while also accurately displaying any relevant information that you require too. If you are recording in low light the screens are still clear and easily visible to ensure you are still able to use your all in one as needed.
Another great thing is that the actual buttons on both units are very responsive, even if you are using your unit in cold or wet weather. This ensures that even if your fingers or thumb is cold or wet, you are still able to manually control the camera on the unit or navigate the control system as required ensuring you can record in all conditions.
Smartphone App
Both the DJI Osmo Pocket and the Removu K1 have great smartphone apps available that work very well. Although we feel that the DJI smartphone app is probably the best gimbal app available, Removu have done a great job with their K1 app and it offers all the additional functionality that you would expect.
Both apps allow you to tweak key settings for your camera gimbal within seconds and the apps seamlessly pair up with your camera gimbal without issue. Even in this day and age, connectivity issues is a common issue for gimbal apps but thankfully, DJI and Removu keep their apps in working order to make them a valuable free gimbal accessory.
Additionally, both of the smartphone apps have an easy to follow menu system ensuring that even if you have never used a gimbal app before, you will be able to quickly get to grips with it and get the most out of it. In our opinion, no matter what unit you choose to purchase, it is well worth downloading their supporting smartphone app.
Build Quality And Design
Although the DJI Osmo Pocket does cost around $100 more than the Removu K1, the majority of this additional cost seems to be for the technology required for the better performance and image stabilization of the Osmo with both units having a very similar build quality. Having been designed to be as small as possible to try and make them as easy to carry with you at all times as possible, both units have a very similar design to each other with neither really pulling ahead of the other in this area.
Both the Osmo Pocket and the K1 are lightweight, small, and tough enough to take any bumps or knocks that they may receive when carrying them around with you. Additionally, both units share the same weakness when it comes to their build quality, the neck that joins the body and head of the unit together. In our opinion, both the design and build quality of these two all in ones is too close to call and we would call it a draw.
Our Verdict
That brings our Removu K1 vs Osmo comparison to a close and in all fairness, both of these units are great bits of kit. The DJI Osmo Pocket has the advantage of superior performance in its frame rates and image stabilization where as the Removu K1 has its advantage of being around $100 cheaper than the DJI.
That said, if you have the budget available, we would always recommend the Osmo Pocket as the better performance will serve you well in a number of situations. Additionally, if you know that you will be using your all in one for any fast-paced activities then the K1 is ruled out as the lower frame rate will result in jumpy looking footage. If you are on a tight budget though and know that you will not be taking part in any fast-paced action sports then the K1 is able to hold its own in most areas of the comparison.
