DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is the Best-Selling “Camcorder” in 2025

Remember when the camcorder was the go-to for home videos? Those chunky handhelds your parents used for birthdays and vacations? Yeah, that era’s mostly gone. But here’s something weird. Camcorders are back! Sort of. Currently, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is Amazon’s #1 best-selling camcorder.

And if you’ve seen it, you probably wouldn’t even consider calling it that. It’s small. It doesn’t unfold. It doesn’t yell “camcorder” in any way. Yet here it is, at the top of the list for some fairly interesting reasons.

A Camera That Solves Real Problems

If you’ve ever attempted filming while walking, you know the extent to which phone footage shakes. And, of course, you can buy a gimbal, but they are clunky. Plus, getting them set up is not exactly fun. That is what makes the Osmo Pocket 3 unique. It seems to have a built-in gimbal within the camera. No setup. No balance. Just smooth video, out of your pocket.

The first DJI Osmo Pocket came out in 2018, and it was sort of experimental back then. DJI, the drone maker, took its camera technology and adapted it into something you could hold on the ground. A few years later, it’s now a go-to tool for vloggers, travelers, and anyone who wants great video without lugging around a lot of equipment.

It’s not just about the stabilization, though. The one-inch sensor on the Pocket 3 gives it a real edge over most smartphones, especially in tricky lighting. And the touchscreen that flips around? Makes filming yourself way easier, especially if you’re used to doing everything on a phone.

And It’s a Webcam Too

Here’s an aspect you don’t often get to hear much about: the Pocket 3 can be utilized as a webcam too. Plug it into your laptop via USB-C cable, and you’re ready to roll, no program required!

That may not seem like a lot until you do it. Compared to the stock webcam on most laptops, the Pocket 3 provides you with a clearer, more flattering picture. It handles low light, too, and it’ll even follow your face so you stay front and center in video chats or livestreams.

You can also tweak things like exposure, white balance, and focus, all right from the screen. It still streams in 1080p, but the image quality is noticeably better than most webcams you’re probably used to.

If you’re looking at the camcorder best-seller list expecting old-school gear, this one might throw you. But maybe that’s the point. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is a camera that fits modern needs. Smooth footage, small form, quick setup, and it’s catching on fast, even if it doesn’t look the part.

[via DigitalCameraWorld; Image credits: DJI]