DJI has officially entered the action camera market with the Osmo Action. DJI is the gold standard when it comes to consumer gimbals and drones and it is clearly aiming to give GoPro a run for its money.
With a form quite similar to GoPro's Hero cameras, the Osmo capitalizes on what the company has learned about small cameras on its drones and the Osmo Pocket, and offers 4k video at 60fps or 12mp photo recording on a 1/2.3in sensor, and for smooth, super slo-mo, the camera will also film in 240fps at 1080p.
With over a decade making three-axis mechanical gimbals, DJI's Osmo Action is its first camera to include electronic image stabilization. DJI calls its system RockSteady and says it allows the camera to film steady footage at 4k/60fps.
The camera also allows for HDR (High Dynamic Range) video at 4k/30fps where the camera delivers three stops of dynamic range to capture more details in the highlights and shadows.
DJI has opted to use color screens on the front and back of the camera so you'll no longer have to guess when framing up a shot, and end up chopping the top of your head off.
With a brightness of 750 nits, both screens should be easily visible in bright sunlight. The front screen isn’t a touchscreen, but DJI says the rear is and it has been given a hydrophobic coating to help resist fingerprints and water.
The lens uses three aspherical glass elements and is complete with an anti-fingerprint and anti-reflective coating too.
Beyond the touchscreen, which gives you access to the menus and even manual exposure controls, the camera can be controlled with five buttons or your voice.
The camera also has dual microphones and is claimed to withstand drops from up to 5ft/1.5m, is dustproof, and waterproof down to 36 ft/11m without a housing (housing available for purchase).
In a particularly savvy move, the Osmo uses a two-pronged mounting interface, which means the camera will be compatible with the vast range of mounts designed for GoPro cameras
With a removable battery designed to work at temps touching -10C/14F, the Osmo Action is claimed to run for 93 minutes recording 4k/30fps with RockSteady enabled and 135 minutes recording at 1080p/30fps without RockSteady.
Priced at $349, the Osmo Action squeaks in just below the price of the Hero 7 Black, and DJI is even offering a trade up program for customers to trade in their current action cameras regardless of brand or other technology, such as tablets, phones and drones, for credit towards the purchase of an Osmo Action.