DJI Osmo Action camera review: Drone manufacturer attacks GoPro!

An action cam from DJI - hardly anyone has expected, although it is close. Because the manufacturer not only sells drones like the DJI Mavic 2 Zoom with an underpinned camera, but also small handheld cameras like the DJI Osmo Pocket. The company's products incorporate the camera's portable suspension (gimbal), which compensates for wobbly motion and provides quiet video. This experience with the gimbals has now flowed according to DJI in the first action cam. Outwardly she resembles GoPros Hero models. Doubly exciting: The currently most recent model GoPro Hero7 Black of the US manufacturer inspires with its new image stabilizer. Is DJI coming up with that?

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DJI Osmo Action in the test: housing and display

The outer comparison is decided by the DJI Osmo Action: its case is made of metal instead of plastic. The battery locks with two locks, it all looks very solid. The scope of supply includes a mounting frame, which is compatible with the GoPro accessories.

Striking is the second color display on the front. For example, the driver precisely aligns the camera with his face for mountain biking. There is always only one of the two displays active, the switch succeeds by double-tapping with two fingers simultaneously on the rear touch screen. GPS for tracking the distance covered is unfortunately missing, the competitors Garmin and GoPro can incorporate such data in the videos.

DJI Osmo Action in the test: Video recordings

4K recording: In the highest resolution with 3840x2160 pixels records the DJI up to 60 frames per second, so that fast movements run smoothly. The Hero7 Black can do that as well, both can do this with the image stabilizer enabled. The DJI consistently uses the H.264 format. This is easy in the finishing, but requires a lot of storage space: 750 megabytes per minute, which corresponds to 100 megabits per second.

HDR-Videos: The recording mode of the DJI promises a larger color and contrast range, but records a maximum of 30 instead of 60 frames per second and can not be combined with the Bildstabi. Most importantly, the review sample did not save the videos in an HDR video format with metadata that would allow users to tune an HDR TV appropriately.

Without Distortion: By adjusting the menu you can correct the wide-angle distortion - for example, lamp posts will no longer look bent. Side effects such as loss of resolution did not show up in the test.

In addition, the Osmo Action collected plenty of points in the test: So it is switched on in less than two seconds and receptive. A press on the recording button of the switched-off camera is sufficient, and the DJI starts in the last used mode.

With the Quick Set button on the side, users quickly change their favorite modes, making touchscreen operation easy. If desired, shoot photos and videos with simple voice commands. The app to operate and to load the videos on your smartphone is a nice addition. The beta version often needed several attempts for the wireless connection to the camera, but otherwise ran smoothly and stable.

DJI Osmo Action under test: The picture quality is so good

And what about the quality of the pictures? The edges of photos are cleaner in the Osmo Action than the Hero7, DJI sharpens the pictures less. Similarly, videos differed: At first glance, the GoPro looked a bit more spectacular, on the second view were the DJI right. In turn, the GoPro decided to test the cobblestones on its bike: it smoothed out fine structures like pebbles in the asphalt, but kept the image position stable. Except for small twitches and sometimes restless edges, the camera shots looked buttery soft. The DJI-Stabi came rather out of step: If it went with the unsprung bike over bumpy pavement, shook the video clearly.

But quieter pictures of the DJI are finer and more natural. The bottom line is the decision for or against DJI on the use cases - and on future updates from both manufacturers. State of the art is the battery life: In the 4K mode, the DJI Osmo Action after a good hour to the charger (via USB-C), in Full HD is after 84 minutes. The GoPro lasted about ten minutes longer.

Test conclusion to the Action-Cam DJI Osmo Action

The surprise DJI succeeded. The new Osmo Action consistently impressed in the test and is one of the best action cams right out of the box: fast, easy to use and with brilliant video and photo quality. Only with the image stabilization does not quite keep up with the Hero7. And the battery should last longer. Thus, the test score of DJI's camera remains just behind the GoPro Hero7 Black. Because of the cheaper price and the solid-looking metal case, it is still one of the hottest recommendations among the current action cams.

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