DJI guns for GoPro with waterproof, HDR-enabled Osmo Action camera

Drone and gimbal maker DJI on Wednesday released the Osmo Action, intended to challenge GoPro's dominance in the action camera space.

The Osmo Action can shoot 4K video at up to 60fps with a 100-megabit bitrate, and uses "RockSteady" electronic image stabilization to reduce jitters. HDR (high dynamic range) can be switched on to get more detail out of highlights and shadows, though that caps 4K recording at 30fps.

For slow motion owners can shoot at 1080p in 120fps or 240fps. Some other options include still photos, timelapses, and custom exposure for subjects like starfields.

As with GoPros, a core feature of the Action is durability. The camera is designed to be dust-, shock-, and waterproof, and can run in sub-freezing temperatures. A removable battery is said to offer up to 93 minutes of 4k30 RockSteady recording, or 135 minutes at 1080p30 without RockSteady.

DJI is building out its own ecosystem too, bundling an enclosure with a universal mount, as well as several neutral-density, polarizer, and underwater lens filters. Some optional accessories include adhesive mounts, handles, a 3.5mm mic adapter, and a case enabling dives to 60 meters (just over 196 feet).

DJI Osmo Action accessories

Control primarily relies on a combination of physical buttons and a 2.25-inch touchscreen — a 1.4-inch front-facing screen is meant for composing selfies and vlogging. The camera additionally offers voice controls, and connection the with the DJI Mimo iPhone app for live feeds and simplified editing.

DJI Osmo Action

The Osmo Action is now shipping for $349.

7 Comments

jameskatt2 722 comments · 16 Years

About 5 years ago

WOW!

I love the front facing selfie screen. This is a killer feature that GoPro does not have.

Questions:

1. Does the Osmo Action have a bigger sensor than the GoPro Hero 7? That would be fantastic if it did.

2. Does the Osmo Action have real-time HDMI output so you can use it for streaming or as a webcam like the Go Pro? If not, then it's dead in the water.

ralphie 129 comments · 5 Years

I wish DJI great success with this. GoPro are lousy: finicky hardware, poor software, and non existent customer support.

chasm 3584 comments · 10 Years

Mostly the things I want to make videos of are not “active” things, so like firework displays, concerts, lectures, etc.

With all these features and improvements, I’m starting to wonder why I should buy a “normal” handheld video camera anymore.

boltsfan17 2294 comments · 12 Years

chasm said:

Mostly the things I want to make videos of are not “active” things, so like firework displays, concerts, lectures, etc.

With all these features and improvements, I’m starting to wonder why I should buy a “normal” handheld video camera anymore.

I have a GoPro and a Sony 4K handheld. When it comes to filming different subjects, I still mostly use the handheld. The main reason is for the zoom. I often go out looking for wildlife to film and photograph so I obviously need to use the zoom on the Sony. I enjoy making timelapse movies so I use the GoPro often for that. I've done some hiking and filming scenery using my GoPro on a gimbal. It's pretty amazing how well the videos turn out using a gimbal. I haven't tried the GoPro Hero 7, but from what I've seen, the built in stabilization is pretty impressive. One plus for using a handheld is the battery life blows away the GoPro.

rinosaur 32 comments · 6 Years

Really excited for this. 100mb/s bitrate is nice - GoPro caps at 78 currently - more is needed for 4K 60 action scenes. DJI is also a company that can really top GoPro’s great software stabilization (hero 6/7).