It’s finally here! After a frenzy of rumours, DJI (the market-leading drone manufacturer) has pulled the covers off the Osmo Action – the brand’s first-ever tough, action camera. The new model will go head to head with GoPro’s Hero7 Black and the DJI’s spec sheet makes for some very, very interesting reading.
First up, let’s talk about the heart of the camera, which is a 1/2.3-inch sensor that serves up 12-megapixel photos and 4K video, which can be filmed up to 60fps at 100Mbps. At the rear of the Osmo Action is a 2.25-inch touch-sensitive screen with a water/fingerprint-repellent coating, but it’s what’s at the front of the camera that really sets it apart from rivals.
In fact, the Osmo Action sports a 1.4-inch front screen, which will be a game-changing feature for Vloggers or anyone else who wants to make sure they are in the frame when recording footage. Quite simply, it’s one of those features that makes you wonder why we haven’t seen it before. The front screen features a brightness of 750-nits, enabling the Osmo Action to be used in harsh lighting like direct sunlight.
The Osmo Action also features a three-glass aspherical lens design and the lens cap boasts two layers of anti-fingerprint coating to keep the lens clean during use. As you’d expect, the Osmo Action is waterproof (down to 60 meters), dustproof and shockproof – plus it can be used in sub-zero temperatures.
Videographers will be impressed with the movie-making specs as the Osmo Action can shoot 4K/60fps, along with 8x slow motion in 1080p 240fps or 4x slow motion in 1080p 120fps. The Osmo Action benefits from what DJI call ‘RockSteady’ Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) technology. What’s more, the Osmo Action also features a High Dynamic Range (HDR) video mode when shooting in 4K/30fps, which delivers an additional three stops of dynamic range to the scene.
There’s also dual microphones to enable videographers to use the Osmo Action‘s Voice Control, plus a speaker, too, along with a 3.5mm to connect an external mic for enhanced audio. The battery is good for 93 minutes recording at 4K/30fps with RockSteady enabled, and 135 minutes recording at 1080p/30fps without RockSteady.
This is an action camera packed with technology and features. For example, there’s a Timelapse mode, plus Custom Exposure settings to enable a single exposure of up to 120 seconds. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology helps the Osmo Action pair with the DJI Mimo app (which also works with the Osmo Pocket gimbal camera). Available now, the DJI Osmo Action will cost £329/€379.