GoPro has done a decent job at holding a winning status among action cams throughout the years. The road has been a little bumpy here or there, but with the latest GoPro 7 Black, they pretty much stole the show and defeated most any cam that came near its price tag.
However, DJI decided that GoPro didn’t have enough pressure to be concerned about. They did this by launching a new action camera that literally sits right next to it, both feature and quality-wise. With that, the new DJI Osmo Action (Camera) was born and released into the wild, putting quite a bit of pressure on GoPro’s flagship solution.
Both cameras come very close in performance, and both have their own versions of some of the GoPro 7 Black’s top features. Where GoPro has their HyperSmooth image stabilization (which blew away anything else we’ve seen), Time Warp, Super Photo (HDR photos, but not video) and waterproof to up to 33ft within any need of an external case–the DJI Osmo Action sports their “RockSteady” mode that competes decently it seems with GoPro’s HyperSmooth, HDR video support (but not photo), timelapse, 8x slow motion, and is waterproof for up to 36ft (also without any need of an external case). Both support 4K video and more.
Of course, both still have their benefits. It is going to be hard to compete with DJI’s stabilization, even though DJI appears to come pretty close. The GoPro Hero 7 Black also supports live streaming, where the Osmo Action does not. However, the Osmo Action features dual screens, allowing you to see what’s going on no matter what side of the camera you are on, and it also supports voice control. GoPro offers HDR photos, where Osmo Action offers HDR video.
So it still comes down to what you (the user) are looking for in an action cam. However, that isn’t going to stop DJI from being one of the best side-by-side competitors that GoPro has had in a very long time. They even match price-wise at $349. This was smart on DJI’s part since DJI recently dropped the price of theirs to this level. So matching it at launch shows how excited they are to get it out there. The only catch is DJI will plan to release something likely in around 4 months (September), which may give the Osmo Action a short-lived glory if the new GoPro can do that much better.
Highlighted Features:
- Dual Screens: Whether you want to record your world from behind a lens or be the star of the show, Osmo Action’s dual screens allow you to capture it all with the touch of a button. A vivid front screen lets you frame yourself effortlessly in any setting, while the back screen delivers a crystal-clear, hyper-responsive display.
- RockSteady: RockSteady combines EIS with complex algorithms, delivering stable, shake-free footage no matter how heavy the action gets.
- HDR Video: Dramatically enhance the dynamic range of your footage when recording with HDR video. This shooting mode delivers natural transitions between light and dark areas, capturing rich details that are often lost in environments with complex lighting.
- 8x Slow Motion: Capture every epic move with jaw-dropping clarity and detail when you use 8x slow motion with 1080p resolution and 240fps.
- Custom Exposure Settings: Shoot for the stars with manual and semi-automatic settings that allow up to 120 seconds of exposure, perfect for capturing the night sky.
- Timelapse: Condense time and movement for stunning, easy-to-achieve results.
- Timed Shooting Mode: Set up timed RAW shots, perfect for post-processing and additional control.
- Waterproof: Sporting a watertight seal and a hydrophobic coating on the back touchscreen, Osmo Action is waterproof at depths of up to 11 meters, making it the perfect underwater companion.
