DJI has accomplished one other 180 on its Osmo motion cam lineup. The authentic Osmo Action had a traditional GoProfessional look, however then with the Action 2 (no Osmo), DJI went to an oddball modular design. It had some fascinating concepts – it was good and small, and you could possibly add storage, a front-facing display screen and extra with the add-on models. But it suffered from overheating, proved to be considerably fragile and was overly complicated.

Now with the Osmo Action 3, DJI has introduced again the action-cam kind issue. It additionally made quite a few small enhancements from the mount to the shows to the battery – however saved the earlier mannequin’s 1/1.7-inch, 12-megapixel sensor and most 4K 120p video decision.

The rival Hero 10 is in a category by itself with its HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization, 5.3K 60p decision and 240fps 2.7K body charge – and GoProfessional has teased a new model (“taking it to 11”) arriving in precisely an hour – fairly the fascinating coincidence. To see the way it stacks up, I examined it on a car, bike and on foot, whereas getting a face-first have a look at the improved sturdiness.

Body and dealing with

Without the battery module, the Action 2 has a reasonably weak 60 minutes of battery life. DJI has addressed that with the brand new “Extreme Battery” on the Osmo Action 3 that lasts as much as 160 minutes. It’s additionally the primary motion digital camera with fast-charging (by way of the Multifunction Battery Case) that enables for an 80 p.c cost in simply 18 minutes, or a full cost in 50 minutes.

It has a slick new magnetic quick-release mount that allows you to join the digital camera on to a GoProfessional-style mount with or with out the case. It additionally permits for straightforward vertical mounting, making the Action 3 higher for social media.

That enables you to detach the digital camera from a motorcycle, automobile or different mount with out the necessity to take away it from the case. DJI notes that the mounting system “eliminates loose connections and withstands impact such as a rider falling off their bike,” however recommends not doing that.

So naturally, I executed an ideal face plant on my mountain bike, and may verify that the digital camera got here away unscathed, in contrast to my face (sure, there’s video). The digital camera clearly made some contact with the bottom however stayed connected to the mount and suffered no seen injury – so kudos to DJI for that.

You additionally get a entrance (1.4-inch, 360×360) and rear (2.25-inch, 640×360) display screen which are each touch-enabled, making for simpler vlogging or self-shooting. Gorilla Glass on the shows aids within the promised impression resistance. The menu system works in the identical manner because the Action 2, primarily by swiping. You swipe as much as change major settings like decision and body charge, right down to entry the principle menu, left to vary the capturing mode and proper to play again footage. The menus work in the identical manner on each the entrance and rear shows.

It’s not terribly intuitive, however most likely the best choice for a display screen that small. You may also join the digital camera to DJI’s Mimo app, which is simpler to make use of and extra like what you’ll discover on its Fly and Go drone apps. That enables you to management video and photograph captures remotely, whereas altering all the important thing digital camera settings.The app can also be used to replace the digital camera’s firmware.

As earlier than, the Osmo Action 3 can work as a webcam, promising higher-quality video and audio than your typical built-in digital camera for convention calls and livestreams. This works properly, with minimal setup and a straightforward connection by way of USB-C, although video could be very huge. It additionally enables you to livestream by way of WiFi at as much as 1080/30p.

Video and stabilization

The Action 3 makes use of the newest model of DJI’s stabilization, Rocksteady 3.0, to eradicate digital camera shake in all instructions as much as the utmost 4K/120fps. It’s practically on par with GoProfessional’s HyperSmooth 4. I examined it on a car over tough gravel roads, driving a motorcycle on trails and roads with the digital camera mounted on my helmet, and on foot with the included selfie stick. It smoothed out the video completely in all these conditions, solely letting me down as soon as (once I crashed), for some unknown motive.

It additionally makes use of DJI’s Horizon options that first arrived on the Osmo Action to maintain the picture stage. HorizonRegular does a mix of shake discount and horizon leveling, even by means of heavy bumps and excessive 360 diploma rotations. This could possibly be helpful for… I’m undecided? Perhaps skydiving, scuba diving or the like. Note that it solely works at as much as 2.7K decision and crops the picture, little question as a result of it requires the encompassing pixels to compensate for rotation.

HorizonBalancing corrects the lean horizontally inside ±45° and permits for regular recording at 4K/60fps. DJI calls it “a good middle ground between RockSteady and HorizonSteady, where a smooth 4K picture in dynamic movement is priority, such as an obstacle course run.” That characteristic saved my footage each clean and regular, even by means of steep banks on a motorcycle by means of streets.

The Action 3’s digital camera presents a 155-degree discipline of view (equal to a 12.5mm full-frame lens), significantly wider than the GoProfessional Hero 10’s 19mm equal in linear mode or about 16mm in fisheye mode. It additionally presents an ordinary dewarped (linear) view, together with huge and ultra-wide FOVs, with the latter significantly distorted. The zoom operate is digital-only and appears fairly poor – you’d be higher off zooming in utilizing your video modifying app.

As talked about, DJI is enjoying up the vertical side ratio, with not only a vertical mount and consumer interface, however vertical capturing functionality. The characteristic permit for 9:16 vertical capturing so you’ll be able to publish social media content material in any respect the obtainable resolutions without having for cropping. 

Video high quality is superb, at the least on par with the Hero 10 on the equal decision (the Action 3 has a 130Mbps max knowledge charge, whereas Hero 10 tops out at 100Mbps). As talked about, it may well do 120fps at 4K, or 240fps at 1080p. On high of the video modes, you’ll be able to shoot 12-megapixel images.

The Hero 10, in the meantime, helps 5.3K at as much as 60fps, 4K at 120 fps and a couple of.7K at 240fps. It’s good to have the 240fps choice at a better decision, however the DJI Osmo Action 3 is arguably a contact sharper on the full 4K 120p decision. 

The Hero 10 is healthier in low gentle, although. Despite the bigger pixels, the Action 3’s video can get fairly noisy, even in daylight in shaded forest, for example. By distinction (sorry), the Hero 10 delivers clearer footage in related conditions.

With the brand new mannequin, DJI has added the D-Cinelike coloration mode from its drones to spice up dynamic vary and make modifying simpler with contrasty footage. It additionally added a brand new coloration temperature sensor that routinely adjusts white steadiness and publicity in a single shot should you’re shifting from shadows to vibrant daylight or diving into water, for example. That normally gave me comparatively clean transitions from shaded to sunlit areas, although once more, the Hero 10 does a greater job on this regard.