DJI Osmo Action 4 Review: The Ultimate Adventure-Ready Camera

Introduction - Embrace the Action!

The DJI Osmo Action 4 is the ultimate adventure-ready camera that promises unparalleled low-light recording capabilities. If you're a thrill-seeker and a content creator, this camera is tailor-made for you. With its remarkable features and rugged design, it competes head-to-head with the popular GoPro Hero11 Black, offering unique advantages that set it apart.

Pros: Unleashing the Power of Osmo Action 4

The Osmo Action 4 boasts a wide-angle lens with impeccable digital stabilization, ensuring your footage remains smooth and steady even in the most challenging conditions. The convenience of front and rear touch screens allows effortless control and framing of shots. And if you're into slow-motion cinematography, the Osmo Action 4 impresses with its 4K120 slow-motion capability.

One standout feature is the 10-bit D-Log color profile, providing vibrant colors in your videos. Additionally, the camera is waterproof up to an impressive 59 feet, making it perfect for capturing your underwater adventures. Plus, it doubles as a webcam, making it a versatile tool for live streaming and video conferencing.

Cons: Minor Hurdles to Conquer

While the Osmo Action 4 excels in many areas, there are a couple of minor drawbacks. Activating the camera via a smartphone-based process might be a slight inconvenience for some users. The quick-release mount, while practical, is easy to misplace, so take extra care not to lose it. Also, bear in mind that the rear display might not be visible through polarized sunglasses, especially during landscape recording.

DJI Osmo Action 4 Specs: Unveiling the Technical Marvel

The dimensions of the Osmo Action 4 measure 1.7 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches, and it weighs approximately 144.58 gm. As an action camera, it packs a 10 MP sensor, ensuring high-quality images and videos. The camera supports microSDXC memory cards, providing ample space for storing your action-packed moments.

Connectivity options include USB-C, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, allowing seamless data transfer and remote control functionality. The camera's rugged build enables it to withstand depths of up to 59 feet without requiring a protective case, making it the ideal companion for extreme sports and aquatic activities. It also offers 4K video resolution and a flat profile for post-processing flexibility.

Taking on the GoPro Challenge: A Worthy Contender

In the world of action cameras, GoPro has long been a dominant force. However, the DJI Osmo Action 4 has stepped up to the challenge, proving to be a worthy competitor to the GoPro Hero11 Black. Both cameras boast a rugged build and include a colour front screen, but the Osmo Action 4 stands out with its superior low-light performance and longer battery life.

While the GoPro Hero11 Black remains the vloggers' Choice, primarily due to its versatile sensor aspect ratios and impressive 2.7K240 slow-motion capabilities, the Osmo Action 4 shines when it comes to everyday vlogging and capturing thrilling action shots.

DJI's GoPro Clone: Innovative Design with a Touch of Imitation

The Osmo Action series by DJI bears a striking resemblance to GoPro's Hero series, making it clear where the design inspiration came from. Despite the similarities, DJI managed to bring its innovation to the table, introducing a color screen on the front of its camera before GoPro followed suit. The imitation goes both ways, showcasing a dynamic interplay between the two leading brands.

Small, Rugged, and Waterproof: Built for Adventure

Designed to be easily mountable in tight spaces, the Osmo Action 4 features a compact rectangular shape with both front and back colour screens. Its portability and ultra-wide lens make it the perfect companion for adventurers and action seekers. Measuring 1.7 x 2.8 x 1.3 inches and weighing approximately 144.5gm, the camera is comparable in size to the GoPro Hero11 Black, ensuring effortless portability on your journeys.

Mounting Options and Accessories: Ready for Every Adventure

The Osmo Action 4 offers a unique magnetic mounting clip for versatile attachment options. This feature allows users to quickly switch between multiple mounts, making it a practical choice for enthusiasts who require flexibility in their shooting setups. However, it's essential to be mindful of the mount clips to avoid misplacing them and incurring additional costs.

The camera's basic bundle includes essential accessories such as a battery, USB-C cable, sticky mounting pads, a magnetic mounting base, and a cage with a side mount for vertical filming. If you're an avid adventurer who prefers having spare batteries on hand, the Adventure Combo package, priced at $499, is worth considering. It includes two batteries, a multifunction battery case, and a 1.5m extension rod, ensuring you never miss a moment.

To further enhance your shooting experience, DJI offers a range of accessories, including ND filters, the wireless DJI Mic for crystal-clear audio, a mini extension rod with a built-in mounting point and tripod feet, and a handlebar mount. For added convenience, GoPro mounting accessories are also compatible with the Osmo Action 4.

Intuitive Interface and Controls: Empowering Your Creativity

The Osmo Action 4 keeps its controls minimalist yet comprehensive, featuring two physical buttons - a Record button on top and a Quick Shift mode button on the left side. Both the front and rear touch screens offer touch input functionality, while voice commands provide hands-free operation, especially useful when wearing gloves or in challenging environments.

For those who seek additional control when the camera is out of reach, the wrist-worn Bluetooth remote accessory, available for $79, comes to the rescue. It includes GPS capabilities, allowing you to geotag your pictures and videos for better tracking and sharing.

The 2-inch touchscreen features intuitive icons that function as touch buttons, enabling quick switching between video, photo, and time-lapse modes. Adjusting resolution and frame rate settings is just a tap away, enhancing your shooting flexibility. However, note that the rear screen might pose visibility issues when viewed through polarized sunglasses, particularly in landscape recording.

Power, Connectivity, and Activation: Uninterrupted Adventure

The Osmo Action 4 has an impressive ability to manage heat during extended recording sessions, offering approximately 78 minutes of continuous 4K60 recording on a fully charged battery without overheating issues. This is a considerable improvement compared to the GoPro Hero11 Black, which tends to overheat after about 25 minutes of 5.3K60 recording under similar conditions.

For connectivity, the camera features a USB-C port, which serves multiple functions, including external mic input, data transfer, and battery charging. A locking door ensures the port remains protected and waterproof.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options enable seamless communication with the DJI Mimo smartphone app, available for both Android and iOS. The app provides remote control, mobile editing capabilities, and firmware updates. Live streaming becomes a breeze, accessible via Wi-Fi or the USB-C port. It's essential to note that the smartphone app activation process is a mandatory step. You'll need to install the DJI Mimo app and create a DJI account to activate the camera fully. Without activation, the Osmo Action 4 remains locked and provides only five "skips" before becoming unusable.

To ensure smooth video recording, a microSD card with a V30 rating or better is required. The camera has been tested successfully with 32GB SanDisk and 128GB Thinkware cards, ensuring optimal performance and storage.

Low-Light Performance: Igniting Creativity in the Dark

While GoPro takes pride in its impressive resolution and frame rates, the Osmo Action 4 chooses to focus on low-light performance, catering to enthusiasts seeking stunning footage in dimly lit environments. The camera features a 4:3 aspect sensor that supports 4:3 and 16:9 recordings up to 4K120 or 2.7K120, as well as up to 1080p240 at 16:9. Although 4:3 aspect footage is slightly taller than 16:9, it allows for easy extraction of clips for social media content.

The Osmo Action 4 employs a Type 1/1.3 sensor, which is physically larger than the Hero11's Type 1/1.9 chip, resulting in clearer and more detailed images in low-light conditions. It is highlighted by experts, the DJI Osmo Action 4 outperforms the GoPro Hero11 Black in dim and dark conditions, capturing superior picture quality. To maximize low-light performance, it's advisable to use slower frame rates, such as 4K30, to ensure optimal results.

It has the option to choose from two color profiles i.e. Standard and D-Log M. The former produces natural-looking videos with punchy contrast and vivid colors, requiring minimal post-processing. On the other hand, D-Log M elevates color sampling from 8-bit to 10-bit, perfect for those with advanced video editing skills. This profile is ideal for precise color grading and adjustment of highlight and shadow levels.

Stabilization is key in action cameras, and DJI's RockSteady stabilization is top-notch. It effectively reduces shakes and vibrations, providing a smooth, gimbal-like video quality. In comparison to GoPro's Hypersmooth stabilization, proves equally impressive. Whether you're recording action-packed sports or engaging in dynamic activities, the Osmo Action 4 keeps your footage stable and captivating.

The ultra-wide lens captures an immersive 11mm full-frame view, with minor barrel distortion adding a subtle fish-eye effect to the footage. To minimize distortion, you can switch to a slightly narrower angle (12mm) or opt for a linear view (around 15mm) with straight lines.

As for still photography, the Osmo Action 4 takes crisp 10MP snapshots at a 4:3 aspect ratio in your choice of JPG or DNG format. The Raw files offer sharp detail, along with adjustable exposure and color options, allowing for creative exploration in post-processing.

The audio quality is decent, with clear voice recording and background audio. The Osmo Action 4's built-in mic performs well in comparison to the GoPro Hero11 Black's microphone. 

An Action Cam for Creators: Striving for Excellence

While DJI is renowned for its drones, it has successfully ventured into the action camera territory with the Osmo series. Although the Osmo Action 4 proves to be a formidable competitor against GoPro, the latter remains the reigning champion.

The Osmo Action 4's exceptional battery life and low-light recording prowess make it a favorite among creators and vloggers. However, the GoPro's higher resolution, user-friendly interface, and unique 8:7 recording mode cater to the needs of social media content creators, particularly those who favor vertical framing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the DJI Osmo Action 4 stands strong as a powerful and capable action camera, capturing the heart of adventure enthusiasts and content creators alike. Its superior low-light performance, extended battery life, and impressive stabilization set it apart from the competition. The Osmo Action 4's exceptional features and dedication to innovation make it a compelling choice for capturing thrilling moments in the great outdoors. Whether you're diving into the depths of the ocean or scaling rugged mountains, the DJI Osmo Action 4 ensures you never miss a beat of your exhilarating adventures. Embrace the action and let the Osmo Action 4 be your steadfast companion on your journey to greatness.

Disclaimer:

The review of the DJI Osmo Action 4 camera in this article is based on research, not personal testing. Affiliate links to the DJI website are used, and I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Your support helps maintain the website. Please research further before making a purchase decision. Thank you.