It is clear that the DJI Osmo Action 3 is facing a difficult fight to win. Its main competitor, GoPro, dominates the market so thoroughly that in order to gain any traction, it needs to provide something additional, and hopefully at a lower cost.
In a way the new camera has both. It boasts impressive specifications , including a huge 1/1.7in sensor, as well as an innovative magnet mount system which allows you to move the camera from one mount quickly to another as well as capture vertically, as well as the front-facing display is touch-sensitive.
Yes, it is also considerably cheaper than its primary rival. Its main concern is whether it compete in the area that matters the most: image quality?
DJI Osmo Action 3 review What do you get with the price?
Before I tackle this question in greater detail however, let’s discuss the most important aspects of this camera’s action pricing, features and design. On every level it is a great camera. DJI Osmo Action 3 is quite a formidable competitor to the best GoPro can offer.
The price for the standard bundle is PS309 which is lower than the other bundles GoPro is currently offering and two models, The GoPro Hero10 Black along with the the new Hero11 Black significantly more expensive. The former is still priced at PS350 (when it is purchased with 12 months of GoPro subscription) while the latter comes at PS400. If you’re in search of an excellent action camera for budget then it’s the DJI Osmo Action 3 is the best choice.
It certainly does look the part. It’s built with a solid foundation, is water-resistant up to 16 meters without a case (that’s more than what GoPro provides) and has the latest quick-release mounting system that gives more versatility than other camera I’ve seen. The prongs aren’t built in the bottom of the camera as GoPro’s cameras use and the top part of the Osmo Action 3 is magnetised and the prongs are with a separate plate for quick-release.
It is much simpler to disconnect and reattach the camera, and switch between mounts. This eliminates the awkward procedure of having to screw the camera in order to fix it to the wall – then unscrew it when you want relocate it. Include the frame with a protective cover that is included with the standard bundle, and you can also place the camera on its side, and shoot vertically-oriented footage for social media.
The camera comes with two colour screens. However, it is one step ahead of its predecessor GoPro Hero11 Black again by having a touchscreen on the front. It also has a colour-temperature sensor that controls setting the white spot in video automatically. The DJI even has a direct competition with GoPro with regard to size of the sensor: astonishingly in comparison to the price it comes with a bigger sensors (1/1.7in) that it does the GoPro Hero11 Black (1/1.9in) in addition, also records video with speeds that can reach 130Mbits/sec.
DJI Osmo Action 3 review What is the audio and image quality?
A crucial area that it is clear that the DJI Osmo Action 3 can’t beat the GoPro Hero11 Black is the variety of shooting modes it provides. Sure, it’s able to shoot 4K videos at up to 120fps and offers the full 360-degree horizon leveling feature However, the rival takes one step further and offers video recording up to 5.3K and 60fps, while shooting with 10-bit color as well as the same 360-degree horizontal levelling.
The DJI is also lagging in stills photography. It’s limited to 12MP, whereas the GoPro is able to go up to 27MP. this isn’t just the case.
Like most action cameras, you aren’t able to make use of all the latest major features all at once. For example, the new 360-degree horizon-levelling stabilisation mode that ensures that your footage remains even regardless of the direction the camera is pointed it is only available with resolutions of up to 2.7K at 60 frames per second. There’s also a middle-of-the-road “HorizonBalanced” option that adjusts moves of that are 45 degrees to the left to right and allows you to shoot in 4K at 60 frames per second. But, this mode is limited to the 16:9 aspect ratio but not the full 4:3 ratio.
However, despite these limitations I found the overall performances to be quite amazing. Image stabilisation was a feature that ensured the video was smooth even when the camera was moving extremely violently. Likewise, the horizon levelling worked well and kept the video even.
In bright light, the camera could be seen in great details, too. Below is a video., I’ve juxtaposed it against GoPro Hero10 Black. GoPro Hero10 Black as I haven’t had a chance to test the Hero11 Black and, although the GoPro is definitely superior but the DJI is quite close. (You’ll be able to ignore the color balance of the GoPro and leave it in flat mode, and then was required to color grade it later in the post.)
The only area where this DJI Osmo Action 3 suffers is when it’s in low-light conditions. Despite having a (marginally) more powerful sensor images taken in dim lighting was much louder and less crisp than the identical video shot in the same manner using GoPro Hero10 Black. GoPro Hero10 Black. The GoPro Hero11 Black now available and possibly more powerful than it is clear that the DJI Osmo Action 3 finds itself in a major disadvantage.
DJI Osmo Action 3 review What else do we love about it?
However, the quality of images isn’t the only thing to consider. Audio quality, particularly for video editors, is essential as well, and it’s in this area that DJI can draw level with GoPro. The audio recorded isn’t as rich like other cameras like the GoPro Hero10 Black but the Osmo Action 3’s three microphones record crisp audio from either the front and rear of the camera.
It’s also worth noting the battery’s lifespan is quite good also. DJI says that its Extreme battery will keep the camera in motion for about 160 hours total however, that’s at 1080p at 30fps, with the two screens off. To give you an example with it’s the Hero11 Black can deliver up to 137 minutes of video at this size and resolution however, it’s Hero10 Black only gives you the option of 120 minutes and you’ll have to purchase an Enduro battery to achieve this.
Of course, that long battery life decreases dramatically as you increase the resolution and frame rate, make sure you enable stabilisation and horizon levelling. With 4K 60 and HorizonBalanced mode on the video recorded 19 mins and 32 secs before displaying an overheating alert. It’s not difficult to make it better, but. Reduced frame rates to 30fps eliminated the issue of overheating completely, and the camera could continue recording for a long time until its battery went out. This is more than 2 hours more than that the GoPro Hero10 Black managed (around 49 minutes) using similar settings. The battery is fast-charging compatible also, and can change from 0% to 80 percent in only 18 minutes, while going from 0% up to 100 percent in approximately 50 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that the lens offers the largest field of view than other GoPro that can reach 15 degrees, though this may not be as helpful as it may sound for video bloggers, since it will result in a loss in resolution when the camera is zoomed into.
DJI Osmo Action 3 review: Verdict
The DJI Osmo Action 3 has many advantages, in addition to. It’s considerably less expensive that it’s predecessor, the GoPro Hero11 Black, it’s more resistant to water while the system for mounting is an absolute benefit. Excellent image quality, efficient stabilisation and horizon-levelling, excellent battery life, and quick charging times, and a front-facing color touchscreen make up an overall solid device.
There is no doubt that image quality or resolution doesn’t quite match the top quality that GoPro offers particularly now that it’s the Hero11 Black has arrived with its 5.3K 360-degree horizon-levelling. But, if you are unable to just justify spending the PS400 for the brand new GoPro Hero11 Black or the Mini (the Hero10 Black remains higher priced even after being cut by a few hundred dollars) The DJI Osmo Action 3 is an affordable, reliable alternative.
