It’s hard to figure out where to start on DJI’s Osmo Action. How about this – the Osmo Action is a GoPro killer. From battery life to colour, to dual screens, this is the dream gadget for any action/fun/weekend loving person. A weekend away at Australia’s premier snow resort, Perisher, was the perfect way to put the Osmo Action to its limits.
Initially, when a company comes along with a new product that aims to dethrone another product, consumers are hesitant to take the plunge due to the fear of having to buy new cables and accessories and change their routines. But, DJI has been smart – all cables, housing units and accessories use the familiar GoPro three-rings for complete compatibility to their range of accessories as well.
We packed our some warm gear and our boards and hit the road for the stunning and scenic 6 hour drive South from Sydney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYjP-Sp2BsI
DJI Osmo Action Timelapse – Cooma to Perisher through Kosciusko National Park.
The compact action camera is the same size as a GoPro Hero 7 and boasts a 1/2.3-inch sensor that records12-megapixel photos and 4K video up to 60fps at 100Mbps in stunning detail, assuring high-quality footage. A three-glass aspherical lens design records low-distortion content and aids in reducing warping effects for improved scenes.
Once we got to Perisher, all 45 lifts and runs were open thanks to another good season of snowfall. Fun and exploration was a brief chair lift ride away.
To the touch, the waterproof metal frame is paired with textured rubber sides that are easy to grip and not slip out of your hand when wet or dusty. Buttons are easy to find and press, even when wearing ski and snowboard gloves.
In a game changer for action cameras, the front has a small, square 1.4″ display whilst the back has a 16:9, 2.4in LCD display, featuring a pixel density of over 300PPI. Both a crisp and clear, and the front screen now makes it super easy to frame all of your selfie shots. A simple two-finger double-tap on the back screen will alternate between displays.
Osmo Action boasts a removable battery with a run time of 93 minutes recording at 4K/30fps with RockSteady enabled, and 135 minutes recording at 1080p/30fps without RockSteady. During our tests out on Perisher’s slopes, we got 84 minutes at 4k/30fps (but the need to format/change cards numerous times) and 120 minutes at 1080p/30fps; both times exceed the GoPro Hero 7.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWlfEXTTUOA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mgKMIuMMSA
The Osmo Action is the first DJI handheld camera to include RockSteady, DJI’s Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) technology and it is straight-up gravity defying. Footage is silky smooth and near that of DJI’s Ronin-S handheld gimbal. When RockSteady is enabled, only a minor lag occurs between what is shown on the screen and what is happening in reality.
https://youtu.be/WWJn4VjhQtY
DJI has also released a range of filters that spin onto the camera. As well as orange and red filters for underwater filming, of particular use for us was the ND filters to block out a lot of the glare from the snow that reflects into your eyes and camera. DJI’s ND filters (ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32) reduced the light exposure stunningly to create a well-exposed and detailed shot even when the sun was out in full blast.
https://youtu.be/vUh0tOPKebE
DJI Osmo Action retails for $499 AUD. It is immediately available for purchase at store.dji.com and will be available at DJI authorized dealers in June. For more information on all the new features and capabilities of Osmo Action, please visit http://www.dji.com/osmo-action
For more information on Perisher, where there is still plenty of snow!, you can head HERE.
