DJI Osmo Action

The_Abyss · 12 May 2019 at 00:07

There's an announcement from DJI on 15 May, and this is rumoured to be an action camera to take on GoPro's near monopoly. However, as with all these things, it looks like details have leaked:

https://www.diyphotography.net/photos-and-specs-of-the-new-dji-osmo-action-camera-have-been-leaked/

No details of image stabilisation which is a bit worrying. The GoPro 7 does this really well, on the latest firmware version. And the form factor, like the GoPro, is just not helpful to those who want to mount on to motorbikes and helmets etc.

The_Abyss · 15 May 2019 at 15:11

https://www.cnet.com/reviews/dji-osmo-action-preview/

Take my money now DJI.

This'll kill GoPro within 3 years.

The_Abyss · 16 May 2019 at 11:20

I've ordered one today to see how it compares to the GoPro 7. As usual with DJI there's a near complete deficit of accessories at launch (spare batteries, attachments etc) but I think I can maybe make some use of existing GoPro mounts.

I've looked but haven't seen any details on bluetooth connections, to open the possibility of attaching a bluetooth microphone. Although seemingly better than GoPro's sound, the Action won't be able to defy the laws of physics and give great sound at 70 mph, and I'm sure a wired mic will compromise the waterproofing as ever.

The_Abyss · 16 May 2019 at 13:03

I doubt it - there are conflicting reports on whether or not third party (and indeed DJI's own Pocket) USB-C - 3.5mm adaptors will work with Action.

The_Abyss · 17 May 2019 at 16:34

I think there's a linear view setting, but no GoPro superwide equivalent, which is ok because the distortion is terrible.

The_Abyss · 21 May 2019 at 20:19

Arrived yesterday and I picked up from work today. Had to update the firmware to get it working - Rock Steady wasn't on there - it was called EIS but still seemed to work ok. The DJI Mimo app seems to control it fairly simply - easy to change settings and transfer footage to the mobile.

I don't think I've got any mountings to fit it to my bike helmet, so I had a quick wander around the garden - 2.7k 30fps with Rock Steady on. At the end I was waving it (smoothly) up and down, and it seems to cope better than the GoPro 7 Black. The sound is also pretty decent, but that'll change with a smidgen of wind. As with the big GoPro, I just wish these cameras had a different profile - it really isn't good for mounting on the side of a helmet so it'll inevitably end up on the top / chin which I don't particularly like.

Anyway, it seems a step up from the GoPro, so that's going on eBay over the weekend

The_Abyss · 23 May 2019 at 09:50

I don't, at least not for my motorbike helmet as there I use either a Session 5 or a Ghost Drift X. I need a 'Lego' session - sit down with all the different GoPro attachments and joints and try and work out a new mounting position that doesn't interrupt my vision or airflow.

The_Abyss · 8 Jun 2019 at 08:13

It would be great if it supported a bluetooth mic, but this is looking less and less likely.

The_Abyss · 17 Jun 2019 at 14:56

jonneymendoza said:
mind you i have not tried it yet but How has Kai managed to get it to work on his video?

Did he get it to work though? It sounded very much like onboard audio to me.

The_Abyss · 19 Jun 2019 at 12:33

Poor is very kind. It is a bloody outrage and simple gouging. So frustrating when businesses do so many things right and really innovate and offer choice, and then just screw it up so badly on things like this. It would be marginally, just marginally, more forgivable if they had any in stock. But they don't.

The_Abyss · 22 Jun 2019 at 19:07

Finally got a chance to use mine in a first test today. I just spliced a few clips together so nothing fancy - I was mainly interested in seeing how the stabilisation worked when motorcycling and how the camera coped with the harsh contrast of shadows on a sunny day.

No problem with the former - the stabilisation generally worked very well. I'm less sure on the actual camera image quality itself, although this is raw and ungraded. The GoPro 7 feels like better quality straight out of the camera but I've yet to have a play around with proper editing.

Oh, and if not already obvious, it desperately needs that microphone adaptor. Largely useless for most things I want to do without it.

The_Abyss · 7 Jul 2019 at 21:54

What a ludicrous design - completely impractical. Better than the GoPro brick, but still...

The_Abyss · 10 Jul 2019 at 07:00

Cyclone said:
I wish these mic adapters were right angled so it was more difficult to break. I understand most people will have a housing of some type, but sticking straight out is asking for trouble.

Exactly. And in my case, that side is flush to a motorcycle helmet, so now I'll have to mount it upside down and look like I'm riding with some kind of antenna attached!

Despite this, the quality of the camera is great, and the stabilisation crushes GoPro's in the real world. Picked up another one, and good to see that batteries are now shipping too.

The_Abyss · 10 Jul 2019 at 08:28

I guess they waive the shipping for larger orders - I don't appear to have paid any.

The_Abyss · 20 Sep 2019 at 21:36

Not too shabby at all from an action camera.

The_Abyss · 21 Sep 2019 at 22:08

Still no external mic adaptor though. DJI jus seem to have this annoying habit of moving on to another product without finishing the earlier ones.

The_Abyss · 22 Sep 2019 at 19:16

Finally! Thanks for linking!

The_Abyss · 12 Oct 2019 at 22:02

One of the best things that I've found about the Action is the mobile app. It just works so reliably, whereas GoPro always used to be a bit of a chore and hit and miss for me.

I wish they'd ditch the on-camera screens and just bring out a more aerodynamic form factor.