Yesterday I attended the launch and first hands on with the DJI Osmo Action. Now usually I don’t write about events and prefer to get my hands on the gadget in question for a few weeks. But, after posting some videos of my time with the DJI Osmo Action, however short, the response justified a blog post. So here we are!
The DJI Osmo Action
The Osmo Action is a small action camera. I’m not going to beat around the bush, this is very clearly DJI’s answer to beat the GoPro. DJI have been known primarily for Drones but have added a range of content creation devices to their selection. The Osmo Pocket jumps to mind. The Osmo Action is very clearly meant to become the competition to that other action cam brand I’ve referenced already. Let’s be frank, it is competition. The camera offers up a range of incredible settings that will take your videography and photography to the next level. To give you an idea:
- Shoots 4K at 60fps video with 8 x slow motion, HDR and automatic time lapse
- Dual LCD display
- Rock Steady Image Stabilisation
- 145 degree field of view (aperture of f/2.8)
Sounds sexy on paper, they always do. But how does it perform when you get hands on?
First impressions
Again, to be clear, I had about 20 minutes with the camera. We were at the launch event and everyone was getting a few minutes to test it out while snapping photos and videos of break dancers and Parkour performers. I was extremely impressed with the screen. The image was, despite being on such a small screen, really crisp and clean. I also liked that there were a variety of options to watch and review video you’d just shot. Another big plus for me was that the fisheye lens I’ve come to expect from action cameras was gone. Hallelujah!
Played with the DJI Osmo Action today. It’s quite nice. pic.twitter.com/ixYiLqmnpS
— Sam “Tech Girl” Wright (@TechGirlZA) May 28, 2019
There’s an option to double tap the main screen and that will allow you to switch to the selfie camera. I found the double tap a bit buggy and troublesome – I never got it right and had to request help BUT, when you’re using the front facing “selfie” camera it really is rather impressive. Despite the tiny screen size in the front (smaller than the back) you’re still able to perfectly line up the shot and frame it. While it seems a bit up your own ass to be excited about a selfie camera, it makes all the difference when you’re shooting.
Some more footage I took while using the DJI Osmo Action at the @MyiStoreSA launch yesterday. Slow Motion functionality was a fave for me clearly (zoomed in and cropped on edit). pic.twitter.com/NJS6fKDXje
— Sam “Tech Girl” Wright (@TechGirlZA) May 29, 2019
Changing up modes and settings is as simple as just swiping on the screen and selecting what you need. Ideally I’d need more time with the DJI Osmo Action to claim that it was “easy to use” but for the most part, in our short time together, it was relatively simple to use. You need an SD card but can then record some rad stuff. You’ll need the DJI Mimo app on your phone, pair the camera and then you just grab your footage from there.
The camera is now available (you can buy it at most iStores) and it will cost you R6999. I’ve tried to share a bunch of the videos I took in this post so you can get can idea of the quality of footage. As you can tell, I’m a slow mo fan. All your current Action Cam accessories will work on this baby too, as it uses the same universal mounts. It’s a rad little piece of tech and from my first hands on – I was impressed. Again though, this is by no means a full review – just initial impressions.
Disclosure: I attended a hands on session and launch event at iStore for the DJI Osmo Action.
