DJI Osmo Action 3 Review: In-depth Review

 DJI is back to replace GoPro as the leader in action cameras. The DJI Osmo Action 3 is the newest effort, released less than a year after the Action 2. However, unlike last year's unusual, magnetic form factor, the Action 3 returns to basics. It appears to be a standard action camera. At first look, it's difficult to tell it apart from the original Osmo Action. So here you will discuss DJI Osmo Action 3 Review.

 

Credit: Pocket-lint

DJI Osmo Action 3 Review:

When it comes to action cameras, there is always a fight between size and battery life. The battery must be as compact as the camera itself. Even having a larger battery does not ensure long recording durations. However, if one company can strike the correct balance, it is DJI. DJI knows batteries after years of trying to squeeze out a few additional minutes of flying time for its drones.

After ruling the skies as king in the drone industry, DJI is now looking to conquer the land while aiming at Go pro.  The addition of a color front screen and a lower price were crucial elements that threw the established camera aside, but that was the GoPro Hero7 Black.

The Osmo Action 2, DJI's follow-up, revolutionized the category by attempting to be two devices in one. The Action 2 was an innovative device made of magnetically detachable squares that allowed the option of being small and light or having a longer battery life and a reversible monitor.

The unusual design grabbed our interest ie, DJI Action 2, but it wasn't without flaws, not least that the individual components with contacts required protection for all underwater photography, extra parts weren't cheap, and battery charging took time. Meanwhile, GoPro is releasing the Hero 11 Black while Insta360 has been making waves in the field.

DJI Osmo Action 3 Camera: Image and video quality

You can shoot good-looking, sharp footage from the Action 3 at up to 4K quality.  If you mostly capture vlogging-style footage and don't require a super-wide 155o FOV, a less expansive action camera would be a better choice. When exposing a scene, the Action 3 does not prioritize faces, and it also misses out on detail picked up by competing cameras like the GoPro Hero 10 and 11.

DJI makes it more difficult to expose the image for all the objects in-frame by putting more in-frame with its wider 155o FOV. When vlogging, Action 3 has to deal with a lot of skies and, on the other end of the exposure spectrum, dark foreground and background objects in the bottom half of the image. With its restricted dynamic range and inability to prioritize faces by default, Action 3 falls short of the mark for vlogging.

When you change the lens to one with a lower field of view, the detail suffers and the camera continues to underexpose faces. For vloggers, we'd definitely recommend the GoPro Hero 10 or 11 Black with a Media Mod if you know you'll be shooting outside in uncertain conditions.

Horizon leveling, a function introduced in Action 2. This keeps your footage looking steady, correcting for tilts of up to 45 degrees at 4K resolution and handling 360-degree rotation at 2.7K without even a tiny sway.

In terms of audio quality, the DJI Osmo Action 3 records clear sound from its three microphones, effectively canceling out background and wind noise. When vlogging, we actually like the clarity of its audio over the GoPro Hero 11 Black, especially if you're out and about.

If you have a good wireless DJI microphone, you may quickly improve your audio quality by inserting the receiver directly into the side of the Osmo Action 3.

DJI Osmo Action 3 Camera: Performance and battery

We tested the Osmo Action 3 Adventure Combo through its paces, which contained three of DJI's 'Extreme Battery' and a 'Multifunctional Battery Case.' The case functions as a charging hub, allowing three batteries to charge without being swapped. Indicator LEDs flash red when they're dead, amber when they're over 20% charged, and green when they're ready to use.

If you're used to DJI drones, this isn't quite the same type of feedback. When you use the camera as a charger, you receive a pulsing LED that displays charge in four stages, similar to smart batteries. It's not a major problem, but if you're a regular DJI drone operator, it appears inconsistent.

More crucially, the 1770mAh battery provides an unbelievable amount of time. DJI claims it can run for up to 160 minutes, and we were able to get it past that mark with the front screen turned on. That easily outperforms the Action 2 and the GoPro Hero10.

The battery's endurance under bad conditions is maybe more amazing than the extra minutes. DJI claims the battery can work at temperatures as low as -20 C (-4 F).

Charging is also much faster than in previous generations, with built-in fast charge support on the camera itself. DJI claims 0-80% in 18 minutes and 0-100% in 50, and in testing, we found this to be more or less accurate.

DJI Osmo Action 3 Camera: Design and features

A quick glance at the Osmo Action 3 reveals that DJI has back to a more traditional single-unit design measuring 70 x 44 x 32mm (2.76 x 1.73 x 1.25 inches). This sacrifices some of the gadget appeal factors of its modular predecessor, but it enables a single replaceable battery with a range of up to 210 minutes. It is also waterproof up to 16m (52ft) with no additional housing, beating the GoPro Hero10 by 6m (20ft).

The 155 lenses (12.7mm EFL) is placed in a shield that protects the camera. The high rim and included rubber rim should keep damage from interfering with the view.

The Action 3 case contains a color sensor in the 'O' of the Action 3 badge, allowing you to swiftly alter white balance during a shot as you break the surface of the water, for example. There are also three microphones, one on each end of the word 'Action,' and one on top of the case. These are used for active noise cancellation.

The gadget weights 145g, which is typical for an action camera but will be apparent on a standard commuter cycle helmet (though still 5g lighter than the GoPro Hero 10)

DJI has given vertical-format creatives some thought, as shown by the latest DJI Mini 3 Pro. The camera's gyros detect the angle of use and automatically record at the correct one (a lock is available), and the clip-in frame contains a vertical mount.
The camera's 'Quick-Release Adapter Mount' is a combination of magnet and clip - the camera is pulled onto the mount and clips into place (with a little nudge, we found). It didn't fall off in any of our tests; 

DJI claims it can even resist a bike collision, but we weren't inclined to put that to the test!There are a number of other useful features. The camera's USB connector can also be used as a webcam. When you connect it through USB, it asks if you want to transfer files or use it as a webcam. The gadget also enables Wi-Fi to live streaming at up to 1080P at 30 frames per second, with YouTube, Facebook, and RTMS setup options.

Conclusion:

The DJI Osmo Action 3 may not be the greatest action camera available, but it may be the best value option for you, undercutting many of the competition. It dives deeper than the competition, has a wider field of view, and has better battery life. While it reuses the same fundamental camera hardware as the Action 2, its more practical body and great mounting method also impress - so if you don't want best-in-class image quality but want a durable, powerful, long-lasting GoPro rival, DJI's newest Action could be just the ticket.

 

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