Vlogging while jogging and firing water pistols with the DJI Osmo Action

The new action camera takes aim at GoPro with a second screen on the front for selfies

DJI

Masha Borak

Published: 10:32pm, 16 May 2019

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This article originally appeared on ABACUS

It looks like a GoPro, swims like a GoPro, films like a GoPro… but it's not a GoPro. DJI has a new action camera called the Osmo Action, hoping to take GoPro's throne as the go-to action camera brand.

Although the Osmo Action and GoPro's Hero7 Black have similar specs, one obvious difference is that the Osmo Action sports two screens. The front screen is there to help you see yourself during filming. And don't we all want the option to vlog while jogging, surfing or rock climbing? (On second thought, that last one sounds quite dangerous.)

Check out Osmo Action on Amazon

Don’t break a leg while vlogging your healthy lifestyle, please. (Picture: Chris Chang/Abacus)

DJI has also equipped its new camera with 4K HDR video capabilities, while GoPro only offers HDR in photo and time lapse modes. Another benefit we found with the Osmo Action was the lens filters, which are easier to take off and screw back on than with the GoPro.

But what you really want to know about is the image stabilization. Shenzhen-based DJI rose to fame with its drones (beating out a little competitor called GoPro and their Karma drone). This means that DJI has experience making sure cameras record smooth video. DJI calls its stabilization tech Rocksteady, and it doesn’t disappoint.

The story of drone pioneer DJI

When we first saw that teasers for the Osmo Action featured divers, we thought it was some kind of underwater drone. But we were wrong. DJI just wanted to boast about its underwater filming capabilities.

This is how adults test their waterproof cameras. (Picture: Chris Chang/Abacus)

According to the company, the camera is dustproof, shockproof and waterproof up to 11 meters. We took our Osmo Action for a swim, and it even captured the sound of our tiny submarine chirping under water.

During our first hands-on, we noticed that the back screen is bigger and has a higher resolution than GoPro’s. The menu is fairly straightforward and similar to the Osmo Pocket, another DJI product that we love. As with Osmo Pocket, you can connect the camera to DJI’s Mimo app, allowing you to stream live recordings over Wi-Fi, edit videos and share them on social media.

If you’re interested in the Osmo Action, it will set you back US$349. While the price is not as low as we hoped, it’s still $50 less than the GoPro. You can even use all your past GoPro accessories with your new DJI camera.

Tune in for our full review of the Osmo Action when we’ll take a detailed look into its custom exposure settings, time lapse mode, voice control and other capabilities.

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