
GoPro tried to move in on the drone space with the failed Karma, and now DJI is moving in on GoPro's turf with the 4K OSMO action camera.
DJI has long been incredibly dominant in the sky, with a smaller footprint of Osmo cameras on the land, but that might change in the action camera space with the new Osmo Action. Bringing DJI's image stabilization technology into an action camera body makes a ton of sense, and there are a few key features, including 4K60, waterproofing, and likely compatibility with GoPro accessories mounts, that make this unit worth considering.
The big obvious differentiator is that front facing camera. Obviously, this is designed for ease of framing for selfies, and that will likely drive a ton of the market. However, the real benefit here for filmmakers is being able to frame better during setup.
Generally when rigging a GoPro for part of a sequence it can be frustrating not to be able to see the frame you are creating. If you can you use wireless to monitor the image, but if you are up on a ladder or underater in a pool rigging up a camera for an action shot, that isn't necessarily convenient. The ability to see your frame as you rig, even if you are mounting the camera somewhere you can't see behind the camera body, should make this the clear choice for filmmakers who want to add an action camera to their kit for additional danger shots.
GoPro is recovered from the Karma disaster and seems to be on good footing again, but we'll have to see how things go now that DJI is moving in on their home turf. It took a minute, but revenge is a dish best served cold. Though maybe this is less revenge then simply moving on on a market waiting for some new blood.
Available now at DJI’s website and May 22 on other retailers for a launch price of $349.
Tech Specs
- Dustproof,
- Shockproof, tested to withstand drops from up to 5 feet
- Waterproof capable of operating at a depth of 36 feet (11 meters) without additional waterproof housing
- Tested to withstand temperatures of 14° Fahrenheit
- 2.25" rear touch screen
- 1.4" front screen
- 750 nit brightness
- Action OS Interface
- 1/2.3-inch sensor
- 12-megapixel photos
- 4K video up to 60fps at 100Mbps
- RockSteady, DJI’s Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS)
- 8x slow motion in 1080p 240fps or 4x slow motion in 1080p 120fps
Your Comment
7 Comments
ok ...this is a cool little camera and it will sell based on the front screen .... an awesome addition in this form factor / use category.... BUT ... you only get that stabilization in 2.7k NOT 4k and comparing the images it "might" have by comparing it to a camera with a 1 inch, 20mp sensor (Mavic) is lazy and misleading.
May 15, 2019 at 9:18AM, Edited May 15, 9:40AM
Stabilization works best in 2.7K. It works in 4K but not 4K HDR.
May 15, 2019 at 6:36PM
"The big obvious differentiator is that front facing camera."
Um... don't most cameras face front?
May 15, 2019 at 11:08AM
heh heh, yeah, not sure this article got much in the way of a proof read
May 15, 2019 at 11:37AM
A flip screen or top facing camera would be more useful to me than a front facing camera. Specs and price are pretty much the same as Go Pro so really it's not offering anything new. Interchangeable lenses or being able to use it with a drone would make more sense. Completely ripping off gopro when they stepped out of the drone market seems pointless.
May 15, 2019 at 11:26AM
Interesting to see another player in the GoPro space! I love using GoPros in my work, the Hero7 is a pretty remarkable little camera. I could see a front-facing *monitor* being useful at times. To my knowledge, DJI has never had image stabilization in a product though: gimbals of course, and camera stabilizers like the Ronin or X7, but in-camera image stabilization is different and GoPro does it really really well on the Fusion and Hero7, IMHO.
May 15, 2019 at 11:44AM
I love using GoPros in my work, the Hero7 is a pretty remarkable little camera. I could see a front-facing *monitor* being useful at times. To my knowledge, DJI has never had image stabilization in a product though: gimbals of course, and camera stabilizers like the Ronin or X7, but in-camera image stabilization is different and Go pro does it really really well on the Fusion and Hero7
May 16, 2019 at 12:59AM