When it feels that action cams have reached a ceiling, DJI seems to take things slightly further. While I may be new to the DJI action-cam ecosystem, I have owned a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 since it’s launch and found it to be the most useful tool for all content creators on the road. While it serves a different purpose to an action cam, I was missing something a bit more rugged and waterproof for those trips in the wild.
The DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro has been thrown in my bag and travel camera for me. In fact, I took the camera to the Grand Canyon in the US instead of my mirrorless to see how I would survive without it and I was quite surprised.
On the forefront, the DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro has a new and improved sensor. While boasting similar specs to the Action 4, the new one has incredible high dynamic range and it was damn decent in low-light – something the previous one struggled with. The SuperNight mode also allows you to capture low light footage with AI noise reduction that clears up footage quite well. Being an action cam, the chassis of the camera was pretty sturdy and strong to be thrown around.
I didn’t purposely drop it too much for the sake of the review unit but it has a pretty sturdy robust build to it. You can also take the camera swimming without a case for up to 20m underwater.
Out of the box, the video quality was amazing, the colours were great and the high-dynamic range responded perfectly. Surprisingly, I was shocked it actually comes with internal storage. You get 47GB of on-board space which is pretty hefty. If you need to expand it, you can slap your usual high-performance micro-SD in.
I was pretty happy with the footage as a point and shoot without doing any major adjustments and tweaking to the settings. As I spent most of my time wandering around the Grand Canyon in the open sun, the rays did affect the camera at certain points and there were moments the footage did get too bright but the camera adjusted to the conditions pretty quick. For most of the trip, the camera settings were pretty much set and forget for my use case. I was happy with pretty much every aspect of my shots.
(Left: D-LOG M, Right: DJI MIMO Default Colour)However, if you do want to take it further, the DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro allows you to get nifty with your editing. The ability to shoot D-LOG M allows users to get creative with colour correction in post as well as 4:3 aspect ratio – giving editors an even wider scope of how they want to present their footage. Below are some samples of the D-LOG M in low light. The ability to colour correct D-LOG M footage back to default DJI settings is also a welcome addition through the MIMO app – just in case you shot in that format accidentally or get too lazy.
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All the stabilisation features are still there and work pretty well. The footage was smooth for a camera without a physical gimbal (it’s almost hardly noticeable) and the HorizonSteady feature can pump out some incredibly smooth footage. Below is a vertical shot of the Grand Canyon on-foot with HorizonSteady with my not-so steady hands. You’ll also find yourself in situations where you might want a levelled shot without your footage looking off-balance and HorizonSteady keeps the well… the horizon locked no matter how much of angle you’re on. One example was when I wanted a levelled shot of the landscape outside the car, I stuck the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro out of the side (yes, dangerous, don’t do it) and the footage came out straight even when the camera was at a 45-degree angle. Such a useful feature for awkward situations or something you can get creative with.
@goosenstuffs Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time 😳 #hiking #grandcanyon
Photos got a bigger upgrade as well with the DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro thanks to its larger 40MP camera. The feature allows up to 9 images per second, burst shots. Great for getting quick multiple shots fast and on the move without worrying about missing the perfect moment. Pulling stills from video is also quite impressive as it grabs at 4K resolution retaining that high quality image straight from the footage. Some shots below are prime examples of stills taken from footage at 4K120.
One of the most incredible selling points of the new DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro is the new battery. It’s vastly improved at 1950mAh giving users a rated up to 4 hrs battery lifespan while the previous one was 1770 mAh (roughly 2 hrs) – the creator combo came with a total of 3 batteries which is more than enough to go a few days on the road without needing a charge. In general, I could survive a quick day trip on a single battery – while not continuously recording – the longer lifespan means you can just bring the camera for a quick run. Charging the batteries were pretty fast as well, getting quick juice within a short time.
A welcome addition to the camera is subject tracking and centering. A feature content creators who vlog or focusing around extreme sports will find highly useful. The feature allows you to track yourself or an object making sure it stays in frame. The ability to record in vertical 2.7K (9:16) in 60 frames with subject tracking is perfect for vloggers who create TikToks. While it doesn’t have a physical gimbal, the tracking was smooth and very accurate. While it does have limitations within the view of the lens, the feature is perfect unless you do circles around the camera.
As someone who has used the MIMO app for a bit with the DJI Osmo Pocket 4, I was pretty familiar with the in and outs. Newcomers will find the software quite easy to use and it’s hard to fault it. Control and download footage via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the go, with quick and easy sharing features. Some new additions is the ability to capture full 4K frame screenshots from footage (I’ve added some below) plus
The DJI OSMO Action 5 Pro is an all-round reliable action cam for anyone on the move. Its longer battery allows more creation without the hassles of swapping out between the action too much. It’s a perfect action camera for creators on the go no matter what you’re shooting. The dual front and back OLED screens allow solo content creators like myself to create stunning video without the need of a cameraman. Leave that bulky camera at home, chuck the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro in the backpack and head outside. It’s just the perfect tool for those seeking adventure.
