DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro test: GoPro always in the line of sight

DJI is marking its competitors with the American GoPro and the Chinese manufacturer Insta360 in its sights. The latter two regularly renew their action cameras with numerous improvements. The market remains indeed juicy and each manufacturer competes in daring to highlight the technological developments of its equipment. GoPro, a pioneer in the field, is most of the time the first to refine its weapons, but DJI hardly lets itself be left behind by its rival with here too cutting-edge advances and an aggressive price.

Thus, the technical sheet of the Osmo Action 5 Pro shows DJI’s ambitions with the appearance of a new 1/1.3 inch sensor and a photodiode size of 2.4 μm (as on the Osmo Action 4 ), as well as a high dynamic range of up to 13.5 stops. Images can be captured in 10-bit D-Log M and support high-brightness HLG displays.

This camera can also shoot high-dynamic, low-light video in 4K/60fps, capturing intricate shadow details without overexposing highlights, improving overall image quality. In keeping with the times, SuperNight mode and its AI-powered noise reduction algorithms should demonstrate performance in low light processing to produce sharper and clearer sequences.

The camera’s optical group allows filming with a field of view of 155° in 4K at up to 120 fps. In terms of stabilization, the RockSteady function stabilizes images at 4K/60 fps in normal and wide-angle fields of view. The HorizonSteady function effectively stabilizes images on the roll in 2.7K.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro, a fifth generation camera, therefore benefits from integrated subject centering and tracking, allowing filming without a gimbal. Powered by a 4nm chip and machine learning algorithms, the camera could intelligently detect a subject’s position and dynamically adjust the composition to keep it centered in each frame.

Price and availability

The Osmo Action 5 Pro Standard pack (€379) includes the Osmo Action 5 Pro, the Osmo Action Extreme Plus battery (1950 mA), the Osmo Action horizontal-vertical protective frame, the Osmo Action quick-disassembly installation support , the Osmo Action curved adhesive base, the fixing screw for Osmo, the PD USB-C to USB-C cable, the rubber lens protector for Osmo Action 5 Pro, the glass lens protection for Osmo Action Pro and the Osmo Action anti-slip pad.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro Adventure bundle (€479) includes all the accessories included in the Standard bundle, plus the quick-release installation support for Osmo Action (Mini), the multifunction battery case for Osmo Action and the extension bar of 1.5 m Osmo.

Getting started

Did you like the Osmo Action 4? So, you will love the Osmo Action 5 Pro which has the same size (70.5 x 44.2 x 32.8 mm) and weighs only 146 g, or 1 g more than the previous model. A weight to which must be added that of the protective cage delivered with the two packs marketed by DJI. In its basic configuration without cage, handling the small camera is still just as pleasant, with the same granite coating making it easier to grip and handle while avoiding accidental slipping.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro uses the same layout of the controls and has two buttons: power on and quick access to configurable modes on the left side and trigger on the right shoulder like the competition. Under the power button is a small hatch hiding the USB-C port, the right side housing the battery compartment (1950 mAh) and that of the microSD format memory card (up to 1 TB). The camera still does not have internal storage.

The protective cage supplied with the camera has a magnetic attachment on its right side, which allows the vertical use of the camera for the production of images for social networks. A very practical magnetic mounting system, improved and secured by DJI and compatible with all DJI accessories, introduced since version 2 of the Osmo Action.

In line with version 4, the Osmo Action 5 Pro has a comfortable 2.25-inch high-brightness Oled touch screen (1000 cd/m²), slightly larger (712 x 400 pixels) and which occupies the entire of the surface of the back. A square front Oled screen (342 x 342 pixels), also touchscreen, is present. These two screens allow you to fully configure the camera, which can also be fully supported by the DJI Mimo app (iOS, Android), which is very pleasant to use and which allows you to control the Osmo Action 5 Pro.

On the front, the lens (9 mm f/2.8) with an external diameter of 2.8 cm benefits from a round glass protection, under which there are two microphones hidden in the camera logo, a third microphone located on the top. The glass protection proved rather fragile during our tests with a shattering following an impact, disrupting the quality of the image. After ordering on the DJI store, the change is made quite simply and quickly.

Image quality

DJI adopts a new 1/1.3-inch sensor (2.4 μm photosite) offering a sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 25,600 in photos and ISO 100 to 51,200 in video. The shutter covers from 30 s to 1/8000 s in photos and up to 1/8000 s in video.

The dynamic range of the sensor is extended, up to 13.5 stops. The wide-angle lens covers a focal length of 9 mm (24×36 equiv.) and opens to f/2.8, therefore wider than the optics of the previous version (12.7 mm f/2.8). The contribution of the new sensor and its larger photosites make it possible to slightly influence the quality of the image in low light and in shadows, with better control of noise, even if the latter becomes very visible as time goes on. of the rise in ISO, as we observed in the images taken in the lab.

Photo

In photo mode, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro now offers a definition of 40 Mpx in 4:3 format (7296 x 5472 pixels) and 36 Mpx in 16:9 format (8000 x 4512 pixels) in jpeg, raw (format DNG) or in both formats.

Adopted from the Osmo Action 4, color management is entrusted to a small sensor hidden in the “O” of the word “Action 5” located under the lens, which allows the color temperature to be adjusted in real time via Auto mode. The color temperature is manually adjustable in Pro mode from 2000 to 10,000 K in increments of 100 K. The tools available allow you to adjust the exposure time, exposure correction, white balance management, ISO sensitivity, but also to opt for Standard or Wide mode. The Osmo Action 5 Pro also has a self-timer (up to 10 s) and a burst mode (different depending on the definition chosen).

Images taken with the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro action camera © Romane Riesse

The images are of excellent quality with a fairly rich color palette and a very flattering saturated rendering, without excess and well controlled by effective internal processing. Examining the raw files highlights the relevance of the internal processing of DJI algorithms, which corrects the images very well from both a geometric and colorimetric point of view. The digital zoom (2x) can help, helped by the 40 Mpx of the sensor, but will reduce the image quality.

Video

Featured by most action camera manufacturers, video is the most used feature on this type of product. DJI, always at the forefront in this field, is upgrading the small Osmo Action 5 Pro which films from 1080p format (1920 x 1080 pixels) from 24 to 240 fps up to 4K 16:9 format (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 4K 4:3 (3840 x 2880 pixels) from 24 to 120 fps. The camera offers an AI-powered SuperNight mode for night shooting, which limits 4K and 2.7K to 30 fps and 1080p to 60 fps. Subject tracking this time limits all video recording formats to 60 fps. The camera also offers Hyperlapse and Timelapse modes.

As in photo mode, the image quality is excellent in Auto mode, with vibrant colors in the default color setting without excess, perfectly controlled by the internal processing. This quality deteriorates as the light decreases and the ISO increases. Large mode allows you to see very large, but be careful of the distortions it causes. For experts, the camera opts for D-Log M (10 bits) and HDR HLG for advanced processing in post-production and compatible with the color profiles of DJI drones. Like the GoPro Hero 13 Black, the Osmo Action 5 Pro has a timecode system to sync with other cameras.

Waterproof to 20m

Optimized for underwater shooting, the Osmo Action 5 Pro is waterproof up to 20 m without a housing, as we were able to verify in a swimming pool. Its integrated color temperature sensor ensures very faithful reproduction. A setting allows you to start recording automatically when the camera is submerged and stop it after surfacing. It also has a built-in pressure gauge to record depth, time and altitude data underwater to ensure user safety. Certified EN13319, it meets internationally recognized standards for diving accessories.

Stabilisation

As we noted with the Osmo Action 4, stabilization is undoubtedly one of the strong points of the Osmo Action 5 Pro. We thus find the four stabilization modes RockSteady 3.0, HorizonSteady, HorizonBalancing and RockSteady 3.0+. As effective as RockSteady mode, the latter also removes vibrations, softens movements, manages roll effectively (tilt to the right and left), while having an even greater influence on image stabilization.

Be careful when using HorizonSteady and HorizonBalancing modes, the former only available with 1080p (16:9) or 2.7K (16:9) video resolution and a refresh rate of 60 fps or less. HorizonBalancing is only available when the video resolution is 1080p (16:9), 2.7K (16:9), or 4K (16:9) with a refresh rate of 60 fps or less.

How does the rating work?

In terms of performance, the Osmo Action 5 Pro from DJI is on par with its competitors, but does not really manage to prove that little extra that would really allow it to make the difference. The image quality is there, both in photo and video, but to tell the truth, careful observation of the images produced by each of the models does not make it possible to distinguish their origin, even to a trained eye. With a very similar ecosystem and top-notch performance, the small Osmo 5 Pro has no reason to be ashamed of GoPro with an image definition of 40 Mpx (4:3) and excellent image quality in both photography and video. video. Positioned at an aggressive price, the little sports car from DJI is undoubtedly a very interesting investment which does not disappoint, whatever its area of ​​use.