DJI goes pro with latest Osmo Action camera

DJI’s response to GoPro’s new Hero 13 lineup is the Osmo Action 5 Pro. It justifies that professional moniker with a new image sensor that promises to improve image quality and low-light performance. It also features a built-in pressure sensor, the ability to capture super slow motion at an unbelievable 1080p/960fps, and a new power-sipping 4nm chip that enables up to four hours of continuous recording off a single charge.

The camera is fitted with DJI’s next-gen 1/1.3-inch sensor that can capture 40-megapixel stills and an industry-first 13.5-stop dynamic range to capture high-dynamic, low-light video at 4K/60fps. And while 960fps slow-mo is impressive, DJI gets there by capturing 240fps and then making an intelligent guess as to how to generate the fill frames on either side.

That four hours of continuous recording claim for the 1,950mAh battery comes with a few caveats. While it’s definitely an improvement and should easily beat GoPro battery life, that stat was achieved in a lab at 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) while recording 1080p/24fps (16:9) video with Rocksteady stabilization on, Wi-Fi off, and the front and back displays off. We’ll have to see how it holds up in the real world, where 4K capture is preferred. DJI says the Action 5 Pro can operate reliably in temperatures ranging from -4F (-20C) to 113F (45C), though runtime drops to 3.6 hours at the lower extreme.

DJI’s latest cam also replaces the dual LCDs of the Action 4 it supplants with slightly larger OLED displays (and reduced bezels) on the front and back that produce “richer and more vibrant” colors. 

It also comes with 47GB of fast built-in storage. That means you can use your new action camera straight out of the box, giving you time to find your old microSD card to research if it can keep up with modern bitrates. The Action 5 Pro now supports a pair of DJI Mic 2 Bluetooth microphones, which can be useful when capturing interview audio.

Other improvements include waterproofing down to 20 meters (almost 66 feet), 4k/120fps capture in 4:3, Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.0 connectivity, an in-camera 360-degree horizon lock, and a new feature that can center and track a human subject in video that’s automatically cropped in postproduction. There’s no built-in GPS, but location data and sports tracking can be added when paired with devices like DJI’s Osmo Action GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller.

DJI’s Osmo Action 5 Pro is available today starting at $349 / £329 / €379 for the standard combo kit, which includes the horizontal-vertical protective frame, battery, USB-C cable, and a number of accessories for mounting and cleaning your new action cam.