DJI has announced the Osmo Action 4 action camera, the successor to the Osmo Action 3 and one of the key alternatives to the GoPro Hero 11 Black.
Is it the greatest action camera is its class to date? It certainly looks as though it may be the top option if you plan on shooting at night regularly.
However, the GoPro Hero 11 Black and DJI Osmo Action 4 both land punches on each other when compared directly. Here are the key areas in which they differ.
Advantage DJI: Larger sensor for better low-light
A larger sensor is the key upgrade of the DJI Osmo Action 4 over the Osmo Action 3. It has a 1/1.3-inch sensor, one significantly larger than the 1/1.9-inch GoPro Hero 11 Black’s sensor.
Bigger camera sensors have naturally higher light sensivity, while the DJI also benefits significantly from having fewer megapixels. There’s a dual effect here that means the sensor pixels are much larger than GoPro’s.
The result is far better low-light performance from the DJI Osmo Action 4. Night-time video looks far clearer and brighter, where the GoPro Hero 11 Black’s low-light image can look, appropriately enough, near-black a lot of the time.
This is something we hope to see GoPro attempt to tackle in the Hero 12 Black. However, it is unlikely to be able to match the DJI without some seriously clever processing, unless it also ditches the series’s relatively high megapixel count.
Advantage GoPro: Higher resolution capture
The GoPro Hero 11 Black has a 27-megapixel sensor, the DJI Osmo Action 4 a much lower-resolution estimated 10MP one.
While that has benefits for low-light performance, it does rule out resolutions beyond 4K. The Osmo’s maximum capture resolution is 3840 x 2880, the 4:3 aspect version of 4K. There are classic widescreen 4K modes too.
Oddly enough, the “max photo resolution”, which is usually the effective resolution of the sensor itself, it actually slightly lower than 4K. It’s 3648×2736 pixels, bringing up the possibility DJI actually has to upscale slightly to even reach 4K.
The GoPro can shoot at up to 5.7K resolution, handy when you want the most detail in your video.
It is also capable of greater slo-mo feats, of 240fps at 2.7k. The DJI Osmo Action 4 can only reach that speed at 1080p.
Draw: DJI approaches GoPro pricing
In the last generation, DJI had a significant price advantage. You’d pay $329 for the DJI Osmo Action 3, versus $499 for the GoPro Hero 11 Black.
Things are a bit different now, though. GoPro has lowered the cost of the Hero 11 Black to $399, and the Osmo Action 4 also costs $399.
DJI price-matching GoPro sounds a dangerous move, right? However, this won’t be the case for long. GoPro is expected to launch the Hero 12 Black in September, which will be the more like-for-like rival for the DJI for the remainder of its life. It may cost more.
Advantage DJI: higher water resistance rating
DJI claims higher case-free water resistance for the Osmo Action 4 than GoPro does for the Hero 11 Black. The GoPro is rated at 10M water resistance, the DJI 18M.
However, it’s sensible to take a little more context into account here. 10M is a common water resistance rating to use. 18M is not, and neither is the 16M DJI claimed for the Osmo Action 3. The boost may be partly a case of classic one-upmanship.
It is also important to note that neither camera should be used for, say, scuba shooting at anything like those depths. You’ll want the respective company’s waterproof housing, as these figures do not include the additional pressure of your movements through the water, motion in the water itself and so on.
It’s a win for DJI, but not necessarily a particularly meaningful one.
Early verdict
DJI has significantly improved one of the weakest areas for action cameras, low light performance.
However, if you only intend on shooting during the day, there are still reasons to side with GoPro. Higher-resolution capture and better extreme slo-mo modes may be more useful to some. And let’s not forget GoPro is expected to launch its next generation in September 2023.
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