One of the most versatile action cameras I’ve tested isn’t from GoPro – and it’s on sale

A number of DJI Osmo Action 4 packages are on sale at Amazon. Each the Important and Standard Combos have been discounted to $249, whereas the Adventure Combo has dropped to $349.

DJI won’t be the primary title on individuals’s lips in the case of motion cameras, however the firm that is better known for its drones additionally has a very stable line of motion cameras. And its newest machine, the Osmo Motion 4 digicam, has some very spectacular tips up its sleeve.

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So, what units this motion digicam other than the competitors? Let’s have a look.

First off, this isn’t simply an motion digicam — it is a pro-grade motion digicam.

From a {hardware} viewpoint, the Osmo Motion 4 encompasses a 1/1.3-inch picture sensor that may report 4K at as much as 120 frames per second (fps). This sensor is mixed with a wide-angle f/2.8 aperture lens that gives an ultra-wide area of view of as much as 155°. And that is huge.

For when the going will get tough, the Osmo Motion 4 presents 360° HorizonSteady stabilization modes, together with RockSteady 3.0/3.0+ for first-person video footage and HorizonBalancing/HorizonSteady modes for horizontal pictures. That is pro-grade {hardware} proper there.

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The Osmo Motion 4 additionally encompasses a 10-bit D-Log M shade mode. This mode permits the sensor to report over one billion colours and presents a wider dynamic vary, supplying you with a video that’s extra vivid and that gives larger element within the highlights and shadows. 

This mode, mixed with a complicated shade temperature sensor, signifies that the colours have a true-to-life really feel no matter whether or not you are capturing outdoor, indoors, and even underwater.

I’ve added some video output from the Osmo Motion 4 under. 

There are examples in each 1080p and 4K. To check the stabilization, I connected the digicam to the truck and took it on some roads, a few of that are fairly tough. The Osmo Motion 4 had no downside with that terrain. I additionally popped the digicam into the ocean, simply because. And once more, no downside.

I’ve additionally captured a couple of time-lapses with the digicam — not as a result of I like clouds (properly, truly, I do like clouds), however pointing a digicam at a sky could be a good take a look at of the way it handles altering gentle. 

Additionally: I recommend this action camera to beginners and professional creators. Here’s why

Timelapses with motion cameras can endure from unpleasant publicity modifications that trigger the picture to pulse, a situation generally known as publicity pumping. This concern also can trigger the white stability to vary noticeably in a video, however the Osmo Motion 4 dealt with this take a look at properly.

All of the footage I’ve shot is what I’ve come to count on from a DJI digicam, whether or not it is from an motion digicam or drone — crisp, clear, vivid, and likewise good and steady.

The Osmo Motion 4 is full of varied digital image-stabilization (EIS) tech to make sure that your footage is clean and on the horizon. It is price noting the constraints of EIS — it is not supported in slow-motion and timelapse modes, and the HorizonSteady and HorizonBalancing options are solely accessible for video recorded at 1080p (16:9) or 2.7K (16:9) with a body price of 60fps or under. 

On the sturdiness entrance, I’ve no issues. I’ve subjected the Osmo Motion 4 to a tough few days of testing, and it is not let me down or complained as soon as. It takes impacts like a champ, and being underwater or in filth and sand is not any downside in any respect. 

Additionally: I’m a full-time Canon photographer, but this Nikon camera made me wonder if I’m missing out

You may suppose that this heavy-duty testing could be arduous on the digicam’s tiny batteries, however you would be incorrect. Bear in mind I mentioned the Osmo Motion 4 supplied hours of battery life? Properly, I wasn’t kidding. 

DJI says {that a} single battery can ship as much as 160 minutes of 1080p/24fps video recording (at room temperature, with RockSteady on, Wi-Fi off, and display screen off). That is over two and a half hours of recording time. 

In the actual world, I used to be blown away by how a lot a single battery can ship. I shot video and timelapse, messed round with a load of digicam settings, after which transferred that footage to my iPhone, and nonetheless had 16% battery left.

No motion digicam has delivered a lot for me on one battery.

And if you’re able to recharge, a 30W USB-C charger can take a battery from zero to 80% in 18 minutes. That is additionally spectacular.

What’s extra, the batteries are proof against chilly, providing as much as 150 minutes of 1080p/24fps recording in temperatures as little as -20°C (-4°F). This resistance additionally blows the competitors away.

Even bearing in mind all these sturdy factors, the Osmo Motion 4 presents much more.

The digicam has 2x digital zoom for higher composition, Voice Prompts that allow you to know what the digicam is doing with out trying, and Voice Management that allows you to function the machine with out touching the display screen or utilizing the app. The Osmo Motion 4 additionally digitally hides the selfie stick from a wide range of totally different pictures, and you may even join the DJI Mic to the digicam by way of the USB-C port for higher audio seize.

Additionally: Yes, an Android tablet finally made me reconsider my iPad Pro loyalty

As for value, the Osmo Action 4 Standard Combo bundle is available in at $399, whereas the Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo, which comes with two further Osmo Motion Excessive batteries, a further mini Osmo Motion quick-release adapter mount, a battery case that acts as an influence financial institution, and a 1.5-meter selfie stick, is $499.

I am in love with the Osmo Motion 4. It is fingers down the perfect, most versatile, strongest motion digicam in the marketplace right now, providing pro-grade options at a value that undoubtedly is not pro-grade. 

DJI Osmo Motion 4 tech specs

• Dimensions: 70.5×44.2×32.8mm
• Weight: 145g
• Waterproof: 18m, as much as 60m with the non-obligatory waterproof case
• Microphones: 3
• Sensor 1/1.3-inch CMOS
• Lens: FOV 155°, aperture f/2.8, focus distance 0.4m to ∞
• Max Photograph Decision: 3648×2736
• Max Video Decision: 4K (4:3): 3840×2880@24/25/30/48/50/60fps and 4K (16:9): 3840×2160@24/25/30/48/50/60/100/120fps
• ISO Vary: 100-12800
• Entrance Display screen: 1.4-inch, 323ppi, 320×320
• Rear Display screen: 2.25-inch, 326ppi, 360×640
• Entrance/Rear Display screen Brightness: 750±50 cd/m² 
• Storage: microSD (as much as 512GB)
• Battery: 1770mAh, lab examined to supply as much as 160 minutes of runtime (examined at room temperature – 25°C/77°F – and 1080p/24fps, with RockSteady on, Wi-Fi off, and display screen off)
• Working Temperature: -20° to 45° C (-4° to 113° F)

This text was initially printed in August of 2023 and up to date in March 2025.