DJI Osmo Action 3 Review – Taking a deep dive into its specs & features

DJI released a new action camera model: Osmo Action 3. Having significantly upgraded the new cam from its predecessor, the company has created some serious competition with GoPro alternatives. Keep reading this article to discover the Osmo Action 3’s key features, its performance, how it tops Hero 11 Black, and our final verdict!

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DJI Osmo Action 3: Is it worth it?

Yes — If you need an extra tough camera, then the DJI Osmo Action 3 is the one to go with. Especially if you’re planning on going diving, this camera can go down up to 15 meters underwater without any extra diving cases.

If you need quick mounting, the Osmo Action 3 will serve you just right in this department as well. You can easily mount and unmount the Action 3 from your tripods, grips, helmets, and more with several quick-release adapter mounts. As the DJI’s mounting system combines magnets and a clamping system, you won’t ever need to screw your action camera with a traditional mounting system.

If you want the widest angle, Osmo Action 3 is one of the best choices on the market. The camera offers a wide angle than the competing GoPro Hero Black, being equipped with a 155-degree lens that equals 12.7mm if you need to translate it into focal length measurement.

No — If you’re looking for top-notch photography quality, then Osmo Action 3 lags behind its competitors. The photography mode of this camera isn’t as impressive as it could be, missing out on features like Night mode and delivering images that sometimes look low on dynamic range and losing on detail and crispness in high-contrast environments.

If you film long videos at high quality, then consider another action camera. The DJI Osmo Action 3 can’t offer outstanding quality when it comes to shooting long clips at its maximum 4K resolution at 60fps. The camera caps out at around 16 minutes 30 seconds, compared to the GoPro Hero 11 Black which can shoot over 28 minutes with matching quality.

Quick DJI Osmo Action 3 review

The DJI Osmo Action 3 is set to be a serious GoPro competitor, offering an appealing price point and being feature-rich. The camera dives deeper than the rest models on the market with waterproofing up to 16m, a wider field of view, and excellent battery life.

While it features the already-seen camera hardware as the Action 2, the Osmo Action 3 comes with a more practical body and excellent mounting system. If you aren’t expecting top-notch, best-in-class image quality but want a powerful, long-lasting GoPro alternative, then Action 3 is worth it.

DJI Osmo action 3 pros and cons

Pros

• Dual touchscreen control
• Extreme batteries included as standard
• Excellent image quality and video stabilization
• Rugged and waterproof design
• The unique magnetic clip system is highly versatile
• Handy front touchscreen
  

Cons

• 12-megapixel images and 4K maximum video resolution
• Vertical format use requires a frame
• Magnetic locking system prone to clogging in sandy conditions
• Questionable low-light performance
  

DJI Osmo Action 3 vs. GoPro HERO 11 BLACK

Dimensions: 70.5×44.2×32.8 mm vs 71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6 mm

Weight: 145g vs 127g

Waterproof: 16 m w/o Waterproof Case, 60 m with Waterproof Case vs Rugged + Waterproof to 10m

Microphones: 3 vs 3

Sensor: 1/1.7-inch CMOS, 12MP vs 1/1.9 CMOS, 27MP

Max photo resolution: 4000×3000 vs 8x7 aspect ratio

Timelapse: 4K/2.7K/1080p vs 5.3K/4K/2.7K/1080p

Hyperlapse: 4K/2.7K/1080p vs 5.3K/4K/2.7K/1080p

ISO range: 100-12800 vs. 100 - 6400

Shutter speed: Photo: 1/8000-30s vs 1/80-30s

Photo format: JPEG/RAW vs JPEG/RAW

Video format: MP4 via H.264/HEVC vs MP4 via H.265/HEVC

Wi-fi: Yes vs Yes

Bluetooth: Yes vs Yes

Built-in storage capacity: No vs No, a 32GB microSD card comes with the package

Battery life: 160 mins vs 137 mins

Price: $329 vs $399

Complete DJI Osmo Action 3 review

Design

The DJI Osmo Action 3 looks almost the same as its predecessors, featuring the traditional action camera body and magnetic mounting system. On the front, you can find the protruding lens that can be removed with a twist and replaced, if necessary. The front touchscreen assists in shot framing and can quickly switch modes, which is particularly useful when the camera is mounted in hard-to-reach locations or if you’re a vlogger and need to switch settings on the fly.

Next to the screen sits the lens with a screw-in lens protector that can be swapped and changed, allowing for adapters and filters to be easily mounted. Physical controls are easy to get the hang of - the record button is located on the top, and the power button is placed on the side of the camera body. On the sides are the battery slot, the micro SD card slot, and a USB-C port.

The Action 3 also comes with a Horizontal-Vertical Protective Frame, serving up an additional mounting port for you to effortlessly switch between horizontal and vertical capture. This feature is just perfect for social media content creation.

Durability and handling

The menu system of Action 2 is intuitive enough to offer a smooth user experience, and large icons also contribute to ease of use. The camera body is now heat-resistant - something that Action 2 was lacking. With the magnetic clip system, you can attach and detach the camera from different mounts or stick it to a metal surface.

You can connect the camera to DJI’s Mimo app, which also got upgraded and is now easier to use and offers an experience close to what you’ll find on DJI’s Fly and Go drone apps. The app lets you control video and photo captures remotely while changing all the main camera settings. The camera’s firmware can be updated from the app, too.

One of the key Action 3 features is waterproofness - it can go at depths up to 16 meters without any housing and up to 64 meters with the optional waterproof case. This makes the camera perfect for snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, and other watersports.

Performance

Action 3’s image stabilization is quite an impressive one, ensuring uninterrupted footage even if the camera is shaking violently. However, keep in mind that using the image stabilization feature results in a minor crop that becomes smoothened by the standard RockSteady 3.0 electronic stabilization.

Sound captured from the three microphones placed around the camera body is crisp and detailed and focuses specifically on elements like voices. You will get slightly less ambient noise with Action 3 than with GoPro Hero 11 - this will suit vlogging content creators well. The camera is also compatible with the DJI Wireless Mic, meaning you can step up the sound quality.

DJI has added the D-Cinelike color mode to Osmo Action 3 - the mode that originally is set on its drones to boost the dynamic range and make post-production easier with contrasted footage. The new color temperature sensor is also included in the camera - it automatically adjusts the white balance and exposure in a single shot in case you’re moving from shadows to sunlight or diving into the water.

Photo and video capabilities

Talking photo and video quality, the latter is undoubtedly something that Osmo Action 3 excels at. Video footage is of superb quality with the camera, on par with the Hero 10 at the equivalent resolution - the Action 3 has a 130Mbps maximum data rate, while Hero 10 maxes out at 100Mbps. With Action 3, you have options to film 120fps at 4K or 240fps at 1080p. In well-lit environments the camera captures clean-cut clips, although exposure doesn’t prioritize faces: it’s better suited to recording landscapes than vlogging content.

Stills photography is where Action 3 lags behind, at least if compared to the beasts of the camera market. It only features 12 megapixels - compare it to the 27 MP of Hero 11 - but you still get to shoot Raw files with manual control over exposure by choosing an EV target or by setting the shutter and ISO. Action 3 puts extra emphasis on color accuracy, featuring a large sensor for detecting the correct white balance for any given scene.

Battery life

The battery life here is first-class, giving the competition something to work on. The Action 3 can shoot up to 160 minutes at 1080p 30fps - compare it to the Hero 11 which delivers 137 minutes at the same resolution and frame rate or Hero 10 which only gives 120 minutes, and only with an additional Enduro battery.

The Osmo Action 3 offers fast charging option and will deliver an 80% charge in just 18 minutes. Flat-to-full will take around 50 minutes with DJI's 30W USB-C charger, which is sold separately.

Final verdict

For most creators, the DJI Osmo Action 3 is an ideal balance of quality and price. Stabilized 4K video looks excellent and the camera is super resilient, being able to work efficiently under extreme conditions.

Image quality is just above average, so here the Action 3 lags behind the similar models offered by GoPro. However, the DJI still manages to undercut the competition by offering as many best-in-class features as possible while setting an affordable price tag.

DJI Osmo Action 3 alternatives

GoPro HERO 11 Black

The GoPro Hero 11 Black marries excellent video quality with top-level features, best-in-class stabilization, and a new 8:7 sensor that makes it a great creator tool. Compared to the Action 3, it offers a better still performance with its 27MP image sensor and can record 5.3K video at up to 60fps. The Hero 11 can be turned into a compact cinema camera thanks to the Max Lens Mod pack.

AKASO Brave 7

The Chinese brand AKASO copies some of the key features of GoPro cameras but offers them at a much more affordable price. The core things that you can see on the Brave 7 camera are the front-facing color LCD screen, round lens port, waterproofness, 4K at 30 fps video recording, in-camera video stabilization, and a 20MP sensor. If you're looking for a decent action camera, but the GoPro and DJI are a bit out of your league price-wise, then the AKASO Brave 7 LE is worth a look.

DJI Osmo Pocket 2

The DJI Osmo Pocket 2 is a unique camera with an in-built gimbal for stabilized handheld shooting and vlogging. It has a larger sensor than the Action3, offering as much as 64 MP which gives it a better image and video quality, especially in low light. If you are looking for capturing day-to-day life with cinematic footage, the Osmo Pocket would be just the choice. With plenty of shooting modes like Motionlapse and Timelapse, the Osmo Pocket 2 is perfect for creators and videographers.

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