DJI has just released its latest action camera, the Osmo Action 5 Pro. Besides being the next numerical number, this generation also has “Pro” in its name. What gives is that Pro designation? DJI claims 13.5 stops of dynamic range and up to four hours of battery life. Combined with 47GB of internal storage, will it be my new favorite action camera for motovlogging? Stick around and watch the video below to find out.
Design-wise, the $350 DJI Action Osmo 5 Pro looks nearly identical to the previous generation, with the exact body dimensions and the same front and back touch screens.
However, Osmo Action 5 Pro packs a new feature under the hood: 47GB of built-in storage. Of course, you’ll be better served by popping in a larger SD card, but if your adventure takes longer than expected or you forget to bring along a micoSD card, that can be a huge benefit.
It also features the same magnetic mounting system, which makes switching mounts very quick. GoPro, with its latest Hero13 and Insta360, has also adapted these magnetic quick-mount systems, which help to save a lot of time.
Rather than swapping lenses like the latest GoPro Hero13, DJI only offers an optional pack of ND filters. For motovloggers, I think these are nearly essential as they allow you to film at much lower shutter rates to get native motion blur that elevates the video’s production quality.
Osmo Action 5 Pro: Video Quality
Video-wise, the Action 5 Pro can shoot up to 4K at 120 fps, which is great for slowing down footage in post and making things smooth.
Since I’m using this as a motovlogging camera, most of what I shot was 16×9, 4K 24fps with the shutter speed locked to 50 and an ND 32 filter on the lens when riding in the daytime. I tried both the natural color and DJI’s D-Log M 10-bit color options.
Osmo Action 5 Pro: Video
Osmo Action 5 Pro didn’t have the same issue with banding that I saw from the Hero13 on the trees when I was riding in the same spot at nearly the same time of day.
The dynamic range also blew me away. Even when I was riding through areas with plenty of tree cover, the sun was shining through and not blowing out the entire sky.
Even though it is a lower resolution, the 4K DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro didn’t look any softer than the Hero13’s 5.3K image. With its impressive dynamic range, though, I preferred the video I captured with the Osmo Action 5 Pro.
Low-Light video
When it comes to low light video performance, the Osmo Action 5 Pro blows the Hero13 out of the water. I was amazed at how much light the DJI could pick up in a very dark scene. In the image comparison above, the GoPro Hero13 is on the left and the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is on the right.
I mounted both cameras on my helmet and set them to 4K at 24 fps. I put the DJI in Supernight mode, and the image was noticeably brighter than the Hero13’s.
The DJI also stabilized the image better in low-light settings. The GoPro might take the cake in daylight stabilizations, but the DJI was impressive at night.
Osmo Action 5 Pro: Stabilization
Like all modern action cameras, the DJI Action 5 Pro has impressive built-in Rocksteady stabilization, but I found the image from the Hero13 to look a little more solid. I still prefer the overall video quality from the Action 5 Pro, but things are just a little smoother on the Hero13.
Battery Life
DJI claims four hours of battery life, but of course, this will be in some special conditions. You’d need to film in 1080p to reach those times. How I would typically use it: 4K 24fps with 10-bit color; the camera lasted for an astonishing three hours (180 minutes). That’s the longest-lasting battery I’ve tried in an action camera. For comparison, GoPro rates the Hero13 to just 107 minutes in its ideal testing scenarios at 4K 24fps.
Osmo Action 5 Pro: Audio
For the most part, the audio is as you would expect from an action camera – it’s fine when up close to the subject, and they’ve come a long way in reducing wind noise.
I tested it on a motorcycle, and when facing forward wind noise was minimal. You can still easily hear the motorcycle. Just like the GoPro Hero13, though, when I turned my head, the camera started to pick up more wind noise.
I also noticed when I had the camera in the protective cage to shoot in vertical format that it picked up more wind noise.
One trick that DJI has up its sleeve is the DJI Mic 2. It can connect to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro wirelessly. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a DJI Mic 2 to test this, but it is the same compatibility that is present on the Action 4. For a motovlogger, this is a huge benefit. I plan on picking up one of these in the near future.
In-Use
My only complaint with the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is that it is a bit harder to use the magnetic mount than the GoPro’s mount. I found one side harder to remove in my time testing the camera. It would eventually come off but it took more efford than the Hero13 magnetic connector. The DJI magnetic mount also has to face a certain way whereas the GoPro’s works in either direction.
The base Osmo Action 5 Pro combo starts at $350, which is also cheaper than the base $400 Hero13 Black. But for motovloggers, I recommend picking up the ND filter pack and maybe the 3-pack battery case.
Electronicsforward’ Take
While the Hero13 was all about the accessories this year, DJI has tweaked things under the hood to make the Osmo Action 5 Pro a workhorse of a camera. With impressive dynamic range, long run times, and built-in storage, it’s a great camera for motovloggers. I know that it will be the one that I gravitate towards most often.
Buy DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
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