DJI launches Osmo Action 4 camera with larger sensor and better stabilization

2023-08-03

Less than a year after the DJI Osmo Action 3 was unveiled comes version 4. This action camera promises improved performance in low light, better stabilization options and more durability.

The DJI Osmo Action 4 arrives with a significantly larger sensor – 1/1.3”, up from 1/1.7” on version 3. This increases the pixel size from 1.6µm to 2.4µm. The lens is the same as before, 155° FoV and an f/2.8 aperture.

Like its predecessor, the Action 4 can record 4K video at 120fps and up to 130Mbps. To get the best quality out of it, you can shoot in 10-bit D-Log M format. The camera supports microSD cards up to 512GB (up from 256GB), so you can record more before needing to move the files over to a computer.

Have a closer look at the “o” in the “action” label on the front – it’s a color temperature sensor that automatically adjusts according to changing lighting conditions. For audio, there are three mics on board and you can plug in an external mic via a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter.

In terms of battery life, the camera can record for up to 2.5 hours, even in extreme cold conditions (-20°C/-4°F). With fast charging, a flat battery can get back up to 80% in 18 minutes. And it can now dive up to 18m/59ft underwater without a case (compared to 16m/52ft on the Action 3). If you need to go deeper, there is a case rated up to 60m/197ft.

The new DJI action cam comes with RockSteady 3.0 Plus and 360° HorizonSteady. Even better, it can now record gyroscope data so that you can do the stabilization on your PC – this gives you fine grain control over the stabilization and FoV (more of one means less of the other).

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One thing that’s still missing is a GPS receiver in the camera. However, DJI introduced the GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller – as you can tell from the name, this allows the camera to add a GPS track to the video and also gives you remote control of the camera with two buttons and a small display.

If you can reach the camera, you can control it with its two touchscreens – 2.25” 640 x 360px on the back and 1.4” 320 x 320px on the front.

The DJI Osmo Action 4 is available starting today. The Standard Combo costs $400/€430/£380. That’s up from $330/€360/£310 for the Action 3 camera. Anyway, you can also grab the Adventure Combo (with two extra batteries, a battery case and a 1.5m/5ft extension rod) for $500/€530/£470.

Here’s a quick comparison between the Action 4 and previous models:

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