DJI Osmo Action 3 Goes Back to Basics to Beat GoPro
DJI is back with another attempt to knock GoPro off its perch as the class leader in action cams. The latest effort, the DJI Osmo Action 3, debuts less than a year after the Action 2. But instead of last year's quirky, magnetic form factor, the Action 3 takes things back to basics. It looks like, well, a normal action cam. You'd be hard-pressed to tell it apart from the original Osmo Action (from 2019) at a glance.
The Action 3 is palm-sized and includes mounting clips on its bottom so you can put it in tight spaces to get interesting angles. An ultra-wide lens captures the world in 4K, and you get both front and rear screens to monitor video. The Osmo has a set of mounting points at its base to secure the camera for 16:9 recording, and ships with an accessory frame that adds a second set of mounts for 9:16 vertical recording.
Both screens are touch-sensitive, and DJI promises that they'll work with wet hands. We just got the camera in for evaluation, but I was able to operate it with just-washed hands; the screen didn't do well if it was dripping with water, too. Voice commands are an option, and the camera has physical buttons to swap between shooting modes and a shutter release/Record button for pictures and video.
As for imaging, Osmo Action 3's specs are in line with the Action 2. It uses the same size image sensor, a Type 1/1.7 imager with support for up 4K at up to 120fps and 12MP photos. Support for magnetic lens modifiers is dropped, though, so you can't attach a macro lens like you could with the Action 2. The protective lens cover is replaceable, though, so you can swap it out for an ND filter or replace it if it gets scratched.
You can use the lens in its ultra-wide, 155-degree setting, or tighten its view to
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