For years, GoPro owned the action camera market so completely that “GoPro” became synonymous with action cams themselves. But DJI has been quietly chipping away at that dominance and with the Osmo Action 5 Pro, they’ve created something that rivals the legendary Hero series. Right now, Amazon has the Essential Combo marked down from $339 to just $269, a leftover deal from Prime Day that represents an all-time low price. This is the #1 best-selling sports and action camera on Amazon, and at this price, it’s easy to see why.
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The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro’s heart is the 1/1.3-inch sensor which is much larger compared to the GoPro Hero 13 Black’s 1/1.9-inch sensor. The larger sensor shoots 40-megapixel stills and video with a gigantic 13.5-stop dynamic range which means that it can tackle super-contrast conditions such as pointing the camera into bright sunshine or picking up detail within dark shadows. The sensor has 2.4-micrometer pixels, and these are larger compared to the pixels found in rival action cams. Larger pixels capture more light, and this translates directly to cleaner video footage when recording indoors with fast-moving activities such as sporting events, dusk events or night adventures.
The camera tops out at 4K resolution but can capture up to 120 frames per second at that resolution, which results in extremely silky slow-motion video. The 4:3 aspect ratio recording feature enables you to capture once and be able to crop to both the horizontal YouTube video or the vertical TikTok and Instagram video without sacrificing detail. Although the GoPro Hero 13 can capture 5.3K video, the average consumer will be more than satisfied with 4K at 120fps given the Osmo Action 5 Pro’s superior low-light capture along with the longer-lasting battery.
Talk about battery life, this is where the DJI completely dominates the competition: The 1950mAh battery will give you up to 4 hours of straight recording at 1080p and even in sub-zero conditions to a temperature as low as minus 20 degrees centigrade (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit), you still achieve 3.6 hours of run time. Compared to the GoPro Hero 13’s about 2.5 hours at 1080p, you can see why the DJI will appeal to anyone who requires long stretches of filming with no need to constantly change the battery. The camera also features fast charging as well as a 60-second pre-buffer recording that records video prior to you actually recording so you never miss the golden moment.
The twin OLED touchscreen configuration is also a big plus point: The front and rear screens both utilize the OLED material which gives deeper blacks and punchier colors compared to GoPro camera LCD screens. The 2.5-inch rear screen offers ample area to compose your images and view footage with the 1.46-inch front screen ideal for vlogging or examining your composition should the camera be pointed at you. The screens themselves are touch controls so that youj can set dials, toggle modes and view clips without the need to fiddle with controls.
The stabilization system known as 360-degree HorizonSteady reduces shake to zero across all axes, regardless of the tumble, spin or hard landing you’re taking. This is necessary in first-person POV action from helmets or handlebars where the camera is undergoing extreme motion. The system complements the camera’s built-in subject tracking feature that uses a sophisticated 4-nanometer processor to maintain smoothly moving subjects squarely in frame. And with the ability to track yourself mountain biking, capture buddies skating, or track your dog running through a park, the camera will automatically reframe to maintain the object in the sweet spot.
The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro features IP68 water resistance rating along with the ability to dive to a depth of 20 meters or 65 feet without the use of extra housing. Twice the depth rating of the GoPro Hero 13 that has a top depth of 10 meters. The camera functions in extreme conditions ranging from minus 20 to plus 45 degrees centigrade, so you can use it with no hesitation from Arctic ski descents to desert mountain bike adventures.
One of the best intelligent additions is the internal 47GB storage: This is a backup option should you forget your microSD card or should your card run out of storage during a shoot. The internal memory can be used to record straight onto the internal memory with files transferable later through the USB-C port or the DJI Mimo app on your phone. The camera also connects wirelessly to the DJI Mic 2 transmitters without the use of a receiver, ideal again for vlogging, interviews or any situation where high-quality audio is required.
At $269 compared to $339, this is the lowest price we’ve seen on the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro camera, launched in September of last year. The camera sells at $349 normally in the base variant without the kit, so to get the kit at $269 is a steal. This is leftover stock from Prime Day so the moment Amazon current stock is gone, the price reverts to the higher one.