DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: A Comprehensive Review

Good day, folks! Shawn here from Air Photography. Today, DJI has launched the new Osmo Action 5 Pro. It has many new features and enhancements, and I think this could potentially sway a lot of GoPro users to finally make the switch.

If you’re a regular to my channel, you know I’ve been a big fan of the Action 4. It’s been my go-to action camera for the past summer, mainly due to it being a stable platform. It’s reliable, doesn’t overheat, and captures really good footage.

Throughout this video, I’m going to be showing samples that I’ve captured on the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. Just so you’re aware, nothing has been graded or color-corrected. Most of the content was filmed in Auto. I want to leave it raw and natural so you can see the capabilities of this camera.

Physical Attributes

Let’s start with the physical attributes of the camera. It has the exact same form factor as its predecessor, which is a good thing. That means it’s going to be compatible with existing gear. So if you own things like waterproof housings, different frames, and ND Filters, all those accessories are compatible with the Action 5 Pro.

With that said, there are some major differences in the hardware:

We now have dual OLED screens. The back screen has increased in size, making it easier to navigate through menus, frame your shot, and preview your content.
The front screen is slightly bigger, which again will make previewing from the front a little easier.
The OLED screens look absolutely fantastic.
The power and quick switch buttons have increased in size, making them easier to use, especially when wearing thick, heavy gloves.

Internal Improvements

The internals also got a big boost this year with a new 4nm chip. This will increase the processing power, allowing for some new features. On top of that, we got the next-gen 1/1.3-inch sensor. This new sensor allows for 4K 60 frames per second High Dynamic Range filming and increases the low-light capabilities, allowing for 13-stop dynamic range.

Battery Performance

When it comes to battery performance, we get a big boost in recording time. DJI has introduced a brand new 1950 mAh battery for the Action 5. This is going to increase record time significantly. According to DJI, filming at 1080p, you can record for up to 4 hours.

Recording time will vary depending on frame rate and resolution, but in my testing:

At 4K 30fps, I was able to record for 2 hours and 43 minutes
At 4K 60fps, I was able to record for 2 hours and 5 minutes

The best thing is that these batteries are backward compatible with the Action 4. You can use these new batteries in the Action 4 and vice versa.

Charging and Storage

When it comes to charging, they’re all still Quick Charge compatible. In my testing of the new batteries:

40% charge in 10 minutes
80% charge in 24 minutes
Full charge to 100% in 57 minutes

Something new with the Action 5 Pro is that we now have internal storage. It comes with 48 GB of internal memory, which is a really nice feature if you’re out filming and your memory card fills up or you forget a memory card.

Audio Capabilities

Another feature of the Action 5 Pro that many people will be very happy with is the ability to pair two DJI Mic 2s via Bluetooth. With the Action 4, we could pair one, but with this new upgraded model, we can now connect two. This can be very important in some scenarios.

Of course, you still have the option of connecting the receiver directly to the camera if that’s your preferred method. But being able to connect two microphones directly via Bluetooth is a great upgrade.

Audio Samples

Now let’s take a look at some audio samples of the built-in microphones and then with the DJI Mic connected to it. We’ll also test out the wind noise reduction.

[Audio samples description omitted for brevity]

New Filming Modes

With the Action 5 Pro, we get some new filming modes:

Tracking Mode: This brand new mode helps keep a subject centered in the screen whether you’re filming yourself or somebody else.
Super Night Mode: This new mode is designed to help capture footage in low light conditions. I’ve got a few samples showing some of the low-light performance, but I am making a dedicated video all about low light and how to capture the best footage.

Waterproof Capabilities

DJI has increased the waterproof capabilities of the Osmo Action 5 Pro. You can now go all the way down to 20 meters. On top of that, they’ve added something really interesting – it now is capable of reading pressure and altitude. This is great for scuba divers, hikers, or parachutists, as you can get all that information right on the screen.

Additional Features

Audio Backup: The camera now creates a backup audio recording using the built-in microphones, even when using external mics.
Always-On Display: There’s a new feature that displays basic information about recording. You can customize this in the settings.
Charging Graphic: When the camera’s powered off and plugged in, you’ll get a graphic on both screens showing the charging percentage.
Field of View Changes: The way you change the field of view has been updated for more convenience.
Gyro Flow Compatibility: The Osmo Action 5 Pro is fully compatible with Gyro Flow, which is great for FPV drone users or anyone wanting to stabilize really shaky footage.

Stabilization Modes

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro has all the stabilization modes such as RockSteady, RockSteady Plus, Horizon Steady, and Horizon Balance. These modes offer various levels of stabilization and horizon leveling to suit different filming needs.

Accessories

The form factor hasn’t changed, so all your existing magnetic mounts and ecosystem are fully compatible with the Action 5 Pro. They’ve also launched some new accessories, including a battery handle that doubles as a microphone adapter.

Conclusion

That’s the new Action 5 Pro, folks. If you’re thinking of purchasing this camera, or perhaps this is going to be your first action camera, make sure you’re subscribed to my channel. I’ll be covering it fully over the coming weeks and months with different tutorials, tips and tricks, a beginner’s guide, and of course, follow-up reviews and comparisons.

I want to thank you for taking the time out of your day to watch my video. Hopefully, you enjoyed it and found it had value. Give it a thumbs up if you did. Thanks a lot for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one. Bye!