DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Review: This Camera Isn't Afraid Of The Dark

Action camera season (otherwise known as Autumn) continues with the much anticipated DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. On paper, and despite its nearly identical surface level appearance to the Action 4, the Action 5 Pro upgrades just about everything under the hood, from improved low light performance to impressive gains in battery life. This camera appears to be a major refinement of its predecessors, with numerous improvements from the incremental to the significant.

Following closely on the heels of the launch of the GoPro Hero 13 Black, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro has some fresh competition to contend with. However, as GoPro stuck with the same sensor as their previous model, the Osmo Action 5 Pro has a technological lead in the tech at the heart of this camera. Whether that translates to a major real world advantage for DJI is the question. DJI provided the Osmo Action 5 Pro and a wide range of accessories for this review.

The new 40MP sensor which DJI has implemented in the Osmo Action 5 Pro is genuinely fantastic. It produces really nice footage that looks great straight out of camera, and the still photos are much better than what I've come to expect from action cameras. With 10-bit HLG and D-LOG color profiles available, this camera is great for capturing HDR footage, or providing a lot of extra editing leeway to rescue highlights and shadows in post production. The Action 5 Pro can capture an impressive 13.5 stops of dynamic range.

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Low light performance is really the star of the show here, with the Osmo Action 5 Pro absolutely leaving the GoPro Hero 13 Black in the dust in this regard. With this camera it's absolutely possible to capture usable footage by flashlight, and overall I found the lack of noise in dim environments to be quite helpful when filming with the Action 5 Pro. I was particularly impressed by how well the camera performed recording timelapses overnight. I captured some great starlapses using 30 second exposures at 40 second intervals with the ISO at 6400.

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Rock-steady image stabilization is excellent, as it was in the Osmo Action 4, and with it activated I never encountered a situation where the footage from the camera was shaky or unusable. It's arguably the best camera out there in this regard, though the competition is so close now that it's pretty subjective as to who would win this comparison.

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The only fly in the proverbial ointment in terms of image quality is lens flare, which I found to be pretty significant when the sun happened to be in frame. Notably, the Osmo Action 5 Pro displayed this issue in side-by-side tests where other action cameras did not exhibit noticeable flaring.

Boasting as much as 4 hours of battery life on a single charge, the Osmo Action 5 Pro can record for such a long time that it opens up new possibilities which were previously out of reach with action cameras unless you chose to hook them up to an external power source (which usually compromised water resistance). With the Osmo Action 5 Pro, I was able to get through a typical day of intermittent filming without issue, and I never experienced limitations on recording time due to overheating.

To emphasize how impressive the battery life of the Osmo Action 5 Pro is, I was able to set it outside around midnight and record a timelapse lasting until some time after 7 AM. That means under certain conditions the Osmo Action 5 Pro can actually continue shooting for as long as 7 hours, and that's with 30 second long exposures at 40 second intervals, which in my experience typically drains a camera battery faster than filming regular video. Additionally, the Osmo Action 5 Pro features 64GB of internal storage alongside the typical microSD card slot, so you don't have to worry if you forget your card at home.

In terms of slow motion capture, the Osmo Action 5 Pro produces great results at 4K 120fps or 240fps at 1080p. Interestingly, the camera can then slow the footage down further using interpolation, essentially generating new frames to extend the video. I have mixed feelings on this, because on one hand it's great to be able to have 960fps extreme slow motion video at 1080p, but on the other hand, I've used a similar technique when editing footage in Adobe Premiere Pro, and know that results can be mixed.

I don't see it as a replacement for capturing real frames, but it is a nice tool to have to easily apply in camera for a cool effect. Keep in mind, also, that it does take a long time for the camera to process a new slow motion clip. The clip is then saved as a new file.

Similarly, subject tracking mode provides a tool which is usually applied in post production, but can quickly and easily be accomplished in camera here. The Osmo Action 5 Pro detects subjects automatically, and then keeps them in frame as you move around by cropping the image and tracking your subject. This limits the resolution and framerate you can shoot at to at most 2.7k 30fps, but produces an impressive gimbal-like result. It's something that works best when you know you want a tight crop of your subject and want a really steady tracking video of that subject.

You'd be forgiven for mistaking the Osmo Action 5 Pro for the Osmo Action 4 at a glance, for really the only visually striking difference is the new title below the lens. However, there is a key distinguishing factor in the design, thanks to new super bright OLED touch screens on both front and back of the Osmo Action 5 Pro that are larger than those on its predecessor. This offers a very real advantage in scenarios where a smaller, dimmer display might be difficult to use, and playback of captured footage looks amazing, thanks to the quality of the display.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro uses the same magnetic latch system as the last few generations of Osmo Action cameras, and for me this means the same love/hate relationship with such magnetic latches. On one hand, it's very quick to swap the camera between different mounts, and it is very secure. On the other hand, it sometimes drives me crazy not to have a simple ¼-20 screw or built-in action camera prongs. Those traditional mounts are universal and commonly available, but with proprietary magnetic latches you have to be careful not to lose your adapters or forget them at home. Also, in the real world you will find that magnetic dust and sand is quite common. Your magnetic latch will become covered in it, and it's difficult to clean. With that said, magnetic latches are now universal among action cameras, so a lot of people must like them.

Importantly for an action camera, the Osmo Action 5 Pro is more rugged than ever. Out of the box it's waterproof down to 65 feet underwater without a diving case, and is EN13319 certification compliant (an international diving standard). It can operate reliably down to -20C, or up to 45C, and is highly resistant to damage from being dropped or otherwise abused. DJI includes a protective case for the camera, as well as a rubber ring to protect the lens, and this further enhances durability.

Two things about the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro sapped some of my enthusiasm for the camera, and sadly they're the same problems I found in the Osmo Action 4. First of all, you must connect the camera to the DJI Mimo companion app and register it with your DJI account before you can use it. While DJI does allow you to bypass this registration 5 times, the fact is that it's ridiculous that a camera should require activation in order to use.

The second problem is the irritating lack of a star trails mode such as has been available in competing products from other manufacturers for years now. Capturing time lapse video of the stars is a key function of action cameras for me, as they can be safely left outside overnight without worrying about temperature or moisture. Fortunately, the Osmo Action 5 Pro performs so well in low light that it is capable of recording very good timelapses of stars, you just don't get those cool star trails without extra work in post production software.

With that out of the way, the DJI Mimo app is quite good, and pretty much instantly connects to the camera without any fuss or serious delay. It has all the features you'd expect of a camera companion app such as remote live viewing and control. The software on the Action 5 Pro itself is mostly unchanged from last year's model, and is as intuitive and quick as before. Also, I'm seriously impressed with how fast the camera can go from powered down to capturing video, pressing the record button while the camera is off turns it on and starts recording in just 0.3 seconds.

Starting at $349, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is essentially priced right in line with the competition. The Insta360 Ace Pro is available at the same price point, and the GoPro Hero 13 Black is practically the same cost once you factor in a GoPro subscription and its accompanying discount. Considering that these cameras are all quite close in terms of overall performance and features, it's really a case of choosing which excels the most in the ways which are most important to you.

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is the one to reach for if low light capability, extreme durability, and impressive battery life are paramount, while the GoPro Hero 13 Black stands out for its innovative lens mods, superior mounting options, and exceptional new LOG profile. The Insta360 Ace Pro goes toe-to-toe with the Action 5 Pro in terms of low light performance, and has a vari angle display that can be really useful. In terms of value for money, current flagship action cameras are all pretty much on a level playing field.

Note that in the above comparison video, I've chosen to use the non-interpolated "natural" 1080p 240fps slow motion video in the maximum slow motion test rather than the interpolated 960fps. Also, further testing of this camera underwater after the comparison revealed better results, suggesting that the placement of the Osmo Action 5 Pro on my comparison testing rig may have resulted in an unintentional handicap due to variations in current turbidity.

DJI also sent along a number of accessories for me to try out for the purposes of hiking, snorkeling, and bicycling, and I certainly put them all to the test. I was particularly impressed by the robust handlebar and chest mounts which were easy to adjust, provided solid mounting points, and seemed durable enough to stand up to extended use.

The dive case and floatation handle proved ideal for a snorkeling adventure in the frigid waters of the Pacific Northwest, and the charging handle provides both a large battery reserve to extend the already impressive battery life of the Osmo Action 5 Pro, and handy external controls. I also used the mini extension rod, ND filters, and a few other accessories when testing the Action 5 Pro.

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As with the DJI Pocket 3, the Osmo Action 5 Pro can connect wirelessly to the DJI Mic 2. This enables you not only to utilize the integrated microphone in the Action 5 Pro, but also better isolate your voice with the Mic 2. Even without the Mic 2, the Action 5 Pro records remarkably decent audio, and it's possible to record audio simultaneously from the internal mics and the Mic 2 so that you have a backup track.

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro certainly made an impressive hop forward in this year's game of action camera leapfrog. Thanks in large part to its impressive low light capabilities and its amazingly long lived battery, it's arguably the best action camera currently available. Once I discovered just how long it could sit there and record a timelapse of the stars, I began setting it out to capture the night sky every evening. As much as I would like to have automatic star trail capture capability in this camera, the Action 5 Pro more than makes up for that missing feature, which is the first time I've been able to say that for one of DJI's action cameras.

DJI has yet to fix the same irritating requirement to activate the camera online before use, which is now the only issue I feel warrants listing as a con. However, I have to admit that the Action 5 Pro is so good that my few complaints with it dwindle into insignificance. If you're in the market for a new action camera, this one's easy to recommend.

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is available directly from DJI, as well as from B&H photo video, among other retailers.