DJI Osmo Action 4 shoots 4K120 with 2.5 hours of battery life

DJI has officially announced the new DJI Osmo Action 4 (buy here) action camera. It boasts some exciting features, like 4K video at 120 frames per second, 10-Bit D-Log M colour, with battery life of up to 2.5 hours.

It seems that DJI has ditched the modular concept introduced with the Osmo Action 2 (buy here) and is sticking with the classic all-in-one solution. If it works, why not?

DJI Osmo Action 4

The DJI Osmo Action 4 carries on the design of its most immediate predecessor, the DJI Osmo Action 3 (buy here). I think this solidifies the thought that DJI has probably ditched the modularity design. This is likely due to all-in-one designs being a bit more robust.

After all, GoPro still has the reputation of being the toughest out there. And it seems a reputation DJI’s looking to take over with the Osmo Action 4. The only other major competitor, Insta360, does make a modular action camera, but it’s generally built more for tasks that make it less likely to slam into concrete at 100mph.

DJI really wants to extol the virtues of the Osmo Action 4’s durability in the video above. They show it in some pretty dangerous environments. It’s also able to go down up to 18 metres (~60ft) underwater without a separate dive housing, too.

Big focus on image quality

Despite its robust intent, it’s also a camera. It needs to not only survive but shoot good images and video. The DJI Osmo Action 4 does this with a 1/1.3″ sensor – larger than its predecessor – with a 155º lens and f/2.8 aperture.

It boasts multiple advanced video features, although it seems some of them may be mutually exclusive. On the perks list, we’ve got 4K120 video, a wide 155º field of view, and 10-Bit D-Log M colour, amongst other things.

4K 120fps video, for example, doesn’t support the 155º field of view and stabilisation also needs to be disabled. 10-bit colour is only available for videos recorded in HEVC with D-Log M colour, but DJI does not specify if this is available in all shooting modes.

120fps video is available in resolutions of 4K, 2.7K and 1080p. Additionally, 1080p also gets a 240fps option, for slowing things down to up to 1/10th the original speed.

Rock Solid… erm, RockSteady

The DJI Osmo Action 4 features DJI’s latest RockSteady 3.0 Stabilisation. This is electronic image stabilisation, not optical, so you’re not going to want to rely on it in low-light scenarios.

It also includes HorizonBalancing and HorizonSteady features to help you keep your horizon level at all times, even if your camera does a full 360º rotation.

It’s not available in all modes. It can’t be used when shooting slow motion (so, no 120fps) or timelapse. HorizonSteady and HorizonBalancing are also not available in all modes. Again, you’ll lose these when shooting 120fps.

2.5 hours battery life

The DJI Osmo 4 boasts a massive 2.5 hours of battery life. This is, of course, in DJI lab conditions, where the temperature’s a balmy 25°C, RockSteady is on, WiFi’s off and the screen’s off. Aside from the temperature, though, it’s a pretty likely scenario for most people shooting that long.

It’s going to be hikes, bike (with and without engines) rides, and the like where people aren’t going to be watching their screen the whole time. They’re probably only glancing down occasionally to check it’s still recording. So, screen off. WiFi would also likely be off for obvious reasons.

As with other action cameras on the market today, it has both a front and rear display, letting you see what the camera sees, whether you’re behind it or it’s pointing at you square in the face.

It includes a bunch of other features, including SnapShot and Quick Switch buttons for immediate recording and switching between modes. And you can have five of those custom modes.

You’ve got both voice prompts to inform the user of its status and voice control to inform the camera of your intent. It has an upgraded InvisiStick feature, which automatically recognises and hides a selfie stick.

Price and Availability

The DJI Osmo Action 4 is available to pre-order now for $399. There’s also a DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo available to pre-order now for $499 The Adventure Combo adds in an extra couple of batteries, a multi-function battery case, a 1.5-metre selfie stick and another quick-release mount. Items are expected to start shipping very soon.