VOLUME ISSUE AUGUST , P119
CAMERA
The Osmo Action 4 Camera
retails for $299 but is available
with several combo (mounting)
packages at varying prices. Our
camera came with the Motor
-
cycle/Mountain Cycling pack-
age, which includes the camera,
a chest strap mount, and a
handlebar mount for $349. All
combos include at least the
camera, a battery, a USB-C ca
-
ble, two sticky mounting pads,
a magnetic mounting base, and
a metal cage with a side mount
for vertical filming.
RIDER ANALYSIS
This was my first time using any of
DJI's action cameras. However, I am
familiar with their drones, and I've al-
ways been very impressed with their
image quality for both video and still
photography. So, I was anxious to
give the Osmo a try. I am also fairly
familiar with GoPro action cameras
(aren't we all?), so it was very easy
to familiarize myself with the Osmo
4—it's very GoPro-ish. It doesn't take
long to figure out what does what
without referring to the instructions,
even if you've never used a GoPro
or an action camera before, for that
matter.
I won't geek out on all the cam-
era's technical details; instead, I will
focus on what's important to me,
and most likely to you, too, regarding
action cameras in real-world use, like
ease of use and image quality.
Let's just say I wasn't disap-
pointed with the quality of either the
Action 4's videos or still images; they
both look great. Colors are rich and
accurate, and the smallish 10-mega-
pixel (in JPEG or JPEG+RAW) still
images look very sharp right out
of the camera. The still shots you
see on these pages came right out
of the camera with no help from
post-processing, which is nice when
your life revolves around deadlines.
Same with videos. If you're into post-
processing, however, there is plenty
of information within the photo and
video to make them look even pret-
tier. I preferred shooting in ultra-wide
lens mode. There is some distortion,
but it is acceptable, in my opinion.
You can't add a lens to the Action 4,
but I never felt the need to. There is,
however, a screw-on lens protector
that I never removed. It's best left in
place at all times.
The Action 4 camera
takes high-quality
video in 4K and
10 megapixel still
images.
LIST PRICE: $299 (standard combo) / $349
(as tested, w/ Motorcycle/Mountain Cycling package)
WEBSITE: DJI.com
