DJI Osmo Action 3 Review: Cheaper and Nearly as Good as a GoPro

The best parts of the first two versions of the action camera are the modular and magnetic design and the color front screen. There is a lot to like about this design.

It would be very competitive if the new Osmo Action 3 were to go up against the Hero 10. The Osmo isn't able to compete with video and image quality due to the fact that the Hero 11 is already on the scene. If you don't need a lot of things, the Osmo Action 3 is a good action camera.

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The first Osmo Action brought a color screen to the front of the action camera. Adding a touch screen to the front of the Osmo Action 3 will allow you to control the camera and frame shots. It is possible to control a small screen using your fingers. I was able to adjust mode and shooting resolution.

The magnetic mounting system is one of the best parts of the Action 2 camera. I've used other mounting systems, but this is the first one I've used that's better. It's the easiest way to move between a flexible tripod and a helmet mount. There is no messing with the threaded screws of the mounts.

There are third-party quick-release mounts for the GoPro that offer similar functions, but they aren't as simple and elegant as what DJI has done. It is hard to accidentally knock these magnets off, which is why I tried to hit it as hard as I could without breaking the camera.

The battery life is one of the things that makes the Osmo Action 3 stand out. The company says it can claim 160 minutes. I only managed 140 with the rear screen off, but that is still a lot more than the 70 minutes of the Hero 11. The batteries were fully charged in 52 minutes. The multifunctional battery case, which is a very slick case that also serves as a charging hub, is being sold by the Chinese company. You have over six hours of shooting time before you need to take a break. Six batteries are required to shoot the same amount of time with the Hero11.

There are lights, camera, and action.

So far it's been great. The Osmo Action 3 is full of innovative ideas. The sensor is not as impressive as it could be. The action 3 has the same resolution as the previous one. When you want to crop into the footage and still export to 4K, the Hero10 and Hero11 can be used. I like to shoot at 5.3K for the ability to pull out high-resolution still images.

The Osmo Action offers the same frame rates at 4K as you will find in other action cams, allowing for 120 frames per second at 4K and 240 frames per second in1080p, which is plenty of frames to get those dramatic slow- motion shots you crave. The camera will get overheated in nine minutes if you switch to 120 frames per second.

A great stabilization system is what you really want in an action camera. It isn't quite smooth but it's close. The main time you will see noise and blur is in the dark. In low-light situations, the Hero11 did better than the Action 3.