DJI Osmo Action 3 Outdoor Combo

I did a lot of research before purchasing the DJI Action 3 and was very impressed with the reviews. I received my camera yesterday. Turns out my new Samsung XCover Pro is not compatible with the camera, so I was unable to unlock it, to upgrade firmware, etc. It should be clearly emphasized in the advertising that not all phones are compatible. The easiest way to check is to download the camera app software first. If your phone will not allow you to install it, do NOT order the camera. For example, I was able to install software from Insta360 and GoPro, so either should have worked. I will be ordering a GoPro Hero 11, and returning the DJI Inaction 3. Disappointing, to say the least.
UPDATE (5-2-2023) I read on the DJI site that Samsung S10 is compatible with the camera. I bought a used one, but it is NOT compatible, either. Last thing I tried was my iPad and it worked correctly. Good to know: the iPad WORKS! Nonetheless, the entire unlocking and updating process is a real PITA.
UPDATE: (6-26-2023) I’ve been using this camera very successfully, getting great movies, perfectly exposed, in focus, and motion stabilized. I started recording in 4K, but realized the size of the files was enormous, and was quickly filling up my hard drive. So, now I’m shooting in 2.7K, and very happy with the resolution and file size. It is extremely easy to offload the files into my computer by simply connecting in the USB-C cable and selecting the transfer option that pops up on the camera. Drag and drop the files onto the computer, and the can be edited and arranged in a movie. Right now, I’m using the iMovie app, since it’s included with my Mac. It’s a simple program, but adequate for my present needs.

I tested two other brands before getting this DJI. I absolutely love this camera! I use it for my YouTube channel for recording my off road adventures. The price to feature ratio is awesome and the quality is really good!

I had a problem with mine when registering it and had to contact support. Within 24 hours they had fixed the problem on their end and it registered without a problem. Their support was very kind and helpful. The lady wanted to make sure everything was made right and even did a follow up a few days later to make sure. Customer support is a huge thing for me and DJI performed flawless!

I love the image quality and sound of this camera. Go Pro is overrated and has so many quirks. My camera will sit in the mount of my Jeep and record all day without a problem. I went ahead and purchased a SanDisk 512gb micro sd card and the Action 3 recognized it without a problem.

Have had it for more than 2 years. I do most of my videos with this one although that I have a sony camera and also Insta 360 X3. This creates amazing good videos and is very stable.

 Overall: 4.7/5
Extremely well engineered, you get way more value than you paid for.

Bought this to travel blog on my way to some pretty islands. Think it rose to the occasion and then some. This is not a comparison review so will not comment on other cams as I have no experience with them.

This was my first action camera purchase and while I may not be able to provide you an excessively deep analysis with regards to technicalities, I will provide useful observations to keep in mind before you purchase. Kindly note all performance observations are with respect to >30C degree ambient temperature, so if you live in a cooler climate, performance will be marginally better.

Positives:
1. Video quality:
It’s simply mind blowing, no two ways about it. The stabilisation works wonderfully and color capture is natural but does not mute vibrance. Basically you get gorgeous colors without feeling like someone turned saturation up to 100. Default settings on auto are good enough for most scenes, it adjusts ISO and shutter speed according to the scene pretty well, but in dark scenes you might wanna switch to manual iso setting and cap the upper iso limit at 400/800 for a detailed non grainy look (see attached buddha image) . Play around with the options by selecting the pro option in the right hand swipe menu. All attached videos and images I took were on auto settings with no manual intervention except for the Buddha image, for which I had to intervene manually in settings.

2. Frame rate and formats:
8K isn’t supported, but 4k capture upto 120fps is supported. I would recommend 2K capture at 120fps for optimal quality vs battery saving balance. 2K 120F looks gorgeous on most displays but obviously 4k is better suited for large screens. For good battery on 4k recording, I recommend keeping fps at 60 max as this should suffice for most needs. HDR at 4k is supported but capped to 30fps. Overall, extremely competitive capture options for this price range!

Battery:
Highly recommend buying the adventure combo as this gives you the 3 pack battery case which is genuinely needed if you go on a trip. A single battery on a full charge will net you about 60 mins of record time on 4k 60fps in short bursts of video capture (10 mins at a time). If you go for a long capture, avoid anything >60fps capture as the device will overheat. These batteries support fast charge so any fast charger will juice them to 90% in 15 minutes. Charging using the battery 3-pack is recommended as that supports fast charge as well and has battery indicators that let you know the status of each battery. Overall, battery life is decent if you don’t abuse the camera and each full charge nets you about an hour of recording if you are prudent with your recording format and quality.

Durability:
Quite impressive, haven’t dropped it from a height till now but the build quality is rugged and compact. The magnetic clasps on the bottom are no joke, have never seen magnets on a device grip that hard. The mounting sockets provided with the device latch on hard, immediately and don’t let go no matter how much you shake the camera. I tried forcing it to come off without unclasping and it just did not budge. Absolutely not an inch given despite hard wrenching it, thoroughly impressed. All accessories included in the adventure combo feel useful and after a while, necessary. Build quality for accessories is 10/10 and the selfie stick extends out REALLY long without any weakness across the joints. Overall, EXTREMELY well built and rugged.

Performance and Software:
Underwater performance is superb, can submerge to a good 10 meters no issue plus provides additional cooling so the camera actually lasts longer. You can additionally enable scuba mode for >14 m dives but haven’t tested this so can’t comment on the 50ft underwater capability.
DJI have not skimped out on software in pursuit of providing a good hardware package. On board UI feels intuitive and responsive at all times. Front screen provides all quick settings needed while recording while the bigger back screen allows access to all settings. Resolution and playback is good enough and touches work even under water. If you use the camera under water, the speakers sound tinny and funny for about 8 hours till the water completely evaporates from the device. They return back to normal so no need to worry. One additional area the camera shines in is the mobile app and pc connectivity. Downloading clips from your camera is a simple matter of connecting to the device using Bluetooth and then downloading whatever clips you want in full or in trimmed low res versions for uploading to insta, fb etc. It allows for video editing right within the app and exporting in any format of your choice. Connecting to a pc is equally simple, just plug and turn camera on, select OTG storage and you’re set. You’ll notice for each video captured there’s an additional low size LRF file. This is just a low resolution file for playback on camera/mobile devices and creating edits DV resolve or premiere, so you can delete them if you want but they serve a real purpose. Overall, the software experience is smooth af and zero effort 10/10. On board software responsiveness and utility is 9/10 imo.

Accessories:
Cannot recommend buying the adventure combo enough, you get a spare set of mounts, screws including a selfie stick and helmet mount. Additionally, you get a rugged cover to further protect the camera from hard drops. But the star of the show is the 3 pack battery case, carries you through the day!

Negatives:
Hardly any negatives but contrary to some reviews, this device does heat up till auto shutdown when you are recording high resolution high fps footage. For reference, you’ll get up to 11-12 mins of 2K 120fps recording before the device shuts down due to over heat. 60fps recordings will last longer and 30fps will probably last half an hour non stop. Additionally, low light night time recording will require manual intervention in iso, shutter settings as Auto mode will cause noisy high grain captures. Lastly, and this is just a personal tick, I wish the power and shutter buttons were easier to press, currently they require focused force but I think this might be on purpose to avoid accidental captures in a bag or your butt.

Final Thoughts:
Solid 10/10 recommend, cannot go wrong with this camera at this price point and will serve you well under a wide variety of situations. Extremely well engineered, with a lot of thought put into both hardware and software. Thoroughly impressed!

I purchased this in 2022 for my 3 month trip to the Philippines and just got back in 2023 – I used it everywhere taking pictures and videos. The quality being awesome, I have read others having issues with poor quality or micro sd cards being ruined – non here what so ever.

Video’s and pictures crisp and clear. Only issue I have had was when using in the water trying to swipe the screen from video modes or say to picture mode was not responsive allowing me to do. Dry I had no issues – but when wet not work so well for me.

Otherwise I highly recommend.

The videos I captured underwater is breathless along with pictures taken.

Battery life awesome also but I did get the battery pack and that really works great!

I highly recommend.