Buying the now cheaper 3 means more money left for a few key accessories. Your visual awareness is exceptional. Not everyone has that 'eye' but you do. Your examples were excellent, without being boring. And those cycleways!! Fantastic!!
I think 99% of TH-camrs out there should learn from you how to make a proper review and comparison, short and to the point instead of 30 minutes of bla bla about specs and form factors. Thanks a lot. Will buy action 3. 👍 Keep up the good work!
The best comparison! I just bought the Action 3 Adventure, and I'm so happy with it. A yearly product update is unnecessary and just a great marketing trick to lure people who love the hype!
Thanks mate! This test was spot on - it's the real world daily use case. I mean, who the heck use manual mode and Dlog on a action camera, gyroflow stabilization and then color grade + denoise in post anyway? Fully automatic mode with normal color + rocksteady is the way to go! I just extended my DJI care on launch day Action 3 to three years, that means four years warranty if no fall or crash. Any accidental damage to the camera will only cost me 15 bucks. DJI care is all the reason I choose osmo action over GoPros anyday. From where I live there are hundreds of Action 3 sellers listing everyday. Some are listed at half price of brand new Action 4. Could just buy an used Action 3 with DJI care, smash on walls or drop off bridge and pay $15 to get a refurb unit from DJI - you can't go wrong for that price anyway.
The difference was deffo not significant enough to convince me to sell OA3 cheap and buy OA4 at full price. When using action cameras to film, you already give up on image quality anyway. I will keep my OA3 and upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro max or ultra or whatever Tim names the phone for use cases that demands image quality over stabilization.
Wow, the best and most honest comparison video I have seen so far, with many comparison scenes that lead you through everything you need to check when comparing two cameras. Great one, mate, thank you for doing it!
@@PatchedBandit OMG, it seems we are really lost. Probably I can't say no again. I love all products of this brand. But the 4 is already quite good. It will be hard to top it!!! Much love 💕 Matthias 👋
Best review out there, thanks for making it. To me it looks like the fast moving parts look cleaner with the OA4, which is great for off roaders. The most annoying thing to me about previous cameras is the way all the ruts, rocks, and roots on the trail ahead just look like nothing from the compression and motion blur. Interesting about the night footage. Looks like the OA4 increased noise filter, lower ISO, and lower Shutter speed. You could likely reverse those settings to match or exceed the look of the OA3, if you really wanted to. For me nowadays I just shoot in Auto and I don't think I've ever filmed with an action cam at night. So for a mere $50 price difference here in Canada, the OA4 is a no brainer based on what I've seen here.
Loved this comparison, it is really good, you mentioned important points here: In general, it's all about software changes DJI apply in the newer camera and that's it, there is not advantage on upgrading. Keep doing them
Great of you to take the time to make this comparison video. Sharing the settings of each action camera would have been helpful for total beginners as when you say things like "there is much more motion blur in the new picture than there is in the old action 3" at 10:53 doesn't really explain how motion blur is attained on an action camera, or on cameras in general. Rocksteady 4K 60fps with a shutter speed of 1/50 will look very different compared to a shutter speed of 1/120 or even 1/200, let alone a high or low ISO when dealing with blown out highlights. But manual settings versus auto exposure settings which is what I assume you have on both OAC 3 & 4 is really where the discussion of 'which model of Osmo Action Camera is better when trying to get a great image’ should be where the conversation is lead from.
Like stated in the video both cameras are on "full auto" mode. Only setting that is locked is 60fps and 4K. The reason for this is that 99% of motovloggers will always choose to use automatic settings. Motovloggers rarely pick and choose settings for every scene individually as scenes change rapidly during a ride. But I understand the need for a more in depth video but there are other videos on TH-cam for an in depth tutorial and/or review of these cameras. This is to show that for most users during normal lighting conditions the difference is miniscule and that each camera will pick a slightly different look especially on darker scenes. I suspect DJI did this to enhance the 'big sensor' promotion of the newer camera. Slowing down the shutterspeeds and adding more noise removal in auto settings.
@@PatchedBandit Correct me if I’m wrong and feel free to time stamp where “full auto mode” is mentioned because I don’t actually think it is stated in the video, I say this only because total beginners may not get the full picture of the what and how when trying to understand certain terms when spoken about. But anyway, thanks again for taking the time to make the comparison and for explaining how automotive shooters operate action cameras, it’s good to know how everyone in different genres and not just walking vloggers use their action cameras to its full potential to get the best results.
The difference at night was interesting. I liked how much better the 4 looked when being lit by your headlight, but the buildings looked prettier on the 3 when lit up with their own lights. I'm in the market for an action camera (my first one), so I'm holding off for a few weeks to see what happens with the new model from a certain other brand that should be released next month. Unless it is drastically better than the current models I will be choosing between the older models from either brand (and hoping some of them come on sale once the new one is released and shops want to clear out old stock - some shops here in Australia still have stock of the hero 9).
If I can give you one advice it is not to buy the hero 9. Probably the worst software on a gopro camera ever and they do not fix the issues with updates. I owned one for years and it was very bad the whole time. One update even completely bricked the camera and gopro blamed it on my memory card. EVEN though gopro's own forums had multiple users with the same issues complaining about it. Gopro has lost all the credibility of software and customer support in my eyes. Can't say anything about the newest models but I have read online by multiple accounts that they still keep freezing and you need to take the battery out all the time.
@PatchedBandit thanks for the advice. I wasn't really that keen on a 9, was more thinking a 10 or 11. The 10 is $30 more than the action 3 here, and now that GP has reduced the price of the 11, it's only $20 more than the action 4 is. It's just hard to find good footage shot on an action 3 to compare. I'll have to check out more of you videos
@@mad082sss only my experience: I abandoned GP10 in favor of Action 3 because of the unnatural plasticine color and insufficient sharpness. Formally, the resolution of the GP10 is slightly higher, but it has a narrower angle and in the "no sharpness" mode everything looked blurred, and in the standard ("normal") mode, aggressive sharping was pretty terrible. In addition, GP10 lives much less from one battery and is much more heated. I didn't have GP11 for long and liked it a little more than GP10, but I still stayed with Action 3. By the way, I find the new Action 4 attractive, I like the dynamic sharpness in it most of all - judging by the reviews and thanks to the author of this video, I have the confidence that it is higher here than on Action 3 )
I picked this camera up mostly because I needed the abilities of the 3 but with in lower light (less noise). Also the LOG shooting is way better for post grading cinematic colors.
True. Making your own corrections from log can result in some nice footage from both cameras. This is not made to bash either camera and I will happily use both on my videos. But considering the insane amount of release hype that is mostly just sponsored content I don't think this is a massive upgrade. Very gradual improvement on an already great camera :) ... and I think DJI has some work to do with the default processing.
My wife's getting me the Action 3 as an early Christmas gift, as I'm recently more interested in filming my commuting trips, and your video's got me so excited, can't wait to try it. By the way, your town is so beautiful and it's got all kinds of scenery, they should film all Hollywood movies there! Cheers!
Hi, brilliant comparison video! I wish more were like this. Can I ask what mic setup do you have? It's the best on-bike audio I've heard. Your voice is clear but you still have the ambient nose of the bike etc which I really like.
At the time of this video I was using the dji wireless mic 1 so I sometimes recorded 2 audio tracks and combine them to signle mono in edit. This was possible with the mic 1 but unfortunately now the mic 2 that connects to OS 4 without the receiver can only record using 1 mic input to the video track. This micht change with the OA5 release as Pocket 3 already can record stereo with 2 microphones. I can't remember if I used the backpack mic recording this video though.
An excellent video thank you! Being a fellow motorcyclist considering these two cameras you have confirmed that for what I need the 3 will be more than adequate 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing your video. I received a new Action 3 camera last week then the Action 4 was released. I’m going to stick with the Action 3 as I’m pretty impressed with it’s features and the app. Might be because it’s the first time I’ve bought an action camera.
One of the best comparisons of two products I 've seen. The method you use to attach the cameras, gives a very good real time comparison. Great work! Question; what microphone are you using while filming? Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it! Here I still used the DJI Wireless mic 1. Now I have the new mic 2 on some of the newest videos on my channel and it seems to work pretty nicely. Also retaining the waterproofness of the osmo action 4 as it doesn't need any receiver to be plugged in the usb-c port.
Because I like how the 3 saturates the colors I got the 3 recently, nice video there, and the entire place there looks amazing to get some vids.. well done.
One of the reasons I decided to upgrade was to finally be able to stop worrying about the out of focus close subjects. My Action 3 was manufactured after they supposedly fixed the issue, although I was still suspicious that the "fix" was achieved with sharpening rather than correcting the lens focus. Overall, I consider either Action to be a better choice than GoPro. I grew very tired of the glitchy touchscreen and intermittent freezing and power downs of the GoPro.
Same scenario for me, my OA3 was supposedly after the fixing focus, but something was just not right. I have footage that I couldn't tell apart from my old Hero 5. I've got an OA4 and it noticeably better than the 3 in every day use, didn't even need to compare. Maybe I was unlucky with my OA3, but this OA4 is exceptional.
I haven't experienced this issue but I probably don't use the camera in a way where it would be apparent. I'm glad you see DJI fixed this problem with the new one.
@@neilwildy4192 yes, there was a softness/muddiness to the footage, and again, this was in one of the newer manufactured OA3's. I've spent a week or so now with the OA4 and I have nothing negative to report. The touchscreen can be mildly finicky (although I have a tempered glass protector in place), but even with the protector, its better than the GoPro 11.
Me personally I would still buy the action 4 because I use the DJI Wireless mic 2 which doesn't work with the older model sadly. Mic was released after this video. You can buy an extra battery or the case later. Without needing the mic I would pick the 3 adv combo. Image guality for my purposes is so near the same that it makes no difference to me.
Thank you for this review! I've been looking at the Insta360 Ace (Pro) but to get those as my first action camera, I do think those are expensive. I'll probably buy the Action 3 as I do like the colors more there. I do have one question as a first time action camera buyer, with insta360 you have the Insta360 app, is there an app for DJI as well or is it easy to edit the videos? I'm going to the jungle in a few months so I don't want messy videos of that once in a lifetime moment 🙈 thanks in advance ☺️
There is an app called ”DJI mimo” that has an editor function also. I never use it as I edit my videos with final cut pro but searching dji mimo editor you can probably check how it works. I like DJI as the app is optional. I always just transfer my files using a card reader and I like that DJI files are readable without first taking them in to the app. Some Insta cameras require user to use the app first to download videos and then export the files and my experience with my insta360 go2 is that the app is very buggy and fails to export files very often. DJI is reliable and thats what I like the most! 🙂 hope this helps
Thanks! I recommend following the DJI official list of cards for this camera: Recommended microSD Cards - SanDisk Extreme 32GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 - SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 - Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 64GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3 - Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 128GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3 - Kingston Canvas React Plus 64GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3 - Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3 - Kingston Canvas React Plus 256GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3 But I have used Lexar Pro 1066x microSDXC UHS-I cards up to 256 GB with all my dji cameras without any issues.
Benefit of the wireless mic 2 is keeping the waterproof nature of the osmo action 4. Also pulling the 32Bit float from the mic should be the best quality of any alternative solution. Requires a bit of work but as the mic creates 1 to 1 internal audio recordings matching the amount of video recordings syncing in post is super easy. I'm gonna test the mic 2 in more detail when I get the time though. The first firmware was not great..
Got an Action 3. And a fitting headset for voice recording. Seems easy to use. Gotta try it out under the helmet on a ride - when the rain stops. Thanks for you comparison. Günter/Nürnberg
6:20 I personally really like the saturation and brightness of the action 3, but I really dislike the over exposure and high contrast that loses detail in the action 3 as well. So overall the action 4 is great, but idk if I really need an action camera.
Hope that is true. I havent tested the camera in low light rescently but I will do many times now that I start riding offroad in finnish winter. Still daytime I don't see any noticeable difference between these cameras. My newest long video was shot with the 3 and 4 flipping back and forth. 4 is still less saturated but that's about it.
Also, I would like to ask you if you have any experience with Insta360 x3. I am confused among the X3, Go pro 11 and DJI Action 3. It would really be helpful if you could suggest. I have justed started moto-vloging.
I've only owned 1 insta360 camera and main reason for me selling it was the application/software stability. I had a lot of clips I just could not get out of the camera. Problem with their way of doing things that you can't get video files straight from the memory card to an editor. So there is a step inbetween needing to edit&export the footage in their mobile or desktop app before the files are useable let's say in final cut pro that I use. The app just was so buggy I could not live with it myself. Why I prefer DJI over all the competitors is the software reliability and straightforward useage of memory card -> computer -> editor. No need to use the dji mimo app or anything inbetween and I can still say I have yet to lose a single clip of footage with any of my DJI cameras over the 2 years I've been doing this youtube stuff. I currently use OA3, OA4 and pocket 3 and all 3 are working flawlessly which I could never say for insta360 or gopro cameras.
@@PatchedBandit thank you so much for taking out the time to explain. I really appreciate it. I guess I’ll go with the DJI then. Also, do we need a mic adapter for DJI
If you need to speak in the video you can use physical adapter but buy the dji one. It's much better than the boya alternatives for motovlogging. I used the dji wireless mic gen 1 for the first year and it was very nice also but needs the receiver to be connected with usb-c on the OA3 or OA4. Now with the Osmo action 4 I use the new dji wireless mic gen 2 that is completely wireless not requiring any dongle on the camera. Big benefit of this is that the camera stays waterproof during shooting. I still use lav mic in the helmet though connected to the wireless mic 2. I should do an episode about the whole setup and options as I 've gone through a lot of them over the years but I'm a bit lazy in doing these tech videos 😅
Hi, great comparison of these two action cams that I'm thinking of buying! Can you confirm if HDR mode was used for the Action 3 (I understand that the Action 4 doesn't really have such a mode)? Thanks! Subscribed!
OA3 in normal color mode and enchance off. Enhance image mode is the hdr mode probably what you mean. I don't tend to use it and I'm not sure if it was even available when the video was shot. It came as a firmware update at some point.
Thank you. This is a good comparison. You are right-there's too much paid hype about OA4. The motion blur (10:55) is not great. Can you confirm your shutter for these comparisons, any chance please?
Exellent side by side comparison and very informative commentary. Thanks for that! Overall a really great upgrade imho. Its a little big more expensive (ofcourse you can sometimes get the 3 in a sale now) but overall in most cases a better image especially for nighttime. You dont see that much more, but its much less noisy. For daytime action its not that much of a difference so yea some people might have a bennefit in buying the 3 in sale.
Very true. I would hope for a faster default shutter speeds at night though. Dont like if the video becomes too ”dreamy”. Bit of noise is not a problem for me :)
Maybe they patch it later. The Sensor is bigger so theres not the need to for anything else but i think they wanted to picture to be brighter overall for better advertisement. But the feedback is there. I would like to have a bit darker image without the blur but the same lesser noisy picture. Maybe they let us adjust it soon. Anyway without rocksteady the image is not that bloomy so its only a software problem and might get fixed. :)@@PatchedBandit
is what I do it, some years with gp7 ( almost great camera) and now I decided buy the action 3, I'm not ride moto but instead bike, and I think the action 3 is more than sufficient to make videos. for TH-cam, if I'm professional I no make option for any action cam on the market. Dji action 3 + TH-cam = More than sufficient.
Very true. DJI OA3 is still a great camera and I still used the hero 5 footage in my latest video. It is starting to look bad compared to the dji oa 3 though :) Safe rides!
Great video. I assume there's more detail in the ground in many day time shots because the larger sensor, gathering more light, allows a higher framerate. Night tests should have been done with normalization (same shutter speed and ISO) for a real test of the sensor and software denoising changes. But then again, most of us aren't going to be setting manual exposure and for practical usage it's better to test the automatic handling of different scenarios.
Yes, exactly. I wanted to show the cameras as they are with everything in autopilot because most motovloggers are not going to fiddle with the settings scene by scene. This was mostly a motovlogger test. I still use both of them on most of my shoots and after owning all the big brands I firmly believe DJI makes the best actioncameras on the market today. Ease of use and reliability are key factors for me.
The video I have been waiting for, a non paid/sponsored one. The only action cam I own is a cheap Akaso type one so I have been looking to upgrade for a while, I do not want to go the GoPro route for several reasons, need a media mod, overheating, crashing etc. I think based on this video I will get the 4 as quite a bit of what I use it for is lowlight, evening scenes when travelling. Thanks once again for the video and helping me make my mind up.
Fantastic to hear I could help! Can't go wrong in either option and the 4 will probably get a lot of updates in the coming months that might improve the camera. For low light scenes I would probably go for the new one too even though I don't like the shutter speed and too much noise cancellation by default. The noise cancelation can be adjusted in the custom menu though.
Thank you for such a nice comparison. I think at night footage it was not the difference in motion blur but in noise reduction. It would be interesting to repeat this test with noise reduction settings on the lowest and in 10-bit D-Log mode. I think this is where Action 4 will shine.
Most people buying these will only use default modes and thats what I tried to show here. Tech channels will hopefully do a more in depth comparisons of log and other modes soon. The release day videos were such a disappointment to me so I released this real life side to side with default settings the moment I got the camera in my hand. I mostly do motorcycle content 🙂
@@PatchedBandit Yes, you are right! Default settings are for common scenarios and normal use. But your scenario is far from common and I guess you should put some effort in changing settings. It would be nice to show the best results that you can get from this camera. I like Action 4 for its flexibility and extensive options in settings. Anyway, you did a great job by making this video. Thank you!
Hey, excellent review, but of course i have question. Im considering buying my first action camer. I'm torned between OA3 -250€ vs OA4 329€. What would you choose if it would be your first action camera? My main thing is to film motorcycle journey and filming holidays for my familly. Thx.
If you want to use external microphone buy the 4. But if you just use the internal mic of the camera 3 is almost the same in my opinion. The price difference being that small I would advice to buy the newer 4 so you have more options to add wireless mic later.
Kiitos!👍 Olet tehnyt hyvän vertailun, etkä Hypetä. Hämärässä toi 4 saattaa olla joissain paikoin parempi, metsässä Osmo 3 kohdalla oli tien kohdalla aika laaja neliöistä koostuva harmaa alue (lienee TH-camn pakkausongelma?) Sekä kirkko hämärässä paremmin eroitettava.Oletko testannut, kumpi ottaa vähemmän häiriötä tuullesta, kun ajat pyörälläsi? Missä kylässä ajelit? Toi liikeepäterävyys on 3:ssa vähempää. Hyviä kameroita noin pieniksi molemmat.
Videot on Raahesta. TH-camn pakkauksesta johtunee artifactit joita joskus näkee. En ole lähdevideoissa sellaisia editoidessa nähnyt kummassakaan. En oikeastaan koskaan näissä käytä sisäisiä mikkejä niin tuota tuuliasiaa en oo kauheesti testannu. Jos tuulisuojan pistää päälle molemmat tekee kyllä ihan hyvän soundin, jopa ajaessa. Käytän silti aina erillisiä mikkejä (Rode Wireless Pro viimeisimmässä videossa ja ennen sitä DJI wireless mic)
Kyselen, koska olis tarkoitus päivittää Osmo 1:stä ja äänet kiinnostavat. Tossa alla BMW S1000 RR pyörän videossa (motoristina saatat olla kiinnostunut esittelystäkin?, kohdassa 1:05 ikämiesherra kertoo omia ei sponsoroituja mielipiteitään.) th-cam.com/video/x6SKqVjshVQ/w-d-xo.html Osmo oli pyörän keulassa keskellä pysyssä ja kohtisuoraan kohta 3:18 äänet Osmo1:stä, kivasti toi kulkee radalla, vaikka mutkissa tossa vielä vähän himmailikin. Tossa F4 autovidossa, th-cam.com/video/-uKtZRYuGnw/w-d-xo.html jossa Osmo 1 on vähän vinossa (kohdat 3:01 ja 3:14) kulmassa ja kallellaan kulkusuuntaan ääni meni käyttökelvottomaksi kun vauhti kasvoi. => Eli sillä kulmallakin on merkitystä, jos joskus testaat tota.@@PatchedBandit
Prätkävideossa tuulen ääni on liian kova. Jos haluaa edes yrittää saada näistä kohtalaista ääntä ulos tuulisuoja on halpa ja sanoisin pakollinen lisävaruste. Aliexpressistä löytyy näille osmoille tuulisuojia muutamalla eurolla, joten siihen kannattaa panostaa. Ostin itse viimeksi 8 kpl niitä OA4 tuulisuojia koska joskus käytän myös kameran omaa ääniraitaa. Tuulisuoja saa ja pitää olla päällä kaikissa ulkona kuvattavissa videoissa aina. Kameran asennuspaikalla on hyvin vähän tämän jälkeen merkitystä näissä prätkähommissa ja kuten sanoin käytän erillisiä mikkejä 99% ajasta ajovideoissa.
Samaa mieltä tuulisuojan tarpeellisuudesta. Tarkistin yhden TH-cam videon jossa oli käytetty Kiinalaista superloniaton Osmon kotelon päällä kun yli 45km/h vauhtia, sillä ei juuri tee enää mitään (kun halutaan hyvää ääntä), valitettavasti. Onkos sullo (Rode Wireless Pro viimeisimmässä videossa ja ennen sitä DJI wireless mic) noi mikksi kypärän sisällä, videoissasi ei tota tuulta juurikaan kuulle? @@PatchedBandit
Great testing, my friend. I have the 3 and was thinking of getting the 4, but it's not a big difference. It's very minor, in fact, thank you. I will just stick with the 3 it's a very capable camera 👍
Cheers from Sydney. Youve nailed the niche when you said to only review the fast moving pace shots and not the vlog style shots 😂. Im glad you did the same street at night. Theres a few more frames on colours and blurs that I could see are better in OA3 than OA4. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this - I have my own OA3 and it’s THE BEST action camera I’ve ever invested in 🎉
Good comparison. When I have seen comparisons with the latest gopro, it has always seemed to me, that Action 4 overexposes some stuff. But seen like this, it does not seem bad at all. Is there a way to drop the exposure like one step or half step?
Yes. You can drop it by exposure steps of 0.3 so I wouldn’t worry about that much. Also I believe one of the latest firmware upgrades adressed an issue like this too. Check out the changelogs.
Havent tested it. In my opinion the internal microphones are just not good enough for motovlogging. To me the sound is not even close to usable so I always use external mics.
I almost always use an external mic. None of these cameras can brake the laws of physics and wind is an issue. Wind protectors are available online and help a lot but if you plan on talking while riding you need an external mic.
Thanks for the video mate! I bought the Action 3 a couple of months before the 4 came out and was annoyed by how much better the new one looks on paper. The two things ill miss are prerecording and compatibility with the mic2 but meh, nothing to write home about as you say :) Quick question though, what kind of mount do you use on your helmet? Any tips on that? That's one thing that scares me.
I use "chinmounts" products on all my helmets and I've been happy with them for the most part. On my winter helmet I have glued it permanently on the helmet though as the 3M tape options do not stick well during winter months and freezing temperatures in Finland. On the summer helmet they have been fine with the provided tape though. I would still recommend heating up the tape a bit with some blower before sticking it on. Cleaning the surfaces and keeping pressure after attachment for at least 5 minutes. Also don't use the sticky the same day but give it time to adhere overnight.
I do many vlogs and I'm disappointed with my Action 4 at night. I always use an external LED when the light conditions are not that good or when it's dark at night. With my previous Gopro 10 my face always looked pretty natural and detailed. Now with the Action 4 my face looks extremely soft / blurry without many details (a bit white even). And the LED points even right into my face. Any ideas how to get the same good quality for this situation with my Action 4?
Thanks for sharing and confirming some of my findings too. First thing I would try is to put the camera in it's "pro mode" and turn down the noise reduction to -1 or -2. I have also turned down the sharpness to -1 as I don't like the digital over sharpened look of the default 0 setting.
I don't have the Action 3, so Action 4 is really good for me. I bought it as an addition to my gear, not a replacement. Also have the GoPro Hero 10, a DJI Pocket 2, and an Insta360 X3. I feel like I now have a very well rounded set and can handle about anything, with multiple camera angles, while keeping the gear bag small and portable.
There was 1 update that improved the hilight clipping I think. In normal use haven't noticed any change but I havent used the camera much at night after this test. I tend to ride during the day. Sharpening and noice reduction can be turned down manually. This test was done in the default settings but since I have turned both the sharpening and noise reduction to -1.
If you don't need external mic levels adjustment that OA4 introduced I would go with the older osmo action 3. I actually prefer the picture my OA3 makes most of the time straight out of camera as it is a bit more saturated. You can check out my newest video to see the difference. Selfie camera on the windscreen is OA3 and helmet cam is OA4 in that video.
nicely shown comparison between the newest and the older model :) but I wonder, maybe it was just the settings making the footage more blurred in low light scenarios? still a valid point, even if it was just full-auto out of the box settings.
Both in full auto. Like 99.9% of people use them. Some settings can be adjusted of course but most motovloggers dont do scene by scene asjusting like pro filmmakers so this is why I made this with everything on normal.
I'm newbie considering OA4 for my first camera. Intended for helmet mounted recording of my TET adventures. How do you charge battery(es) on long trips, like going TET? DJI says OA4 battery lasts for 2.5 hours of recording. Even when you are recording half of the time, you need 3 or 4 batteries a day. (Assuming you need 10h of raw footage to make 1 hour of final cut video). At the end of the day you sleep in a tent without electric plug. I use to camp outdoors on a trail for a week straight. The best solution would be a 12V powered waterproof battery charger and just keep swapping two batteries. DJI offers adventure pack with 3 batteries and a charger that is not waterproof and per customer report it dies when it gets wet. So it can't be used to charge batteries on the run. It may survive charging overnight, but 3 batteries combined with a phone have enough capacity to drain your motorbike battery flat. For sure if you have a light weight LiFePo battery. So that's not a good idea either. I can't find good charging solution on Internet.
I will be short on my phone but here goes.. 1. You learn pretty quick that you dont want 10h or raw video to edit. Too much work and too much pointless ’empty video’. So record here and there 5-15 minute bits and cut down hard at home. Most tet videos are not worth a full hour in my opinion. Mine included. 2. Always charge devices while riding from a motorcycle outlet. Usb somewhere near and cable to tankbag is my solution. You can charge multiple batteries mid ride and mever have a problem with batteries. 3. One DJI battery lasts me a full day of riding as I dont record constantly. Quickstart if there is something interesting happening. Other than that just a clip there clip here … combo has 3 batteries so those should last around 3 days. When you charge while riding you will never run out.
I have the AO1, needed another camera for different view locations. Debated over the 3 vs 4, but got a good deal on an adventure pack with the 3, which yes, allowed me to purchase extra accessories as well. I really do not like the lens flares on the 4 from sun, lights, etc. Bought my 3 around September of last year, but am now getting more familiar with it. Thank you for the comparisons. 👍📸
Yeah I know this was not a comprehensive review of either one. I just wanted to make a quick side by side for everyone to see as internet was so saturated with these paid reviews. I should probably do a more comprehensive video about my vlogging setup as I think it is pretty much prefrected now. I use a lav mic with DJI wireless transmitter and a second transmitter for a secondary audio channel. So basically I control my speech and the ambient audio separately.. at least if I remember to put the system to stereo mode :)
Great review. I went for A3. The bigger sensor is better but for the price not worth for me. Not much of the night action shooter either but this was great review thanks.
Hi, there buddy Bandit! First, congrats on the great video and mainly on the honesty with which you've reviewed and compared both models, with non-sponsored opinions! As a stroke survivor and as a sighted guide for blind athletes I've decided to create a channel in order to promote some good initiatives to help all the people involved in these two causes. And, as I've never had an action cam, I've been searching through a myriad of videos for to find the "best" camera for my content creation. The point is: #DJI , #Insta360 and #GoPro never replied any of my requests. And you just did it very well! At 9:42 you pointed out some details that have clearly been lost on the newest model from DJI, what can really help me make up my decision on the very first camera. Besides, in my country these gear are too expensive (to let you know: the difference between action 3 and action 4 prices is of US$ 250, almost a new camera purchase!), what can also drive me towards the "oldest" model. Lastly, thanks and congrats on the real pretty images of the Finnish sky by the end of he video, really loved them all! And remember, folks: DO NOT BUY ANY HYPE! (loved it!) An excellent 2024 to family and friends! Subscribed, of course!
Thanks or the kind comments and for the good cause! I've been battling a brain tumour and problems it gave me for the past 2 years too. I wish you good health and luck with the channel 🙂
@@PatchedBandit be sure that from now on you're gonna be within all my prayers for your health, buddy! I'm sure we will win! May that wonderful Finnish sky bring us all the good we need and deserve. My kindest regards!
Excellent unbiased review, I was really interested in the night comparison, other than the noise not much of a difference except for a few. I think for me saving $135 + tax CAD to get the action 3 is a better value. Most of the shooting will be done in the day. Evening is nice to have. What I find odd is, another review night comparios video showed action 3 displayed motion blurr but the action 4 did not. However in your video I didn't see the motion blurr on the 3.
I am in doubt to buy the action 3 or Action 4. Difference is arround €100,- whats your opinion if you could buy one?
I think it's an easy choise of:
If you plan to use external microphones -> Osmo Action 4
If you don't -> Osmo action 3 and save a hundie.
@@PatchedBanditthanks for the reply. I Just orderd the action 4 at the moment the action 3 was not available anymore..
@@PatchedBandit thanks man im gonna get the 3 so cheap with black friday
Action 3 owner here.....by far the best and most unbiased review of the Action 4. Very nice comparison. Thank you very much!
Buying the now cheaper 3 means more money left for a few key accessories. Your visual awareness is exceptional. Not everyone has that 'eye' but you do. Your examples were excellent, without being boring. And those cycleways!! Fantastic!!
I think 99% of TH-camrs out there should learn from you how to make a proper review and comparison, short and to the point instead of 30 minutes of bla bla about specs and form factors. Thanks a lot. Will buy action 3. 👍 Keep up the good work!
The best comparison! I just bought the Action 3 Adventure, and I'm so happy with it. A yearly product update is unnecessary and just a great marketing trick to lure people who love the hype!
very nice review sir. cant decide first which dji action cam to buy 3 or 4 model, now i will go for 3 and also saves me money. from philippines.
Thanks mate! This test was spot on - it's the real world daily use case. I mean, who the heck use manual mode and Dlog on a action camera, gyroflow stabilization and then color grade + denoise in post anyway? Fully automatic mode with normal color + rocksteady is the way to go!
I just extended my DJI care on launch day Action 3 to three years, that means four years warranty if no fall or crash. Any accidental damage to the camera will only cost me 15 bucks. DJI care is all the reason I choose osmo action over GoPros anyday.
From where I live there are hundreds of Action 3 sellers listing everyday. Some are listed at half price of brand new Action 4. Could just buy an used Action 3 with DJI care, smash on walls or drop off bridge and pay $15 to get a refurb unit from DJI - you can't go wrong for that price anyway.
The difference was deffo not significant enough to convince me to sell OA3 cheap and buy OA4 at full price. When using action cameras to film, you already give up on image quality anyway.
I will keep my OA3 and upgrade to iPhone 15 Pro max or ultra or whatever Tim names the phone for use cases that demands image quality over stabilization.
Definitely better deal to get 2 action 3's :D
such a helpful comparison -- thank you!
🙏
Wow, the best and most honest comparison video I have seen so far, with many comparison scenes that lead you through everything you need to check when comparing two cameras. Great one, mate, thank you for doing it!
Good comparison! Both have their advantages. Best we have both 🤣🤣🤣
Much love 💕;
Matthias 👋
I still prefer the image coming out of the older model 😊
@@PatchedBandit I aggree with you (just in low light the 4 is the winner).
by the way:
I have also both 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@MatthiasLenardt There are rumours that the 5 is coming out on the 28.th of this month 😁 Soon we will have 3? 😅
@@PatchedBandit OMG, it seems we are really lost. Probably I can't say no again. I love all products of this brand.
But the 4 is already quite good. It will be hard to top it!!!
Much love 💕
Matthias 👋
Best review out there, thanks for making it. To me it looks like the fast moving parts look cleaner with the OA4, which is great for off roaders. The most annoying thing to me about previous cameras is the way all the ruts, rocks, and roots on the trail ahead just look like nothing from the compression and motion blur. Interesting about the night footage. Looks like the OA4 increased noise filter, lower ISO, and lower Shutter speed. You could likely reverse those settings to match or exceed the look of the OA3, if you really wanted to. For me nowadays I just shoot in Auto and I don't think I've ever filmed with an action cam at night. So for a mere $50 price difference here in Canada, the OA4 is a no brainer based on what I've seen here.
Good work on this video. Thankyou.
Loved this comparison, it is really good, you mentioned important points here:
In general, it's all about software changes DJI apply in the newer camera and that's it, there is not advantage on upgrading.
Keep doing them
The best review I’ve ever seen!
Very well done! 🙌
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time to make this!
My pleasure!
Great of you to take the time to make this comparison video. Sharing the settings of each action camera would have been helpful for total beginners as when you say things like "there is much more motion blur in the new picture than there is in the old action 3" at 10:53 doesn't really explain how motion blur is attained on an action camera, or on cameras in general. Rocksteady 4K 60fps with a shutter speed of 1/50 will look very different compared to a shutter speed of 1/120 or even 1/200, let alone a high or low ISO when dealing with blown out highlights. But manual settings versus auto exposure settings which is what I assume you have on both OAC 3 & 4 is really where the discussion of 'which model of Osmo Action Camera is better when trying to get a great image’ should be where the conversation is lead from.
Like stated in the video both cameras are on "full auto" mode. Only setting that is locked is 60fps and 4K.
The reason for this is that 99% of motovloggers will always choose to use automatic settings. Motovloggers rarely pick and choose settings for every scene individually as scenes change rapidly during a ride.
But I understand the need for a more in depth video but there are other videos on TH-cam for an in depth tutorial and/or review of these cameras.
This is to show that for most users during normal lighting conditions the difference is miniscule and that each camera will pick a slightly different look especially on darker scenes. I suspect DJI did this to enhance the 'big sensor' promotion of the newer camera.
Slowing down the shutterspeeds and adding more noise removal in auto settings.
@@PatchedBandit Correct me if I’m wrong and feel free to time stamp where “full auto mode” is mentioned because I don’t actually think it is stated in the video, I say this only because total beginners may not get the full picture of the what and how when trying to understand certain terms when spoken about. But anyway, thanks again for taking the time to make the comparison and for explaining how automotive shooters operate action cameras, it’s good to know how everyone in different genres and not just walking vloggers use their action cameras to its full potential to get the best results.
I added a more clear information to the description now.
Thanks to you I am keeping my OA3 and saving a few bucks! Thanks so much!
Very honest comparison! Cheers from Argentina 🇦🇷
Thanks! 🙂✌️
The difference at night was interesting. I liked how much better the 4 looked when being lit by your headlight, but the buildings looked prettier on the 3 when lit up with their own lights.
I'm in the market for an action camera (my first one), so I'm holding off for a few weeks to see what happens with the new model from a certain other brand that should be released next month. Unless it is drastically better than the current models I will be choosing between the older models from either brand (and hoping some of them come on sale once the new one is released and shops want to clear out old stock - some shops here in Australia still have stock of the hero 9).
If I can give you one advice it is not to buy the hero 9. Probably the worst software on a gopro camera ever and they do not fix the issues with updates. I owned one for years and it was very bad the whole time. One update even completely bricked the camera and gopro blamed it on my memory card. EVEN though gopro's own forums had multiple users with the same issues complaining about it.
Gopro has lost all the credibility of software and customer support in my eyes.
Can't say anything about the newest models but I have read online by multiple accounts that they still keep freezing and you need to take the battery out all the time.
@PatchedBandit thanks for the advice. I wasn't really that keen on a 9, was more thinking a 10 or 11. The 10 is $30 more than the action 3 here, and now that GP has reduced the price of the 11, it's only $20 more than the action 4 is. It's just hard to find good footage shot on an action 3 to compare. I'll have to check out more of you videos
All of my videos for the last 8 months the main helmet camera is the Action 3. Lot's of content to shift through :)
I wonder if the OA4, with a touch of negative EV, would expose the same as the OA3 and look about the same at night, including closer shutter speed.
@@mad082sss only my experience: I abandoned GP10 in favor of Action 3 because of the unnatural plasticine color and insufficient sharpness. Formally, the resolution of the GP10 is slightly higher, but it has a narrower angle and in the "no sharpness" mode everything looked blurred, and in the standard ("normal") mode, aggressive sharping was pretty terrible. In addition, GP10 lives much less from one battery and is much more heated. I didn't have GP11 for long and liked it a little more than GP10, but I still stayed with Action 3.
By the way, I find the new Action 4 attractive, I like the dynamic sharpness in it most of all - judging by the reviews and thanks to the author of this video, I have the confidence that it is higher here than on Action 3 )
I picked this camera up mostly because I needed the abilities of the 3 but with in lower light (less noise). Also the LOG shooting is way better for post grading cinematic colors.
True. Making your own corrections from log can result in some nice footage from both cameras.
This is not made to bash either camera and I will happily use both on my videos. But considering the insane amount of release hype that is mostly just sponsored content I don't think this is a massive upgrade. Very gradual improvement on an already great camera :) ... and I think DJI has some work to do with the default processing.
Thanks was very confused which to buy as this will be my first action camera
OUSTANDING !!! Best review I have seen. Keep up the good work!
great comparison, thanks for this. I purchased the action4 as an upgrade from my hero8 after having issues with a hero11.
sweet T7
Yep I swapped to DJI after years of struggling with the gopro cameras. No looking back! :)
L😊😊😊😊
very very help pull this video. Thanks.
You're welcome!
I bought the osmo 3 yesterday thanks for the vid, makes me feel gd about getting the slightly older model!
My 3 still works after 2 years of hard use
My wife's getting me the Action 3 as an early Christmas gift, as I'm recently more interested in filming my commuting trips, and your video's got me so excited, can't wait to try it.
By the way, your town is so beautiful and it's got all kinds of scenery, they should film all Hollywood movies there!
Cheers!
Awesome, very honest review, not biased at all ❤
Thank you so much for a very informative and useful video!
Are the lenses on the lens interchangeable on 3 and 4 Action? Thank you in advance
Yes they are!
Fantastic video!!! Thanks for doing that! I’m sticking with the OA3 for the time being.
Good choice! 😁 Thanks for commenting!
Thank you for this review! Question, were you using automatic on all settings? No changes made on iso/shutter speed etc...
Auto settings on both
Brilliant real world review. Very helpful, thank you.
Hi, brilliant comparison video! I wish more were like this. Can I ask what mic setup do you have? It's the best on-bike audio I've heard. Your voice is clear but you still have the ambient nose of the bike etc which I really like.
At the time of this video I was using the dji wireless mic 1 so I sometimes recorded 2 audio tracks and combine them to signle mono in edit. This was possible with the mic 1 but unfortunately now the mic 2 that connects to OS 4 without the receiver can only record using 1 mic input to the video track.
This micht change with the OA5 release as Pocket 3 already can record stereo with 2 microphones.
I can't remember if I used the backpack mic recording this video though.
An excellent video thank you! Being a fellow motorcyclist considering these two cameras you have confirmed that for what I need the 3 will be more than adequate 👍🏼
Very welcome! It's probably true for most users. The old model is very nice.
Thanks for sharing your video. I received a new Action 3 camera last week then the Action 4 was released. I’m going to stick with the Action 3 as I’m pretty impressed with it’s features and the app. Might be because it’s the first time I’ve bought an action camera.
Good choice! It is still a very good camera. I would not hesitate to use it as my main shooter for another year. Safe filming!
One of the best comparisons of two products I 've seen. The method you use to attach the cameras, gives a very good real time comparison. Great work!
Question; what microphone are you using while filming? Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it! Here I still used the DJI Wireless mic 1. Now I have the new mic 2 on some of the newest videos on my channel and it seems to work pretty nicely. Also retaining the waterproofness of the osmo action 4 as it doesn't need any receiver to be plugged in the usb-c port.
Great comparison - thanks!
Thanks for watching! 🙏
Because I like how the 3 saturates the colors I got the 3 recently, nice video there, and the entire place there looks amazing to get some vids.. well done.
Excellent honest content. Valuable and to the point. Thanks.
I appreciate that!
Excellent test! Thank you!
My pleasure! 😄
Thank you so much. I take your suggestion.
One of the reasons I decided to upgrade was to finally be able to stop worrying about the out of focus close subjects. My Action 3 was manufactured after they supposedly fixed the issue, although I was still suspicious that the "fix" was achieved with sharpening rather than correcting the lens focus. Overall, I consider either Action to be a better choice than GoPro. I grew very tired of the glitchy touchscreen and intermittent freezing and power downs of the GoPro.
Same scenario for me, my OA3 was supposedly after the fixing focus, but something was just not right. I have footage that I couldn't tell apart from my old Hero 5.
I've got an OA4 and it noticeably better than the 3 in every day use, didn't even need to compare.
Maybe I was unlucky with my OA3, but this OA4 is exceptional.
I haven't experienced this issue but I probably don't use the camera in a way where it would be apparent. I'm glad you see DJI fixed this problem with the new one.
@@neilwildy4192 yes, there was a softness/muddiness to the footage, and again, this was in one of the newer manufactured OA3's. I've spent a week or so now with the OA4 and I have nothing negative to report. The touchscreen can be mildly finicky (although I have a tempered glass protector in place), but even with the protector, its better than the GoPro 11.
Just bought 2 weeks ago Action 3. I will keep it
Which one would to buy : action 3 adventure combo or action 4 standard combo ? Please suggest
Me personally I would still buy the action 4 because I use the DJI Wireless mic 2 which doesn't work with the older model sadly. Mic was released after this video. You can buy an extra battery or the case later.
Without needing the mic I would pick the 3 adv combo. Image guality for my purposes is so near the same that it makes no difference to me.
@@PatchedBandit thank you 🙏🏻 love from India 🇮🇳
We are lucky there are people like you making unbiased and in-depth reviews like that one, thank you so much! 🙏
Bravo! Tusind Tak for this best ever comparison. You just convinced me to buy my first DJI Osmo camera, which going to be Nr.3. Well done!
Great and useful , I’m a loyal OA3 user and previously OA1 fellow moto vlogger.
Your video just saved me a decision 👍🏼👍🏼. Greetings from Scotland
Glad I could help!
Thank you! I'm getting a 2ndhand Action 3 thanks to your vid.
Good choice!
That's a good comparison. Thanks for the effort.
Thanks for watching!
i upgraded to the Action 4 from a hero 8 so its was good upgrade as looking at the hero 11 but with there issues i wanted to try DJI for a change
Good pick for sure
Thank you for this review! I've been looking at the Insta360 Ace (Pro) but to get those as my first action camera, I do think those are expensive. I'll probably buy the Action 3 as I do like the colors more there. I do have one question as a first time action camera buyer, with insta360 you have the Insta360 app, is there an app for DJI as well or is it easy to edit the videos? I'm going to the jungle in a few months so I don't want messy videos of that once in a lifetime moment 🙈 thanks in advance ☺️
There is an app called ”DJI mimo” that has an editor function also. I never use it as I edit my videos with final cut pro but searching dji mimo editor you can probably check how it works.
I like DJI as the app is optional. I always just transfer my files using a card reader and I like that DJI files are readable without first taking them in to the app.
Some Insta cameras require user to use the app first to download videos and then export the files and my experience with my insta360 go2 is that the app is very buggy and fails to export files very often.
DJI is reliable and thats what I like the most! 🙂 hope this helps
Very good comparison, thank you.
Can you recommend a good microsd for osmo action 3?
Thank you! God bless you!🙏
Thanks! I recommend following the DJI official list of cards for this camera:
Recommended microSD Cards
- SanDisk Extreme 32GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3
- SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3
- Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 64GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3
- Kingston Canvas Go!Plus 128GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3
- Kingston Canvas React Plus 64GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3
- Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3
- Kingston Canvas React Plus 256GB UHS-II Speed Grade 3
But I have used Lexar Pro 1066x microSDXC UHS-I cards up to 256 GB with all my dji cameras without any issues.
@@PatchedBandit Multumesc!🙏
Thanks!
Thank u... i go for action 3...
I’m using the Osmo 4 adapter key is also to use their DJI lav mic and the quality is better imo than using the wireless mic 2
Benefit of the wireless mic 2 is keeping the waterproof nature of the osmo action 4. Also pulling the 32Bit float from the mic should be the best quality of any alternative solution.
Requires a bit of work but as the mic creates 1 to 1 internal audio recordings matching the amount of video recordings syncing in post is super easy.
I'm gonna test the mic 2 in more detail when I get the time though. The first firmware was not great..
This is a great comparison on the bike. Thanks.
I have the 3 my brother has the 4 . . .not much delta . . .
Got an Action 3. And a fitting headset for voice recording. Seems easy to use. Gotta try it out under the helmet on a ride - when the rain stops. Thanks for you comparison. Günter/Nürnberg
Hope you enjoy it!
Awesome brother Thank you for the tip. Will definitely get the 3 now
6:20 I personally really like the saturation and brightness of the action 3, but I really dislike the over exposure and high contrast that loses detail in the action 3 as well. So overall the action 4 is great, but idk if I really need an action camera.
Geat and honest review. I heard the Action 5 might be released this August. I'll just wait a few months instead of getting the Action 4.
Most of the issues you mentioned have been fixed by the most recent framework update.
Hope that is true. I havent tested the camera in low light rescently but I will do many times now that I start riding offroad in finnish winter.
Still daytime I don't see any noticeable difference between these cameras.
My newest long video was shot with the 3 and 4 flipping back and forth. 4 is still less saturated but that's about it.
Nice test buddy , i was thinking to get Action 2 128 GB against action 5 pro , the price is 1/3 cost for action 2 , do you think i should get 2 ?
I have never owned the action 2.. I have a comparison between 4 and 5 pro coming soon
One question what about color profile what the different
One of the most un-biased video I could find. Subscribing you for your efforts and honesty.
I appreciate that!
Also, I would like to ask you if you have any experience with Insta360 x3. I am confused among the X3, Go pro 11 and DJI Action 3.
It would really be helpful if you could suggest. I have justed started moto-vloging.
I've only owned 1 insta360 camera and main reason for me selling it was the application/software stability. I had a lot of clips I just could not get out of the camera. Problem with their way of doing things that you can't get video files straight from the memory card to an editor.
So there is a step inbetween needing to edit&export the footage in their mobile or desktop app before the files are useable let's say in final cut pro that I use.
The app just was so buggy I could not live with it myself. Why I prefer DJI over all the competitors is the software reliability and straightforward useage of memory card -> computer -> editor. No need to use the dji mimo app or anything inbetween and I can still say I have yet to lose a single clip of footage with any of my DJI cameras over the 2 years I've been doing this youtube stuff.
I currently use OA3, OA4 and pocket 3 and all 3 are working flawlessly which I could never say for insta360 or gopro cameras.
@@PatchedBandit thank you so much for taking out the time to explain. I really appreciate it. I guess I’ll go with the DJI then.
Also, do we need a mic adapter for DJI
If you need to speak in the video you can use physical adapter but buy the dji one. It's much better than the boya alternatives for motovlogging.
I used the dji wireless mic gen 1 for the first year and it was very nice also but needs the receiver to be connected with usb-c on the OA3 or OA4.
Now with the Osmo action 4 I use the new dji wireless mic gen 2 that is completely wireless not requiring any dongle on the camera. Big benefit of this is that the camera stays waterproof during shooting. I still use lav mic in the helmet though connected to the wireless mic 2.
I should do an episode about the whole setup and options as I 've gone through a lot of them over the years but I'm a bit lazy in doing these tech videos 😅
Best Test ever for the 3 and 4! Thanks for it.
Hi, great comparison of these two action cams that I'm thinking of buying! Can you confirm if HDR mode was used for the Action 3 (I understand that the Action 4 doesn't really have such a mode)? Thanks! Subscribed!
OA3 in normal color mode and enchance off. Enhance image mode is the hdr mode probably what you mean. I don't tend to use it and I'm not sure if it was even available when the video was shot. It came as a firmware update at some point.
Thank you. This is a good comparison. You are right-there's too much paid hype about OA4. The motion blur (10:55) is not great. Can you confirm your shutter for these comparisons, any chance please?
Cameras in auto mode so shutter speed varies scene by scene automatically inside the camera I think. So not locked.
@@PatchedBandit Thanks. I'm trying to determinate minimum speed (e.g, 100-8000). All good.
At slower speeds the stabilization is negatively affected.
Exellent side by side comparison and very informative commentary. Thanks for that! Overall a really great upgrade imho. Its a little big more expensive (ofcourse you can sometimes get the 3 in a sale now) but overall in most cases a better image especially for nighttime. You dont see that much more, but its much less noisy. For daytime action its not that much of a difference so yea some people might have a bennefit in buying the 3 in sale.
Very true. I would hope for a faster default shutter speeds at night though. Dont like if the video becomes too ”dreamy”. Bit of noise is not a problem for me :)
Maybe they patch it later. The Sensor is bigger so theres not the need to for anything else but i think they wanted to picture to be brighter overall for better advertisement. But the feedback is there. I would like to have a bit darker image without the blur but the same lesser noisy picture. Maybe they let us adjust it soon. Anyway without rocksteady the image is not that bloomy so its only a software problem and might get fixed. :)@@PatchedBandit
Thanks for your honest, real world comparison. The 3 seems like a good deal. Could be the successor of my old GoPro 7 black. Cheers, Günter/Nürnberg
Highly recommended to replace the Hero 7☺ 👍
is what I do it, some years with gp7 ( almost great camera) and now I decided buy the action 3, I'm not ride moto but instead bike, and I think the action 3 is more than sufficient to make videos. for TH-cam, if I'm professional I no make option for any action cam on the market.
Dji action 3 + TH-cam = More than sufficient.
Very true. DJI OA3 is still a great camera and I still used the hero 5 footage in my latest video. It is starting to look bad compared to the dji oa 3 though :)
Safe rides!
@@the-portuguese-guy Thanks, much appreciated.
@@PatchedBandit Could be a nice Christmas present ;-)
Thank for the comparison. Great video
That was a very good and Helpful review! Made my mind now. Good job
Great video. I assume there's more detail in the ground in many day time shots because the larger sensor, gathering more light, allows a higher framerate. Night tests should have been done with normalization (same shutter speed and ISO) for a real test of the sensor and software denoising changes. But then again, most of us aren't going to be setting manual exposure and for practical usage it's better to test the automatic handling of different scenarios.
Yes, exactly. I wanted to show the cameras as they are with everything in autopilot because most motovloggers are not going to fiddle with the settings scene by scene.
This was mostly a motovlogger test. I still use both of them on most of my shoots and after owning all the big brands I firmly believe DJI makes the best actioncameras on the market today. Ease of use and reliability are key factors for me.
The video I have been waiting for, a non paid/sponsored one. The only action cam I own is a cheap Akaso type one so I have been looking to upgrade for a while, I do not want to go the GoPro route for several reasons, need a media mod, overheating, crashing etc. I think based on this video I will get the 4 as quite a bit of what I use it for is lowlight, evening scenes when travelling. Thanks once again for the video and helping me make my mind up.
Fantastic to hear I could help! Can't go wrong in either option and the 4 will probably get a lot of updates in the coming months that might improve the camera.
For low light scenes I would probably go for the new one too even though I don't like the shutter speed and too much noise cancellation by default. The noise cancelation can be adjusted in the custom menu though.
Great review, coming from the original OA I'm definitely getting the OA4 as it is Def better than the 3
Excellent comparison. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for such a nice comparison. I think at night footage it was not the difference in motion blur but in noise reduction. It would be interesting to repeat this test with noise reduction settings on the lowest and in 10-bit D-Log mode. I think this is where Action 4 will shine.
Most people buying these will only use default modes and thats what I tried to show here.
Tech channels will hopefully do a more in depth comparisons of log and other modes soon.
The release day videos were such a disappointment to me so I released this real life side to side with default settings the moment I got the camera in my hand.
I mostly do motorcycle content 🙂
@@PatchedBandit Yes, you are right! Default settings are for common scenarios and normal use. But your scenario is far from common and I guess you should put some effort in changing settings. It would be nice to show the best results that you can get from this camera. I like Action 4 for its flexibility and extensive options in settings. Anyway, you did a great job by making this video. Thank you!
Excellent review, some important points made.
Hey, excellent review, but of course i have question. Im considering buying my first action camer. I'm torned between OA3 -250€ vs OA4 329€. What would you choose if it would be your first action camera? My main thing is to film motorcycle journey and filming holidays for my familly. Thx.
If you want to use external microphone buy the 4. But if you just use the internal mic of the camera 3 is almost the same in my opinion.
The price difference being that small I would advice to buy the newer 4 so you have more options to add wireless mic later.
Thank you very much for all videos and for quick answear. You got new subscriber!👍
Kiitos!👍 Olet tehnyt hyvän vertailun, etkä Hypetä. Hämärässä toi 4 saattaa olla joissain paikoin parempi, metsässä Osmo 3 kohdalla oli tien kohdalla aika laaja neliöistä koostuva harmaa alue (lienee TH-camn pakkausongelma?) Sekä kirkko hämärässä paremmin eroitettava.Oletko testannut, kumpi ottaa vähemmän häiriötä tuullesta, kun ajat pyörälläsi? Missä kylässä ajelit?
Toi liikeepäterävyys on 3:ssa vähempää. Hyviä kameroita noin pieniksi molemmat.
Videot on Raahesta. TH-camn pakkauksesta johtunee artifactit joita joskus näkee. En ole lähdevideoissa sellaisia editoidessa nähnyt kummassakaan.
En oikeastaan koskaan näissä käytä sisäisiä mikkejä niin tuota tuuliasiaa en oo kauheesti testannu. Jos tuulisuojan pistää päälle molemmat tekee kyllä ihan hyvän soundin, jopa ajaessa. Käytän silti aina erillisiä mikkejä (Rode Wireless Pro viimeisimmässä videossa ja ennen sitä DJI wireless mic)
Kyselen, koska olis tarkoitus päivittää Osmo 1:stä ja äänet kiinnostavat.
Tossa alla BMW S1000 RR pyörän videossa (motoristina saatat olla kiinnostunut esittelystäkin?, kohdassa 1:05 ikämiesherra kertoo omia ei sponsoroituja mielipiteitään.)
th-cam.com/video/x6SKqVjshVQ/w-d-xo.html
Osmo oli pyörän keulassa keskellä pysyssä ja kohtisuoraan kohta 3:18 äänet Osmo1:stä, kivasti toi kulkee radalla, vaikka mutkissa tossa vielä vähän himmailikin.
Tossa F4 autovidossa,
th-cam.com/video/-uKtZRYuGnw/w-d-xo.html
jossa Osmo 1 on vähän vinossa (kohdat 3:01 ja 3:14) kulmassa ja kallellaan kulkusuuntaan ääni meni käyttökelvottomaksi kun vauhti kasvoi.
=> Eli sillä kulmallakin on merkitystä, jos joskus testaat tota.@@PatchedBandit
Prätkävideossa tuulen ääni on liian kova. Jos haluaa edes yrittää saada näistä kohtalaista ääntä ulos tuulisuoja on halpa ja sanoisin pakollinen lisävaruste. Aliexpressistä löytyy näille osmoille tuulisuojia muutamalla eurolla, joten siihen kannattaa panostaa. Ostin itse viimeksi 8 kpl niitä OA4 tuulisuojia koska joskus käytän myös kameran omaa ääniraitaa.
Tuulisuoja saa ja pitää olla päällä kaikissa ulkona kuvattavissa videoissa aina. Kameran asennuspaikalla on hyvin vähän tämän jälkeen merkitystä näissä prätkähommissa ja kuten sanoin käytän erillisiä mikkejä 99% ajasta ajovideoissa.
Samaa mieltä tuulisuojan tarpeellisuudesta. Tarkistin yhden TH-cam videon jossa oli käytetty Kiinalaista superloniaton Osmon kotelon päällä kun yli 45km/h vauhtia, sillä ei juuri tee enää mitään (kun halutaan hyvää ääntä), valitettavasti.
Onkos sullo (Rode Wireless Pro viimeisimmässä videossa ja ennen sitä DJI wireless mic) noi mikksi kypärän sisällä, videoissasi ei tota tuulta juurikaan kuulle? @@PatchedBandit
Great testing, my friend. I have the 3 and was thinking of getting the 4, but it's not a big difference. It's very minor, in fact, thank you. I will just stick with the 3 it's a very capable camera 👍
Totally agree. Picture quality is not a good enough reason to upgrade in my opinion. Some even prefer the processing on the older model.
Very helpful, thanks a lot!
Cheers from Sydney. Youve nailed the niche when you said to only review the fast moving pace shots and not the vlog style shots 😂. Im glad you did the same street at night. Theres a few more frames on colours and blurs that I could see are better in OA3 than OA4. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this - I have my own OA3 and it’s THE BEST action camera I’ve ever invested in 🎉
Same for me. Software alone is GREAT :)
Good comparison. When I have seen comparisons with the latest gopro, it has always seemed to me, that Action 4 overexposes some stuff. But seen like this, it does not seem bad at all. Is there a way to drop the exposure like one step or half step?
Yes. You can drop it by exposure steps of 0.3 so I wouldn’t worry about that much. Also I believe one of the latest firmware upgrades adressed an issue like this too. Check out the changelogs.
Any difference about the mic for motovlogging?
Havent tested it. In my opinion the internal microphones are just not good enough for motovlogging. To me the sound is not even close to usable so I always use external mics.
How about the wind noise?
I almost always use an external mic. None of these cameras can brake the laws of physics and wind is an issue. Wind protectors are available online and help a lot but if you plan on talking while riding you need an external mic.
Very good review, keep it up!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the video mate! I bought the Action 3 a couple of months before the 4 came out and was annoyed by how much better the new one looks on paper. The two things ill miss are prerecording and compatibility with the mic2 but meh, nothing to write home about as you say :)
Quick question though, what kind of mount do you use on your helmet? Any tips on that? That's one thing that scares me.
I use "chinmounts" products on all my helmets and I've been happy with them for the most part. On my winter helmet I have glued it permanently on the helmet though as the 3M tape options do not stick well during winter months and freezing temperatures in Finland.
On the summer helmet they have been fine with the provided tape though. I would still recommend heating up the tape a bit with some blower before sticking it on. Cleaning the surfaces and keeping pressure after attachment for at least 5 minutes. Also don't use the sticky the same day but give it time to adhere overnight.
I do many vlogs and I'm disappointed with my Action 4 at night. I always use an external LED when the light conditions are not that good or when it's dark at night. With my previous Gopro 10 my face always looked pretty natural and detailed. Now with the Action 4 my face looks extremely soft / blurry without many details (a bit white even). And the LED points even right into my face. Any ideas how to get the same good quality for this situation with my Action 4?
Thanks for sharing and confirming some of my findings too. First thing I would try is to put the camera in it's "pro mode" and turn down the noise reduction to -1 or -2.
I have also turned down the sharpness to -1 as I don't like the digital over sharpened look of the default 0 setting.
I don't have the Action 3, so Action 4 is really good for me. I bought it as an addition to my gear, not a replacement. Also have the GoPro Hero 10, a DJI Pocket 2, and an Insta360 X3. I feel like I now have a very well rounded set and can handle about anything, with multiple camera angles, while keeping the gear bag small and portable.
Thanks for sharing! I added the 4 to accompany my 3 aswell. Both in good use going forward :)
What is the point of the Hero 10 when you own the A4?
Great video thanks for uploading this I think I go for the 3 I’ve got the original one so time for update 👍🏻
Enjoy it✌️
has there been software upgrades to 4 to make night video even better? Im torn because i like less noise but you are right its missing details!
There was 1 update that improved the hilight clipping I think. In normal use haven't noticed any change but I havent used the camera much at night after this test. I tend to ride during the day.
Sharpening and noice reduction can be turned down manually. This test was done in the default settings but since I have turned both the sharpening and noise reduction to -1.
thank you for the reply. I am considering action 3 actually because it is almost $200 cheaper here in asia. @@PatchedBandit
If you don't need external mic levels adjustment that OA4 introduced I would go with the older osmo action 3. I actually prefer the picture my OA3 makes most of the time straight out of camera as it is a bit more saturated.
You can check out my newest video to see the difference. Selfie camera on the windscreen is OA3 and helmet cam is OA4 in that video.
it'd be awesome to see a comparison with action 2 because it didnt have the focus issue
Most if not all actioncameras have a close focus issue as these things are ”infinity focused”. Close focus filters are available for vlogging though.
nicely shown comparison between the newest and the older model :) but I wonder, maybe it was just the settings making the footage more blurred in low light scenarios? still a valid point, even if it was just full-auto out of the box settings.
Both in full auto. Like 99.9% of people use them. Some settings can be adjusted of course but most motovloggers dont do scene by scene asjusting like pro filmmakers so this is why I made this with everything on normal.
I'm newbie considering OA4 for my first camera. Intended for helmet mounted recording of my TET adventures. How do you charge battery(es) on long trips, like going TET?
DJI says OA4 battery lasts for 2.5 hours of recording. Even when you are recording half of the time, you need 3 or 4 batteries a day. (Assuming you need 10h of raw footage to make 1 hour of final cut video). At the end of the day you sleep in a tent without electric plug. I use to camp outdoors on a trail for a week straight.
The best solution would be a 12V powered waterproof battery charger and just keep swapping two batteries. DJI offers adventure pack with 3 batteries and a charger that is not waterproof and per customer report it dies when it gets wet. So it can't be used to charge batteries on the run. It may survive charging overnight, but 3 batteries combined with a phone have enough capacity to drain your motorbike battery flat. For sure if you have a light weight LiFePo battery. So that's not a good idea either.
I can't find good charging solution on Internet.
I will be short on my phone but here goes..
1. You learn pretty quick that you dont want 10h or raw video to edit. Too much work and too much pointless ’empty video’. So record here and there 5-15 minute bits and cut down hard at home. Most tet videos are not worth a full hour in my opinion. Mine included.
2. Always charge devices while riding from a motorcycle outlet. Usb somewhere near and cable to tankbag is my solution. You can charge multiple batteries mid ride and mever have a problem with batteries.
3. One DJI battery lasts me a full day of riding as I dont record constantly. Quickstart if there is something interesting happening. Other than that just a clip there clip here … combo has 3 batteries so those should last around 3 days. When you charge while riding you will never run out.
good comparison.
Thanks! 🙂
I have the AO1, needed another camera for different view locations. Debated over the 3 vs 4, but got a good deal on an adventure pack with the 3, which yes, allowed me to purchase extra accessories as well.
I really do not like the lens flares on the 4 from sun, lights, etc.
Bought my 3 around September of last year, but am now getting more familiar with it.
Thank you for the comparisons.
👍📸
You didn't tell us which microphone you are using? What about the sound, this is where most of the problems are. Thank you
Yeah I know this was not a comprehensive review of either one. I just wanted to make a quick side by side for everyone to see as internet was so saturated with these paid reviews.
I should probably do a more comprehensive video about my vlogging setup as I think it is pretty much prefrected now. I use a lav mic with DJI wireless transmitter and a second transmitter for a secondary audio channel.
So basically I control my speech and the ambient audio separately.. at least if I remember to put the system to stereo mode :)
Great review. I went for A3. The bigger sensor is better but for the price not worth for me. Not much of the night action shooter either but this was great review thanks.
Hi, there buddy Bandit!
First, congrats on the great video and mainly on the honesty with which you've reviewed and compared both models, with non-sponsored opinions!
As a stroke survivor and as a sighted guide for blind athletes I've decided to create a channel in order to promote some good initiatives to help all the people involved in these two causes.
And, as I've never had an action cam, I've been searching through a myriad of videos for to find the "best" camera for my content creation.
The point is: #DJI , #Insta360 and #GoPro never replied any of my requests. And you just did it very well!
At 9:42 you pointed out some details that have clearly been lost on the newest model from DJI, what can really help me make up my decision on the very first camera. Besides, in my country these gear are too expensive (to let you know: the difference between action 3 and action 4 prices is of US$ 250, almost a new camera purchase!), what can also drive me towards the "oldest" model.
Lastly, thanks and congrats on the real pretty images of the Finnish sky by the end of he video, really loved them all!
And remember, folks: DO NOT BUY ANY HYPE! (loved it!)
An excellent 2024 to family and friends!
Subscribed, of course!
Thanks or the kind comments and for the good cause! I've been battling a brain tumour and problems it gave me for the past 2 years too.
I wish you good health and luck with the channel 🙂
@@PatchedBandit be sure that from now on you're gonna be within all my prayers for your health, buddy! I'm sure we will win! May that wonderful Finnish sky bring us all the good we need and deserve. My kindest regards!
Good job. Practical, useful information. Thanks!
Excellent unbiased review, I was really interested in the night comparison, other than the noise not much of a difference except for a few. I think for me saving $135 + tax CAD to get the action 3 is a better value. Most of the shooting will be done in the day. Evening is nice to have.
What I find odd is, another review night comparios video showed action 3 displayed motion blurr but the action 4 did not. However in your video I didn't see the motion blurr on the 3.