2023 Action Cam Buyers Guide : DJI / GoPro 12 / Insta 360

In a world where each day seems to bring about a new product launch, it can be easy to fall prey to tech envy. In this video i wanted to give you my perspective at some of the different options for buying an action cam in late 2023 & 2024. I will also share some examples of my biggest pros & cons of each one. I hope this video is a helpful guide to what could possibly be a must have, or a deal breaker for your next camera. At the end of the day i hope it inspires people to get outside and make some fun memories!
DJI Action 4 Link : click.dji.com/AERBHDNxsKJSXft...
DJI Action 3 Link : click.dji.com/AMTnJlnRtT38qFt...
DJI Action 2 Link : click.dji.com/ALaEmJ0TSVJSbZm...
GoPRO: amzn.to/417ZAM3
Insta360: amzn.to/48jteRd
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Kyle & April
www.ridemtb.com/
▶ Most Common Equipment Questions We Get:
● Bikes we use - ( Fezzari Delano, La Sal, Timp ) - bit.ly/44gAlsb
● Helmets we use - ( Jackal & Coyote ) - jenson.sjv.io/g1POLr
● Kyle’s riding gear - www.tasco-mtb.com/
● April’s riding gear - jenson.sjv.io/vn2QQN
● Shoes we use - ( Vice & Tallac ) - jenson.sjv.io/jWja9P
● Our favorite chain lube ( Chain Pro ) - jenson.sjv.io/BXKRWy
● Handlebar we use - ( PNW Range 31.8mm ) - jenson.sjv.io/eK1PnQ
● Dropper Seat post - ( Loam & Rainier ) - jenson.sjv.io/9gLaVj
● Kyle’s clipless pedals - ( Mallet Trail, DH, & Enduro ) - jenson.sjv.io/6ey5Gb
● April’s flat pedals - ( Range Composite Pedal ) - jenson.sjv.io/vNPq2y
● Tubeless sealant - ( Stans race for events / Standard for day to day riding) jenson.sjv.io/y2qQrb
● Wheelsets - ( Stans Mk4 Flow Wheels ) - jenson.sjv.io/75akbd
● Drivetrain - ( Shimano SLX / XT / XTR ) - jenson.sjv.io/5g5Pj3
● Favorite riding backpack - ( Camelbak Chase Pak ) - jenson.sjv.io/0ZQ91V
● Kneepads we use - jenson.sjv.io/Wqy36G
● Feedback bike stand - jenson.sjv.io/2rKyMG
● Feedback Repair Stand - ( Normal & Light Ebikes ) - jenson.sjv.io/JzKyq7
● Feedback Repair Stand - ( Heavy E Bikes / Shop Use ) - jenson.sjv.io/XYm31b
● Our Favorite Starter Tool Kit - ( Travel & Home ) - bit.ly/40Ve8No
● Favorite Front Tire - Schwalbe Magic Mary Super Trail - jenson.sjv.io/21a9Wg
● Favorite Rear Tire - Nobby Nic Super Trail - jenson.sjv.io/daOj7q
● Our Favorite Lock On Grip - PNW Loam Grip - jenson.sjv.io/4edQZ3
● Our Favorite Seat - Ergon Saddle - SMC Mountain - jenson.sjv.io/4PGjrM
▶ All of our Pov, Video, and Audio Equipment - www.ridemtb.com/gear
▶ Huge thanks to our channel partners for helping us keep these videos ad free during the middle of the video!
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● SR Suntour - Suspension - bit.ly/3w84b0L
● Stan’s No Tubes - Wheels and Sealant - bit.ly/3x33JRg
● Schwalbe Tires - bit.ly/3itSzRJ
● PNW Components- Handlebar, Stem, Grips, Dropper Post - jenson.sjv.io/9gLaVj
● Ergon - Saddles - bit.ly/2SnpsEL
● Apparel and Protection - bit.ly/34IqcqM bit.ly/355BaH2
● Ride Concepts - Shoes - bit.ly/3gBuJRx
● Shimano - Brakes and Drivetrain - bit.ly/3pfvPGa
● Onnit - Supplements and Snacks - bit.ly/3x6E1vi
#action4 #gopro12 #insta360

[@rextilian]

Hey great to see you Kyle! This is the breakdown I was looking for thanks.

[@winklertribe5268]

Interesting video- Thanks Kyle! Happy Holidays!

[@abstraddic0442]

Keep going April !!! Quiting wont help anything !! Lets go !!!💯👍

[@dhoudyshell]

Great video, thanks for the insights 🙏

[@MarkMichelleMTBMisadventures]

As a newbie on KZbin sharing our mountain biking content, what hit home was your advice about not always needing the newest camera for awesome videos is much appreciated.Thanks for all your time and effort putting this video together! BTW, we also use the Action 4 and enjoy it very much.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Thanks so much for the nice comment! Yeah, happy to help! Its all about the story and the utility or information you are providing to the viewer. The quality is important from an audio standpoint but overall video is not a huge deal!

[@pwn3d_d1rt]

For me GoPro had too many glitches and my DJI action 3 never lets me down and I don't think the action 4 was enough of an improvement to warrant the price.. But I'm just a mediocre rider filming for my own enjoyment with no actual goals of making content for anyone other than myself and my friends... That said, I'm super stoked on my DJI

[@AprilRideMTB]

That’s awesome to hear! Yeah I agree, it just needs to be fun to pull out and use from time to time, I have had several days worth of footage lost to the GoPro bugs haha! Thanks for watching!

[@waynecallister2236]

Great video. Nice to see you again.

[@kjbathe]

I've had them all, but kept the Action 2. It's small and just works. And I mostly keep it on the necklace now... Skiing, Foiling, Biking, it's just easiest and horizon steady handles the rest.

[@AprilRideMTB]

That’s rad to hear! I really like the Action 2 as well! It’s become my go to for more of the short form clips and creative content. The action 4 is what I grab for the big days of filming but I really like both of them!

[@Noondog]

Bidwell Park looking vibrant and killer per the usual. Could go for some epic trash line right about now 😎

[@mrsmith4662]

Great review and I certainly felt the speed going down that run, 'Oh my Gosh'.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Haha thank you!! I love the trails out here!

[@aaronheimbecher9032]

I'm glad that I didn't shout at some random stranger riding by in Bidwell! 😅 It was great to see you back in Chico!

[@AprilRideMTB]

Haha thanks! Yeah I have gotten a few yells so far! It’s been good to see everyone back here!

[@ceogeo6106]

Great video! For us you can’t beat the action 2 , so small and light

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah its been so much fun to use! I wish it had a replaceable screen but i think the little magnetic plastic case does a decent job of protecting it overall! And they are only 2 dollars on amazon right now

[@themtchannel2110]

since i still use gopro 6 - this is bit of a quickstart to more modern kit - thanks :)

[@AprilRideMTB]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching!

[@oldkayakdude]

Never get stuck chasing the bleeding edge in tech, the entire industry always changes. Those changes can be minuscule between iterations(latest iPhone as a prime example). When comparing any tech, define the core things you need / base functionality, the rest of the features should only enable you to do more. Always look for the detractors and minimize them as best as possible.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Well said! I think with social media marketing it’s so easy to feel like your GoPro 10 sucks and is holding you back from your dreams of becoming a famous KZbinr when in reality attending a storytelling class or reading some books on story arcs could help more than a new camera ever could!

[@mallias2683]

As always great content.... Keep it up. And it is always nauseating watching you descent whatever camera you use.....😄

[@trailmonster]

Every since the GoPro 8 the image stabilization has been great and now with the GoPro 12 it's even better. And with the Max Lens Mod 2.0, the field of view is amazing. Geat video.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah the Max Lens 2.0 is pretty fun. I also really like the 1.0 even though it’s only 2.7k footage. We have uploaded plenty of that on the channel before and no one really seemed to notice the difference!

[@mtbville]

GoPro 7 HyperSmooth is the first great one 👌

[@ScottS360]

LOL: I thought all of the camera footage was looking identically bad, then realized that KZbin had decided to serve a 720p video stream rather than 4K 😀 That just goes to illustrate your point that you may not need the highest quality. I've got an older DJI action cam and it works great for sharing content with friends and family.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Haha that’s awesome!! Exactly why you might not need 8k footage haha!

[@mtbboy1993]

I recommend Gnartec ultimate chin mount. Alu with rubber back, secured with two crossing zip ties, so fits any full face helmet. It's silent, and stable, the camera does not move. So stabilisation is not needed. Stabilisation probably will reduce battery time. And I don't need it so have it off.

[@kuehl-enuf]

This makes me feel a lot better about using my GoPro 10. I just started my KZbin channel and recorded my first video.

[@sapinva]

Got a Brave 6 on sale for less than $100 a few years back. Not waterproof and battery life could be better, but it's good enough.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah thats awesome! Especially for a 100 dollars!

[@olsontimster]

Cool video Kyle

[@AprilRideMTB]

Thanks so much Tim! Hope you have been good!!

[@Pogo69]

Thanks for this. I'd like to pick up a minimalist action camera for downhill racing. Sounds like the Action 2 is ideal. Simple, lightweight, and tiny. I don't care about the bells and whistles because I've no intention of "creating content": just learning race tracks better.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Glad it was helpful for you!

[@maritimeshreds2049]

As for GoPros overheating, I can honestly say I have never had any GoPro that I have owned overheat on me while filming my MTB adventures but I also don't record in the highest resolution either. I currently flip flop between my hero 10 and 11. I also prefer GoPros thumb screw mounting system over relying on magnets. I just feel better knowing that my camera is screwed on to its mount. But I did love how informative the video was with all the available action cameras available.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Also to elaborate more on the DJI magnet system, it doesn’t just rely on the magnet to keep it on, there are also little clips that lock it in and you just have to press on a button to release them, so it is double secured.

[@maritimeshreds2049]

@@AprilRideMTB I forgot about the two clips they use. Thanks for the info.

[@Tomzzzzzz]

Thanks Kyle! So timely 😊I like your viewpoint: The least headache ftw! I gave up on my GoPro years ago due to recording failures, random shutdowns, etc. Maybe I will step back into the market and get the DJI OA 4 cam. I was wondering how decent the stablization is in lower light and especially mixed light (sun and shadow) when riding in forest settings? The audio sounds amazing though with that Windslayer foam. Also, what chest mount/harness do you recommend for the DJI OA4?

[@AprilRideMTB]

Hey! I would highly recommend the DJI. I think the stabilization is decent in low light but to fair they all struggle a little with that setting and a chest mount. The DJI has a Log color profile which really helps even out the highlights and lowlights in the trees and then you can just add some saturation in post or hit the log recovery button on the Mimo app. I really prefer the GoPro chest strap still over the DJI one, it’s easier to tighten and seems to stay in place better. Hope that all helps!

[@Tomzzzzzz]

Thanks for the info! I just dug through my old GoPro stuff and found a Stuntman chest mount that I forgot I had! LOL. I like that DJI has the log profile setting for manual color adjusting. Speaking of which, do you have a video or plan to make a video on the best camera settings for MTB when using the DJI Osmo? @@AprilRideMTB

[@duroxkilo]

this channel always had proper audio.. :)

[@AprilRideMTB]

Haha thanks it’s a lot of work!!

[@invisibleazn9330]

After youtube butchers the image quality its hard to tell the diff between DJI and google.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah I totally agree, most of the cameras now film 125-150mb/s and KZbin allows 45mb/s for 4K uploads. I do think quality matters to some extent but like you said the compression really does a number on it!

[@BackyardShredder]

Nice video! You are correct most people would do just fine with a GoPro 7 or 8. We mainly use a 10 and it’s pretty great! What I’m most curious about now is FOV of the hero 12 with max lens mod vs insta360 x3, don’t think it’s tech envy I’m just ready for a larger FOV 😂

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah the Max lens mod 2 is pretty cool but honestly it is a little weird to sit and watch for more KZbin style content in my opinion. Everything is just super warped. I really like the 1.0 though!! Same FOV as the DJI action 4 in ultrawide mode

[@natehendricksen3338]

A few comments. 1) You are a very talented man. Let me know if you shift over to brain surgery. Based upon everything else you do, I'm sure you'd be my go to. 2) Thanks for the real world vid info. Most folks are selling and over hype stuff. 3) At the start of your bombing run, you caught your shadow which gave an amazing view of how much movement your bike was going through. 4) Love your work. Keeping you in my prayers for a 200% recovery. Love yall.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Thank you so much Nate!! You’re too kind haha! I was hoping this could help reduce the analysis paralysis of trying to compare specs with all the cameras. At the end of the day they are all great and it’s a matter of sharing fun memories with the world and finding a tool that helps you do that with the fewest headaches haha!

[@chasefam3]

Great info, thanks! I think one of the biggest frustrations is the mounting system on GoPro. We would like to try the magnetic mount system.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah I think that has been one of the biggest game changers to be honest. The ability to leave your mount angled perfectly and remove and re install the camera where you want it each time without changing the angle is so much nicer! It saves a lot of days of messed up footage haha

[@brettungvari]

Just got a Hero12 haha upgraded from the 7.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Nice! Best make sure to try out the max lens mod! Super cool for Ig content!!

[@mtbboy1993]

The problem is I live in Norway so I need a camera that can handle very low sub zero conditions. Hero 7's batteries can't handle -1C, and it can get as cold as -15C, but usually does not last long, only a few days and back to -10C. I see 12 is claimed to handle -10C to 40C. Enduro batteries don't work n the 7. 7 was reliable, I don't think i had any issues with it apart fro none time screen froze, but unplugged battery and it worked, it only happen once, But never happen under use on a ride. But when SD card was full the camera would do an endless alarm. So had to take the battery out, camera refused to let me go to the menu. Only cold weather camera I have is GoPro 4 Session, which did well in -11C. It did not do well in mid summer when temps got to 30C. It could overrheat and shut off, also got so hot it was uncomfortable to touch. 5 session came then they stopped making Session cameras. But they got hot, but they got so hot they worked well in the winter. Simple and durable. but only did 60fps at 1080p, and battery did not last long as it's a tiny camera.

[@rollwithmemtb]

I still have a Hero 4 Black that is chugging along fine. My brother has a newer GoPro and it seems to always have some kind of problem unfortunately. This video is very helpful for when I upgrade, thanks!

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah the 4s were awesome! If you find an action 2 or 4 on sale someday i wouldn’t hesitate to grab one! They are really fun to use. I’m excited to try the Insta 360 Go 3 someday too

[@mylifeisbroken34]

Hello. I want to live stream while fishing by sharing the internet from my phone. As far as I know, Gopro can also record to SD card while live streaming. Is there the same feature in Insta360 Ace pro , DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and DJI Osmo Action 4? Which one do you recommend for live streaming?

[@mtbboy1993]

Action 4 looks like flat colour profile, Gopro 12 looked less so, But I've seen video comparisons where asphalt and concrete lacked detail, where as Hero 12 had the texture and detail, while Action 4 was just a blurry mess, concrete looked like just constant bright grey. Some blame it on ''insanely low bit rate''. The colours can be fixed in post. I do that with Hero 7 I shoot in flat profile. But Action 4 handles lower temps better, but not seen any extreme temp test. But saw a guy put them in a mountain lake, and Action 4 battery lasted longer.

[@ladyliss5516]

**April!!** idk yet if you say it in another video,(I’m a brand new sub :3) but what kind of helmet do you ride with? I’m assuming it’s going to be a great helmet since you guys seem to get great gear, but it also looks very good on you! Not too bulky and that’s exactly what I’m looking for in my next helmet! Just had a bad crash recently(…got hit by a car actually but …yeah 🙄 😒) so it’s helmet shopping time! Lol. Hope you see this and thanks in advance!! **HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!**

[@ladyliss5516]

Ps sorry I posted that question on this video…random..but I’m pretty sure this was the most recently uploaded(I think?) and I was watching it anyway so… yeah hope you have a slightly better chance to see this? lolyep… In reference to the actual video though, great job! These look sick! I still can’t believe how so many cameras and monitors can take such crisp images…I can’t even see all of those details pictured in real life haha I bought a SUPER CHEAP GoPro 3 bundle with a ton of real GP accessories, including a few backpacks for it(viewing screen, extra battery, etc)..$60 and hey, it gets the job done-only using it for progression journaling right now anyway lol 😅😂

[@AprilRideMTB]

Thank you for subscribing! I’m sorry to hear that you had a bad crash recently and even more that you got hit by a car. But I’m glad you are taking interest in a good helmet! I wear Lazer helmets and usually wear the cage, chase and jackal helmets. I prefer to wear a full face as much as possible and the cage is a nice lightweight option that I will wear if I’m not riding park.

[@aponinenaugcasio8456]

it appears that the go pro has more details in the shadows, both cameras are good imo

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah the gopro has a higher megapixel count and should be a little higher definition but it has a smaller sensor and doesn't do quite as good in low light scenarios

[@Andrewpurvis1243]

California Pog!

[@AprilRideMTB]

So much good riding out here!

[@Andrewpurvis1243]

Wow so cool i got a reply! Yea its beautiful here! I usually just rode natural trails but I'm kind of jealous of all the man made tracks you have been going to! Awesome! Thanks for the great content!@@AprilRideMTB

[@vlbz]

First time I'm hearing of DJI. I have a GoPro 7, and the hardware itself is great, near indestructible, but the software is terrible. Slow and constantly freezes. Looking for a replacement now.

[@mtbboy1993]

The perfect action camera does not exist yet.

[@mtbboy1993]

2:20 It's technically the lens cover. Stupid move by GoPro good they reverted, ppl got angry. The older cameras you could actually change the lens by just unscrewing it, in addition to the lens cover. I have a Go Pro Hero 7 Black with PeauPro87 3.37mm lens, as it's more linear than linear mode on 7. only slight loss of field of view, but doesn't make a difference. But the image looks great, trail looks as it does in real life. No ''gopro effect'' so no distortion. I've been told by Peau Productions that the the newer cameras have the lens glued on so well you can't remove it without destroying the camera. I hope the newer cameras have no distortion with correction enable like linear mode. I've seen good correction with max lens mod linear mode on the latest firmware update on 12. but I've not seen it filming straight lines in front.

[@focuskid22]

Where did you get the small wind covers for the action 2?

[@VendetaBrown]

Insta360 X3 - by a mile.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah i haven't tried many of the 360 cameras yet. What do you like about it the most and what are some of the biggest drawbacks?

[@CmdrBearToes]

Is the camera on his chest?

[@AprilRideMTB]

It’s usually on the chin mount or bite mount in this video

[@georgesoros2260]

Totally disagree. GoPro is the winner by far in all aspects.

[@AprilRideMTB]

Yeah the GoPros are still really great, i think overall the quality is better than the DJI. I prefer some of the hardware of the DJI better though. I do really like the max lens mods of the GoPros though!