DJI OSMO Action 3 In-Depth Review: 13 New Things to Know!

Here's your complete deep-dive into all the new features of the DJI OSMO Action 3, as well as full comparisons to the GoPro Hero 11 Black, DJI Action 2, and more!
0:00 Quick Overview & Pricing
0:50 Super Fast Charging
1:46 New Front Touchscreen
2:04 New Sensor & Ultrawide Mode
2:34 Overheating Finally Fixed?
4:14 Increased Battery Times
4:43 Battery Charging Case
5:45 Horizon Steady & Horizon Balancing
7:27 New Vertical Mounting Case
8:31 Expanded Internal Mics & Testing
9:22 New Scuba Mode
9:51 New Webcam & Livestream Modes
10:28 Voice Prompts for Modes
11:01 Snow Pole Remover Feature
11:29 Customize File/Folder Names
12:03 Is it worth it?
#DJIAction3 #DJIOSMOAction3 #Action3

[@GlenAndFriendsCooking]

Even if the Osmo Action has picture quality that isn't as good as GoPro... If it works without glitching and freezing and losing footage like the GoPro Hero 10 - it's the better camera.

[@EvilBambo0]

in another Chinese review of this camera, they submerge Osmo Action3 in liquid nitrogen, the screen froze but the camera was still recording until they pulled the battery and reset. Everything worked once back up in temp, amazing stuff

[@cyber8019]

Gopro Hero 11 still overheats as in several reviews.

[@BrianMDPhD]

Are you kidding me!? I’ve had that problem since the Hero 5. You’re telling me 5 generations later it still hasn’t been fixed?

[@ClassicCyclingCC]

I own a GoPro 8 and 10. After having had the opportunity to play around with a DJI Action 2 for 6 months, and now with DJI’s coming out with the new Action 3, I don’t think I will ever buy a GoPro again. The DJI is so easy to use, so flawless with an intuitive and smooth interface, a superb App and connection. It makes it hard to go back to GoPro glitchy firmware, long start-up process, frustrating App and overall overtly complicated interface.

[@cyber8019]

Gopro Hero 11 still have overheating and crashing problems of previous models. Sure, they have 5 or 6k, but how many of us film in that resolution with huge files?

[@GarageNoise]

Nailed it! I feel the same way!

[@goggutube]

Really, DJI connection to phone app is quick and easy you say? My Hero 8, I hold my breath every time I'm trying to connect to Quik app, it's a crapshoot, if only it could connect as well as my $20 Yi 1080p home camera.

[@ClassicCyclingCC]

@@goggutube lol

[@LitNews]

DJI action cameras are better than GoPro. Better stabilisation. Better colours. Better low light. Better audio. You can even see/hear this directly in this very video. DC Rainmaker claiming DJI cameras are worse than GoPro is laughable.

[@PlanetDaryl]

One of the better videos I've seen thus far since the Action 3 and Hero 11 launch. Can't wait to see more direct comparison between both camera.

[@mylhainen]

Agree, this is one of the best comparison videos so far!

[@EverythingIsPhotogenic]

Today's reactions,: GoPdo Hweo 11: keep up the great work... DJI Osmo Action 2: holy shit! Welcome to the action camera game!! This thing is wild! I assumed I wouldn't be interested based on the last two iterations... They NAILED it... And price is crazy good!!

[@cyber8019]

You mean Action 3 and not 2.

[@MrZormax]

14. zoom support 15. Touching with a finger activates the screen for a specified time 16. Simultaneous operation of two screens

[@phucmapvlog]

Thanks for the thorough review 🤙🏻

[@AJSpinDrift]

A nice little review. I actually preferred the the original Osmo Action to the GoPro at the time. Sure, I didn't bother with the Action 2, but this new camera will be a great addition to the kit bag. The picture quality of the Hero 11 does look crisper in strong daylight, but in low light situations the Osmo Action 3 actually has the win. I also think the Osmo has a more true to life colour profile too.

[@saintuk70]

Nice review - I have always had confidence in my decision to buy and still use my original Osmo Action. Glad too that they really have moved on from the horror of the 2

[@domingojlrn]

its so awesome that you talk about quality of life “specs” for the camera.certainly adds another value point when making a pruchase

[@AndrewVanTil]

I love how you nail the nuance and value discussions. Thank you.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks! I tried not to make that part boring, but it's ultimately the main reason you'd buy this camera.

[@DiguPerdido]

Best comparison around, covered all my questions, thank you!

[@GeoffBrabecDronesTech]

Great video Ray! Thank you for contiinuing to make amazing videos on this channel. -Blessings to you and yours 👍🏻

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!!

[@carlosjohnson8135]

Been enjoying the Action 2 a lot but wow, new version came quickly and it's got the coolest features!!!

[@GrimmCreations]

I was looking all over the Interwebs trying to find specific, real-world battery life numbers for the various camera settings. Thank you very much for providing this. - subbed

[@seoguru5826]

I love that you started with the price from the jump. Watched the entire video. Great review!

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!!

[@OMTEKNO]

Great improvements. Love it... Thanks for the video

[@adamh8140]

Thanks for the video. definitely grab one.

[@KadeersTV]

A Very Informative Video. I Might Just Make a Purchase. Keep It Vlogging!!! Kadeers!!!

[@erockem]

Great review, I swear this was xmas morning for you with that giddy smile over almost every feature.

[@mokisan]

Love the content you put out mate. Cheers! The action 3's low light performance, its front touch screen, magnetised oem system, cheaper price for me makes me better than the go pro 11

[@LocTran-ws2ip]

It has very bad low light performance. The video has so much noise, cannot be used.

[@ericcif68]

Great video, you cover several features I haven't seen other reviewers cover.

[@Timmygun1989]

Great vid! Very insightful. Think you ticked all the boxes mate!

[@user-vo8le3rr6y]

Thank you, that was a really useful video specially the WebCam part I will definitely try it out

[@SoundSpeeds]

I bought a GoPro 4 Black years ago and it did great for me but last year I bought a DJI Pocket 2 and fell in love with the DJI ease of use, stability and quality. It may not be picture quality up to a Hero 11 but GoPros usually have bugs or goofy, unpolished things. Watch Worth It Or Not? for his deep dives there. I pre-ordered the Action 3 and will buy the Pocket 3 when it comes out too.

[@photoguy73]

Outstanding review of a fabulous camera! Well done.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!!

[@stevewilson6322]

Good video that highlights the features of the 3. Thanks, I think I will be getting one.

[@MartinSchabbauer]

Thank you so much. Excellent info and performance.

[@AlexanderBischof]

super review / test - perfect camera for me and i like the upgraded features from the Action 2

[@Bandare]

Love your conclusion. I think that speaks volumes to a potential buyer ---- " DJI has actually built an action camera that I'd recommend buying " - That is a big leap!

[@Projectdannyy]

Thank you for putting this review and comparison together. If possible, would you share out links to the original camera footage like you did for the Hero10 previously.

[@dag221]

I have two original Osmo Actions and they are the most used cameras in my kit. I don't care if the GoPro is better I just know the Osmo is good enough and I enjoy using it. Glad they came back with an upgraded original version because I never for one second considered buyimg the Osmo 2.

[@neverdown]

Always the most honest review!

[@MichaeCapote]

An excellent video turned out, everything is well thought out, a very clear instruction turned out)))

[@lkpxml8124]

Tovarishch, thank you for the very useful review!

[@mikekreen9336]

I kept an open mind when I bought my DJI action three. I ran a comparison in every way shape and form. It didn't take long to figure out, I bought a paperweight. I returned it and bought the GoPro Hero 11..... No regrets.

[@xxsilver_gamingxx389]

Wym? Paper weight

[@richardgeller7983]

Good luck with customer service if you need it 🤬

[@derekrunsagain]

Bought one of these for my new channel. Thanks to your review and some others I decided on the Action 3 over the GoPro 11. I've only had it a few weeks and so far I'm not disappointed. The Insta360 Go2 was also in the running due to its very small size.

[@michaelpoczynek]

Thanks, all good information. Cheers! 😀

[@MatthewHeiskell]

Super informative video!

[@toadlguy]

2:01 Only Ray would have this harness! (and he's wearing 4 watches, too)😅

[@DawnMLaPointe]

Excellent video. I watched your Hero 11 Black review just prior to this one. As someone making a decision on a first action cam, I am eagerly awaiting your comparison video of the two! There is no clear answer for me yet and I hope to purchase one very soon.

[@damorgman]

Great video, wondering how the case impacts the cooling. BTW do you ever post affiliate links with any of your review?

[@gmbmedia28]

Thank you for another awesome video review. Time to upgrade from my Osmo Action 1 to this. 🏆🍺

[@NerdsonDirtMTB]

Great vid and info, I have been infuriated more than once losing footage thanks to various GoPro fails, this might be the fix for those!

[@Zhen-Lin-CHN]

I still have my DJI OSMO Action 1 in my bag, OSMO Action 3 as always... Simple, strong, stable, reliable. Maybe Gopro's video quality is slightly better, but talking about overheating and some interesting glitches, Gopro is definitely the bitch.

[@andreaciocca4524]

GoPro’s videos are definitely better, with a more accurate dynamic range. But this action 3 with that price is really worth it, and the audio quality is far superior, in comparison GoPro’s mics suck really bad

[@Grunge_Cycling]

Sounds like the overexposure issue of the action 3 could be fixed with aftermarket filters.

[@quazar912]

if it overheats and shut off, or freeze - who cares about "better footage quality"?? fortunatly Hero 7 never overheated, Insta 360R never overheated but after Hero 9 and 10 overheated I`ll take no chance - I`ll go for Osmo 3

[@Dcrainmaker]

@@quazar912 To be fair, the Insta360 OneR absolutely overheated, they just simply don't say it overheats - it just quietly and randomly shuts down. But it wasn't hard to get it to overheat.

[@quazar912]

@@Dcrainmaker I have Insta 360R over a year and it never overheated at me...even entire day on a bike on summers day - you can see on my YT channel, I wouldn`t repeat some tracks if it shuts down just to recored them again.

[@street.photography]

I used DJI Osmo Action since last year. I totally satisfy with its stabilization. I don't need any stabilization stick during an adventure recording. Thank you.

[@datapro007]

Great review, as is your Hero 11 one. Thanks!

[@RonaldBrown59]

You make some great points in this video. There are many reasons to get the new Action 3. I love the part a the end when you ask is this a better camera than the Hero 11, LOL. Nice video, and thanks for sharing.

[@ShizzleMcBizzle]

I bought one recently (produced in Nov '22) and I LOVE IT!!

[@xxsilver_gamingxx389]

Focus issue ?

[@OH8STN]

Sold! I've got the Action, Action 2, Osmo Pocket, Mini 1& 3, ... Definitely looking to toss the Action 2 in a dumpster. Thanks for this amazing video. I'm sold.

[@paullawrence8572]

Just subbed! Best so far review!👌

[@GregMcDavid]

Great video... Have been toying with getting a Hero9/10 but this just jumped to the top of my list.

[@Hkmughalgaming]

Thanks for the insight to the new action cam, DJI action 3 seems more appealing, its cheaper in price point, more reliable than Go Pro and will have many better firmware updates in future that will make it a much better action camera. When DJI mavic 3 was released it didn't come with many features, now after many firmware updates with extra features it's a monster drone.

[@leviyaakubov1875]

Thank you very much for your impressive review. This is the first time I am referring to this product in a formal way. I liked that she competes in GoPro. There is no doubt that Gopro is old and high quality. But this time she will have a difficult task than competing against a new student in the class.

[@ChristopherJungDE]

I am so hyped to see your comparison between the new DJI and GoPro action cam. Until then I will not buy any of those cameras altough my Hero 4 needs an urgend update 😅 Just one question in advance: Did you noticed any rattling noise from the DJI Osmo Action 3 while mountainbiking?

[@BrianKellison]

I'm very interested in the practical features. Especially the magnet mount. I don't enjoy having to use a tool with my GoPro to take it off my k-edge mount every ride. Also thanks for the like notifications. They do help me hitting the like button.

[@Dcrainmaker]

The magnet mount is good, but I'd like it to be a bit thinner somehow (whole setup). My challenge is by time you add the magnet mount to the bottom of an Action 2, and then mount that to something else, you've pretty significantly increased the stack height over other action cams with built-in mounting.

[@day1tech]

Great points very practical

[@BrattyBiker]

DJI seems to have done an amazing job! I wish I had waited a bit more than going for the Hero 10 Black, I love my GoPro but it looks like DJI are actually far more innovative & reliable. Looking forward to their future offerings!

[@geroutathat]

I dunno if innovative is the right word, maybe "customer focused", they seem to be looking to give people what they want, not just bumping specs. For certain people and I am one, that attitude is gonna win every day of the week.

[@BrattyBiker]

@@geroutathat 100%

[@MarzouqAG]

Honestly very well done comparison of both the DJI Osmo 3 & GoPro Hero 11

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!

[@MattSkalski]

Love the video thanks!

[@rayj4362]

A lot of things are going right for the Action 3! I'm super impressed right now with it's new design and functions!

[@elnavigatore9914]

Nice job. Thnx a lot

[@djkeviekevbx]

I'm a DJI Osmo action user and I'm definitely getting this camera.

[@AuthenTech]

I didn't know the charging case also acts as a battery bank - super cool!

[@Dcrainmaker]

Yup! I used it to...ummm...charge a GoPro one afternoon when I threw it on my bag and only needed one more shot... 😂

[@AdminTechnopedia]

There we got most of information , youtubers speaks up, and commentary... 😀😃

[@TheTechnologyMan]

I love that I'm not the only tech reviewer that gets excited about charging! Another great review - I don't know how you do but I can only speculate that you have more hours in the day in Holland 😊! Keep on setting the benchmark for tech reviews 👍.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Haha...it's all about the charging for me!

[@AZdroptop]

I am on my 4th or 5th GoPro. They have all had problems and my 9 is no different. I am hoping this one will be solid. Great review.

[@cyber8019]

DJI Action 1 never had the overheating and crashing problems of Gopro Hero. Now they are back to the old model design.

[@quazar912]

I had Hero 7 and never had problems, infact it did feeze 1 or 2 times but in a 3 years that`s no big deal...worked excellent for me (you can see my videos on my YT channel), now I have Insta 360R dual lens combo and now I`ll go for Osmo 3 adventure kit

[@cyber8019]

@@quazar912 Not true, I had tons of overheating and crashing problem with Hero 7. Never ever going to Gopro trash again.

[@stulaw90]

Nice video. One thing I really dislike about the Action 2 is the stability of the modules, if I want to film a long bike ride with it mounted on my handlebars, it disconnects with the slightest bump. Might stick it out for a bit longer but I definitely like the look of the Action 3.

[@sevils]

Thanks for the review! I was wondering are Hero 11 or Osmo Action 3 better in the low light shooting with bigger image sensor? Lets say comparing for example to Hero 9.

[@RestorationAustralia]

Thanks for this review, I will buy the action 3 for sure. I was a gopro fan but just had enough of the over heating stuff. 😊

[@arkadiybolachkov]

Great review! Thanks!

[@akj1919]

Hey man, love your videos. Your Garmin Fenix 7X video, and tutorials swayed me to get one. Thank you. Regarding the Osmo Action 3 VS GoPro Hero 11, which one would you choose? (Price differences aside)

[@guysayer6]

"This case fits in any of the fun spots" Can't wait to test it out! Haha But for real now, killer video.

[@TygerByte]

I wish this osmo had a hindsight feature. That’s a must have for fishing videos.

[@LuanFronza1]

me too, I was thinking of buying one, but without this function it's difficult, but I'm afraid to get a gopro and overheating

[@travelwithjohdos9473]

Wow this is the best review I've ever seen, good job man . Maybe it's time to switch Dji I'm user of Hero8.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Thanks!!

[@astrofizz8383]

Been using the Osmo Action 1 for years and Just received my Osmo Action 3 td. Im glad I waited and didn't buy the action 2. The new features on the 3 are just what I need. The quick charge feature is so necessary! I'm super happy with my purchase.

[@defylifeadventure]

The more I see of the DJI Action 3 the more I like it. The GoPro is more detailed IMO (both Hero 10 and 11). What about other important information for example are there readily available Len correction profiles for the DJI camera for FCPX, and lightroom, Does the DJI Action provide gyro data for stabilisation after the fact, like you can do with GoPro RealSteadyPro? What is the recording Bitrate of the two cameras? Colour depth (I understand DJI promises an update on this)?

[@Adlemtbadv]

I'd be interested to know how the new version of rocksteady compares to the previous version regarding the laters horizontal jump/stutter when panning. That's the only thing I never liked about the original osmo action.

[@Howtofarmandgarden]

Great Camera. Have you tried attaching it to a Eclipse Rover? Amazing!

[@makatron]

Yeah the this camera does what I need and way cheaper than the GP11, had so many glitches with GoPro over the years that I guess it's time to try something new.

[@iblackfeathers]

dji mini drone also does the same thing with the battery charger accessory turning into a powerbank. some version of this was also present with the original mavic pro accessories. this is like an updated version of that power bank feature.

[@TheRightLine]

I just ordered a new DJI osmo 3 action. I've had too many issues w/ my Hero 9. I'm excited to check it out.

[@ericclarkva]

Great video; made me finally click the Sub button! I thought that while the video quality in bright light wasn't as good as the Hero 11, the low light quality was MUCH better. The Hero 11 footage looked very dark in comparison. One question: Does DJI have a good companion app for your smartphone, like the GoPro Quik app?

[@cyber8019]

The bright light will be improved with a 10 bit DJI firmware upgrade in the future for the same resolution.

[@Dcrainmaker]

Indeed, the low-light performance did better than I expected. DJI does have a companion app, but honestly, it's pretty limited in comparison to GoPro Quik.

[@timp2751]

Bright light differences, particularly in default modes, are largely reflecting choices in signal processing. Go Pros generally saturate and (un)sharpen more, most prefer that, particularly for videos aimed to 'pop' on social media. Not sure it's exactly 'better' from an objective/accurate perspective but most do prefer it. It would be interesting to see whether this apparent quality difference stands up once both are outputting 10bit data. I find it a little odd that dji simply doesn't add a "over saturate/sharpen my videos" mode, it was easy enough to make action 1 videos 'pop' far more in post if that was the desire and post processing with both brands will have far more headroom with 10bit outputs. Most users however just want something that looks good to them out of the box. Night time differences are driven more by sensor size and the action 3 with a 1/1.7" sensor simply has a physical advantage against the gopro's 1/1.9" (and 1/2.3" in hero 10) . Much like insta's 1" has even more so. They're all basically using the same underlying sony sensor series (i assume! the older 1/2.3" ones certainly were)

[@ungiroincambogia]

I love this review and I surely buy one gopro when I am monetized.

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

Useful info here. It seems a good option for the money. Have the Osmo Action 1, but also GoPro and still I like the Osmo more.I see as a downside on this one the use of the cage. How come that tey couldn't do it differently? :) You got my like here.

[@Inpreesme]

Thank you

[@VernalFilm]

Hi! Did you ever get any issues with the audio on Action 3? I have the Action 2 and in some instances I get sort of reverby artifacts on voice audio. This is when mounted on the display module which is supposed to provide the best sounds.

[@bluedun9816]

Great info, might consider a purchase. I read somewhere in passing that the Action 3 will have 10 bit video in the near future? Is that correct?

[@Aixalld]

i got the action 2 for my fpv drone, i like it, i dont think i got any issues with over heating as im in the air, the only downside was the battery but most of the time it lasted the same time as my drone battery maybe stop for a bit to charge it, but it was fine, the action 3 looks good but dont know if i will upgrade yet

[@patrickpk4421]

Great video! And I yave neither of these.... yet

[@goggutube]

Thank you for your in depth review, comparison and explanations. Very thorough and detailed, enjoyed it. I'm not an action guy, but like the small, rugged form factor, and got the GoPro Hero 8 Black. What I don't like about it is, even at 1080p x 120fps, it shuts off in about 30 minutes because of heat. Also, anything above 1080p x 60fps, cannot view what I am recording. This makes using 4K a short-lived experience. Is there any limit in see the video when recording? Can you view what live preview while recording even at the highest setting? Thank you!

[@Dcrainmaker]

Yeah, all these cameras will shut off early in 120FPS due to overheating - it's the FPS that matters more than FPS. There's no video limit when recording in terms of cut-offs or such. Out of curiosity, what scenario are you shooting where you want 120FPS, but are OK with 1080p?

[@arkapuri]

thanks bro

[@awwwtomotive]

Hi Ray, do you check that the Action 3 able to support to record GPS data in separate file? Usually with GPX format or LOG format?

[@Skeed]

Go pro light flicker is 50 or 60hz, dji pocket 2 is 50 or 100Hz what about this one? This is super important when recording indoors and my main problem with my go pro as it gets major flicker. Is the low light on this as good as the pocket 2? Thanks

[@ctc07]

Now i know thanks for sharing...😀

[@mlegrand]

Do you ever sleep, watch movies or take any breaks? There’s this comic book company named Marvel that started making films a while back. Crazy new movies in the theaters these days. 🍿

[@Dcrainmaker]

I did sleep two hours the night prior. Does that count?

[@toadlguy]

At least he appears to be back in the Cave, so he can tuck in the girls (if they are still awake😴)

[@Dcrainmaker]

@@toadlguy Sadly, that portion was filmed prior to leaving. 😕

[@VincentTL]

Thanks for the great review. The OA3 has many convenience and practical features as you pointed out. In all the review videos I’ve watched so far no one has mentioned if the front and back screens can be used at the same time. Something many people called out with the original OA. I’m assuming they can’t since no one has mentioned it (not even DJI on its website). Can you confirm this? Thanks!

[@siardyhome1418]

read a little below 👇 someone mentions that yes... it can

[@VincentTL]

@@siardyhome1418 Thanks! I'm surprised none of the reviews I've watched has mentioned it. It would seem to be a feature worth mentioning. Maybe I'm watching the wrong review videos. 😂

[@siardyhome1418]

@@VincentTL i watched this from B & H and they are saying you can have them both on at the same time or not, and have it set up where you touch one screen and it detects automatically which screen turns on since both are touch screen. link to the b&h video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpDEoIKCrtijb68

[@Niberspace]

Hi Rainmaker, does it do selective-manual mode? (where you can set some things to manual, such as ISO100, while keeping other things such as shutter speed auto) GoPro can do that, but then I bought Insta360 which turned out to be useless because they don't have that function

[@mudbrats]

Great video. Love how you actually tested it on a bike for wind! What are the files like compared to GoPro. Is file management and storage and overall user friendliness better than GoPro 11?

[@Dcrainmaker]

It's mostly a wash in terms of file sizes at comparable resolutions (except if you enable 10-bit and such on the Hero 11). User friendliness in the App is better on GoPro for sure. And other aspects of the DJI camera in terms of files are quirky. For example, I did a long battery life test last night and on the DJI I have to count all the files up individually, it doesn't just show me the total recording time on the unit, instead, it splits it into 5-minute files. Splitting is fine, but GoPro at least makes it look seamless on the app/camera.

[@mudbrats]

@@Dcrainmaker Thank You!

[@mudbrats]

@@Dcrainmaker Gopro used to save a bunch of extra files which were redundant, my dji drones and sony cam never do that. You mean gopro doesnt anymore?

[@hectorberistain]

I wanted to ask you if this camera has focus problems because I plan to buy it and I saw several topics about it thank you very much for your videos

[@LeStudioDePascal]

10:25 😂 BTW thanks for the amazing review!

[@LeStudioDePascal]

I have received my gopro 11. Maybe the image is better but the user experience is terrible. I am waiting for my Osmo Action 3 witch I am sure will be way better. Maybe the image is a bit better on the GoPro... But just maybe, but it's not worth it. GoPro still feal as a beta product to me.

[@R08U5]

@DC Rainmaker Thanks for the (great) review. At a certain moment I had to side load DJI Mimo App (Android) for my Osmo Action v1 as it was no longer allowed in Google Play Store. Is this still the same for this v3 edition?