Which Action Camera Should You Buy for MTB? | DJI Osmo Action 4 vs GoPro Hero 12 Black

[@DaleStone]

Should I start a second channel to review quirky mirrorless cameras and lenses? The Dale Scale is pretty versatile... 👀

[@Ashton_Shields_POV]

Love the idea

[@commandertree6299]

@@Ashton_Shields_POV agreeded

[@HardtailLife]

That's a yes from us!

[@rmjarvis1]

yes :)

[@MTBJaySwitzerland]

I shoot my videos with an Osmo Action 4 and for sure the image quality outshines by far my riding skills! 😅

[@MTBMcPhee]

You're really nailing this review format, terrific video. One comment I would make is that the Gopro stabilisation drastically improves in low light when you increase the max ISO, which is a setting that is not available in Log or HDR - so you can improve that one aspect. I think I'll try the Osmo at some point this year, that comparison of how the stabilisation leans into the corners differently was impressive and I agree the Osmo looks more natural.

[@DaleStone]

A good tip for sure!

[@rudydoyle]

I have both of these cameras, DJI is by far better than gopro in every aspect. DJI at 4k looks far better than gopro at 5.3k. Dji battery last a lot longer, and charges a lot faster. Dji menus is better which makes the user experience better. Dji Hands down. I really do like the 8x7 aspect ratio on the gopro. However dji at 4x3 mode is only slightly smaller

[@htnrumpkicker7868]

I agree the color and quality is better on the dji but for me as a mtb content creator @David MTB (where you can see my footage with the max lens 2.0) i just love the wide fov too much for me to consider a cam such as the osmo

[@htnrumpkicker7868]

The wide fov also allows me to crop for a vertical format without ruining the video

[@boogiedownbronx73]

DJI apps are the worst of the worst...first of all the Mimo is not even an app its an APK file of 900mb....no official google store. My new android phone the mimo is not even compatible with even though both come from China. Post is the worst. I cannot get any high quality video from the camera to my phone. Even my phone camera films much better.

[@rudydoyle]

@@boogiedownbronx73 I don't use the apps. Desktop only

[@YourComputerExpert]

For some reason I really like this transition at 10:40. It pulled me out of the - almost hypnotic - MTB videos and got me back paying attention to what you were going to say in the next shot. Small little details like this really help with overall quality of your videos. Thanks for the video :-) Subbed

[@DaleStone]

Glad you enjoyed it, I try my best!

[@FVPOV]

I look extremely slow in that clip haha, glad I made the cut!

[@ayatotakema5axs]

I just want to comment that the hero 12 has (from my POV) a better color science than the action 4, you can see how the hero 12 has a more "dreamy" and vibrant color.

[@DaleStone]

Could be how I edited them, and I'm not exactly an expert haha. 🙂

[@laura-mike-explore]

It's night and day! The colors are super vibrant on the 12.

[@LoamerMTB]

I have been stubborn and used my GoPro Hero 7 for many years. The big upgrade to the Hero 12 is the lack of a case. I had too much footage ending up with audible clicking from case rattle. Been stoked on the 12 so far! I really like my buddies DJI footage tho. It’s much less warped than the Insta but does a good job of steepening the trail. Great overview! Seems like the DJI is solid. Keep em coming dude 🤘

[@codywheten6242]

I love getting a Dale Stone video reminder :)

[@SkysTheLimit745]

Amazing video as always! Would you consider making a video at some point about how you edit and colour correct your footage?

[@DaleStone]

I think it would be dishonest to pretend I know what I'm talking about there, haha. I'm flattered you like my work but I'd definitely point you towards the wealth of knowledge on KZbin already! 😁

[@MTBQC]

Thanks for the comparison! I've been making MTB POV content for a while, mainly with GoPro cameras, but for the last year and a half, I've switched to using Insta360 cameras and I'm very happy. I recently tried the GoPro Hero 12 on a project, and it was very disappointing in all aspects of the experience-from the product itself to the brand and even the customer service. In my opinion, GoPro is overvalued by a lot. I haven't tried the DJI Osmo Action 4 yet, but it's next on my list!

[@DaleStone]

I love supporting an "underdog", if that's a fair thing to say haha. They're often better in many aspects!

[@frosty64cb]

Great video, those trails are awesome, what a place to ride.

[@maritimeshreds2049]

I have the same magnetic mounts for my GoPro. Telesin sells them and they are pretty inexpensive and they work great. Hopefully GoPro will chnage their mounting system with the Hero 13

[@DaleStone]

Definitely nice that there are third party options becoming available. I'd be slightly concerned with mixing magnets with electronics that don't explicitly ship with them, but I'm sure they work well enough haha. 🙂

[@maritimeshreds2049]

@@DaleStone so far so good but I've only been using it with a magnetic mount for a few rides

[@CycleMan2200]

If you want straight mp4, long chapter files and UHD video then go with the GoPro. If you want excellent low light performance, great battery life and a stupid magnetic mount, go with the DJI.

[@DaleStone]

I haven't a clue what any of your 3 points mean for the GoPro, haha

[@Manetty6]

The DJI footages looks much more better. Looks more "professional" side by side gopro has much more "home made" feel.

[@sinisakalicanec6823]

Hi. Can you just tell me which SD card you use in the DJI 4 camera or which one do you recommend that can hold at least an hour of recording on it in 4k without any problems. Yesterday, I was order DJI 4 for my son, but I forget order SD card.😂 Thanks .

[@DaleStone]

I've used 128GB V30 cards mostly. 64GB might fit an hour of footage but it's nice to have a buffer, haha. DJI has a list of compatible cards on their site.

[@glennlivermore9120]

Great review I know which one will be my first action camera

[@HenryBj89]

Which one?

[@glennlivermore9120]

@@HenryBj89 osmo for sure mate

[@trailjockeytj6160]

So that shirt is obviously incorrect! The more you ride the more you work! Do work! And great comparison, by the way, I am going to have to give DJ for a try

[@HardtailLife]

All excellent points!

[@spartanmtb2640]

Great vid. A bit unrelated question. What’s the best time of the year / month to visit & ride in Vancouver area, weather wise? Thx

[@DaleStone]

I wish there was a consistent answer haha. September is good for the alpine, but risk of smoke. May is good for dirt, but snowy alpine...

[@spartanmtb2640]

@@DaleStone thanks

[@martinmarinov5766]

Hi man, I have a DJI osmo action 3 and I want to know your color grading settings that I've seen in your past videos

[@DaleStone]

I think it would be dishonest to pretend I know what I'm talking about there, haha. I'm flattered you like my work but I'd definitely point you towards the wealth of knowledge about colour correction on KZbin already! 😁

[@martinmarinov5766]

@@DaleStone yeah keep the work up man, the lut is actually very good

[@viperrules24]

I think i missed it but how much does each weigh? And do you notice a difference when riding?

[@DaleStone]

I didn't put them on the Dale... scale, but I did not notice a significant difference while riding. The DJI is smaller, but also very likely denser. ⚖

[@casestudymtb]

Big fan of the action 4, it's been super easy to use... I just wish they kept 8bit normal colour profile instead of "upgrading" to a 10bit normal profile. If you use mac or have Davinci resolve studio it doesn't matter, but the free version of Davinci resolve doesn't support 10bit colour on windows and the work arounds I've tried have all yielded really significant colour banding. This change basically increases the cost of the camera by 450 dollars if you edit in resolve as you need studio for windows. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, so if anyone has a good work around let me know haha

[@casestudymtb]

Okay, It seems like my problems are actually hardware related. I did download the HEVC codec from the windows store but when I shoot 4k there is severe colour banding. I think this is because Davinci free doesnt allow hardware acceleration. From my trip yesterday, I shot all footage at 2.7k and it seems to playback just fine with in Resolve free. I don't hate this as it will keep file sizes down and speed up transfer times while saving storage on my drives. Plus, as dale says here, I can export at 4k and once it's compressed for YT or Instagram it'll still look great on 1080 monitors.

[@DaleStone]

This is a bit too tech-support for my youtuber brain, but I can confirm that I use the free version of Davinci Resolve and 10 bit colour profiles without any issue. Could be your GPU drivers?

[@nicks3337]

Great review once again Dale. Unless it was a quick comment and I missed it, the one thing I was surprised you didn’t touch on was how each camera conveys the steeps. Seems to me the Insta 360 does the best job on that front, but at the expense of a lot of peripheral fish-eye distortion. To my eye, the DJI does nearly as good a job as the Insta camera, but with far less/minimal fish-eye distortion. We all know the term “the GoPro effect” as it relates to flattening terrain, but if I’m not mistaken the newest models seem to have improved in that area (agree? disagree?). Anyway, that’s the one topical point I’d have liked you to elaborate on. Otherwise this was a typically fantastic review. 🤘

[@DaleStone]

Thanks Nick! Personally I didn't feel that there was a significant enough differenced between the two cameras to make an explicit point out of it. I think that *in general*, the wider the FOV, the better it is going to show trail gradient and the worse it is going to show trail roughness. There is definitely a spectrum between a 360 camera like the X4, and a relatively narrow single lens option like the Ace Pro, and I think that these two cameras are "close enough" to produce comparable results here. 🙂

[@dathorneli8514]

Hi Dale, how do you fix the blurry/noisy effects while you are in woods and a bit darker area? Yesterday, I went for a ride and did a recording but noticed that footage in a bit darker area is not super clean.

[@DaleStone]

Blur and noise are two distinctly different issues, one is caused by a low shutter speed and the other a low ISO. Unfortunately since the aperture is fixed, that limits the exposure triangle and you have to balance these two variables directly. I can only really recommend my settings and not pixel peeping like me, haha. 🙂

[@eprohoda]

you shared fantastic upload, )

My only problem with DJI is their cameras need a phone app to be activated. Without activation, all you have is an expensive tiny brick. Right of ownership is slowly going down the drain these days...

[@DaleStone]

I agree, though that is not DJI specific. My GoPro had a massive sticker covering the camera that told me I had to activate/update it before I could use it. 🫤

@@DaleStone damn, that's sad. Where are the days when you bought something and it worked right out of the box, without 3 updates and 5 forced agreements

[@dzebroff5242]

Удивительно как вы смогли на gopro при солнечном освещении добится кадров с жутким смазом и артефактами стабилизации - у меня такое получалось только если солнце закатилось. Проверьте настройки, возможно вы сильно ограничили автоматику камеры.

[@DaleStone]

I played around a little bit and the results were very consistent amazingly!

[@mikelafferty5253]

Sold my GoPro, Insta360 X4 works great!!

[@torchedFN]

You should also compare these to the insta360 ace Pro. Absolutely insane action cam!

[@Ali_Clarkson]

I recently tested all the main action cameras including the Ace Pro, sadly I was really disappointed with it...it had the tightest crop of all cameras and made my riding look a lot slower. I also found the stability average at best and in general the GoPro and Action 4 had better looking footage with the Action 4 being my pick as the best camera out at the moment. That said, I did like the ability to pause or cancel recording with the Ace Pro and the flip screen can be handy for vlogging etc but the tight crop made it completely unusable for MTB POV in my opinion.

[@DaleStone]

I absolutely agree with everything you've mentioned Ali, thanks!

[@bainoe]

I go for GoPro 12. I have both even the Ace Pro.

[@yashara2283]

How does the max lens mod 2.0 play into this

[@DaleStone]

It costs more money, and makes for better vertical content without having to move the camera to a portrait orientation. I think it's far too obnoxious for serious long form landscape content, so it didn't play a big part in this comparison.

[@overthebarzbiking]

Dale I love your channel but these reviews seam a bit out of date now. Can’t wait for you to review the GoPro 13 and osmo action 5 just after they’re released in August and September this year. Please do a comparison of them in September or October as I’m going to probably decide which one to get with whichever one comes out on top according to you ❤

[@DaleStone]

I have to disagree! There is always going to be a shinier, newer model on the horizon, and the reality is that these two cameras are the current flagships that are available for purchase. Generational leaps have been relatively insignificant over the past few years to the point where it's almost worth skipping every other generation anyways. 🙂

[@overthebarzbiking]

@@DaleStone I agree with what you’ve just said, however I just think these comparisons would’ve been better a lot earlier in the year or late last year, just in time for us to write to Santa asking for one of these bad boys. My only point is that in 9-10 weeks the action 5 will be out shortly followed by the GoPro 13. Surely everyone can wait a little longer to see what these cameras have to offer. I personally am in the market for a new camera but want to wait to see what GoPro and dji bring out very shortly. I think it’s great that you are reviewing bike products and accessories but in the case of cameras I think it should be done shortly after they are released. I think that’s when people are more interested in the comparisons personally. I could be wrong and to be honest I usually am 😃 Let’s make it fair. Do a poll and see when people would like to see comparison videos, shortly after release or 10 months after the release. If I lose I will gladly buy you a pint of beer. If you lose you have to give me your bike. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Honestly keep up the great work with the channel, you, Dave and van can are my 3 go to channels. Love your riding. 👍

[@uskypg]

"Thanks DJI for sponsoring this video" 😂that's where the review ended 😂

[@DaleStone]

This was never a review in the first place, that's what a disclosure message is for. 😉 Happy to address any time-stamped concerns of bias though!

[@Ualik123]

Wny no insta360?

[@DaleStone]

The Ace Pro's narrow FOV can't really compete, and the X4 is a completely different mindset.

[@freshandsaltyjohnny]

Ace pro beats both simply with a 1" sensor and is the next action camera I will buy. No more GoPro and DJI has too many problems. Not only that but sending the data back to Beijing lol nah I'm good. Going on o get rid of my DJI drone too since they are going to ban the use of them in the U.S. and it's looking like it's going to pass anything DJI makes will also not be allowed lol since they send the data back to Beijing you know the U.S. enemy.

[@DaleStone]

The Ace Pro has a laughably narrow FOV that instantly disqualifies it from serious MTB content creation; even Insta360's athletes haven't used it since launch. There's a lot more to a camera than the size of its sensor. 🙂

[@baykkarl9541]

Its dji sponsored so Gopro is bad on this video 🤣

[@DaleStone]

Clearly you haven't seen the rest of my reviews. 🧠

[@OrofinX]

OMG today's YT. First sentence a lie. There is a Insta360 Ace Pro, that is probably better than these two, so this is no comparison the best that you can buy today. 🙄

[@DaleStone]

Time to put your hearing aids in then! "two OF the best", and in my opinion the narrow FOV disqualifies the Ace Pro from being a serious consideration for mountain biking.

[@OrofinX]

@@DaleStone Insta360 Ace Pro: Action View: 155° Linear mode: 100° GoPro Hero 12: Linear mode: 122° Wide mode: 145° DJI Action 4: 125°

[@DaleStone]

@@OrofinX [citation needed] for claims that outlandish, haha. Insta 360's athletes don't even use the Ace Pro anymore, they almost all use the X4. 🙂

[@Ali_Clarkson]

@@DaleStone I can back you up here, I recently tested all the main cameras and the Ace Pro was easily the worst of the lot due to a tighter crop, it made it unusable as a MTB POV camera in my opinion.

[@dxsibo]

Hi sir, do you have a video or photo on how do u attach the mount to your helmet? 😊

[@DaleStone]

It's literally the sticky mount that ships with the camera haha, did you see my other video on the DJI specifically?

[@dxsibo]

@@DaleStone yes i saw it! Love the review and gotten myself poison more, wanting to get a dji action 4!!!