Key Takeaways
DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional provides substantial updates, together with higher battery life, audio recording, and photograph high quality.
The digicam excels in video high quality, stabilization, and construct high quality, however tops out at 4K video decision.
There are many high quality, shade, and recording mode choices to customise how you employ the digicam.
For fairly a while, GoPro has dominated the high-end motion digicam world. Whereas loads of different corporations have tried to dethrone the motion digicam big, and a few have come shut, none have fairly hit the nail on the pinnacle. DJI, the corporate finest recognized for its drones, is having a go once more with a brand new pro-level mannequin of its personal motion digicam.
The DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional brings substantial updates over the Osmo Motion 4. These embrace what DJI says is a brand-new 1/1.3-inch sensor with 2.4μm pixel dimension for improved dynamic vary (13.5 stops) and low-light efficiency, a topic monitoring mode, 50% battery life than the Osmo Motion 4, and higher audio recording. The brand new sensor additionally permits for double the photograph high quality, shifting from 3,648 x 2,736 pixels to 7,296 x 5,472 pixels.
Moreover, DJI took its motion digicam to the following stage for water sports activities with two additional meters of waterproofing (now 20 meters) and included a built-in strain gauge to file and show water depth, altitude, and different information in real-time. I have been utilizing the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional for a couple of weeks, however sadly, my schedule has saved me from any extremely adventurous outings. Nonetheless, I have been completely impressed by the digicam on my bike rides, hikes, and through every day life.
Worth, availability, and specs
The DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional is accessible for buy for $349 for the usual combo, which incorporates the Horizontal-Vertical Protecting Body, one battery, and a curved adhesive base. There are additionally loads of different combos to select from with completely different equipment, together with an Journey Combo with two extra batteries, Multifunctional Battery Case 2, and 1.5 meter extension rod for $449. Or, select a combo primarily based on the actions you take part in, reminiscent of motorcycling or mountain biking, mountaineering, diving, highway biking, browsing, and extra. At $547, the Vlog Combo is the costliest, however it contains every thing you get within the Commonplace Combo, plus a DJI Mic 2 Transmitter and Multifunctional Charging Deal with.
What I appreciated in regards to the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional
Straightforward but spectacular efficiency
Fairly frankly, there’s loads to love in regards to the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional, and I might simply see this changing the GoPro as my go-to motion digicam. At the beginning, although, the digicam may be very straightforward to make use of. The touchscreen is responsive with intuitive controls. Plus, the entrance OLED can also be a touchscreen and offers settings entry, making it simpler to vary settings for those who’re recording your self.
There are preset modes for all the commonest use circumstances, which regulate the kind of recording, subject of view, high quality, and stage of stabilization. In fact, you’ve got the choice to completely regulate (and save) settings that higher fit your wants. There are additionally handbook controls must you actually wish to get into the nitty gritty of your digicam settings, making the Professional title becoming for the digicam. Amongst these Professional controls are 8-bit, 10-bit, D-Log M and HLG shade profiles, supplying you with extra management over the look of your footage and the way a lot time you wish to spend modifying.
One of many newly added recording modes is the Topic Monitoring mode. In it, the digicam will robotically detect the topic after which crop the footage to a social media-ready 16:9 ratio. I discovered it to work extraordinarily effectively with folks, even in low-light situations. It by no means did register my black cat, although, and was hit-and-miss with my black canine. However, for these recording vlogs for social media, it would make the method of getting content material posted a lot sooner and simpler.
There’s loads to love in regards to the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional, and I might simply see this changing the GoPro as my go-to motion digicam.
The Osmo Motion 5 Professional video footage is great, even with the default shade settings. The footage seems sharp (however not overly so) in daylight and well-lit situations with pleasingly saturated colours. It does not look overly saturated or processed, which has been the case with some motion cameras I’ve reviewed. The digicam additionally performs fairly effectively in low-light situations, which is often a weak spot for motion cameras. It will not equal the standard of a bigger digicam, however is kind of a bit higher than the GoPro Hero 12 (we’ve not examined the 13, but).
The RockSteady digital stabilization was greater than sufficient for many conditions, leading to fantastically easy footage. Must you be recording extra jarring actions, the RockSteady+ mode provides much more stabilization, although with a crop. Plus, the HorizonBalancing mode does a superb job of conserving pictures stage in most conditions, albeit with an excellent larger crop.
As a photographer, I used to be additionally very impressed by the SJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional’s nonetheless photograph high quality. The 7,296 x 5,472-pixel decision permits loads of room for cropping and captures a variety of element for an motion digicam. You can too shoot in uncooked, and I used to be stunned by how a lot dynamic vary I had entry to when modifying the .dng file. The digicam can also be extraordinarily fast to take pictures, so there isn’t any ready for it to course of and save earlier than shifting on to the following shot, one thing that could not be stated for the GoPro or the Insta360 cameras I’ve reviewed.
I used to be not too long ago hit by a automotive whereas out for a stroll with the digicam, and someway, it does not have a single scratch or scuff on it.
The Professional title additionally matches this digicam due to its construct high quality. It feels actually stable and well-made. I used to be not too long ago hit by a automotive whereas out for a stroll with the digicam, and someway, it does not have a single scratch or scuff on it, which I am unable to say for my physique. I used to be completely shocked after I appeared on the digicam afterward. Sadly, I did not have it recording to seize the footage.
DJI says it would additionally function in excessive situations, from -4° F to 113° F. I took it on a motorbike trip in 95° F and sunny situations, and sure partially because of the fixed wind on it, the digicam did not even really feel heat the complete trip. It is waterproof to twenty meters (65 toes) and not using a case, double the depth the GoPro Her 13 Black can deal with and not using a waterproof case. DJI says it’s compliant with worldwide EN13319 certification, which means it is secure to take diving.
The battery lifetime of the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional is a star of the present right here as effectively. DJI says it may well file for as much as 4 hours due to a extra power-efficient 4nm processor, elevated battery capability, and a brand new algorithm that optimizes power use. I set the digicam to file at 4K60 with 4K with RockSteady picture stabilization turned on throughout an extended bike trip, and the inner storage (47GB) was the limiting issue, filling up inside an hour and quarter-hour. The battery, which was at roughly 90% after I began, was nonetheless at 24% after I was out of room for storage. That would not get me to the 4 hours of promised time, however at a decrease decision, that 4 hours is doable.
Lastly, the magnetic mounts are one among my favourite options of the Osmo Motion 5 Professional. The digicam itself contains a mount on the underside for horizontal capturing, and it comes with a body that not solely provides some additional safety however provides a vertical mounting location. Then, you may merely snap your mounts or equipment on or off, which means it takes solely seconds to vary your setup. It made it a lot simpler to rapidly test the digicam on my bike trip with out having to fuss with unscrewing and screwing a standard mount.
What I did not like in regards to the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional
No 5.6K video high quality choices
The one potential unfavorable side of the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional is that video high quality tops out at 4K. The digicam’s primary competitor, the GoPro Hero 13 Black, provides as much as 5.3K60 video. So, these searching for top-of-the-line video high quality ought to go for the GoPro. Equally, for those who want the pliability to crop considerably when modifying, the Osmo Motion 5 Professional is probably not the precise match because of the decrease high quality. Nonetheless, for most individuals (myself included), 4K decision is loads.
The newest GoPro additionally stands out above DJI’s motion digicam due to its lens mod choice. The GoPro Hero 13 means that you can use lens mods that allow macro capturing, amongst different kinds. These lenses talk electronically with the digicam in order that it robotically adjusts to no matter lens mod you employ. GoPro provides three choices proper now: an ultra-wide, a macro, and a set of ND filters.
Motion cameras usually are fairly unhealthy at any kind of closeup shot, and certainly, that’s the case with the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional.
Motion cameras usually are fairly unhealthy at any kind of closeup shot, and certainly, that’s the case with the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional. It may well’t focus very shut in any respect, and even the narrowest lens choice is simply too large for true closeups. GoPro’s distinctive lens mods then, add fairly a little bit of versatility that you simply miss out on with the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional. For these simply capturing customary motion camera-style footage, it will not be an issue. Nonetheless, anybody who needs extra out of their tiny pocket digicam might choose the flexibility of GoPro’s new system.
Must you purchase the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional?
Should you’re available in the market for a complicated, high-quality motion digicam, then sure, you completely ought to by the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional. It provides very good high quality in each photograph and video settings, with plenty of flexibility by way of settings and recording modes. The stabilization is simply nearly as good as GoPro’s, smoothing out even jarring actions. Plus, with the magnetic quick-release mounts, the choice to hook up with the DJI Mic 2, and Topic Monitoring mode, the digicam provides fairly a little bit of versatility for these seeking to create content material with a pocketable digicam.
In fact, GoPro’s new Hero 13 Black provides a couple of benefits, together with greater video high quality and the brand new lens mod system for even larger versatility. However, for the primary time shortly, the GoPro has an actual competitor with the DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional. Plus, DJI’s customary combo is $50 cheaper than GoPros, providing a little bit little bit of financial savings.
Beneficial
DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional
The DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional is an upgraded motion cam with a 40-megapixel sensor.