Conclusion
Contents
The DJI Osmo Action 3 is an upgrade of the Action 2. Doing away with modular components, this single unit now uses removable rechargable battery. With 3 rechargable batteries in the package, you can record more content without battery running flat.
I like the Quick-Release Vertical Mount as it allows you to record in vertical mode suitable for instagram or tiktok. The bundled 1.5m rod is useful for Vlogging.
The camera is now upgraded with a higher ISO at 12800. This will be able to handle night videos better than the Action 2.
We shot many videos in the day and night. For the day videos, distance objects might be a bit over exposed. As for night videos, I am pretty impressed with the videos shot in 4K/50fps in default mode. Night vides are a bit noisier but generally acceptable as the video was taken in a dim light environment.
As an action camera, the camera is equipped with EIS modes – Rock Steady, Horizon Balancing and Horzon Steady inherited from the previous Action2, we did a comparison of the various modes before in this video. The videos recorded using Horizon Balancing mode is super steady (as seen in the footage in the video).
As for the recording time, it is rateto last up to 160 minutes at 1080p/30fps with EIS disabled. With our recording of 4K/50 fps, we didn’t experience any overheating issue. When we record in 4K 120fps 4X Slow motion, the overheating message pop out at 15th minutes. Battery was depleted by 40% (from 100%). Seriously, I doubt i will record 15 minutes of slow motion footage.
Personally, I feel that the DJI OSMO Action 3 has fixed most of the issues with the Action 2. If you are upgrading from another action camera, this is a good alternative.
Pros
External battery
16m Waterproof
Higher ISO
Cons
No internal memory, need to purchase a UHS-I Speed Grade 3 or V30 class microSD
Pricing
DJI Osmo Action 3 Adventure Combo – 4K Action Camera, 4K/120fps, Super-Wide FOV, HorizonSteady, Cold Resistant & Long-Lasting, Vertical Mount, 16m Waterproof, Vlog, Extension Rod is now priced at USD 439 at Amazon US (affiliate link)
You will need to purchase a compatible microSD card for storage. We used the SanDisk 128GB Extreme microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter – Up to 160MB/s, C10, U3, V30, 4K, A2, Micro SD – SDSQXA1-128G-GN6MA at USD 20.99 on Amazon (affiliate link)