Should you snap up a DJi Osmo Action or a GoPro Hero 7 Black to capture your adventure holiday or extreme staycation? We’ve tested both to find out.
Enter the action camera. They might sound a bit ‘2014’, but these fun-loving, near-indestructible cameras are still great allies to have on outdoor adventures and travel holidays.
Since September 2018, the GoPro Hero 7 Black has been our favourite action camera. Its incredible HyperSmooth stabilisation, ability to shoot 4K video at 60fps and handy apps helped lift it above its cheaper rivals.
But now it’s got fresh competition for its ‘best 4Kaction camera’ title in the form of DJI’s Osmo Action. The drone maker has taken a break from ruling the skies to see if it can topple GoPro on the ground, and the Osmo Action brings competitive specs, electronic image stabilisation and a front-facing screen for vloggers.
So which one should you buy for your extreme adventures? We’ve tested both cameras side by side to bring you all the answers.
In the hand, the GoPro Hero 7 Black feels a bit more polished than the Osmo Action, but the latter is the slightly more practical and user-friendly camera – particularly if you like vlogging.
While keeping your face in the frame is not difficult with a wide-angle camera like this, its front screen makes lining up the horizon and fitting in multiple people a cinch.
GoPro’s Hero 7 Black has a mini monochrome screen similar to those seen on the top plates of high-end DSLR cameras. It tells you few important details, like the battery life and duration of the current clip. These are handy to know while shooting, but the DJI Osmo goes further. Its full colour front display lets you see the scene as you shoot, albeit with a slight lag.
There are a couple of other small wins for the Osmo Action. Its rear screen is both larger than the Hero 7 Black’s and has a true 16:9 ratio, meaning no black bars in playback. Add these to the snappier touchscreen interface and handy QuickSet button for switching modes, and DJI’s action cam feels a bit more refined.
Also, while it is possible to change the Hero 7 Black’s lenses, the Osmo Action’s screw-on system is a little easier, making it a tad simpler to swap in an ND filter or a new lens cover.
The two cameras are otherwise very similar, with two microphones, removable batteries and almost identical weights, but the Osmo Action’s extra usability means it just edges this round.
On paper, there’s very little to separate the Osmo Action and Hero 7 Black.
Both have near-identical sensors that can shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, while 2.7k, 1080p and 720p modes are available if you want to keep file sizes smaller for easier uploading.
