ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The DJI Osmo Motion 5 Professional digicam is obtainable now on Amazon for $349.
- This motion digicam has among the greatest stabilization of any motion digicam available on the market.
- The default settings on the Motion 5 Professional aren’t precisely the most effective for motion photographs, so you will have to customise it earlier than you exit.
extra shopping for decisions
I’ve used GoPro cameras for a really very long time. From filming mountain bike rides to indoor movies, they served me nicely. These cameras had been removed from excellent — the fish-eye impact was a bit a lot and the built-in mics had been horrible. After I bought severe about filming (and left behind the notion of filming my path shenanigans), I left the GoPros (and motion cameras typically) behind.
When DJI reached out about reviewing the Osmo Action 5 Pro, rapidly, I bought excited in regards to the concept of getting again on my mountain bike and filming some path rides.
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My expertise with the Motion 5 Professional did not begin off all that nicely (extra on that in a bit), however as soon as I had it initialized and prepared, the tiny digicam actually impressed me.
Earlier than I get into my tackle this digicam, let’s discuss specs.
The specs
- 47GB of built-in storage
- Twin OLED high-brightness touchscreen shows
- Subsequent-gen 1/1.3″ sensor with as much as 13.5 stops of dynamic vary and an aperture of f/2.8
- 4nm high-performance chip
- Skilled-grade air strain and water strain gauges
- Wi-Fi 6.0 and USB 3.0 high-speed switch
- 4-hour battery life
- SuperNight mode with AI to scale back noise
- 10-bit D-Log M footage with shade restoration
- Value – $349 at main retailers
My expertise
After I first obtained the digicam, I needed to register and initialize it utilizing the DJI Mimo app. That is the place the primary problem started: the app is not out there on the Google Play Retailer. As a substitute, you need to obtain it from DJI’s web site. The obtain was painfully gradual, and it took a number of tries to get it downloaded to my Pixel 9 Professional. As soon as I lastly had it put in, I opened it, logged into my DJI account, and went by the steps to initialize the digicam.
The app acknowledged the digicam however refused to connect with it, it doesn’t matter what I attempted or what number of occasions I tried it. I reached out to DJI assist, and for no matter motive, they could not assist me (which is odd as a result of DJI assist often works nice).
Finally, my Pixel 9 Professional obtained an replace, and that did the trick. The DJI app related to the digicam, and I may initialize it.
I did a number of fast assessments with the digicam. I wished to place collectively a brief movie to see how nicely it might work for that course of. I am nonetheless engaged on that, however I shortly determined this was an motion digicam, and other people would not buy it for narrative filmmaking. So as an alternative, I slapped the digicam on my totally inflexible single-speed mountain bike and ready to hit the paths. You’ll be able to view the check footage here.
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The very first thing that hit me about this digicam was the built-in storage. Initially, I inserted a microSD card and made a fast movie of me on my street bike, however that did not go so nicely as a result of the cardboard’s write pace could not sustain with the digicam. With the interior storage, that is not an issue.
The second function was the twin OLED touchscreens, which made it really easy to maintain monitor of what you are filming from the entrance or the again. The touchscreens routinely shut off after a set interval of use to preserve battery. To deliver the display again to life, all you need to do is contact it.
The rear touchscreen is among the greatest I’ve seen on an motion digicam.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
After I set off on my mountain bike, I went with the default settings, which was a mistake, on condition that it was configured for 30fps at 1080p. I ought to have modified that to 60fps at 4K to get the absolute best high quality. I additionally left it on regular mode (assuming the default can be set to sport). This took me without warning, given how motion cameras are usually used. One would assume the digicam can be routinely configured for the absolute best outcomes for motion out of the field.
Lesson realized.
Despite the fact that the ensuing footage wasn’t the absolute best high quality, the one factor it revealed was the standard of the digicam’s inside stabilization. I journey a completely inflexible, carbon fiber single pace, which equates to a really bumpy journey. After I journey that bike, I’ve to remain very free within the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders; in any other case, I would bounce proper off. On prime of that, the path system close to my home is not precisely clean.
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Regardless of all that, the footage got here out remarkably clean. You’d by no means have identified I wasn’t using a full-suspension bike with loads of cushions. Certain, I want I had taken the time to customise the video parameters earlier than I spent practically an hour flying by the paths, however the finish outcomes had been nonetheless spectacular.
Again once I was utilizing GoPro cameras, I paid practically the identical worth because the DJI Osmo 5 Professional digicam and did not get practically the outcomes.
There are additionally some actually cool add-ons for the digicam, comparable to ND filters and loads of methods to connect the digicam to varied autos and surfaces. I did have slightly hassle with the mount I used, however that was as a result of the handlebar I hooked up it to is carbon fiber, and I wasn’t about to crank it down arduous sufficient to maintain it locked in place. Finally, I discovered the correct amount of stress to maintain it in place, and all was good.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
If motion cameras are your factor, skip the competitors and go on to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. You would be hard-pressed to discover a higher consumer-grade digicam suited for every type of motion (underwater, above water, or within the sky). The interior storage and twin OLED touchscreens alone make this well worth the worth of entry. Couple that with the standard of video it produces, and this can be a winner on all fronts.
With the vacations approaching, think about considered one of these cameras for your loved ones members who dwell on the sting and wish to movie every little thing they do.
