DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro announced: 4hr battery life, new sensor, 4nm processor

DJI has announced the Osmo Action 5 Pro, a new action camera that promises to up the game in battery life and image quality.

DJI's Action series has garnered a reputation for itself for being ultra reliable and ultra-convenient due to its magnetic mounting system. Battery life on the camera series has also been a winning feature, so what can DJI bring to the table this year that improves upon the formula? Quite a bit, as it happens. Let's delve in and see what's new on the Osmo Action 5 Pro.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro has some game changing specs. Image: DJI.

Osmo Action 5 Pro new features

Prime amongst the latest features is a brand new 40MP sensor. While it retains the same 1/1.3" size as the camera's predecessor, the chip itself is entirely different. Capable of outputting 120fps in 16:9 and 4:3 ratios, the camera can also now record in HLG format as well. DJI claims that the camera can record around 13.5 stops of dynamic range.

The second major new change is the inclusion of a brand new processor, which uses a 4nm process. The has meant that the Action 5 Pro is extremely power frugal, with a claimed runtime of up to 4hrs in 1080/24p mode. While we'll bring you the full review soon, I can honestly say that this isn't far off the mark. Even in 4K/30p with the GPS and screen turned on, in my preliminary tests I managed to achieve 171-minutes of continuous recording with no shutdown. DJI says that by using a 30w USB charger, users can expect to get around 2hrs of record time from a 15-minute charge.

The Action 5 Pro includes a built in DJI Mic 2 receiver, so you can connect a Mic 2 transmitter seamlessly with no additional gear, making for high quality audio recordings at 48Khz. The camera can connect to up to two mic transmitters. While this might not work for water sports, if you are doing a land based activity such as MTB, this might be a great way to record audio, with one mic recording voice, and another capturing ambient sounds and the sound of changing gears etc.

The Adventure Combo accessories. Image: DJI.

Fitness fanatics can integrate data from their fitness watches into videos created with the camera. There's also the addition of a depth gauge, by which the camera can measure how deep it has travelled, should you be using it for diving. Without an external case the Action 5 Pro can cope with depths up to 20m.

Interestingly the Action 5 Pro now includes 47GB of internal recording storage. Fast charging is still present, while the wi-fi connectivity is now Wi-Fi 6.0 compatible.

One of the more interesting features when it comes to recording is slow motion. The camera can record 240fps natively at 1080p, but DJI says that it will also be able to create 900fps videos from 240fps videos using built in AI, leveraging the power of that new 4nm processor.

Another notable mode is subject tracking. This will lock onto a subject, such as a person or dog as soon as the record button is pressed. The camera will then record 2.7K resolution footage, but will keep the subject in frame, creating gimbal like footage and tracking from a flat sensor area.

Conclusions

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro would appear to be continuing the company's legacy for producing highly reliable action cameras that are extremely well specified. On battery life alone, the new camera would already be vying for the crown of king of the action cameras, but with the other additions, such as the high quality Mic 2 connectivity and ultra slow motion, DJI has taken the fight back to GoPro and Insta360 in more ways than one.

The Osmo Action 5 Pro is available now for $349 (£329 - €379) for the Combo package, and $449 (£409 - €479) for the Adventure Combo package. Keep an eye out for our review and comparison videos dropping very soon.

tl;dr

• DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro introduces a new 40MP sensor capable of recording in HLG format with 13.5 stops of dynamic range.
• It features a new power-efficient processor, providing up to 4 hours of runtime in 1080/24p mode and fast charging capabilities.
• The camera includes built-in DJI Mic 2 receiver for high-quality audio recordings and can connect to up to two mic transmitters.
• Other notable features include integration with fitness watches, depth gauge for diving, 47GB of internal recording storage, Wi-Fi 6.0 compatibility, and advanced recording modes like slow motion and subject tracking.