With two back-to-back drops from renowned action camera manufacturers DJI and GoPro, the world has been finally, officially introduced to the newest addition in the family, DJI Osmo Action 3 and GoPro Hero 11.
DJI OSMO ACTION 3 vs GoPro Hero 11
In this article, we’ll be comparing design, quality, runtime, features, waterproofing, and such to give you a descriptive idea of which one you should invest in.
Design
Having been released apart from each other with only an hour gap, DJI OSMO ACTION 3 and GoPro Hero 11 obviously have some massive shoes to fill. The DJI OSMO ACTION 3 adopts the design of the Action 2 with a satisfying blend of the original action cam while including a few unique updates to make it stand out. A removable lens, as well as a front-facing touchscreen, is now here alongside sliding doors to the left and right, while the base holds a magnetic mounting connector for landscape mounting with an additional horizontal-vertical protective frame that wraps around the camera for you to achieve those tall, tik-tok-ready shots in a flash!
For GoPro, you get a tough and resilient camera that’s waterproof down to 10m without a case, a 1.4-inch front LCD with enhanced framerate, courtesy of the GP2 processor, and the usual, old school. 2.27-inch rear touchscreen.
Footage Quality
If you’re familiar with the DJI Action 2, you pretty much know what to expect. With the same camera characteristics, the Action 3 isn’t exactly the BEST in class when compared to the GoPro Hero 11 black, but it’s far from the worst. With proper and bright lighting conditions, the Action 3 can easily shoot sharp and vibrant footage up to 4k resolution that has a stunning FOV at 155 degrees. However, the camera can struggle a bit to prioritize faces and misses out on some details when compared to Hero 11. More frames combined with the wider 155 FOV means it’s comparatively harder to expose the image properly, which can push a lot of users away.
You also get horizon leveling, which would be an amazing feature if Hero11 didn’t have its own 360-degree leveling, but more on that later. There are three microphones that capture clean sound while eliminating background noises quite well, even more so than the GoPro 11, especially when you’re working outdoors.
Video Quality
GoPro Hero 11 decided to bring out the big guns by providing a 10-bit color mode! Being the very first action cam to implement this, Hero11 will allow for a plethora of raw post-processing right from the get-go, which is by no means a small feat. Some minor tweaks and adjustments, such as a boosted bit-rate of the camera to 120mbps, are also there, which gives it a higher ceiling to film complex scenarios. You can now shoot 24.7MP frame grabs straight from the camera’s 5.3k 8:7 video while gaining the ability to shoot timewarp time-lapses in stunning 5.3k resolution. Overall, the Hero 11 provides a fine-tuned default setting in order to provide more natural footage without tinkering with the options. Finally, you’ll be getting Horizon Lock and HyperSmooth which plays a bigger role in creating videos you cannot shoot anywhere else, yet.
Features
For features, the GoPro Hero 11 comes with a larger 1/1.9-inch sensor that comes with an 8:7 aspect ratio that’ll allow you to shoot comparatively better vertical videos. GoPro also features a 10-bit color mode that’ll make the video editors out there have a field day, since it’ll give them a ton of options regarding color grading and more. You’re also getting the HorizonLock feature which is a more than welcome addition, while not being relatively new. DJI Osmo Action 3, on the other hand, brings a comparatively comfortable and smooth touch interface, with fewer software flourishes than the competition, making it easier to use. Heat management has also seen some levels of improvement, making this a very nice upgrade from its predecessor.
Protection
In terms of protection, the Hero11 black is physically the same GoPro we know and love, with a camera that’s waterproof down to 10m without a case. As for DJI OSMO ACTION 3, they can actually dive a bit deeper than their competition, being waterproof up to 16m!
Battery
In terms of battery, GoPro Hero 11 boasts a 1720 mAh battery, while the DJI OSMO Action 3 performs pretty similarly by providing up to 90 mins while shooting at 4k.
Wrapping Up
So, which one of these two brand-new action cams feels like the right pick for you?
“All things considered, if you’re a social media workhorse, you cannot go wrong with the GoPro Hero 11, since it raises the bar even higher than its predecessor and is one of the most versatile Hero Model Cams ever, all thanks to the new sensor that allows you to work with videos that have various aspect ratios to post across a wide range of social media platforms. But, if you’re a bit of an outdoor enthusiast and prefer quick mounting and the widest angle available in the market, we’d definitely recommend the DJI OSMO ACTION III.“
