I was quite suspicious of the new Action 4 at the start and felt that it might be a slightly better 3 perhaps with the same close focus thing that I had with the 3.

Now I am really thinking that I had a poor quality Action 3.

First thing out of the box, the 4 seems so familiar that you'd think there was nothing special going on. I quite liked the fact that Osmo stuck to their guns with no flashy gizmos and pixel counts etc and just got a camera out that does a good job. I have great respect for GoPro and their innovative cameras but feel that in pushing their cameras so hard towards certain limits, they produce cameras with inherent problems as a result. Osmo cameras are rock solid.

I sat with the 4 on a grey rainy morning this morning shooting the dash, outside and taking selfies and when I got home, the results were better than I would have hoped for. Sharp as anything; even on the selfie shots, so now we have a camera that not only does action, but can be used to get really high quality vlog type stuff and holiday type video. This camera can do it well.

Not only is the focus spot on (on my camera) but the colour, even on a grimy UK day looks lovely. It deals with contrast differences beautifully..... a white sky with dark houses was exposed extraordinarily well and credit to Osmo for producing a camera like this.

For me, I honestly feel that it's a better and easier camera to use than the Hero 11 and the disappointment that I felt with the 3 has melted away thanks to this camera.

It's the subtle details combined on screen that show big time. I have started to see videos where some are feeling that improvements are minimal compared to their 3's. That only makes me feel more so that there was something wrong with my 3 because for me, this has been such a pleasurable experience to see such a balanced looking picture coming with no effort at all on your average dingy weather UK day. To me, all of those little changes have worked together to produce a really special camera.

Well done Osmo, is all I can say.

Thanks for posting...I am awaiting my Action 4 which is scheduled for delivery today. I am coming from the Action 1, so I think the difference should be quite a bit better on the Action 4.

It has a much wider field of view and better closer focus than the 1. The 1 was a good camera as well though.

I just get such a surprise when I see the footage on a big screen. With the 3, I always worried about whether close stuff was in focus or whether tiny detail looked smeared, but you just get this crystal looking picture straight from the camera. So far, I’ve only watched my footage unedited.

I’m absolutely delighted.

I totally agree with you Ian.
Have done some tests with mine and I really feel that now it is recording in true 4K and I think it is good enough sharp at 30cm too, better at 40+.
I actually think I should be selling my OA3 now.

I’m literally throwing this around while videoing at 60fps at 4K and with no editing, taking the card out and playing those files on my TV. They are breathtaking. The more I look at the clips, the more I feel that my 3 had something not quite right.

The light here today is really poor and the Action 4 copes easily. Colours still look good. White balance is amazing. And contrast range/dynamic range looks fantastic for such a small camera. I pointed it out of my car window at some houses and what I thought was a steel grey sky. On my TV at home, I saw cloud formations in the sky that I hadn’t even seen, probably because the sky was comparatively bright compared to the houses.

My Action 3 is going to become an ornament. It was nowhere near in focus even at 40cm compared to this. Those people that thought the 3 was good must have had a much better camera than mine because this one is a whole different thing. I’m really impressed. Had my 3 have been close, I’d have been happy with it.

So the 3 is going on display (I’m too embarrassed to sell it) and I’m thinking, Hero 7, 9 and 11 will join it to make a grand display!!

But... you know... such an actioncam is not meant for selfies and anyway, you can't expect a sharp and good picture. It's just an actioncam, you're supposed to make videos with it and if the results are bad, then it's only your fault, not the bad focus etc..

So it was preached here in the forum by some again and again :-)

I am thrilled with my Action 4, fly tomorrow on vacation and had already considered whether I should not get me directly a second :-)

JustName Posted at 8-8 09:48
But... you know... such an actioncam is not meant for selfies and anyway, you can't expect a sharp and good picture. It's just an actioncam, you're supposed to make videos with it and if the results are bad, then it's only your fault, not the bad focus etc..

So it was preached here in the forum by some again and again :-)

Exactly! A load of old baloney. What was funny was that I was told exactly what you said, while examples were going up all of the time of videos in a boat, in a car on the river etc ……….. vloggy shots! You can’t avoid them. There is always going to be a time when you want to unleash the beast on your face!!

I never really understood the thinking behind that baloney. Why should any camera be unsharp, just because it's being used for action? Unless they just throw it around with loads of blur etc. A camera is just a camera and should focus properly. You know, I think my old 3 was slightly off all the way through its depth of field. Only a small amount, but enough to make you think that something was amiss when editing. I always ended up trying to fix footage. On an IPad coming from YouTube, I could make it passable, but to me, it was never quite right.

All I can say is …… ‘denial’.

Funny you mentioned vacation. I was going to just take a Pocket 2 on mine, but now I’m thinking the Action 4.

I’m beginning to think it’s now one of the best miniature vlogging cameras around! Not sure if that’s an insult to DJI or a compliment on this site!!! Lol. Have a great time. Hope it's not UK. Weather is terrible.

This fella shows what I had at 3'08"

I sold my Pocket 2 on Sunday for 200€, it was a great camera, but it clearly loses out to the Action 4. But I have not given up hope that maybe the Pocket 3 will appear soon.

No, my vacation will not be in the UK... but with lots of sunshine, blue water, clear skies and I will again make many more videos and photos than I can process in the time until the next vacation :-)  However, with the Action 4 I look forward to it much more :-)

Lovely. I’m recovering from a heart operation two weeks ago, so I’m stuck in UK, but the Action 4 will make it really pleasant I think. I’m actually looking forward to getting a proper video together with it.

It's become a great all rounder with its sharpness, improved low light performance, waterproof, small size and lovely video quality. Ideal for a holiday really.

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-8 11:08
Lovely. I’m recovering from a heart operation two weeks ago, so I’m stuck in UK, but the Action 4 will make it really pleasant I think. I’m actually looking forward to getting a proper video together with it.

It's become a great all rounder with its sharpness, improved low light performance, waterproof, small size and lovely video quality. Ideal for a holiday really.

Ohh!!! I wish you a speedy recovery! And take it easy and slowly!

Yes hopefully you have a quick recovery Ian
Am also glad that the 3 of you prefer your new OA4
It looks like it truly is what the OA3 should have been

I would have that right now vs the X3
As would never have tested 360 otherwise

Maybe down the road if there is a new use case will get the OA4
At the moment though am covered with my current gear
Happy shooting - as that is what it is all about

Real reviews not paid not sponsored - Def Prefer - Haha!

Speedy recovery Ian.

Today I went out moto-vlogging with OA4 and BOYA BY-K4, video will be out later.

Thank you. I look forward to seeing what you get on video. I haven’t had a bad shot yet!

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-8 12:17
Thank you. I look forward to seeing what you get on video. I haven’t had a bad shot yet!

Get well soon

Thanks Andreas. Believe me, it’s made an enormous difference even after two weeks, but I have a massive bruise that resembles a tattoo.

Hoping you a quick recovery Ian. Take it easy.

Also, happy to hear that the Action 4 has stood up to your expectations.

Get well!

Boy, you are lucky the OA4 performs so well, otherwise you might've had another heart operation...

I cant wait to order one when I  am back in the states.  hopefully I can get a ahold of one

HGDC84 Posted at 8-8 14:12
Hoping you a quick recovery Ian. Take it easy.

Also, happy to hear that the Action 4 has stood up to your expectations.

Thank you. The operation has made a massive difference. Much more energy now.

The camera is a real keeper. Haven't had a bad shot from it yet!

osmonauta Posted at 8-8 15:37
Get well!

Boy, you are lucky the OA4 performs so well, otherwise you might've had another heart operation...

Yeah. Definitely risking it. Imagine if I’d said something negative for all those FB’s to go daft over eh?

An Action cam that you can vlog with!! Camera in auto and normal colour. Dark shadow or blaring sun ..... the camera coped well.

Looks really good in 1080 and on a good display!

What's the deal with them eggs (towards the end)? People place eggs there and you can just pick them up, or how does that work?

osmonauta Posted at 8-9 11:12
Looks really good in 1080 and on a good display!

What's the deal with them eggs (towards the end)? People place eggs there and you can just pick them up, or how does that work?

I basically pieced raw footage together for most of these shots and nothing was done to them. No sharpening whatsoever. I'm really chuffed that my camera is focusing close and is now much more useable for me. I'd say better than the GoPro 11.

I live in an English country village consisting of 270 people. We only have a church, pub and school. There aren’t any shops but plenty of farmers.

That house that Helena went into is one of the local farmer’s houses and he sells eggs. He leaves them on that little bench with a pot for money and we buy them whenever we want. He keeps chickens and sheep.

We’re surrounded by farms so we’re kind of looking at our food in the face. My sheep friends. They actually get to know me because I often walk around the place for my heart and then, they suddenly disappear ……….

Bit like the book, 1984!

At 11:41" in this video, you'll see one of my long gone friends.........

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-9 06:53
An Action cam that you can vlog with!! Camera in auto and normal colour. Dark shadow or blaring sun ..... the camera coped well.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zXgIena1x9M&feature=shareb

Your accent is just as amazing as your footage! Great content!

Thank you TechSport. Funnily enough, I actively tried to take little care about what I pointed at just to see it working in difficult conditions. I waited for poor lighting like moving in and out of bright sunlight and deep shadow and mottled lighting and dangled it off a lanyard. The camera was in auto, not pro mode.

So really, what I’m saying is that it’s very hard to go wrong with this camera.

I had very little confidence in the 3 so my expectations for the 4 were low. This video has restored my trust in the camera and I now feel really confident about what it can reproduce. The metering is unbelievable. I keep watching the shadow sections on this video just to see what the camera is doing to the highlights outside. You barely notice going from shadow to bright sun and yet, the difference was huge.

This camera copes really well with difficult conditions. The only real flaw I can see is in darker shadow, my shutter must have dropped and stabilisation started to show Wobblies which someone rightly pointed out on YouTube. But knowing the conditions and how I used/abused the camera, it showed that it is definitely a superior quality camera and now my favourite over the GoPro with its clean image and beautiful colour rendition.

I'm not over the moon about my accent. I picked it up as a child and unfortunately, hadn't realised that there are two main English accents .... regional (slightly lower class) and posh English. I picked up a regional accent and never lost it! Sometimes, I wish I sounded posher .......

It looks like you shot this with a more expensive camera so your footage just looks amazing. I am so glad I bought OA4 since it is a big difference from OA3.

johansenfoto Posted at 8-10 02:31
It looks like you shot this with a more expensive camera so your footage just looks amazing. I am so glad I bought OA4 since it is a big difference from OA3.

I agree. The difference is more than many YouTube videos led me to believe. Sharper. Better dynamic range. Beautiful colour out of camera. Low light performance.

I’m beginning to wonder whether many of the people reviewing the Action 4 came from the 3 and thought that the 3 was in effect, a GoPro in quality. To me, it never was but the detail retrieval of the 4 exceeds the 3 easily!!

It has masses going for it. I’ve become an FB……

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-10 03:11
I agree. The difference is more than many YouTube videos led me to believe. Sharper. Better dynamic range. Beautiful colour out of camera. Low light performance.

I’m beginning to wonder whether many of the people reviewing the Action 4 came from the 3 and thought that the 3 was in effect, a GoPro in quality. To me, it never was but the detail retrieval of the 4 exceeds the 3 easily!!

Based on what I have independently seen to date
Your comments sound valid and reasonable

But your FB comment ....
Haha!
As long as not a troll FB!

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-8 22:46
Thank you. The operation has made a massive difference. Much more energy now.

The camera is a real keeper. Haven't had a bad shot from it yet!

Very delighted to hear that on both accounts

Exactly 10 Bit!! Someone, I think on here said something about it being used for vlogging which made me laugh too. No I’m not really a FB type of person, but I do know what I like and I’m not blind! Thing is, this knocks the 3 right back.

To some extent, I feel the 3 should have been like this. I still feel that it wasn’t the camera for me, or I have been using a poor copy. It never ‘snapped’ on focus like this one does. Had it done so, I would have relaxed with it, but the 4 has fixed that with some extra bonuses in dynamic range and low light.

I’ve been trying out d-log m today. That is also really good and easy to ‘correct’. One thing at a time, but each time I try a new feature on it, I feel surprised by the results. It’s honestly an impressive camera. Both for Action video and now ……… general video and vlogging!!!

Thank you HDGC84. During Covid I had to make a series of 30 minute music videos for my Wife's music business to keep us going financially. I used three camcorders and the house was turned upside down to make it into a studio. During the videoing of many sequences, I was literally passing out on the floor. Then when I came to, carried on videoing. The series was made and we sold them to our customers which kept us afloat financially. They still get bought by new customers so they did us well, but boy did I suffer. My YouTube videos have been the same with me fainting etc. Gradually it got worse until this operation which has revived me to the point I'm out walking every day now and feel like a different bloke!

I'm 69 but my head tells me I'm 25.

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-10 06:38
Exactly 10 Bit!! Someone, I think on here said something about it being used for vlogging which made me laugh too. No I’m not really a FB type of person, but I do know what I like and I’m not blind! Thing is, this knocks the 3 right back.

To some extent, I feel the 3 should have been like this. I still feel that it wasn’t the camera for me, or I have been using a poor copy. It never ‘snapped’ on focus like this one does. Had it done so, I would have relaxed with it, but the 4 has fixed that with some extra bonuses in dynamic range and low light.

Sounds like you've been through some really harsh times. COVID has been a real mess for many, but even compared to that, having to exert yourself to the point of passing out like that sounds quite concerning. I hope it will stay better now. And glad to hear you're feeling more energetic after the operation.

Best wishes for the future and happy filming!

It has been rough, but OK now.

Here is today’s experiment. D-Log M.

I like shooting in D-Log M since I think color mode is too saturated.

johansenfoto Posted at 8-10 08:40
I like shooting in D-Log M since I think color mode is too saturated.

It’s very easy to grade in comparison to d-cinelike. The picture is extremely neutral.

I have Tamara’s LUTs and since there are three levels, you can choose the amount of ‘correction’ that you want. They seem to be pretty much spot on for most footage and nothing else is needed.

She noticed in her first batch that saturation came out a bit high so she adjusted them and sent out a second collection.

I might test a few on camera mics tomorrow. I tried a few today and with a powered mic, the noise levels and sound is very good.

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-10 06:38
Exactly 10 Bit!! Someone, I think on here said something about it being used for vlogging which made me laugh too. No I’m not really a FB type of person, but I do know what I like and I’m not blind! Thing is, this knocks the 3 right back.

To some extent, I feel the 3 should have been like this. I still feel that it wasn’t the camera for me, or I have been using a poor copy. It never ‘snapped’ on focus like this one does. Had it done so, I would have relaxed with it, but the 4 has fixed that with some extra bonuses in dynamic range and low light.

"I'm 69 but my head tells me I'm 25."

The sun is over 4 billion years old. So you can relax, you're still just an infant and lived only for 2 seconds or so.

osmonauta Posted at 8-10 12:41
"I'm 69 but my head tells me I'm 25."

The sun is over 4 billion years old. So you can relax, you're still just an infant and lived only for 2 seconds or so.

Haha! I think it was you who might have written the first comment that had me laughing! Also, your condolences on getting an Action 4 caused a titter or two!

Iancraig10 Posted at 8-10 10:48
It’s very easy to grade in comparison to d-cinelike. The picture is extremely neutral.

I have Tamara’s LUTs and since there are three levels, you can choose the amount of ‘correction’ that you want. They seem to be pretty much spot on for most footage and nothing else is needed.

I still haven't made any LUTs for OA4, but plan to color match it with OA3. They are not far from each other it seems like.