I have a very bad experience with the new Osmo Action3 camera: at a sports event, after about 40 minutes of recording, it reported overheating and stopped recording. Key moments are missing.
Now I tested overheating at home, room temperature 22 degrees celsius, last firmware, results:
- 1080P50/RS mode: records for about 32 minutes, then overheats and stops recording
- 2.7KP50/RS mode: records for about 24 minutes, then overheats and stops recording.

The old GoPro5 I DJI replaced never had a problem with this.
Is this normal behavior? Or do I have a defective piece?

Did you had the screens on? With the screens off you should reach 50 minutes and more.

sd- card issue?

JustName Posted at 11-5 09:49
Did you had the screens on? With the screens off you should reach 50 minutes and more.

Screen off, I have set 5s automatically

lutzmix Posted at 11-5 09:58
sd- card issue?

Do you have experience SD card connected with overheating?
I use Sandis k Extreme Plus 128 GB, and in the second camera (gopro5) it works without problems.

Mine is almost exactly the same times if you record continuously in a place without much air flow e.g. Car.
It is nothing to do with SD cards or screen but it only does it at higher frame rates.
I can record 4k at 26fps until the battery goes.

4wd Posted at 11-5 10:22
Mine is almost exactly the same times if you record continuously in a place without much air flow e.g. Car.
It is nothing to do with SD cards or screen but it only does it at higher frame rates.
I can record 4k at 26fps until the battery goes.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
Now I'm trying 2.7K25FPS and it's already recording over 90 minutes without overheating. So you're right. And I'm very disappointed.
I need 50 FPS, recording fast-paced sports.

The old Gopro 5 Hero from 2016, 6 years old technology, can handle it without overheating.
So where is the innovation? And why DJI and its influencers brag about how the DJI Action 3 has no problem with overheating. When it's not true, grrr.
This looks like misleading the consumer.
DJI?

You have to remember old cameras have less powerful chipsets. The chips in these newer cameras are so powerful now, and with that power comes heat. You can't compare a 6 year old camera with the latest and greatest, and expect them to run the same. If thats the case, then your better sticking with your Hero 5! You now have to consider bit rate, the larger sensors, and so on. All push the latest chipsets to run harder, resulting in more heat. All the latest cameras suffer from it.

SportsVideo Posted at 11-5 11:48
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Now I'm trying 2.7K25FPS and it's already recording over 90 minutes without overheating. So you're right. And I'm very disappointed.
I need 50 FPS, recording fast-paced sports.

Hi, SportsVideo. Thank you for reaching out and we're sorry for the inconvenience. IftiBashir is actually correct. The new devices are now equipt with powerful chipsets so that you can record at higher bit rates and higher resolutions. Osmo Action 3 can shoot 4K/120fps videos at a bitrate of up to 130 Mbps, and the actual video file generated in one minute can be as large as 900 MB. With its compact and portable design, Action 3 inevitably dissipates heat when processing such a large amount of data in a short period of time, which is an irresistible physical law. The camera was designed with special attention to the heat dissipation issue. To ensure the normal performance of the camera, the internal heat is designed to be conducted to the lens cover, front and rear screens, and body itself through heat sinks and silicone grease. Additionally, strict tests have been made to ensure that the camera temperature is within a reasonable range during long-term recording.

Action 3 mainly focuses on sports scenarios such as skiing, diving, and cycling, where wind can assist the camera in heat dissipation when recording videos with a high resolution or frame rate, which, thereby, makes it possible to record longer videos. If you mainly use it to record your daily life or activities, we recommend you record at 1080p@30fps, as 1080p@30fps is currently the mainstream video format online, and it can also reduce your storage space and facilitate your editing afterward. Thank you for your kind understanding and support.

DJI Gamora Posted at 11-5 15:06
Hi, SportsVideo. Thank you for reaching out and we're sorry for the inconvenience. IftiBashir is actually correct. The new devices are now equipt with powerful chipsets so that you can record at higher bit rates and higher resolutions. Osmo Action 3 can shoot 4K/120fps videos at a bitrate of up to 130 Mbps, and the actual video file generated in one minute can be as large as 900 MB. With its compact and portable design, Action 3 inevitably dissipates heat when processing such a large amount of data in a short period of time, which is an irresistible physical law. The camera was designed with special attention to the heat dissipation issue. To ensure the normal performance of the camera, the internal heat is designed to be conducted to the lens cover, front and rear screens, and body itself through heat sinks and silicone grease. Additionally, strict tests have been made to ensure that the camera temperature is within a reasonable range during long-term recording.

Action 3 mainly focuses on sports scenarios such as skiing, diving, and cycling, where wind can assist the camera in heat dissipation when recording videos with a high resolution or frame rate, which, thereby, makes it possible to record longer videos. If you mainly use it to record your daily life or activities, we recommend you record at 1080p@30fps, as 1080p@30fps is currently the mainstream video format online, and it can also reduce your storage space and facilitate your editing afterward. Thank you for your kind understanding and support.

Thank you for your response. But I still don't get it. You wrote, powerful chipsets so that you can record at higher bit rates and higher resolutions,120 FPS.

That was the main reason why I bought the DJI Action 3. But you don't say anywhere that it can only record a few minutes. And the fact that it can't handle "old" resolutions like 1080 at more than 25 FPS for a long time, a super powerful chipset should be able to handle that without any problems. Don't you think?

And I'm comparing it to the GoPro Hero 5 because it's the 6 year old camera I have at my disposal that can do it. And it records in the same resolution and FPS (2.7K 50 FPS), 60 mbps bitrate and manages it all the time, so I don't compare it to any super resolution and FPS like 4K 120 FPS with 130 mbps bitrate.

I appreciate that the Action 3 has great battery life, 5 GHz wifi, two displays, a powerful chipset.
As a customer, you lured me in with how you can achieve super high bitrates and high resolution and FPS, it is written in the tests
"Thanks to improved thermals, the only limit on 4K/60fps recording is how long the battery will last."

But the DJI Action 3 I have can't handle it, it can't even handle basic 1080 at 50 FPS.
But what about it now? If I want to record more than 25 FPS, will it overheat?

SportsVideo Posted at 11-5 23:47
Thank you for your response. But I still don't get it. You wrote, powerful chipsets so that you can record at higher bit rates and higher resolutions,120 FPS.

That was the main reason why I bought the DJI Action 3. But you don't say anywhere that it can only record a few minutes. And the fact that it can't handle "old" resolutions like 1080 at more than 25 FPS for a long time, a super powerful chipset should be able to handle that without any problems. Don't you think?

New technology = more heat.
This is just physics because newer technology have smaller compontents making them faster but also create more heat.

Same with old computers that could actually run without a fan, but nowdays it will instantly heat up and stop.

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the camera  should work with a correct card with the correct settings.

recording first sign of overheat is the screen will warn you in 3 seconds the screen will shut down due to overheat, you are saying you simply just shut down? and not continue recording?

osmonauta Posted at 11-6 04:24
Just tested mine. Started with 77% battery. 1080p / 60fps / RockSteady / full auto / SanDisk Extreme 64G. About 21C room temp. Camera is on tripod. Screen off after 3 seconds. I got 90 minutes and a few seconds recording. If I started at 100% battery (an extra 23%), I’d say that’s close to 2 hours recording. The camera was barely warm to the touch.

Interesting, I tried the same setup, tripod, 1080P60 and after 26 minutes my camera reported "Device overheated. reccording stopped" and it is very hot, especially on the lens cap.

Could you write me the firmware version and camera version? It's in Settings and Device Info. Txs.

Fishycomics Posted at 11-6 04:25
the camera  should work with a correct card with the correct settings.

recording first sign of overheat is the screen will warn you in 3 seconds the screen will shut down due to overheat, you are saying you simply just shut down? and not continue recording?

yes, agree, camera should work.
The camera beeps, turns on the display and announces "Device overheated. Recording stopped." The camera is still on, it is not recording and it is not possible to turn on the recording.

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osmonauta Posted at 11-6 10:21
I am up to date with the latest firmware(s):

Firmware: 01.01.05.40

4k 50fps backscreen on. 45min

thank you for that info.  when I tested the 4K120F like the Action 1 it will warn you that  the screen  will go off first the again if touched and   sometime later eventually  shut down,

osmonauta Posted at 11-6 10:21
I am up to date with the latest firmware(s):

Firmware: 01.01.05.40

Thank you for the information.
I have the same firmware versions.
Battery -- I tried, I have a combi version with 3 batteries (in a great box, really, good idea from DJI). Every battery with the same result -- overheating.

I just ordered a new SD card, recommended by DJI.

I also found that the EU and non-EU versions may behave differently:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/4114272017/dji-announces-osmo-action-3-with-4k-120p-recording-longer-lasting-battery

⁶ Due to consumer product regulations, the maximum operating temperature limit in the EU is 48° C. Resulting recording times may vary.

Do you have EU version of camera?

SportsVideo Posted at 11-5 23:47
Thank you for your response. But I still don't get it. You wrote, powerful chipsets so that you can record at higher bit rates and higher resolutions,120 FPS.

That was the main reason why I bought the DJI Action 3. But you don't say anywhere that it can only record a few minutes. And the fact that it can't handle "old" resolutions like 1080 at more than 25 FPS for a long time, a super powerful chipset should be able to handle that without any problems. Don't you think?

Hi there, thank you for the response. It also depends on how you're using it. As mentioned above, Action 3 mainly focuses on sports scenarios such as skiing, diving, and cycling, where wind can assist the camera in heat dissipation when recording videos with a high resolution or frame rate, which, thereby, makes it possible to record longer videos. Even if you're in a room temperature environment but there's no wind and you're using it with the max resolution and fps, it might really overheat. Please try to use 1080p@30fps for longer video recording after you receive the new SD card. If the issue persists, I'm afraid that you may consider sending the unit in for a proper diagnosis. You can contact our support team to start up a ticket at https://www.dji.com/support. Also, the warranty can be applied depending on the outcome of the damage assessment including the warranty period of your unit. Thank you for your understanding and support.

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osmonauta Posted at 11-6 15:34
I have purchased it in the EU, yes.

So I bought a new SD card Samsung Pro Plus 256GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 sd card recommended by DJI for Action 3. And I ran the tests with the results:

Parameters + codec	Recording time before overheating [min]	Battery status after overheating (from 100%)	Camera temperature at the end
1080P25 HEVC	until the battery is exhausted		warm
1080P50 HEVC	until the battery is exhausted		hot
1080P50 H264	until the battery is exhausted		hot
2.7K25 HEVC	until the battery is exhausted		hot
2.7K50 HEVC	34.8 min	67%	very hot
2.7K50 H264	35.2 min	67%	very hot
4K25 HVEC	until the battery is exhausted		hot
4K50 H264	26.5 min	77%	very hot
4K50 HVEC	26.8 min	74%	very hot

Test condition:
DJI Action3 camera without cover and without rubber lens protection, display off after 3s, stabilization RS, camera on tripod,
New ssd card Samsung Pro Plus 256GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 recommended by DJI
Original battery 100% charged
Room temperature 21 degrees Celsius
The test always starts with a completely cold camera and battery


Conclusion:
the new SD card helped a little (the time before it overheated increased a little). The camera manages perfectly 25/30 FPS in all resolutions. Anything more (2.7K 50 FPS and more) will cause the camera to overheat. It doesn't matter what codec is used (HEVC or H264)
The youtube and web tests I bought the camera from that show the camera can handle 4K60 FPS without overheating are weird -- either it's a fake, or I have a defective camera, or DJI makes multiple versions and sells a different one to non-youtubers.


I am disappointed.

this I will test, real persons test, like said will test out  if you feel you bought a fake camera   where did you buy it at DJI, or the store you always shop at?  let the test roll watch at any point of the vid after done if missed it live

SportsVideo Posted at 11-13 02:02
So I bought a new SD card Samsung Pro Plus 256GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 sd card recommended by DJI for Action 3. And I ran the tests with the results:

Try it again, but with RS off. There is no sense for RS using tripod.

we would want to use the full potential of the action camera. if I were doing a  video in a room just a desk, yes that be where I want RS OFF but since we need to do these tests for all its on as I am demonstrating live. 20 plus no overheating issue. what will I recordfor 2 hours, nothing

As camera overheating but running like said   the camera has yet to  shut down due to an overheat. see above live at over 30 minutes in

SportsVideo Posted at 11-13 02:02
So I bought a new SD card Samsung Pro Plus 256GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 sd card recommended by DJI for Action 3. And I ran the tests with the results:

Try it outside where it's wind.

Gopro will overheat even faster than any other cameras

I have the overheating problem as well.
When I first tried the camera, it recorded somewhere between 30-60 minutes (I don't remember exactly) 4K120 footage, and it recorded 4K60 until the battery died. It also had a "warning", that camera overheated, turns off the screen after 3 seconds, but it continued recording for a long time.
Now in 4K60 it kind of works when there is some light breeze around the camera (simply standing on the desk it may record 20 minutes or so), but the "switching off the screen" trick has completely vanished. The crazy thing is that the camera or the battery is about lukewarm. I am not sure at all that I will be able even to start any kind of recording in a summer heatwave.
Yes, EU version. The camera and my hands would be able to handle 5-10 more °C without a problem, and I expect that it would make a huge difference in the runtime.

I was running an overheating test on my OA3. At a temperature of +22 degrees Celsius, she recorded until the battery charge ran out. The quality was 4k/60fps, rockstedy on! She stopped recording because the place on the map ran out. The Sandisk Extreme 64 GB card. There was still 15% of the battery left. It recorded about 1 hour and 20 minutes. So, she continued to record without problems for a very long time, more than one hour.  There was no overheating message either.   I am very pleased with this result.
I don't know why you have such a problem, very strange....

Just a little breeze should give it enough cooling I think.

johansenfoto Posted at 11-29 02:35
Just a little breeze should give it enough cooling I think.

A little breeze (windshield heating in a car) did solve the 4K60 overheat issue, which I am fine with this way. Primarily I would like to use the camera on my bicycle helmet anyway, and even the Action 2 was fine with it.
What my concern is that what will the camera do when it is 37-40°C outside. I did not feel the camera itself that hot (I have no infra camera, so I can't give exact temperature )

  maybe pull the batt anduse a powerbank

RelakS Posted at 11-29 03:36
A little breeze (windshield heating in a car) did solve the 4K60 overheat issue, which I am fine with this way. Primarily I would like to use the camera on my bicycle helmet anyway, and even the Action 2 was fine with it.
What my concern is that what will the camera do when it is 37-40°C outside. I did not feel the camera itself that hot (I have no infra camera, so I can't give exact temperature  )

I once got my old OA1 to overheat during winter in my car when I used it as dashcam recording in 4K @ 60 fps, my GoPro 10 did it also.
But all action cameras are ment for being outdoors, and not in direct sunlight for a longer period of time.

johansenfoto Posted at 11-29 03:53
I once got my old OA1 to overheat during winter in my car when I used it as dashcam recording in 4K @ 60 fps, my GoPro 10 did it also.
But all action cameras are ment for being outdoors, and not in direct sunlight for a longer period of time.

I have a dash cam, so I just try the camera, what can it do and what not. However, for a couple of years, I used a SJCAM M10 and a Yi 4K+, they were fine. Of course, none of them had image stabilisation (all dash cam should have something like this DJI cam has anyway).
However, turning off the function, that the OA3 records for a long time after it does not allow the touch screen to be turned on is kind of a bummer. Even if it would not be activated during cycling. The camera wasn't that hot anyway, while the function was active. At least, in the outside.
I don't want my camera to turn off because of overheat while I am waiting at a red light in the summer

I don't know the exact EU legislation regarding this, but if we could opt out, it would be handy. Even if the camera would warn us at every turn on, that it can be (very) hot. (and make us confirm it every time to make sure that the message goes through)

Yi technoogy claimed they had the coolest camera their temps ran

Hi, today I had the very same experience. I was filming an hour-long school event where kids sing Christmas songs, also after nearly 25 minutes of filming 2.7k 50p the Osmo overheated and stopped recording so i took out the hot battery and put in a new one, which lasted about 15 minutes, and overheat again, I put in the 3rd battery and that lasted only about 10 minutes. I am extremely disappointed in this because for that price - a device that cannot even film for an hour straight, that's a terrible device. And it was in a school gym room so a big room, not really heated much...

PEchiOnlajn Posted at 12-15 08:18
Hi, today I had the very same experience. I was filming an hour-long school event where kids sing Christmas songs, also after nearly 25 minutes of filming 2.7k 50p the Osmo overheated and stopped recording so i took out the hot battery and put in a new one, which lasted about 15 minutes, and overheat again, I put in the 3rd battery and that lasted only about 10 minutes. I am extremely disappointed in this because for that price - a device that cannot even film for an hour straight, that's a terrible device. And it was in a school gym room so a big room, not really heated much...

I think that because it’s a small action cam and water tight, so no air going through makes it the wrong kind of camera for static long clips. GoPros are the very same.

Their size and water resistance actually works against them in that kind of situation.

PEchiOnlajn Posted at 12-15 08:18
Hi, today I had the very same experience. I was filming an hour-long school event where kids sing Christmas songs, also after nearly 25 minutes of filming 2.7k 50p the Osmo overheated and stopped recording so i took out the hot battery and put in a new one, which lasted about 15 minutes, and overheat again, I put in the 3rd battery and that lasted only about 10 minutes. I am extremely disappointed in this because for that price - a device that cannot even film for an hour straight, that's a terrible device. And it was in a school gym room so a big room, not really heated much...

After fw 1.2.10.10 too. We have to wait for an update, they screwed up somewhere......they are going to catch up with GP. There are many test videos, how OA3 does not overheat until the battery runs out (because it did not do HDR or enhancements) and now they have a successful advertisement, so they allow themselves to overheat because they are laborious computing operations burdening processing => more work => more heat => more ours trouble
The interesting thing is that it does this even with the new features turned off......

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PEchiOnlajn Posted at 12-15 08:18
Hi, today I had the very same experience. I was filming an hour-long school event where kids sing Christmas songs, also after nearly 25 minutes of filming 2.7k 50p the Osmo overheated and stopped recording so i took out the hot battery and put in a new one, which lasted about 15 minutes, and overheat again, I put in the 3rd battery and that lasted only about 10 minutes. I am extremely disappointed in this because for that price - a device that cannot even film for an hour straight, that's a terrible device. And it was in a school gym room so a big room, not really heated much...

Screen on or off?

I think have screen on while make it overheat really fast.