Dash cams and action cams are great to use on track days, so if you’re a circuit regular you’ll want to hear about the new DJI Osmo Action 4.
If you use an action cam that doubles up as a track day camera, the chances are that you use a GoPro. I mean, they are the market leader after all. However, it appears that there’s a new challenger to the crown.
DJI isn’t a brand to be messed with. They’re already one of the primary names in the civilian drone market (and are pretty handy with the accompanying cameras too). For a while, DJI has been plucking away at GoPro’s market share with three previous iterations of its Osmo action cam, but now there’s a fourth generation. Here’s what it has to offer:
Headline Features
Right then, here’s the key stats for all you camera geeks. The DJI Osmo Action 4 comes equipped with the ability to shoot 120p/4K video and has a 1/1.3″ image sensor, plus wide f/2.8 aperture. If you understand exactly what that means, you’re doing better than me, but we’re reliably informed that those specs make it a genuine challenger to the GoPro Hero 11. You also get 2.5 hours of charge, so your brakes will probably fade before its battery does.
Useful for track days
In the context of a track day, there’s a few features that jump out as being particularly useful. For example, you can specify it with an adhesive base kit – a simple touch, but one that means fitting it to your dash couldn’t be simpler.
It’s got three built-in microphones which not only reduce wind noise as much as possible, but also record from various different directions. In theory, that’ll give your track day recording some real sound depth – it’ll almost feel like you’re back in the cockpit when watching your footage. Plus, voice controls might come in handy if you don’t want to take your hands off the wheel on a hot lap.
It does come with stabilization too, but to be honest, we’d advise against using that setting as it can take away some of the intensity of the ride. Plus, without having to worry about stabilization, the DJI Osmo Action 4 is able to offer you a 155-degree field of view instead.
If you’re the sort that likes to upload your track escapades to social media then the Osmo Action 4 also offers a number of different gimmicks to add some jazz to your footage; from the ability to timelapse, to a proper Slow Motion mode. Stitching everything together will be nice and simple too, thanks to compatibility with the LightCut editing app.
Oh, and it’s waterproof up to 59 feet, but if you end up putting that to the test then something has gone spectacularly, impressively wrong!
Pricing & Availability
If you fancy picking up the DJI Osmo Action 4, you can buy it directly from the manufacturer, or via tech retailers across the globe. The base retail price is $399/£379, though you an also buy the Adventure Combo kit for $499/£469. We wouldn’t bother with that though, unless you’re also an extreme wilderness explorer.
Want to check out some other options? Try these track day camera alternatives!
