The fish bites, the kid lands the trick and the whale breaches about one second before anyone presses record. DJI’s answer on its Osmo Action 4 is to keep filming in the background and save what happened just before you reacted, one of several reasons this camera is worth a look now that the DJI Osmo Action 4 Standard Combo goes from $299 to $191 on Amazon (-36%). No Prime membership is needed for that price.
Pre-Recording, a Large Sensor and 59 Feet Underwater
The function is called Pre-Rec, and it arrived through a software update. Once enabled, the camera holds a rolling buffer and, when you press the button, keeps the 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 seconds that came before. DJI suggests it for fishing, which makes sense, and it applies just as well to wildlife, skate parks and children who never repeat anything on request. The same update added support for highlights.
Image quality rests on a 1/1.3-inch sensor, large for this type of camera, with 2.4-micron pixels that gather more light. That is what separates usable footage from grainy mush at dusk, on a forest trail or a few meters under the surface, where DJI says the automatic white balance keeps colors true to life. Video goes up to 4K at 120 frames per second for slow motion, through a lens covering 155 degrees. People who color-grade their footage get 10-bit recording and DJI’s flat D-Log M profile, and three stabilization modes keep the horizon steady on a bike or a board. DJI also pitches it as a motorcycle camera, a use where the wide angle and the stabilization matter more than resolution.
Outdoors, the camera is waterproof to 18 meters, or 59 feet, which covers snorkeling and shallow dives. The 1,770mAh battery is given for up to 150 minutes and keeps working down to -4°F, a detail skiers will appreciate, since cold is what often drains an action camera before the second chairlift. Both figures carry footnotes on DJI’s page, so I’d read them as upper limits. Mounting is magnetic: the camera snaps onto its base, locks, and can be turned vertical in a couple of seconds for social video.
For sound, the Osmo Action 4 connects directly to a DJI Mic 2 or Mic Mini transmitter, sold separately, which spares vloggers a receiver and a cable. Two things should be clear before buying. This is not DJI’s most recent action camera, and newer generations exist for those who want the latest sensor. And the Standard Combo includes a single battery with the curved adhesive base, whereas the Adventure Combo, with three batteries and an extension rod, stays at $339. For a first action camera, I think the Standard kit at this price is the sensible entry point.
Open to everyone, the DJI Osmo Action 4 Standard Combo costs $191 on Amazon against a list price of $299, with free returns. The Essential Combo, which drops the adhesive base, is listed at $181 for Prime members only.