Action Cameras - GoPro Hero 11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 3

[Caver Keith]

I needed to update my old GoPro Hero 6 so I read loads and loads of reviews and watched loads and loads of YouTube videos. The choice was between the GoPro Hero 11 Black and the DJI Osmo Action 3.

They both came out extremely well in the reviews but in the end I decided on the Action 3, mainly because of the front screen and the quick to attach/detach magnetic mount but mostly because it was fully compatible with my DJI wireless mics which incidentally are excellent.

I've tried every available setting and the image quality is nowhere near as good as that obtained with my old GoPro Hero 6. The images are grainy/noisy - very disappointing.

I wondered if I had bought a faulty unit so I tried it above ground. The 4K video is stunningly good. The image clarity is pin sharp. So the camera is okay.

Has anyone else tried the DJI Osmo Action 3 underground? What is your opinion?
Is there a hidden setting I've somehow missed or am I just doing something fundamentally wrong.

Keith

 

[Steve Clark]

I don't own the camera, but flicking through the DJI manual, maybe a few things to try :

Not sure how the HDR video mode works, but if it's taking multiple frames at different exposure and stacking, you could have a much higher real frame rate/shutter speed and it's pushing up the ISO to compensate and introducing noise. It may be better turning HDR mode off and letting it just run normally at 30 or 60fps.

The lens is fixed so the wider FOV setting (GoPro calls it Superwide / DJI Ultrawide) uses the whole sensor rather than a crop. Any noise will be smaller in full frame. This may limit the digital stabilisation options though.

Try changing the colour profile too. Whichever mode 'greatly improves' the shadows probably just increases the brightness in the shadows/most of the cave and brings all the noise up with it.

I've got a HERO 8 black and it seems really good underground once I turned off some of the fancy processing.

 

[Caver Keith]

Thanks Steve.
I've tried it with and without HDR and have set the frame rate to 30fps to maximise the exposure.
I've also turned off image stabilisation which I understand does not work well in low light settings.
I had not thought of changing the colour profile. I will try this and see it that helps.
However, so far the image quality with my Hero 6 is far superior.