This new Action 5 PRO does not seem to hold up compared to the Action 4. You can’t switch off HDR tone mapping, and the color looks off. DJI seems to have pushed their dynamic range too hard instead of upgrading the sensor for a real pro version. People should check a comparison video to see how much worse the Action 5 looks next to the Action 4.
The texture and sharpness settings are way too harsh even at -2, plus in-camera processing for noise reduction can’t be turned off, which limits real pro users from working creatively in post production.
Unlike GoPro Labs, which lets you customize your settings extensively, DJI doesn’t offer any options like that.
There are serious flaws with this camera, like sudden exposure changes causing flickering in tough lighting conditions, such as mountain biking or moving between sunlight and shadows, which can ruin your footage. Plus, in low light, there’s a floating vignette in D-LOG M that makes the footage unusable.
And come on, DJI hasn’t even made a decent lens guard to fix those awful green flares from bright lights. It’s terrible for night shoots in the city and can ruin footage even in bright daylight. At least create an aftermarket lens for those issues.
Overall, the Action 5 feels like a huge letdown and doesn’t really compare to the Ace Pro 2. It has worse low light performance and color profile, and the Ace Pro lets you turn off HDR, which tones down the overly bright look. The Action 4 is a much better camera in general.
DJI, please fix your camera already; it’s been months since release and now there’s talk about the Action 6.
DJI releases products so quickly that they never really fix anything later. Honestly, their action cameras aren’t even as good as an iPhone with ProRes on a rig.
They feel like cheap body cameras with little sensors and similar specs, just the same tech repackaged every year and only the specs are updated within tiers like their drones.
There’s not a whole lot to improve in tiny action cam sensors over time. For what it’s worth, we find iPhones give better results than action cams, and that’s saying something coming from someone who doesn’t like Apple. But a used iPhone with the right gear is a better investment.
@Parker
I would consider using an iPhone if I could strap it to my helmet for action sports. If you’re vlogging or need something for family trips, then yeah, high-end smartphones are way better than the current action cam options.
But there’s still a lot of room for improvement with these cameras. They could easily include a one-inch sensor with AI for focusing. It’s possible, but why bother when they can keep releasing the same stuff?
My main issue is the serious flaws that go beyond standard action cam problems, problems that the Action 4 didn’t have, which is priced lower without those issues.
You’d be surprised at the footage you can get from a GoPro using GoPro Labs and handling noise reduction and sharpening in post. Even with their small sensors, the problem is, while DJI has the sensor advantage, they offer nothing in the way of real pro settings. You can’t even switch off HDR, which my cheap smartphone can do.
