I know the OSMO Action 4 has a timecode feature, but the info on it is pretty vague. Does anyone know if it supports (1) jam sync (I think it does), (2) continuous sync (not sure), or (3) both?
I recently got the Deity TC-1, and during my first fishing trip, the first clip was off by 11 seconds. It seems like the time sync icon was activated, maybe by mistake or on its own. Not sure why else the first clip would be off like that.
Just discovered something odd—if you’re syncing two cameras and the OSMO Action 4 screen times out (about 30 seconds), waking it up by tapping the middle of the screen on the timecode page seems to trigger a time sync. This can mess up your sync if you’ve already set it up with a Deity or another device.
I was setting up two cameras, and one screen timed out. When I woke it up, it messed up my sync by 11 seconds, and I didn’t notice until I got home. The first clips were all off by 11 seconds. I think DJI needs to make a pop-up with a confirm option for timecode resets.
@Rory
Yeah, I just replied to you on the DJI forum too. There’s a bigger timecode issue with DJI that you might encounter. I made a video about it and reported it to them, but they admitted it’s a bug they won’t fix. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/TMY9J1RW6r4?si=gZ8pq1arTtcrrcsa
@Zinn
Is this just with looping? I only shoot continuously and edit the footage later 
Rory said:
@Zinn
Is this just with looping? I only shoot continuously and edit the footage later
Yeah, it seems tied to looping. But honestly, scrubbing through 4+ hours of footage takes me longer than fixing sync issues. It’s frustrating because it feels like an easy fix for them.
@Zinn
I usually use a third camera for underwater shots, and the timestamps help me edit quickly. Makes it a lot faster.
Does anyone know if the Action 5 Pro has better timecode support?
Vaughn said:
Does anyone know if the Action 5 Pro has better timecode support?
I haven’t upgraded yet, so I’m not sure. Curious to hear if it’s any better though.
I have both the Osmo 3 and 4 and use a Deity TC-1 Timecode generator as my main clock.
You can jam sync the Osmo by using a special USB-C to TRS male microphone cable (normal audio adapters won’t work). You need to be in the Timecode menu on the Osmo for it to sync.
Sadly, you can’t keep the TC-1 plugged in to maintain continuous sync, but you can record the timecode as an audio signal. I tested drift between the Osmo and TC-1: the Osmo 4 is a bit better than the Osmo 3, but after 30 minutes, there’s around a 5-6 frame difference. Still, I use it to sync with my Zoom F6 recorder, and it works fine for short recordings.
@Shan
That’s quite a bit of drift for 30 minutes! I’d expect that much only after 10-12 hours on a mid-range clock. Are you recording continuously or stopping and starting during those 30 minutes? Trying to see if there’s a way to avoid that much drift. I’m thinking about switching from my GoPro + Rode Wireless setup to an Osmo Action 4 + Tentacle Track E. I’d prefer a separate 32-bit audio track that can be synced automatically.
The Rode Wireless GO doesn’t seem to support true timecode syncing either, just continuous audio recording.
@Zinn
Oh, by 5-6 frames, what was the frame rate? If you were shooting at 120 fps, that’s no big deal, but at 24 fps, it’s more concerning.
Zinn said:
@Zinn
Oh, by 5-6 frames, what was the frame rate? If you were shooting at 120 fps, that’s no big deal, but at 24 fps, it’s more concerning.
It was 29.97 DF on the TC-1 and 30fps on the Osmo. I might just get another TC-1 for the Osmo 4 and use the timecode as audio instead. But yesterday, I recorded a 30-minute session with everything jam-synced, and it all lined up pretty well in post. I might need to redo my drift test.
@Shan
Interesting. Maybe if you set the TC-1 to a true 30fps, it would sync better with the Osmo? Could be worth trying, especially if the Osmo is actually running at 30fps and not 29.97.
Zinn said:
@Shan
Interesting. Maybe if you set the TC-1 to a true 30fps, it would sync better with the Osmo? Could be worth trying, especially if the Osmo is actually running at 30fps and not 29.97.
Oh, before you buy another TC-1, I have an idea. Why not jam sync the Osmo, record a clip of the TC-1’s display, and see if the timecodes stay in sync? You could use that to show DJI if there’s an issue. Maybe they could address it?
@Zinn
That’s a smart suggestion. I’ll try it. But I’ve read that even pro cameras like Blackmagic can drift if they’re only jam synced once and then disconnected. I doubt the Osmo is much different.
Still, it would be great if DJI allowed timecode to constantly update from an external generator. That would save me from recording the audio timecode track.
@Shan
Yeah, all cameras drift, but usually, you can get 4-6 hours with minor drift. If you’re seeing it after 15-30 minutes, that’s unusual. A 5-frame drift at 30 fps is only about 0.167 seconds, but if you’re shooting in segments over 6 hours, it could add up to 2 seconds, which you’ll definitely notice when syncing everything.
@Shan
And if you want to understand drift better, here’s a good video on it: https://youtu.be/xB3A4344WUM?si=Kb6YXsxNrxws_qBc
Zinn said:
@Shan
And if you want to understand drift better, here’s a good video on it: https://youtu.be/xB3A4344WUM?si=Kb6YXsxNrxws_qBc
Haha, that’s actually the video I based my drift info on!