I have GoPro 10 at first I was happy and for the last 6 months it just makes me angrier and angrier every day… I think if gopro will carry on the path they are on now, they gonna go busted. The price range is stupid too. You can buy action 3 and external mic frontiers price of GoPro 11. I will crash my GoPro will get a new one, I will sell it and will buy an action sono 3 😂 well that’s my plan
@@xxsilver_gamingxx389 that’s a good question to which I have no answer but I would say if you want GoPro go for 12 or action 4. I’m using action 3 at the moment and I couldn’t be happier
Had considered the DJI O A 3 some weeks ago until I started seeing the reviews with the focus problems. Yours aleviated my fears about the problem not being fixed and I've oredered one. Thanks for the reviews and update!
Looks pretty good. I love the fact that DJI in general goes the distance when it comes to addressing concerns and issues. This is the same with the DJI Mini 3 Pro signal issues. After the firmware update everything works much better. Consistent performance improvements as well.
Glad I made the decision to get the Action 3. I don't regret the purchase even if it had some kinks at the beginning. I'm pretty confident in DJI's ability to fix issues post-release.
I've spent the last month watching endless videos of the DJI Action 3. I want to love it because of the clever design, accessories and no signs of overheating but between the focus issue, poor dynamic range, poor exposure shifts and terrible compression artifacts during actual action (ie. running, biking, even walking in the woods around trees and branches etc.) I decided to sit this one out. It looks great when you're just standing still or casually walking but any type of action the image falls apart too much for me.
Hmmmm still looks kinda soft in the foreground and sharper in the background. 2:26, the bushes on the right are in perfect focus, even the leaves in the background are sharp and clear. Your hat, face and hair though are very soft looking. I think a side by side with the Hero 11 would have been a good test, but yeah, still looks soft. Actually, looking at the bottom of your jacket, the zipper itself looks fine and in focus, but as you pan up and look at the zipper above your sling back, that's soft and out of focus. So maybe it's not a dept thing as much as a "Center of image" focus? Almost like a round shaped blur in the middle of the lens, slight, but noticeable. 5:10 after the firmware update, things do look a lot sharper. Your woolen hat for instance, you can make out the knit a lot better. 5:25 you can make out the teeth of the zipper above your sling bag, so that is a noticeable improvement.
I think it is better. I have this camera and really like it. Works every time you take it out without freezing. Thanks for the video as always. Believe it or not I use and shoot with the Action 2 and have found many uses for that camera as well. It just got a very bad release due to the over heating issue. Would love to see those two side by side.
I honestly did not notice any soft focus issues as I don't use Action3 footage professionally. After the firmware update man was I wrong! The difference is very noticeable, definitely better the last updates. Good job DJI on this one. Footage looks far better now!
It looks sharp as long as there isn't much movement. When there is movement, it seems to be softer during the movement but sharpen right back up when the movement stops. I have tried three different Action 3 cameras and they all had the same soft/sharp effect during movement. I compared my Action 2 to the Action 3 side by side in editing software and, although the firmware has sharpened the image, it still is not as sharp as my Action 2 when both were in 4k/30 mode.
The Osmo Action 3 has the same problem as the Pixel 7 pro selfie camera. They are fixed focal lengths, thus, to achieve infinity focus, they had to calibrate it at the manufacturing stage. But there's a minimum focus distance. Below 50-70cm you won't have optimal focus. No firmware update can fix this, this is a hardware design of the lens. If they do increase sharpness to "cheat" it's at the detriment of further objects, will be oversharpened.
It's good to see DJI have released much better batch of cameras with no focus issues, DJI rocksteady plus crops a lot of image but definitely has the best stabilisation, the latest firmware update has changed the game, DJI OA3 seems to perform much better in colder conditions compared to hero 11 black.
The focus seems to be good. However, it's blowing out the clouds and puts you in the shadows. The new firmware did improve the overall image quality, though. Thank you for the review. Happy New Year Martin and Suzi!!
Good video. Thanks. Image quality is Day and Night different. I have researched this camera extensively. Issue was with hardware. New units have this issue fixed. Some great additional enhancements in the firmware. Invisible selfie stick on snow. Lower price. RELIABLE. Hero 11 is defeated, in my opinion.
Great detailed video. Appears to be better yet still soft. I may be biased because I'm m on my 4th Osmo Action 3 replacement and still feel it is not right. It would be awesome if you can take a snapshot of the back of the box from 12" away in standard (Dewarp) mode and share. I have compared the same shot to a GoPro Hero 5. The Hero 5 is way sharper than the Action 3. Currently going back and forth with DJI and now they told me the soft image/focus is "This phenomenon is normal. Replacement will not solve it. This camera is NOT designed for close-up photography at all. Any further repair/replacement regarding the "close-up focus issue" should not be honored, since it's NOT a product defect. Funny thing is, 12"/.3m/3cm is their min camera to subject distance that should be in focus!! Love the camera but am losing faith.
"This camera is NOT designed for close-up photography at all" Indeed. Apparently they can't design a fixed focus system that keeps the nearby and distant objects all in good focus at the same time. So this camera is really not good for vlogging, but may be okay for action footage.
Significant difference/improvement in focus/clarity with the update, but I also heard in other YT videos that DJI's first batch of the Action 3 had this problem and that subsequent batches do NOT have this problem. So, I'm wondering if DJI did any additional tweaks, other than the user-available update(s), to fix this and/or other related problems that would warrant returning your unit for one from a newer batch?
I watched on an iPad. After the update it looks quite oversharpened. Look at the artifacts in the trees behind the garbage containers at 03:26 when you are sitting on the bench. DJI should allow lowering the sharpening. The usability of this camera appears great in the field to change settings quickly, but I suspect the GoPro image quality is one step above
Hmmm... After update you're holding the camera much further than the before update shots. Then at the end when you do hold it a bit closer it still doesn't look tack sharp though it does look a little bit better. I still don't know what to think of this I really want to get it but don't want an out of focus shot.
After 3 cameras returned I finally got a camera that worked with camera no 4 😂 , yours is much improved after the update which what we all wanted 👍 the battery is really much better than my GoPro 10 which kept telling my battery was low at 95% when used in cold conditions the other day 😂. I’m glad you gave dji another go 📷👍
The focus looks better, but still not as good as the Hero 11. Thanks for testing a newer version of the Action 3 out. I think I will pass on the Action 3 and wait for the Action 4, which could arrived about nine months from now. Great video, and thanks for sharing.
The later batch are also having focus issue. My unit is manufacture date: 2022/11 Nov batch with latest firmware. Still having focus problem. I did a comparison between my Pocket 2. Clearly out of focus. I had upload the photos and video to google drive. Also contacted my local DJI Service center. They advised me to send back to them today. So, I will send out tomorrow.
Looks much better, especially after updating firmware. The ultra wide looks great with steady+ on. I am a big fan of dji, and I am still using Action 1 after returning my action 3. I think Dji can do much better with image quality, and this is why I will wait for the next action 4, which I am sure will be a much improved action cam. For now, this new one has looked much better than your first one, but I am sure Dji can do much better.
Absolutely agree with you. I returned Action 3 48hours since I got it. Big problem focusing face, after updating firmware only my eyes were on focus, not my face
i recently bought the nov batch (adventure combo) and update to the latest firmware. no softness so far aside it cant focus too near. and yes after checking many reviewers review, it is almost confirm that nov batch have no issues with the soft focus. Plus with the firmware update it has sharpen the video quality alot as seen on your video.
I just saw a video from 2 weeks ago on another RU-vid addressing this issue. He emphasized that the issue is still there. I bought the new one hoping that newer batch wouldn’t have this issue but it’s still there. The firmware update seems only enhanced the sharpness rather than fixing the focus itself.
It’s a tricky problem to pinpoint because not every camera has this problem. There are a lot of OA3 videos on YT without any focus problems, so it really seems like luck of the draw if you get a faulty unit or not. Personally, I find the focus still a touch soft, but I think it is better than the first unit I had.
@@Gemini_Connect I agree. Especially for average people, it’s hard to tell if it’s out of focus or not without comparing side by side with another device.
Imo there's a second issue that almost needs critical fixing as much as the focus and that's the blown out highlights especially when it comes to the sky. You barely ever see clouds unless you point straight at them. But it seems to be a general dji things since my dji pocket 2 is the same, just as the action 2. That's the one reason why I got a Gopro 11 after all instead. Colors, brightness exposure and such are just way better and more natural. The footage can be used straight out of camera. I can't say the same about the Pocket 2 especially when it comes to skin tones which look straight up terrible, especially in artifical lighting situations
Yeah, I have to agree. The color and range is SOOOO much better on GP. In fact, GP is 1000 x better except for the freeze and liquify issues. Damn, I wish they would fix them. I just bought the Action 3 and am completely underwhelmed.
Firmware or not, in my case, it was a lens adjustment issue. I have 3 of them and I did return all 3 for repair and one of them 3 times. All are now OK and beats all other brands. The codec is better in this cam and Insta360 dans gopro. I shoot long time video and the splitted files are joined without any sync problem as for Insta360. Don't ever buy Gopro if you plan to record for a long time (more than 10 mins) because there is ramdon 0 to 2 frames overlap between files which is a pain in the neck in post. Also Gopro file naming convention is not convenient for multiple session recording. Cheers
Thanks, I've been waiting for your opinion, more understandable for the common camera peeps! Regarding normal cameras, as P&S camera's are overrun by phone camera's, I still wanted a camera camera. Based on yours and all the reviews, even by this amateur, GoPro 11 still has better colors, shadows, sharpness. But owning the GoPro 8, freezing, overheating, since I'm not an action guy, can't handle the unfriendliness. Action 3 looks like the common person, user friendly, better action camera to have. Glad they fixed the issues. Can't wait to get one now. Thanks again for reviewing the updated version!
Focus looks good can read Patagonia on your jacket. My 4th replacement camera manufactured November 22 is giving me much better results than previous camera's 👍
Physical problems can't be fixed with new firmware. The firmware masks the problem but doesn't remove it. Buying an A3 at the moment (March 2022) is still a gamble. I would be extremely cautious.
How do we know if what is available in a store is from "the new batch"? Thank you! Btw, you are an awesome reviewer. Actually using the camera you are reviewing for every frame of your review. Most YTbers don't.
At the bottom of the box there is a Y/M number, this is the production date. Mine says 2023/2. The focus seems ok, but struggles with sudden movements of the camera - like sharp bumps in the road when motovlogging.
Mine was produced 12/2022 and still same issue. After upgrading firmware only my eyes were a bit focused, not my face. So I returned 3 days later since I got it
I definitely think IQ has improved. More detail. Fine details may look a little crunchy. IDK. I’m curious about the long term stability of your HERO11. The lack of reliability of your previous GoPros was one reason you originally expressed a preference for the DJI. Has reliability been an issue with the 11?
Your new camera e really good, I always look at background that is that is most important. My new camera is from November and do look good, but doesn't have good daylight to test it on.
I really liked the videos much better than the last time you can see that there is an excellent improvement in quality a question does this only have to do with an update or is it a new series of dji action 3 that came out thank you and continuations of excellent videos
Better - but still not as good as a GoPro - I can see vloggers with a two camera setup using the GoPro for front facing shots and the DJI for POV shots. In fact, that is the setup I might adopt for my upcoming biking tour travel videos.
Purchased the Osmo Action 3 at Xmas time, 2023. Haven’t noticed a “focus” problem. Video quality is beautiful. My only complaint … the AI editor won’t work. I keep getting a “network error” message …. Any way to fix this problem …..
I've just seen this video after seeing the previous one that pointed out the focus problem. That original video put me off buying and as I see that the problem is rectified can I suggest that the first video is taken off as it is no longer a fair representation of the camera. Your videos are very good and I hope you may consider this.
After getting the run around from customer support and them refusing to acknowledge the problem, I returned it to Amazon and got a refund. I won't be buying any DJI products again for a while.
In my opinion, even the original Action 1 is far better than GoPro. Sure it might not have been up to par on dynamic range or quality, but it's hardly a pain point compared to all the freezing issues, etc, that GP is known for. Now with Action 3, I'm loving it.
I watched a few of your other videos today which were filmed with the GoPro 11, this video is much softer. There appears to be a slight improvement after the firmware update but the lighting was also different and you were sitting instead of moving. If I didn't know this was an issue I might not notice it but once you see it you can't unsee it. I have a DJI on order but if this is more or less what it looks like I'll probably return it and get the GoPro. I'd much prefer to have my DJI Mic plug right in without an adapter and cable, but substandard focus is a dealbreaker, like bad audio.
GoPro are now in trouble....😁I have also the Action 3 and I really love it and we can see now the sharpness of footage.. and thank you for a great review😊😊😊😊
Do you think I could use this camera to record over my desk for iPad demonstration videos? or would you recommend a different camera? Thanks for all of the awesome work you do.
I’m watching on an iPad and comparing the close ups at the beginning and the end it seems that sharpening has been increased; certainly not seeing any improvement in near focus but if this is a fixed focus lens it would be impossible to change the focus without physically adjusting the lens.
I've seen various videos about this issue, and what I can notice is that they just made de image sharper; which is not the same. I was about to buy one, since they are on sale; but with this problem, it is useless.
Rocksteady and rocksteady plus, it seems it has a little bit of difference. I wish dji include a vertical stabilizer. With rocksteady+ the up and down movement while running still very obvious. About the focus it seems like older gopro model. Its still not sharp or just like iphone 5 or 6 video.
I'm looking at probably getting this over the GoPro Hero 11. I was watching your videos about how you said it's a great version with no glitches but my copy freezes alot
I've been using a GoPro Hero 8 and I bought an Osmo Action 3 to replace it. Holy crap, it is worse in every way compared to the Hero 8, and the Hero 8 is 4 years older than the Action 3, even after the update. I'm truly baffled that DJI shipped a product with known hardware flaws. I returned it the day I opened the box. You can get a Hero 11 for not much more than the street price of an Action 3, and I am glad I'm going back to GoPro. I'm surprised that people even consider these as the same tier of cameras.
I need to correct my post from 3 weeks ago. DJI Osmo Action 3 usability features are great; mount, menus, Mimo App, both H264 and H265 compression, and units DO exist which have great image quality. HOWEVER, a hardware manufacturing issue which sets the fixed lens at the incorrect distance from the sensor will not be resolved by firmware. Units with focus issues were still being manufactured in November 2022. I have tested TWO of these THIS WEEK (today is Feb 2nd 2023) and they both have focusing issues AFTER latest firmware was updated. Even now, if you buy a DJI Osmo Action 3, you may get a "bad" unit. Most disappointing that DJI have not made a recall, had quality control which was ineffective at best, and were still shipping faulty units well after the issue was highlighted across the WWW. Amjad is right to expect DJI to do much better. DJI may "act on some issues" but I can't see they have acted to address the BIG issue.
A noticeable different after the firmware update. At least I think so. I just ordered this camera from Amazon and I'm hoping I get a batch from Nov/Dec. If I get something from months earlier than that I'm likely going to be dealing with the older batch issues and experience some focus issues, even after the updates? That's if there was an actual hardware issue also. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the vid!
@@solson223 do you have the focus issues after the firmware update. My images look blurry when I zoom in 50% or above. Not sure if I have the bad one or not. Mine is the same batch as yours
@@r0oki3 Yes, the focus issue is still there. It's not terrible, it actually looks pretty darn good on standard use, but the focus is soft at 1-3 feet away. I'm going to rotate the lens a bit and fine tune it, I just haven't done it yet.
Hi, can you please try to shoot the video in osmo action 3, night view, and upload it? I have gone through so many youtube videos but i am not satisfied. Because still users are complaining about autofocus and night moto vlogs.
Looks like DJI action 3 focus has been fix. DJI mention in their next firmware upgrade they would add 10 bit color, like the Go Pro 11. Did the firmware upgrade add this feature?
I just purchased the DJI Action 3 and it is a used open box, didn’t the firmware fix the focus issues or was it when the camera was made? How can I tell other than how well it focuses?
