DJI’s Osmo Action 6 is the first action cam with a variable aperture

DJI has released its third action cam in less than four months, the Osmo Action 6. The new GoPro rival offers something we’ve never seen in a camera of this type: a variable aperture for greater control over exposure. It also has a new, square sensor (as we saw on the Osmo 360) that makes it easier to crop videos for a social media-friendly aspect ratio. I’ve had the Osmo Action 6 for a few days and it’s looking impressive so far.

Instead of a fixed f/2.8 setting as before, the Osmo Action 6 offers a variable f/2.0-4.0 aperture, which offers several benefits. At f/2.0, it allows twice as much light as before. This in turn allows higher shutter speeds in dim conditions, reducing motion blur that can harm image quality and stabilization. It also provides a shallow depth of field to help separate the subject from the background. Meanwhile, on sunny days, changing the aperture to f/4.0 lets you lower Shutter speed so the video looks less static and more natural.

However, what’s strange is that DJI doesn’t allow you to fully control the f-stop. You can either choose a fixed aperture at f/2.8, or choose auto aperture with a range of ISOs, which can vary from f/2.0 – 4.0 to f/2.8 – 4.0. This is unfortunate, because it would be nice to be able to select a fixed f/2.0 aperture to, for example, have a shallow depth of field for portraits. (Note that you can also choose a fixed aperture of f/4.0 to get a “starburst” pattern on bright parts of the image.)

The Action 6 also features a new, 1/1.1-inch square sensor (9.8 x 9.8 mm). It doesn’t boost resolution as some people hoped, but it does allow more aspect ratio options. Like the Action 5, video can be shot at up to 4K 120 fps, or 4K at 60 fps in SuperNight mode. However, it now offers a 4K Custom mode that lets you capture 3,840 x 3,840 square video at up to 60 fps for cropping to full 4K resolution in both horizontal and vertical formats. It also supports 4:3 4K (3,840 x 2,880) at up to 120 fps for more cropping options when shooting slo-mo.

The new sensor is also significantly larger than the 1/1.3-inch sensor on the Osmo Action 5 and the 1/1.9-inch sensor on the GoPro 13. According to DJI, this allows for better performance in low light, and the larger pixels also boost dynamic range by up to a claimed 13.5 stops. That, combined with DJI’s D-LogM and 10-bit capability, should make it easy to adjust the Osmo Action 6’s footage, even on high contrast sunny days.

DJI has also taken a page from Fujifilm by introducing a Film Tone function to get six different looks from the camera, including “Cool Tone,” “Classic Negative Film” and “Soothing Skin Tone.” The Osmo Action 6 also offers 2x lossless zoom (effectively a digital zoom), portrait mode, and subject focusing and tracking. Finally, the new “Natural Wide” mode gives you a wider field of view without the usual ugly distortion at the corners.

For close-up photography, the Action 6 is available with an optional macro lens as well as a FOV boost lens that increases the field of view from 155 to 182 degrees.

From my tests so far, video quality in low light looks noticeably cleaner and more color-accurate than the Action 5. Additionally, the SuperNight mode is more useful as the shutter speed is higher and thus stabilization in low light is improved compared to the Action 5. I’ll have more details in my full review, coming soon.

There are many other improvements as well. DJI has increased the internal storage to 50GB from the previous 47GB, so you can pretty much shoot without a memory card, although a microSD slot is also available. As before, it’s waterproof up to 20 meters (66 feet) on its own, or about 200 feet with DJI’s waterproof case. And in addition to voice controls, the Action 6 now also supports gestures. With the same 1,950mAh Extreme Battery Plus as before, shooting time between charges is 4 hours at 1080p and 2 hours at 4K, both with Rocksteady 3.0 stabilization enabled and the screen off.

The Osmo Action 6 is compatible with DJI’s increasingly eclectic accessory lineup, such as selfie sticks, bike, helmet and body attachments, suction mounts, and more. However, the company upgraded its quick-release adapter mount to a dual-latch system (first introduced on the Osmo Nano), which “can be attached in any direction without any mechanical limitations,” the company said. This is a huge improvement in quality of life compared to older mounts, which could only be attached one way. That said, older mounts are still compatible with newer cameras and vice versa.

So what about availability in the US? It seems that, like the Osmo 360 and Osmo Nano, DJI’s Action 6 won’t be available at the company’s US store, but will be sold at Amazon, B&H Photo Video, and other third-party resellers with TBA pricing. In Europe, the Osmo Action 6 is now available on DJI’s store and Amazon for €379 for the standard combo with one battery or €479 for the Adventure Combo that includes three batteries and the Battery Case 3 chargers.