I went mountain biking with DJI's latest action camera, and it didn't let me down

I've used GoPro cameras for a very long time. From filming mountain bike rides to indoor videos, they served me well. Those cameras were far from perfect -- the fish-eye effect was a bit much and the built-in mics were terrible. When I got serious about filming (and left behind the notion of filming my trail shenanigans), I left the GoPros (and action cameras in general) behind.

When DJI reached out about reviewing the Osmo Action 5 Pro, all of a sudden, I got excited about the idea of getting back on my mountain bike and filming some trail rides.

Also: Is GoPro still the best action camera? Well, it depends

My experience with the Action 5 Pro didn't start off all that well (more on that in a bit), but once I had it initialized and ready, the tiny camera really impressed me.

Before I get into my take on this camera, let's talk specs.

The specs

47GB of built-in storageDual OLED high-brightness touchscreen displays
Next-gen 1/1.3" sensor with up to 13.5 stops of dynamic range and an aperture of f/2.84nm high-performance chip
Professional-grade air pressure and water pressure gauges
Wi-Fi 6.0 and USB 3.0 high-speed transfer4-hour battery lifeSuperNight mode with AI to reduce noise
10-bit D-Log M footage with color recoveryPrice - $349 at major retailers

My experience

When I first received the camera, I had to register and initialize it using the DJI Mimo app. That's where the first issue began: the app isn't available on the Google Play Store. Instead, you have to download it from DJI's website. The download was painfully slow, and it took several tries to get it downloaded to my Pixel 9 Pro. Once I finally had it installed, I opened it, logged into my DJI account, and went through the steps to initialize the camera.

The app recognized the camera but refused to connect to it, no matter what I tried or how many times I attempted it. I reached out to DJI support, and for whatever reason, they couldn't help me (which is odd because DJI support usually works great).

Eventually, my Pixel 9 Pro received an update, and that did the trick. The DJI app connected to the camera, and I could initialize it.

I did a few quick tests with the camera. I wanted to put together a short film to see how well it would work for that process. I'm still working on that, but I quickly decided this was an action camera, and people wouldn't purchase it for narrative filmmaking. So instead, I slapped the camera on my fully rigid single-speed mountain bike and prepared to hit the trails. You can view the test footage here.

Also: Is GoPro's cheaper $200 4K action camera worth it? Only if these features matter to you

The first thing that hit me about this camera was the built-in storage. Initially, I inserted a microSD card and made a quick film of me on my road bike, but that didn't go so well because the card's write speed couldn't keep up with the camera. With the internal storage, that's not a problem.

The second feature was the dual OLED touchscreens, which made it so easy to keep track of what you're filming from the front or the back. The touchscreens automatically shut off after a set period of use to conserve battery. To bring the screen back to life, all you have to do is touch it.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

When I set off on my mountain bike, I went with the default settings, which was a mistake, given that it was configured for 30fps at 1080p. I should have changed that to 60fps at 4K to get the best possible quality. I also left it on normal mode (assuming the default would be set to sport). This took me by surprise, given how action cameras are typically used. One would think the camera would be automatically configured for the best possible results for action out of the box.

Lesson learned.

Even though the resulting footage wasn't the best possible quality, the one thing it revealed was the quality of the camera's internal stabilization. I ride a fully rigid, carbon fiber single speed, which equates to a very bumpy ride. When I ride that bike, I have to stay very loose in the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders; otherwise, I'd bounce right off. On top of that, the trail system near my house isn't exactly smooth.

Also: This thumb-sized camera is my new 'must-have' for traveling

Despite all that, the footage came out remarkably smooth. You would never have known I wasn't riding a full-suspension bike with plenty of cushions. Sure, I wish I had taken the time to customize the video parameters before I spent nearly an hour flying through the trails, but the end results were still impressive.

Back when I was using GoPro cameras, I paid nearly the same price as the DJI Osmo 5 Pro camera and didn't get nearly the results.

There are also some really cool add-ons for the camera, such as ND filters and plenty of ways to attach the camera to various vehicles and surfaces. I did have a little trouble with the mount I used, but that was because the handlebar I attached it to is carbon fiber, and I wasn't about to crank it down hard enough to keep it locked in place. Eventually, I found the right amount of tension to keep it in place, and all was good.

ZDNET's buying advice

If action cameras are your thing, skip the competition and go directly to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better consumer-grade camera suited for all types of action (underwater, above water, or in the sky). The internal storage and dual OLED touchscreens alone make this worth the price of entry. Couple that with the quality of video it produces, and this is a winner on all fronts.

With the holidays approaching, consider one of these cameras for your family members who live on the edge and like to film everything they do.