DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs Insta360 Ace Pro: Professional or Casual Use?
Naila Syifa
Updated September 2024
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and Insta360 Ace Pro are some of the top action cameras that put great emphasis on low-light performance. Their imaging capabilities may be in a close battle, but each offers a distinct set of features catering to different user needs and preferences. Which one is better suited for you?
Key Takeaways
Both have stunning low-light performance, but DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is more suitable for professional uses with features like 10-bit D-Log M, HLG, and timecode. It is also more suitable for divers with depth gauge and 20m waterproofing. Meanwhile, Insta360 Ace Pro is better equipped for casual content creation, with features like FreeFrame Video mode and AI editing tools.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
High-Performing Action Camera
✓ 4K Video + 40 MP Photo
✓ 1/1.3” CMOS with 4nm Chip
✓ Dual OLED Touchscreen
✓ Air Pressure and Water Pressure Gauge
Insta360 Ace Pro
Powerful Action Camera
✓ 8K Video + 48 MP Photo
✓ 1/1.3” CMOS with 5nm Chip
✓ FreeFrame Video Mode
✓ AI-Powered Edits
#1 Price
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
Launched in November 2023, the Insta360 Ace Pro originally retailed at US$499.99. However, the price dropped to US$399.99 in April 2024 and may continue to decrease as the newer Ace Pro 2 model is expected to be released soon.
Meanwhile, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, which is a recent model released in September 2024, is priced at US$349.
#2 Design & Display
Insta360 Ace Pro
Both cameras have a compact and durable design. They have a magnetic mounting system that allows for easy attachment and detachment from various accessories and mounts.
Insta360 Ace Pro offers a 2.4" LCD touchscreen on the rear, which can be flipped to face the front for selfies and vlogging. There is another 0.9" display on the front, but it is used only for status information.
The display on the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is larger and of higher quality. Both the 1.46" front and 2.5" rear display are OLED touchscreens, providing a bright, vibrant, and high-contrast viewing experience. The rear display itself can reach a peak brightness of 1000 nits, making it highly visible under direct sunlight.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is also superior in terms of ruggedness. The camera is waterproof to 65 feet (20 meters) without a housing, while the Insta360 Ace Pro can only stand up to 33 feet (10 meters) of water depth without a protective case. This makes the Osmo Action 5 Pro a more suitable choice for divers.
#3 Video & Photo
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
Both cameras feature a large 1/1.3" CMOS sensor combined with an AI chip, allowing both models to deliver stunning low-light performance with low noise and high dynamic range. A dedicated low light video mode is also available on both cameras – PureVideo mode in the Insta360 Ace Pro and SuperNight mode in the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro.
However, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro features a 4nm chip while the Insta360 Ace Pro uses a 5nm chip. Generally, a smaller chip is considered more advanced because it packs more power and efficiency into a tiny package, so the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro has a slight edge in this aspect.
Another aspect that the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro has an advantage is its support for 10-bit D-Log M and HLG. As compared to 8-bit color in the Ace Pro, 10-bit color depth captures more color information, providing greater flexibility and better color grading capabilities in post-production. D-Log M and HLG are also more suitable for professional video work.
Insta360 Ace Pro
Slow motion capability is another area where the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro shines. The camera can take 1080p/240fps footage and then use 4x frame interpolation to create 32x super slow motion videos at 1080p/960fps. Meanwhile, the Insta360 Ace Pro is limited to 4K/120fps or 1080p/240fps for slow motion.
However, when it comes to maximum supported resolution, the Insta360 Ace Pro is the more capable option, offering 8K video and 48MP photo resolution compared to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro's 4K video and 40MP photo resolution.
Insta360 Ace Pro also offers a unique 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which is ideal for cinematic video content. Meanwhile, the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro offers only the standard 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio.
For multi-platform content creators, the FreeFrame Video mode in the Insta360 Ace Pro is very appealing. This mode takes video in a flexible aspect ratio that can be chosen later during the editing process, allowing for easy formatting for different social media platforms. That means, we can take one video and easily reframe it for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms.
#4 Audio
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro with DJI Mic 2
Both the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and Insta360 Ace Pro offer 3 microphones with support for wind noise reduction and stereo audio.
Insta360 Ace Pro stands out with its compatibility with a range of external microphones, though a Mic Adapter is required. Bluetooth headsets like Apple AirPods and motorcycle helmet headsets from brands like SENA, Cardo, and more are also supported for wireless connection without the Mic Adapter.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro can also connect to external microphones using an optional USB-C to 3.5mm cable, but its full audio capabilities can only be unlocked when using the DJI Mic 2. Thanks to the DJI OsmoAudio, DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro can record ultra-high sampling rates at 48kHz with the DJI Mic 2. The camera also supports a dual DJI Mic 2 connection. On top of that, Audio Backup can be enabled to record ambient sounds using the built-in microphone.
#5 Features
Insta360 Ace Pro
One small feature that makes the Insta360 Ace Pro stand out is gesture control, which allows you to control the camera with simple hand gestures. In noisy environments or in public settings where using voice commands may be inappropriate, gesture control can be very useful. Otherwise, you can also use voice control, which is available in both the Ace Pro and Osmo Action 5 Pro.
Insta360 Ace Pro also offers powerful AI editing tools in the Insta360 app, which can automatically generate short highlight videos with the AI Highlights Assistant, add generative AI effects with the AI Warp, and more. While the DJI Mimo app also provides editing capabilities, the Insta360 app offers more advanced AI-powered features for content creation.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro's advantages lie in its additional exclusive features that the Ace Pro doesn't offer, such as a built-in timecode function for easier synchronization in multi-camera setups, air and water pressure gauge to record altitude and underwater depth, subject tracking, and 47GB internal storage.
#6 Battery Life
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro offers a 1950mAh battery that is rated for up to 240 minutes of use at 1080p/24 fps. A 15-minute charge can provide up to 2 hours of use.
Insta360 Ace Pro has a shorter battery capacity of 1650mAh. When recording Active HDR video at 4K/30 fps, it can last up to 100 minutes. A full charge takes 46 minutes, but a 22-minute charge can power to battery to 80%.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs Insta360 Ace Pro
Final Thoughts
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and Insta360 Ace Pro are set apart from other action cameras in the market due to their incredible low-light performance, powered by a large 1/1.3" CMOS sensor and AI chip. However, they cater to different user needs, with the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro being more suitable for professional video work and the Insta360 Ace Pro better equipped for casual content creation.
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro is better suited for professional video production with advanced features like 10-bit color depth, HLG, and timecode support. It is also better equipped for underwater use with its 20m waterproofing and depth gauge. Meanwhile, Insta360 Ace Pro is more tailored for casual content creators with its AI-powered editing tools and social media-friendly FreeFrame Video mode.
If you would like to read more about Action Camera, check out our other relevant guides here:
DJI Osmo Action 4 vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
DJI Osmo Action 3 vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs DJI Osmo Pocket 3
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs GoPro Hero 13
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs GoPro Hero 12
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs Insta360 X4
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro vs Insta360 X3
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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