GoPro HERO11 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 4
In short: The DJI Osmo Action 4 costs $20 less; the DJI Osmo Action 4 collects light over 72 mm² against 34, which is 2.1× the area; the DJI Osmo Action 4 goes 18 m deep with no housing against 10 m; the GoPro HERO11 Black puts features behind a ~$49.99/yr plan, which makes its first year ~$299; the DJI Osmo Action 4 claims 2 h 40 min at 1080p24 with RockSteady on, Wi-Fi off.
| Spec | GoPro HERO11 Black | DJI Osmo Action 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$249 | ~$229 |
| Year-one cost | ~$299 with the plan | ~$229 |
| Type | Flagship action | Flagship action |
| Sensor size | 1/1.9-inch | 1/1.3-inch |
| Sensor area | 34 mm² | 72 mm² |
| Max resolution | 5.3K @ 60fps | 4K @ 120fps |
| Reframed resolution | n/a — already flat | n/a — already flat |
| Max fps at 4K | 120 | 120 |
| Max fps at 1080p | 240 | 240 |
| Max bitrate | 120 Mbps | 130 Mbps |
| Colour depth | 10-bit | 10-bit |
| Log profile | None | D-Log M |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 5.0 | RockSteady 3.0 |
| Horizon lock | 360° (full) | 360° (full) |
| Aperture | Not published | f/2.8 |
| Waterproof | 10 m bare, 60 m cased | 18 m bare, 60 m cased |
| Claimed runtime | 1 h at 5.3K60 continuous, Enduro battery | 2 h 40 min at 1080p24 with RockSteady on, Wi-Fi off |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | 1720 mAh | 1770 mAh |
| Cold rating | 14°F | -4°F |
| Weight | 154 g | 145 g |
| Screens | 1.4-inch front + 2.27-inch rear touch | 1.4-inch front + 2.25-inch rear touch |
| Mount | GoPro folding fingers | Magnetic quick-release |
| Replaceable lenses | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | Yes | No |
| Voice control | Yes | Yes |
| Storage | microSD | microSD |
| Subscription | GoPro Premium, ~$49.99/yr | None |
| Released | 2022 | 2023 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
GoPro HERO11 Black
- +8:7 capture means one recording feeds both a widescreen edit and a vertical cut
- +Keeps GPS, which the newer Hero 12 does not have
- +Under $250 for the same 5.3K60 the current flagship shoots
- +360° horizon lock in-camera, not a phone-app afterthought
- −No GP-Log, so grading headroom is limited to the 10-bit HLG profile
- −No 1/4-20 thread in the body
- −HyperSmooth 5.0 trails the current version on hard vibration
- −GoPro no longer promotes it, so accessory bundles and firmware attention go elsewhere
DJI Osmo Action 4
- +Same 72 mm² sensor as DJI's current mid-range, for a hundred dollars less
- +130 Mbps ceiling, slightly above the newer Action 5 Pro
- +18 m bare waterproofing still beats every GoPro Hero
- +Takes the same magnetic mounts and batteries as the Action 5 Pro
- +Owners consistently rate the colour science as the most natural of the three major brands
- −10 MP stills against 40 MP on the newer body — this is the real generational gap
- −No internal storage
- −Smaller 2.25-inch rear screen
- −RockSteady 3.0 rather than 3.0+, a small step back on hard vibration
- −No 1/4-20 thread, so tripod use means carrying the mount adapter