The DJI Osmo Action 6 ranks among the best small video cameras for action sports, largely on its square-format image sensor, which suits content creators. PCMag called it a solid follow-up to the Action 5 Pro and gave it an Editors' Choice award. It records 10-bit 4K120 and 8K30, carries a variable aperture F2-4 lens, and lasts well on a charge. Reviewers noted it lacks GoPro's app and cloud features, and that smartphones do better in low light. Adventurers and content creators who need a rugged camera that covers a lot of ground are the fit.
Full review
A square sensor that crops both ways
The defining change on the Action 6 is the 1/1.1-inch square sensor. Because the capture area is square rather than widescreen, one take can be cropped to 16:9, 4:3 or 1:1 afterwards without throwing away resolution on one axis. For anyone delivering the same footage to a widescreen platform and a vertical one, that is a workflow change rather than a spec bump.
Behind it sits a variable F2-4 aperture lens, which is unusual on an action camera and helps noticeably in dim interiors. Recording tops out at 4K120 for slow motion and 8K30 for detail, both in 10-bit, and the stabilisation offers RockSteady in two strengths plus a horizon-locking mode.
Runtime is the standout number
PCMag's Jim Fisher measured 112 minutes of 16:9 4K60 on a charge, 92 minutes at 4:3 4K60 and 84 minutes at 8K30, against 80 minutes at 4K60 for the obvious rival. The camera kept running through extended sessions without throttling, which on a body this small is as important as the raw figure.
The battery is the same 1,950mAh pack earlier models used, so anyone with a drawer of spares can keep using them. Onboard storage has grown and microSDXC cards up to 1TB are supported, which matters once 8K clips start piling up.
Waterproof to 65.6 feet with no housing
PCMag describes the tough, waterproof build you expect from an action cam, rated to 65.6 feet without an external case. The familiar boxy shell carries touch displays front and rear, a large record button and a mode switch, and the controls stay usable with wet hands. It has grown slightly over the previous generation, which is a mild annoyance for anyone invested in existing mounts.
The lens system is the other practical upgrade. Wide, boost and macro lenses are detected automatically and the camera adjusts its settings to match, and gesture control turns out to be genuinely useful once the camera is mounted somewhere you cannot reach. Firmware has since added automatic upload to cloud storage or a NAS.
Focus is fixed and the app trails GoPro's
There is no focus control at all; the lens is fixed at infinity. Anything close to the camera loses sharpness, and there is no way to override it, which rules out a whole category of tabletop and detail shots.
PCMag's other reservations are ecosystem rather than hardware. The video looks pleasing with saturated colour and smooth motion, but the app and cloud tooling do not match GoPro's, and a modern smartphone is still the better camera in low light. The onboard microphones also pick up wind readily enough that external protection is close to mandatory outdoors.
For creators shooting once and cutting twice
PCMag gave it an Editors' Choice and called it one of the best small video cameras for action sports, and the square sensor is why. If your output goes to both widescreen and vertical, and you need a camera that survives water and a long day away from a charger, this is the one to take. If you live inside GoPro's app and subscription workflow, or you need any control over focus, the trade is not worth making.
Strengths
- +10-bit 4K120 and 8K30 recording capabilities
- +Supports 16:9, 4:3, and 1:1 aspect ratios for versatile content creation
- +Outstanding battery life with 112 minutes of 16:9 4K60 recording
- +Waterproof to 65.6 feet without external housing
Watch-outs
- −Doesn't match GoPro's app and cloud features
- −Smartphones are better in low light
How it compares
The DJI Osmo Action 6 excels in 10-bit 4K120 and 8K30 recording capabilities, a feature not matched by the GoPro Hero13 Black or Insta360 Ace Pro 2. While it lacks GoPro's app ecosystem, it offers superior battery life and waterproofing compared to the GoPro MAX, which suffers from heat and battery issues.
Rating sources
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
