DJI Action 2: Action cams go modular

[advrider]

Action camera design seems to be going in two directions these days: You either see larger, full-sized units like the GoPro Hero series, with impressive recording resolution capability and many other features that pros can appreciate, while still very consumer-friendly and affordable. Then, there’s smaller cameras like the Insta360 GO 2, intended as more of an enthusiast’s camera, for shooting social media clips and other shorter burst of footage. These smaller cameras are easier to mount, and often less expensive.

Now, DJI has brought its new Action 2 camera to market, combining the features of both … sort of.

The DJI Action 2 consists of a tiny camera body that can shoot 4k/120 fps footage. The trade-off is, its memory and battery life are limited. However, these can be expanded with modular add-ons.

The camera

The DJI Action 2 shoots 4k/120 fps footage, as mentioned above, and its max slow-mo resolution is [email protected] fps. It comes with 32 GB of onboard storage, which actually works out to even less. DJI’s website says there’s actually 22.4 GB of available storage, and “The Camera Unit doesn’t have a microSD card slot, but storage capacity can be expanded by inserting a microSD card into the Front Touchscreen Module or Power Module.” If you want more than 22 GB of video, you’ll either have to constantly download the onboard footage to clear space, or you’ll have to buy the add-on module.

But, even if you had 256 GB of onboard storage, you wouldn’t be using this camera in a “set it and forget it” mode to capture your ride anyway, at least not in 4k resolution. There are already several published reviews of the Action 2, and some tech reviewers note the camera overheats within a few minutes and shuts down. That’s not a problem for social media users or even vloggers, who are just concerned with short clips for Instagram/YouTube/Facebook/TikTok. It is not ideal, obviously, if you want to film an hour of dirt bike fun.

The Action 2 comes with a touchscreen on back, and a battery that offers approximately 70 minutes’ runtime. It’s physically tiny; the camera face is 39 mm x 39 mm, and it’s 22.3 mm deep front-to-back, and only weighs 56 grams. That means it could possibly prove valuable to users wanting to mount their camera in odd locations, where a bulkier camera would be hard to mount in a stable position, or just wouldn’t fit.

Speaking of mounts, the Action 2 comes with a proprietary magnetic mount system that you use to attach the power-up modules, or to attach the camera to other objects. Initial reviews are very positive, saying it’s better than both GoPro mounts and the traditional screw-on mounts that almost every other camera company uses.

The DJI Action 2 has a 155-degree field of view, with f2.8 aperture. Its waterproofing is good to 10 metres (60 metres, if you buy the accessory case). Along with video, it can be programmed to shoot 12 MP stills, or live-stream.

The add-on modules

DJI’s add-on accessory modules are roughly the same size as the camera itself. They can greatly expand battery life, or add microphones, or capacity for more memory, or front-facing camera for vlogging. These modules clip to the camera through the magnetic mount system. You can add these modules to the camera at time of purchase, or buy them separately, but of course they add expense.

It’s also worth noting that reviewers seemed to feel the DJI Action 2 saw its pricing rise considerably once you started adding on multiple modules and expensive mounts, and that even with the extended battery, users were frustrated and unable to take advantage of the capability, due to camera overheating.

With all that in mind, it seems this camera could be very useful to a motorcyclist in specific applications, but it’s worth checking the system out thoroughly before investing your money—see reviews here.

For full specs and more photos of this innovative camera system, check out DJI’s website here. Currently, it seems you can buy the DJI Action 2 bundled with the Power module (an extended-life battery) for roughly $400 in the US, $520 in Canada.

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