Tiny and modular.
The DJI Action 2 is probably what the GoPro Hero Session could have been if GoPro had continued developing it to this day.
The discontinued GoPro Hero Session was a popular camera because of its size. But mounting is a hassle as it requires the use of a frame housing case.
The Action 2 does not require a frame housing. Instead, it has built-in magnets that makes mounting quick and easy. There's a also a latch that locks the camera in place to make sure it's fly off during action shots.
Similar to the Insta360 One R, the Action 2 can be attached to modules to expand its functionality. Unlike the Insta360, there's no 360º lens option. Currently there's only a macro lens you can snap on magnetically on top of the 155º field of view lens.
Currently there are only two modules for the Action 2: a power module and a front touchscreen module.
The power module extends the Action 2's battery life from 70 minutes to 3 hours and comes with an extra microSD slot. Apparently you can stack more than just one power module.
The front touchscreen module adds a secondary OLED display and three microphones, basically turning it into a vlogging setup. The module also has its own built-in battery providing an additional 160 minutes of continuous filming.
The camera can shoot 4K at 60 fps and 240 fps slow motion at 1080p. It also has “gimble-like” stabilization like the GoPro for that buttery smooth footage we've come to expect from action cameras of today.
In some cases, video quality is better on the Action 2 than the GoPro 10. But overall, it's similar. The Action 2 does slightly better in low light perhaps because it has a larger sensor. It's amazing how a smaller camera can have a larger sensor.
There's also a dedicated sensor to help the Action 2 produce accurate tones in different lighting conditions including underwater. It is waterproof up to 10 m without its waterproof case. It can go down 60 m underwater with the waterproof case.
Still not perfect
While it's capable of shooting 4K (4,096 x3072 pixels) at 60 fps; 4K UHD (3,840 x 2160 pixels) at 120 fps; and 240 fps slow motion at 1080p, you can only shoot at these high settings for a few minutes before the device succumbs to overheating.
Tech Crunch claims the Action 2 can only shoot at its highest settings for less than five minutes before overheating causes the camera to stop recording automatically or shut down.
According to a DJI spokesperson, at the time of writing, the only way to fix for the overheating issues is to shoot at lower resolutions.
Eventually DJI may (or may not) resolve these issues with firmware upgrades.
Leaked Action 2 photo before it was released
Pros
- Tiny
- Good video quallity
- Quick magnetic mounting
- Modular
Cons
- Overheating issues at 4K
- Modules not waterproof
Conclusion:
If you liked the GoPro Hero Session, which is now discontinued, you' probably likell the Action 2.
Video quality is a lot better than the Session – in fact, it's comparable to the GoPro 10. That's quite impressive considering how small the Action 2 is.
Because of its size it's easy to carry around in your pocket or if you prefer, wear in around your neck with the included magnetic lanyard. The magnetic system makes it easy to switch between mounts or to add/remove modules.
Unfortunately the Action 2 has overheating issues when shooting at 4K but so does the GoPro. There are reports saying it's worst on the GoPro. According to DJI, this overheating issue will be fixed with a firmware upgrade. We've not seen reports on overheating when shooting in 1080p.
Action 2 specs
General
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Dimensions
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39×39×22.3 mm
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Waterproof
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10 m without Waterproof Case, 60 m with Waterproof Case
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Number of Microphones
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1
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Weight
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56 g
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Touchscreen
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1.76 inches 350 ppi500±50 cd/m² 446×424
Camera
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Sensor
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1/1.7” CMOS
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Lens
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FOV: 155° f/2.8
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ISO Range
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Photo: 100-6400Video: 100-6400
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Electronic Shutter Speed
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Photo: 1/8000-30 sVideo: 1/8000 s to the limit of frames per second
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Max Photo Resolution
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4000×3000
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Zoom
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Digital ZoomPhoto: 4xVideo: 2x (> 60fps), 3x (≤ 60fps, HorizonSteady On), 4x (≤ 60fps, HorizonSteady Off)Slow Motion/Timelapse: Not available
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Still Photography Modes
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Single: 12 MPCountdown: Off/0.5/1/2/3/5/10 seconds
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Video
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4K (4:3): 4096×3072 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps4K (16:9): 3840×2160 @ 100/120fps4K (16:9): 3840×2160 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps2.7K (4:3): 2688×2016 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps2.7K (16:9): 2688×1512 @ 100/120fps2.7K (16:9): 2688×1512 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps1080p (16:9): 1920×1080 @ 100/120/200/240fps1080p (16:9): 1920×1080 @ 24/25/30/48/50/60fps
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Slow Motion
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4K: 4x (120fps)2.7K: 4x (120fps)1080p: 8x (240fps), 4x (120fps)
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Timelapse
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4K/2.7K/1080pIntervals: 0.5/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/10/13/15/20/25/30/40 secondsDuration: 5/10/20/30 minutes, 1/2/3/5 hours, ∞
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Stabilization
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EIS: RockSteady 2.0+HorizonSteady* EIS is not supported when recording at 100fps or above. HorizonSteady is only available when the video resolution is 1080p (16:9) or 2.7K (16:9)
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Max Video Bitrate
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130 Mbps
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Supported File Formats
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exFAT
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Photo Format
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JPEG / RAW
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Video Formats
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MP4 (H.264 / HEVC)
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Supported SD Cards
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microSD (Max. 256GB)
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Recommended microSD Cards
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DJI Action 2 supports up to 256GB SDHC/SDXC UHS-I Speed Grade 1 or Speed Grade 3 microSD cardsRecommended models:Samsung EVO 32GB UHS-I Speed Grade 1 microSDHCSamsung EVO Plus 32GB UHS-I Speed Grade 1 microSDXCSanDisk Extreme 64GB V30 A2 UHS-I Speed Grade 3 microSDXCSanDisk High Endurance 32GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3 microSDXCSanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3 microSDXCSanDisk Extreme 16GB UHS-I Speed Grade 3 microSDXCLexar 633x 16GB UHS-I Speed Grade 1 microSDHC
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Audio Output
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48 KHz; AAC
Battery
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Type
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LiPo 1S
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Capacity
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580 mAh
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Energy
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2.23 Wh
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Voltage
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3.85 V
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Operating Temperature
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0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)
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Charging Temperature
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5° to 60° C (41° to 140° F)
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Operating Time
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70 minutes* Tested in a laboratory environment while recording 1080p/30fps (Power Reserve) video with electronic image stabilization disabled. This figure should be used for reference only
Connection
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Wi-Fi Operation Frequency Range
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2.400-2.4835 GHz5.150-5.250 GHz5.725-5.850 GHz
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Wi-Fi Protocol
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802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
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Wi-Fi Transmit Power (EIRP)
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2.4 GHz: <16 dBm (FCC/CE/SRRC/MIC)5.1 GHz: <14 dBm (FCC/CE/SRRC/MIC)5.8 GHz: <14 dBm (FCC/CE/SRRC)
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Bluetooth Operation Frequency Range
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2.400-2.4835 GHz
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Bluetooth Transmit Power (EIRP)
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<4 dBm
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Bluetooth Protocol
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BLE 5.0
Front Touchscreen Module
General
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Dimensions
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39×41.6×24.6 mm
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Waterproof
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Not waterproof without Waterproof Case, 60 m with Waterproof Case
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Number of Microphones
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3
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Weight
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64 g
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Touchscreen
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1.76 inches 350 ppi500±50 cd/m² 446×424
Battery
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Battery Type
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LiPo 2S
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Capacity
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1300 mAh
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Energy
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5 Wh
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Voltage
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7.7 V
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Operating Temperature
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0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)
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Charging Temperature
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5° to 60° C (41° to 140° F)
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Operating Time
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Camera Unit + Front Touchscreen Module: 160 minutes* Tested in a laboratory environment while recording 1080p/30fps (Power Reserve) video with electronic image stabilization disabled. This figure should be used for reference only
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Charging Time
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Camera Unit + Front Touchscreen Module: 90 minutes* Tested in a laboratory environment when using a 5V/2A USB adapter
Power Module
General
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Dimensions
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39×41.6×21.4 mm
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Waterproof
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Not waterproof without Waterproof Case, 60 m with Waterproof Case
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Weight
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56.6 g
Battery
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Battery Type
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LiPo 2S
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Capacity
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1300 mAh
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Energy
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5 Wh
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Voltage
-
7.7 V
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Operating Temperature
-
0° to 40° C (32° to 104° F)
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Charging Temperature
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5° to 60° C (41° to 140° F)
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Operating Time
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Camera Unit + Power Module: 180 minutes* Tested in a laboratory environment while recording 1080p/30fps (Power Reserve) video with electronic image stabilization disabled. This figure should be used for reference only
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Charging Time
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Camera Unit + Power Module: 90 minutes* Tested in a laboratory environment when using a 5V/2A USB adapter
