DJI’s Osmo Nano Is the Most Versatile Action Camera Yet

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After years of experience building cameras for drones, DJI eventually brought that expertise down to earth with its Osmo Action series of GoPro 4K action camera rivals. Even legacy outdoor companies like Garmin and tech giants Sony struggled to take on the action cam giant, so DJI is clearly doing something right. So far, though, DJI has earned its reputation through imitation: boxy grey cameras with sticky mounts, and endless twisting of thumbscrews. The company briefly flirted with a new idea with its modular Osmo Action 2 but its tall, understated design never really caught on with the outdoor crowd.

That’s why the Osmo Nano, its latest rugged 4K action camera, is interesting. It’s another shot at the modular design—it comes with a detachable, wireless dock/screen—but there’s no doubt it’s built for enduring the elements. You can clip the action camera part to your pack strap on a mountain hike, set it on a rock by the river with the display dock, or magnetically mount it to your fridge before showing off your brisket brining technique. Whether you live for adrenaline or make fly tying tutorials at home, the Osmo Nano is trying to bridge the ground between adventure lover and social media creator in a way that goes beyond a few different modes or camera settings.

One thing’s for sure: When I took it out of the box, for the first time in years, with more than a decade of testing these cameras, I felt a genuine wave of creative possibility. Not just about what I could capture—but how much simpler it was about to become. The two-part design may look unconventional, but spend some time with it and you’ll see just how much potential it has for recording life, outdoors and in.

What It Is

I’m going to say right up top that DJI’s Osmo Nano isn’t a capital A action cam—it’s rugged and waterproof for sure, but is going for a wider appeal. The design makes vertical video (yes, the dreaded portrait mode) as natural as landscape, giving it an edge for anyone who wants to share their active life instantly in the way that most people will actually view it. It’s tough enough for most adventures but it’s clearly aimed at those of us who want to record and share hobbies and daily escapades, too, which makes it a great action camera for creators, vloggers, and travelers.

The camera module itself is waterproof to 10 metres, enough for most watersports and wet days out. It shoots crisp 4K at up to 120 frames per second for smooth slo-mo, with both wide and narrow field-of-view options—all stabilized to keep the footage watchable when the terrain isn’t. Both the lens and detachable screen connect magnetically, and a quick-release system, lets you snap them together in seconds and even flip the orientation to face forward or back.

In the box, DJI includes a hat clip, a magnetic lanyard, and a ball-joint suction mount. If you already have a drawer full of GoPro gear, there’s an adapter accessory that makes it all compatible with the Osmo Nano.

Control is simple. You can monitor shots wirelessly on the Osmo Nano’s 2-inch display, or use DJI’s companion app for more detailed adjustments. The screen is splash-resistant (not fully waterproof), so while the camera can follow you into the water, the display is better left dry. Storage comes in two flavors—64GB or 128GB onboard—with an SD card slot for extra space or quicker offloading after a long day outdoors. There’s fast-charging here too, with the camera reaching about 80–percent battery in 20 minutes connected to the wall. For all this, DJI is asking $300/$330 depending on which storage option you go for.

DJI Osmo Nano Overall Impressions

At first, I was curious about the Osmo Nano’s modular design. Stacked together, it looks a little tall and goofy. But hit the side buttons, snap the camera off the screen, and it becomes clear how versatile this weird setup could be. I soon found myself mostly shooting with the camera module, keeping the detachable screen in my pocket, or hand if I am using it as a remote.

A downside to using the camera part on its own is that you can’t change any settings. You can reach for your phone or the display module, but you will need one of those things around if you want to mix things up. DJI’s menus and app also aren’t its strongest suit, but I found myself jumping between menus quick enough to get what I needed done without feeling like I was learning a new language.

Perhaps my favorite thing is tucking the camera into a nook or remote spot and viewing remotely on the display, this alone has saved me hours of duff footage and bad framing. Being able to trigger recording or turn the camera on and off remotely is also a huge bonus, and a feature I am yet to tire of. You can use your phone with most action cameras to do these things, but now you can leave it safely in the daypack without draining the battery.

Another surprise with the Osmo Nano, is how easy it is to capture shots you’d normally need to plan for—or never even attempt—with a regular action camera. When I took my young daughters out horse riding I draped the camera over their neck on a lanyard for some first person perspective of their day. As the mount is magnetic, I suggested they twist the camera 90 degrees mid-ride, so they had a video to share with family on their phones and it was as simple as that. I could even remotely watch much of their jaunt around the farm from the display dock, triggering photos when they reached interesting areas.

And this is also why I’m a fan of the onboard storage. I don’t want to admit the number of times I’ve packed my GoPro along with my favorite mounts only to set up at the other end and realize I left the darn memory card in my PC. Why this isn’t a standard feature yet, I have no idea. 

You won’t leave the battery at home though, as it’s built-in and non-replaceable. This has some downsides, as you can’t swap-in a fresh one should you run out of juice, but with about 90 minutes of recording time on the camera, which extends to about three hours when connected to the display module, I rarely found myself staring at an empty cell icon.

Importantly, the videos it records look bright, smooth and with decent (though not perfect) low light performance. DJI’s stabilization isn’t quite as good as GoPro’s in my opinion, but it’s not far behind and even recording while holding the camera in my hand gave me footage I’d happily share with the internet. So far, though, it’s still the camera I’m reaching for every time I head out thanks to the balance of rich video and sheer flexibility.

Key Features and Tech

The Osmo Nano looks and feels like a premium action cam, just a slightly odd-looking one. The camera on its own weighs just 1.8 ounces and that grows to 4.4 ounces when combined with the display dock. The maximum resolution is 4K with 60fps in video mode, or up to 120fps in slo-mo mode. There are, of course, standard photo and time lapse modes. All of these can be set via either the display dock (wirelessly even) or the DJI companion mobile app. There are also two types of stabilization, one for smoothing out rough rides and terrain and another focused on keeping the horizon level. 

The Osmo Nano has a 1/1.3-inch sensor which isn’t the largest and most light absorbing, but it’s on par with DJI’s flagship Osmo Action 5 and larger than GoPro’s Hero Black 13. The Osmo Nano has a “SuperNight” mode specifically for low-light video.

As noted above, you have a choice of either 64 or 128GB of storage, but there’s also a memory card slot so you don’t really need the more expensive version unless you absolutely want the most onboard storage available.

For those of you that make tutorials or social media videos, the DJI Osmo Nano is also compatible with the company’s line of wireless microphones, so if you have a set of those, you can use them with the camera without a receiver, which makes this a truly compact option for crisp video and audio.

Pros

• Creative, modular design
• Sharp 4K video
• Remote HD live view via detachable display
• Onboard storage

Cons

• Unwieldy in “combined” mode
• Built-in battery doesn’t allow for spares
• Modest low light performance

Final Verdict

With this new series, DJI is making rugged shooters more accessible. If a regular action camera is an AWD utility vehicle then the Osmo Nano is a raised SUV with off-road tires. It can go almost anywhere the other can, but it’s a lot more comfortable around town and, dare I say it, often a lot more practical.

With any camera, high resolution and pro shooting modes are worth nothing if you can’t get the shot you want in the first place. DJI strikes a great balance here with impressive 4K video in a design that begs you to be creative and makes simply moving the camera from one mount or position to another a breeze. 

There are some small trade-offs. For one, when the camera is stacked with the display, it’s less agile and convenient than an all-in-one camera, but there are more than enough perks of the modular design to offset this modest inconvenience—for most people at least.

In short, if you need a camera for pure action, especially where water is involved, you might want to look at one of the more traditional rivals. But if you want something versatile that can slip in your pocket and still take a beating but also film your family vacation or YouTube tutorials then the Osmo Nano is an easy recommendation.

Why You Should Trust Me

I’ve been putting the latest cameras, microphones, and creative technology through its paces for the last two decades. I spent over 10 years with Engadget as a senior reviewer and editor-at-large with a particular focus on action cameras, outdoor gear, and anything that helps you create video and audio. During my first GoPro review I broke my elbow recording myself “snowboarding” on concrete with a Freebord. After that, I realized I’m much better at testing, filming, and editing than I am on four wheels or the slopes. I still love being close to the action and technology is the perfect way for me to do that every day.