DJI Osmo 360 Review: A Smarter Action Camera

DJI Takes On the 360-Degree Action Camera Market

DJI has long dominated the drone space, but the company's push into handheld cameras continues to gain momentum. The DJI Osmo 360 represents the company's most ambitious entry into the 360-degree action camera segment — and it largely delivers on its promise of making immersive filming accessible to everyday adventurers.

While smartphones like Apple's iPhone lineup have steadily improved their videography capabilities, including features like Action Mode for stabilized footage during fast movement, they still fall short in extreme scenarios. Skiing down a mountain, surfing ocean waves, or mountain biking through rugged terrain — these are situations where a dedicated action camera remains the superior tool.

What Makes the Osmo 360 Stand Out

The DJI Osmo 360 is, in DJI's own ecosystem, a direct answer to competitors like the Insta360 X4 and GoPro MAX. It captures full 360-degree footage using dual lenses, allowing users to reframe shots in post-production — essentially choosing the 'best angle' after the moment has passed.

DJI's software ecosystem is where the Osmo 360 truly shines. The companion app leverages AI-powered subject tracking and automatic horizon leveling, making it remarkably easy to extract polished, traditional-looking video clips from raw 360-degree footage. For content creators who want cinematic results without a full production crew, this workflow is a game-changer.

Stabilization is another strong suit. DJI brings its expertise from gimbal technology and drone cameras to deliver buttery-smooth footage even in the most chaotic filming conditions. Whether mounted on a helmet, attached to a chest harness, or held on a selfie stick, the resulting video remains impressively steady.

The Selfie Stick Question

One of the Osmo 360's key accessories is its oversized optional selfie stick, designed to create the popular 'invisible stick' effect in 360-degree footage. While the results are undeniably impressive — giving the appearance of a phantom drone following the user — the stick itself is physically large and cumbersome.

For professional content creators and extreme sports enthusiasts, the trade-off is worthwhile. The extended reach provides dramatic third-person perspectives that simply aren't possible with traditional action cameras. However, for casual users who primarily want a rugged camera for vacations or family activities, the massive stick feels like overkill.

DJI does include a more compact mounting solution in the standard package, which serves most everyday use cases well.

How It Compares to Smartphones

Apple's recent iPhones have made significant strides in video quality, and features like Cinematic Mode and Action Mode have expanded what's possible with a phone. Google's Pixel lineup similarly offers excellent computational videography.

However, smartphones remain fundamentally limited for action filming. They lack the ruggedized, waterproof builds of dedicated action cameras. They don't offer 360-degree capture. And despite software stabilization improvements, they can't match the physical and digital stabilization combination that cameras like the Osmo 360 provide.

The Osmo 360 fills a clear niche: it's the camera you reach for when your $1,000+ smartphone is too fragile or too limited for the job.

AI-Powered Editing Makes the Difference

Perhaps the most significant advantage DJI brings to the table is its AI-driven post-processing pipeline. The app can automatically identify key moments in 360-degree footage, suggest optimal framing, and even generate highlight reels with minimal user input.

This lowers the barrier to entry considerably. Previous generations of 360-degree cameras often frustrated users with complex editing workflows. DJI's approach streamlines the process, making 360-degree content creation practical for users who aren't professional video editors.

The Outlook for 360-Degree Action Cameras

The DJI Osmo 360 arrives at an interesting inflection point for the action camera market. GoPro has faced financial headwinds, while Insta360 has carved out a strong position in the 360-degree segment. DJI's entry adds serious competitive pressure and could accelerate innovation across the category.

As AI editing tools become more sophisticated and 360-degree video finds broader distribution channels — including social media platforms and spatial computing devices like the Apple Vision Pro — cameras like the Osmo 360 are well-positioned for growing demand.

For anyone serious about action filming, the DJI Osmo 360 is an excellent example of how to build a 360-degree camera system the right way. Just maybe skip the giant selfie stick unless you truly need it.