Best Memory Cards DJI Osmo Action

The ultimate guide to the best and most reliable memory cards for the DJI Osmo Action. I’ve tested each microSD memory card in the camera to see which cards perform the best.

I’ve also Included the official list DJI has been recommending for their devices as well as my top five recommendations, with a few cards that aren’t on their list.

Best Memory Card DJI Osmo Action

To measure the performance of each microSD memory card in the Osmo Action, I was able to measure the speed at which the camera could clear the buffer when shooting a burst of photos.

With the faster cards, the camera was ready to shoot a second or two sooner than the slower cards. Not a big deal, but it at least shows us what cards are working better in the Osmo Action.

DJI Action Capacity

What is the maximum capacity of memory cards that can be used with the DJI Osmo Action 1?

The DJI Action 1 is compatible with micro SD memory cards ranging from 32GB up to 256GB as officially supported. Some have had success with larger capacity cards.

Additional Specs

Sensor: 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor
Video: 4k24p – 4k60p / 1080p240 100MbpsVideo Format: AVC / H.264
Stills: 12MP JPG / DNG
Memory Cards: UHS-I U3

DJI Osmo Action – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

There are also some good bundles out there that come with a good Sandisk card.

Osmo Action Memory Card Speed Chart

With the Osmo Action Memory Card Speed test, I took the read-and-write numbers.

MicroSD Official Recommendations From DJI

DJI doesn’t have an official recommended list of cards for the DJI Osmo Action in their user manual however, the Osmo Pocket does, which I’ll list here.

Many of the updated versions of these cards made my recommendation list, but this is the official list from DJI for their Pocket which is slightly less powerful than the Action.

SDHC/SDXC UHS-I U3 microSD

Samsung EVO Plus 32GB UHS-1
Samsung Pro 64GB UHS-3
Samsung Pro Endurance 64GB UHS-1
Samsung Evo Plus 64GB UHS-3
Sandisk Extreme 16/32GB UHS-3
Sandisk Extreme Plus 128GB V30 A1 UHS-3
Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB V30 A1 UHS-3
Lexar 633x 32GB UHS-1

Or a microSD card with a minimum write speed of 30MB/s. In other words U3 or V30.

Minimum & Maximum Required Spec

U3 or V30: U3 or V30 means the microSD card will maintain a minimum write speed of 30MB/s. This means you can also use V60 or V90 cards but stay away from U1.

UHS-1 / UHS-II: The Osmo Action only has UHS-I tech inside of it so there isn’t any reason to waste money on UHS-II memory cards, although they will work.

SDXC or SDHC: The SDXC or SDHC has to do with the file format. SDHC cards are formatted with a 32-bit filesystem, the SDXC can be formatted with a 64-bit filesystem. Either works.

A1 / A2: This is a new rating that has to do with IOPS (Input/output operations per second) speeds. It’s good for measuring random read and write access and better numbers are achieved here by introducing a small cache on the card.

4GB File Size Limit

You may have noticed your DJI Action or Pocket breaking up your longer recordings into 4GB chunks. This is common and there is nothing wrong.

GoPro is also doing the 4GB size limit with their clips in their Hero 7 and I’ve come to find this to be incredibly useful for those times when I leave the camera on for an hour or so.

Chaptering

When cameras break up video clips into smaller clips this is called chaptering. In this case, the Osmo Action breaks up the clips into 4GB chunks. This means if something gets corrupted, instead of losing the whole stream you just lose one of the 4GB sections. It also makes it easy to delete useless parts of the steam later if you forget to stop recording or something.

32-bit vs 64-bit

What is happening on the technical side is the camera is not using a 64-bit filesystem to write clips. It’s only writing clips with a 32-bit filesystem that has a 4GB limit.

You can seamlessly combine the clips back together in editing programs like Resolve or Premiere.

Best Memory Cards DJI Osmo Action | Conclusions

While the DJI Osmo Action doesn’t have any mind-blowing specs and doesn’t require the latest and greatest in cutting-edge microSD memory card tech, it’s still a good idea to buy from the top brands that have the best reliability with their cards. 

Always buy from a trusted retailer and always check the capacity of your card before you start to use it.

If you decide to buy a card that isn’t on the list, be sure to stick with at least a U3 or V30 rating.

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