The DJI Action 5 Pro was my first serious camera, it was a big step up from my sub $100 phone cameras. And as they say, “With great power comes great responsibility”, just kidding.
The camera offers a wide variety of config options, and the right one could result in some pro-grade footage.
| Control | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Bitrate | High, more data is always better for retaining detail |
| Color profile | 10-bit D-Log M (with color preview) is my default, provides maximum dynamic range in post. If you don’t want to color grade, use 10-bit color |
| Field of View | A preference, I do UW for sports, adventure and architecture cause it captures the most of the scene, De-warp for my vlogs |
| Stabilization | Rocksteady for the most part, Rocksteady+ if there’s some serious movement (it will crop the dimensions a bit) |
| Resolution | I have mine set to 4K and almost never change it |
| Frame rate | 24 for Cinematic, 30 for Instagram, 60 for sport, 120 for some super slow-mo |
| Shutter speed | Follow the 180-degree shutter rule - set to 1/(2 x frame rate) |
| Exposure | When following the 180-degree rule, you’ll need ND filters for daylight shooting to avoid overexposure. I don’t use an ND and leave mine on Auto |
| White balance | While photos support RAW (allowing WB changes in post), video does not. Set a fixed WB (I use for 5600K for daylight, 3200K for indoors) to prevent the color temperature from shifting mid-shot |
| Noise reduction | Set to -2, you really don’t want your camera to do this, better to de-noise in post |
| Sharpness | Set to -1, the footage is a bit too sharp by default, a softer look feels more natural |
| Wind noise reduction | Set to High when vlogging, ‘Normal’ still has wind noise. |
The camera let’s you pre-save profiles so that you are not wasting time changing options when there’s a critical shot. I have the below profiles saved,
- Cinematic UW profile - 10-bit D-Log | UW | Rocksteady | 4K | 24fps | shutter 1/50
- Cinematic De-warped - Same settings as 1, but field of view set to de-warped