DJI Osmo 360 review with downloadable sample file | Unbiased test
By John Milbank
Consumer Editor of Bennetts BikeSocial
31.07.2025
Date reviewed: July 2025 | Tested by: John Milbank | Price: £409.99 (RRP) | www.dji.com/uk
DJI is late to the party with the Osmo 360 on review here – Insta360 has built up huge experience since it launched a phone-mounted 360 device back in 2016, and now has the outstanding flagship X5 reviewed here. It’d be a big ask for DJI’s engineers to come straight in and beat Insta360 at what is, pretty much, its own game. But they have. Almost…
Pros & Cons
Excellent picture quality
Very good audio
Fits into the DJI eco system brilliantly
Lenses are not replaceable
App has to be side-loaded on Android
Can overheat
Why you can trust this review
No manufacturers or distributors ever have any influence on the reviews I write or film, I won’t ever do any paid reviews, and I’ll never agree to affiliate links. All products are tested fairly and equally, and if anything changes over time, I will update the written reviews.
Your purchasing choices should always be your own – Bennetts BikeSocial is just here to help ensure they’re informed choices.
Download a sample DJI Osmo 360 file
Click the image above or here to download a sample DJI Osmo 360 file, which you can edit on your phone in the DJI Mimo app, or in the DJI Studio app, which you can download from DJI here. I’m limited with how big the files can be that I link to, and this was shot very early on in my reviews. Once I’ve got my camera repaired, I’ll add a brighter, sunnier shot so be sure to check back…
DJI Osmo 360 showreel
All footage is straight out of camera, edited only for angle in the DJI Studio app on Mac desktop
The DJI OSMO 360’s image quality is excellent
DJI is keen to highlight the relatively large 1/1.1 square image sensors used in the Osmo 360, compared to the 1/1.28 rectangular sensors fitted to the Insta360 X5. This is claimed to not only give a larger effective image field for the circular projection from each lens (said to be a diameter of 7.2mm on each side of the Insta360 X5 compared to 9.6mm on the DJI Osmo 360), but also removes the wasted image sensor area on either side that a traditional rectangular format doesn’t need, which perhaps explains the surprisingly good battery life of the Osmo.
What really matters of course isn’t claims and numbers, but how the footage looks, and in the video above you can see the outstanding quality straight out of camera. This was shot in the ‘Normal 10 bit’ video mode, but over time I’d like to experiment with the ‘D-Log M 10 bit’ mode, which will give flatter footage out of the camera that can be colour- graded more accurately during editing. For now though, this review is aimed at motorcyclists who want the best quality footage as quickly and easily as possible.
And DJI delivers that, as you can see from the comparison with the Insta360 X5 below…
DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5
In these shots, the cameras were mounted to the top-box on the back of my R1250GS. Looking closely at the footage, there appears to be some movement in the QR bracket on the Insta360 X5, which unfairly makes it look a little more shakey. See the other sample videos for other mounting solutions.
Choosing between the two cameras – even with the original files before they go through YouTube’s compression – is very hard indeed, but I do think the DJI Osmo 360 has the slight edge over the Insta360 X5 in many cases, offering excellent clarity and colour.
But, the samples at the end of the comparison footage show some mild colour smearing in the trees on the Osmo. I’m sure DJI will iron this out with future updates, and it hasn’t ruined any footage, but it’s somewhere I noticed the X5 has the edge.
But this is pixel-peeping, and to be honest the difference between the two cameras is so fractional that both remain excellent options for the average rider, especially now Insta360 has introduced its ‘Adaptive Tone’ feature in the summer 2025 firmware update. Also, looking at the video below with the camera mounted off the side of the bike, the Insta360 seems to have a slight edge in detail.
However, if ultimate image quality is the goal, at the time of writing I’d say the DJI Osmo 360 is the winner (just) because of the ability to shoot in D-Log M at 8K, whereas the Insta360 can only shoot in its I-Log mode at resolutions up to 5.7K.
But that’s not the only advantage DJI has…
The Osmo 360 can shoot at higher frame rates
While I haven’t been able to shoot more sample footage at this stage (see why below), the Osmo 360 has the edge in frame rate options. At least in the UK and Europe…
Note that the DJI Osmo 360 records at 8K, but the reframed footage will be 4K. This is the same with the Insta360 X5.
The ability to shoot at 50fps mean I could get smooth half-speed footage easily when shooting for a 25fps timeline. Owners in the US shooting for 30fps will no doubt be disappointed at the lack of 60fps, but for the UK and Europe this is a major selling point, and anyone on 24fps can also shoot at 48fps for half speed.
Offering only 100fps in 4K 360 mode seems a strange choice, though I’d not be surprised to see this expanded in a future firmware update. Insta360 gives a lot more choice at this resolution, perhaps making the camera more versatile for some users.
When shooting in single-lens mode, the DJI offers up to 5K resolution but is surprisingly lacking the 24fps option for anyone looking for that cinematic feel. I can’t help thinking that this too will be addressed in firmware, but it could also be a sign that DJI is focussing on the 360 performance of this camera.
DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5 night footage
Standard and SuperNight / PureVideo modes compared
The DJI Osmo 360’s night footage is very good
Having a larger image sensor should mean that the DJI Osmo 360 can provide the best low light footage. It also has a slightly larger f1.9 aperture, compared to the X5’s f2.0.
In practice it’s a similar result to the daytime footage – both cameras look similar, with the DJI nudging ahead again.
DJI’s ‘SuperNight’ low-light mode gives a surprising amount of detail at night, as does Insta360’s ‘PureVideo’. I had both cameras mounted on the top box, and sadly the vibration did cause an issue that neither camera could fully iron out. If you’re walking around with them they’ll both be much better, but this is a motorcycle review.
I would say that the DJI performs slightly better, as you can see in the slowed-down clips. I’m not sure this is a software advantage – it’s possibly down to the size and weight…
DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5 side mount test
Both cameras are mounted out to the side of the bike on a selfie stick
DJI OSMO 360 size and weight
The Osmo 360 is a smaller and lighter camera than the Insta360 X5, and the lower centre of gravity will be likely to reduce the amount that the lenses shake about – the centre of the Osmo 360’s lenses is significantly closer to the mounting point than those of the Insta360.
DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5 garage low light test
Audio is very similar between the two cameras, as is the standard video mode in the garage
The OSMO 360’s audio quality is impressive
The Insta360 X5 has outstanding wind noise reduction, but in the sample footage I’ve shot I actually prefer the DJI Osmo 360’s audio as it more often picks up the growl of the exhaust note. Watch all the videos in this review and you’ll get a feel for how it performs.
In the garage the audio from the X5 and Osmo 360 sounds very similar.
DJI Osmo 360 rain test
No problems in driving rain here
The Osmo 360 is waterproof to 10m
Rated as IP68, the DJI Osmo 360 is waterproof down to 10m, compared to 15m for the Insta360 X5. Most importantly though for motorcyclists – particularly in the UK – it’s fine in driving rain at 70mph.
I used the Osmo 360 to document some riding kit testing and had no issues in heavy rain on the motorway, even with the camera fully exposed.
The OSMO 360’s battery life is very impressive
Thanks I’m sure to the efficient dimensions of the image sensor used in the DJI Osmo 360, battery performance is very impressive. Here are my results based on filming at 8K 25fps at 25°C, though it’s important to note that I had to have a fan blowing on the DJI to stop it overheating…
I really am impressed with the DJI’s runtime even with the standard battery that it comes with. If you get the Adventure Combo that I have on review you also get three of the larger capacity ‘Extreme Plus’ batteries in a very handy charging case that can double as a power bank.
Comparing the Insta360 X5 with the DJI Osmo 360
DJI OSMO 360 price
Having bought a DJI Flip drone (review here), I know how the company is the master of the upsell, but the Adventure Combo bundle does offer good value over the standard price:
This makes the Osmo 360 cheaper than the Insta360 X5, with that flagship standalone unit being £110 more expensive than the Osmo 360 at £519.99. Note though that these are the RRPs at the time of writing and I’m sure we’ll see the two companies battling it out after release.
This is everything you get with the Adventure Combo
As standard, the Osmo 360 comes with a 1,750mAh battery, a soft carry pouch and a rubber lens protector that can be slipped on while the camera’s mounted, which is great as it’s one of the most useful accessories and Insta360 charges you extra for it.
The DJI Osmo 360 Adventure Combo includes a battery charging case that holds three batteries and three microSD cards worth £55, three Extreme Plus batteries worth a total of £87, a 1.2m selfie stick worth £25.99 and a quick-release adaptor mount worth £38.99 that’s got a threaded hole on the bottom, and can lock into a straight or 45° angle for use in Selfie mode. That’s a saving of £76.98!
Whether you’ll need those extra batteries will depend how you use the camera – I have it set to turn on and start recording when I press the button, then shut itself down when I stop it, so I don’t tend to burn through much power while grabbing clips. However, for a trip away having the extra packs is helpful, and it’s great to find that they’re the same as those used in the DJI Osmo Action 4 camera I have (reviewed here), as well as the Action 5 Pro and Action 3.
Mounting the Osmo 360 is easy
The metal ¼ inch threaded socket built into the base of the Osmo360 allows it to be easily attached to a selfie stick or tripod. The Osmo 360 is also compatible with the DJI quick release mount that has GoPro-style connectors on the bottom and costs £15. This compatibility with the batteries and mounts already used in the Osmo range is a great value-added bonus.
The Osmo 360 has built-in storage
Despite being able to take a microSD card up to 1TB in size, the DJI Osmo 360 includes 105GB of built-in storage. Files can be downloaded by plugging the camera into a computer via the USB-C port, or transferred to the phone app for editing.
When the internal storage is full, the camera will stop recording rather than stop then resume automatically on an inserted card. If you’re going to be shooting a lot of footage you’ll be best switching to a large capacity card and ignoring the built-in storage.
As I don’t want to wade through loads of footage after a shoot, I tend to capture just what I need, so the 105GB is usually more than enough.
Recording continuously at 8K 25fps, footage is broken up into separate clips, each just over 17 minutes long. In my testing with the latest firmware at the time of writing, the join between each clip isn’t seamless – I found it freezes at the end of each clip for two frames, or about 0.08 seconds. This can be trimmed out in editing, but it’s worth noting.
DJI’s software is good
While the latest version of the DJI Mimo app is in Beta for the review samples, it’s proving to have great functionality, including remote viewing of the footage with very little lag, as well as a clear microphone level. Settings can be changed via the app and you can edit footage easily.
Alternatively – and my preferred method as I tend to film for longer form videos that I put together in Premiere Pro – DJI has developed its own ‘Studio’ app for Mac and PC, which performs very similarly to the Insta360 Studio app. Reframing and adjusting footage is easy, and exports can be queued so you can quickly work through all your clips.
Insta360’s software stores the keyframe details for each clip you work on, which can make going back to them a lot simpler. It’d be great to see that feature added to the DJI Studio software as in this early form they disappear once you close the clip. I’m sure there’ll be tweaks and refinements over time, but even so, it’s an excellent piece of software that works well.
One point worth mentioning is that the maximum bitrate that clips can be exported at is
160Mbps, while the Insta360 Studio app allows up to 200Mbps. You’ll be unlikely to see any difference in the YouTube clips here, but all these clips were exported at the maximums.
The one real disappointment with the DJI Osmo 360 is that the Android version of the app still has to be installed direct from the DJI website after disabling Google’s security (also known as side-loading). The iOS version is available on the Apple store, so that’s fine, but you can’t get it from Google Play so do NOT download anything you find for DJI kit from there as it’ll potentially be a scam.
I’ve been using the DJI Mimo app for several years now on my Android phone, and while I don’t like the faff of installing software this way, it hasn’t caused me any issues. DJI is tight-lipped about why this is the case, still quoting its official statement from back in January 2023:
“The compatibility between DJI apps and Google Play Store is changing. Therefore, you currently cannot download or update the Android versions of our apps using Google Play. DJI now provides the most current versions of its Android apps on DJI's website. To install or update the most recent Android version of a DJI app such as DJI Fly or DJI Mimo, users can visit dji.com/downloads and select the app they'd like to install. This is an easy-to-use and comfortable solution, and ensures that our customers can enjoy the full functionality and benefits of our Android app versions. Thank you for your understanding.”
The Osmo 360 can overheat
DJI claims that the Osmo 360 can shoot continuously at room temperature in 8K/30fps without overheating, but in my testing on my desk at 25°C shooting 8K at a slower (so less demanding) 25fps, the camera overheated and stopped recording after 33 minutes. I haven’t been able to test the Osmo 360 in very hot weather yet, but this could be a problem when filming with no wind outside.
On the bike, as long as there’s airflow there shouldn’t be an issue, and at 29°C I didn’t have any problems with the 10 minute tests I was filming, but I hope to keep this review updated over time.
The moment I killed my DJI Osmo 360
I won’t be mounting a camera here again!
The Osmo 360 does NOT have replaceable lenses
The biggest problem with the DJI Osmo 360 is simply that the lenses are vulnerable and fragile. This has been the case for many years on all 360 action cameras, but Insta360 made a huge advance when it built user-replaceable lenses into the X5 – for just £29.99, anyone can swap out a damaged lens.
I’m sure DJI will offer lens guards in future, but it’s unlikely that they’ll be any better than the Insta360’s, which can add some flare and degrade the image to some extent.
DJI’s care refresh programme is the best bet, costing £23 for a year or £38 for two years to cover accidental damage, wear-and-tear, collisions and water damage. During that time you can get up to two replacements with free shipping in one year, or up to four replacements over two years. Each replacement costs another £23.
I’d recommend taking this out, especially if you’re going to be using it on a motorcycle as the value is pretty good… The Insta360 X5 costs £110 more than the Osmo 360, and with a replacement lens costing £30, that’s £140 of damages that the DJI potentially gives you to play with. If you took out cover for two years, in that time you could damage and replace the Osmo 360 four times and still have saved £10.
Before and after my mistake
Fortunately, I bought Care Refresh so I will be making use of this as while shooting the samples for this review I mounted the camera low down on the crash bars. Having smashed the X5 while reviewing it by mounting it too low out the front I was more cautious this time, but misjudged the angle and the camera hit the road, folded under, then ground one of the lenses out.
That was my own stupid fault, but it is important to take care with 360 cameras as the lenses are very easily marked, which can then cause flares in footage. I'll update this review once the camera has been repaired / replaced with my experience of the process.
The Osmo 360 doesn’t have a dash-cam mode
At the time of writing, unlike the Insta360 X5, the DJI Osmo 360 doesn’t have a dash-cam mode that constantly records smaller clips that are overwritten as the card fills up. Given the overheating I’ve encountered it might struggle, but maybe we’ll see new features applied with future firmware updates.
360 modes currently available on the Osmo 360 are:
Panoramic photo up to 120MP with an optional countdown timer
Standard video 16:9 or 4:3
SuperNight
Selfie Mode
Vortex (requires a special selfie stick)
Timelapse (8K25 or 8K30 with intervals of 1 second to 1 hour)
Hyperlapse (8K25 or 8K30 with auto rate or 2x to 30 times speed)
There are also three single-lens modes:
Photo up to 30MP with an optional countdown timer
Standard video 16:9 or 4:3
Boost video giving an ultra-wide 6mm equivalent field of view
Single lens video can be shot in Rock Steady image stabilisation, or Horizon Lock, which keeps the horizon level even if the camera turns through 360°.
As this review focusses on motorcycle us, I haven’t yet tested these modes, but hope to update the review once I’ve replaced the camera.
These are the best DJI OSMO 360 accessories
Accessories specific to the DJI Osmo 360 are fairly scarce at the time of writing thanks to the camera being so new, but here are some options to consider…
DJI Motorcycle Heavy Duty Mount, £38.99 | This new mount was supplied with the camera for review and allows it to be rotated through 360° and tilted through 180°. It clamps securely onto bars of between 12 and 26mm in diameter using the supplied ball-headed Allen key, which makes access easier in awkward locations. It’s a lot better design than Insta360’s similar U-Bolt Mount as the threaded fixings don’t foul the head on smaller tubes.
Once fitted, the clamp isn’t quick to remove, which will either be a boon if you’re parking the bike up and don’t want to worry about the mounts, or a hassle if you’re constantly changing the position of them.
When I rode through France and Spain last year I had a similar mount fitted to the crash bars of the bike as I knew I’d always film from that position, but if you want something faster to remove, consider the Insta360 Heavy Duty Clamp at £39.99, which has the same style head but open jaws.
DJI Osmo 360 mic test
Testing the DJI Osmo 360 with the DJI Mic 2 and Mic mini
DJI Mic Mini, £39 (usually £49), DJI Mic 2, £59 or DJI Mic 3, TBC| I bought myself the DJI Mic 2 kit a couple of years back for on-the-go filming, and have been thoroughly impressed with the way it keeps the mics and receiver charged so is always ready to go.
The Osmo 360 doesn’t need the receiver, and impressively you can pair two transmitters to it at once, making filming interviews a possibility without having to merge the audio in the edit.
The Mic Mini is small enough to tuck inside your helmet’s chin bar, and you can hear the quality of that in the video below showing the Osmo Action 4 attached to the Mobile 7 gimbal.
DJI Mic Mini as a helmet mic
Testing this tiny, affordable Bluetooth mic
DJI Osmo Action GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller, £69 | I’ve not tested this remote control, but if it’s compatible with the Osmo 360 it’ll mean the camera can be started and stopped while it’s out of reach. This can save a lot of hassle having to pull over to start and stop recording, and can also add to speed, route and more data to the dashboard stats overlays found in the Studio desktop software and in the Mimo app (though at for now at least there’s no lean angle display). The GPS remote should enable all the features that require satellites, such as speed and pace.
The DJI Osmo 360 comes with a soft pouch AND the vital rubber lens cover
Three alternatives to the DJI Osmo 360
The pace of change in action cameras has been incredible over the last couple of years, and that’s purely down to DJI and Insta360. While there are rumours of a new GoPro 360 camera coming up, it has to be said that the father of action cameras appears to have not only missed the boat, but lost its passport and forgotten it was supposed to be sailing at all. Here are some other cameras that might be on your radar…
Insta360 X5, £519.99 | DJI is coming in all guns blazing against the leader of 360 cameras, but it has a very tough battle here thanks to the replaceable lenses on the X5. Check out the full review of the Insta360 X5 here.
GoPro Max, £249.99 (usually £349.99) | Given that the Max has been reduced by £100, perhaps there is a new model on the horizon. It’ll need to be good though, as the existing ‘Max (2025)’ might be cheap, but it only films in 6K (rather than 8K of the competitors) and seems very long in the tooth now. We haven’t reviewed any GoPro products.
DJI Osmo Action 4, £229 (usually £289) | Do you really need a 360 camera? While they now offer incredible image quality that rivals that of single-lens action cameras, the Action 4 is still a brilliant little device that gives superb image quality, pairs with a Bluetooth mic and has a replaceable lens cover. The front and rear screens are also incredibly handy when setting up shots on the bike. Check out the full review of the DJI Osmo Action 4 here.
These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the action cameras we’ve tested here.
Being able to pair two mics is yet another great feature of the DJI Osmo 360
DJI Osmo 360 review: Verdict
There’s a lot to love about the DJI Osmo 360: the price, the image quality and the great audio. But it doesn’t have replaceable lenses and as a motorcyclist using it in rough conditions, that can’t be ignored.
Right up to the Insta360 X4, replaceable lenses were just the thing of dreams – especially if you’d scuffed yours by dragging it through some bushes, dropping it even a small distance onto tarmac, or scraped it down the road at 60mph – and the DJI Osmo 360 blows that camera (which is still for sale) out of the water.
But then there’s the Insta360 X5. Granted it’s more expensive, but the image quality is barely distinguishable from the Osmo 360 in most cases and if you do damage it, you only need to pay £30 for a new lens.
If you can take clumsy / careless / unlucky damage out of the equation then the DJI Osmo 360 is pretty much the best choice, and when I’ve got mine fixed, I’ll certainly want to use it more (and more carefully). Plus of course, given the saving you could take out DJI’s Care Refresh and afford to break the Osmo four times in two years and still be better off…
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