Comparing the DJI Action 5 Pro Bitrate with the Action 4

There’s been a lot of talk about the DJI Action 5 Pro bitrate, so today, we’re going to compare it with the Action 4, which supposedly has a better bitrate. We’ll see what it takes to highlight any noticeable differences.

Understanding Bitrate

The thing you need to know about bitrate is that it really comes into play when you’re trying to preserve fine details—like leaves, gravel, sand, and similar textures—or when you’re moving at high speeds. To test the Action 5 Pro’s low bitrate, we’re going to stick it on my FPV drone and fly it through an area with lots of small, fine details like sand, gravel, and trees. We’ll also compare it with the Action 4 to see if there’s any discernible difference between the two when you put the footage side by side.

To be honest, I haven’t really noticed a difference yet, but I wasn’t looking for it either. So, this will be a good test to see if the Action 5 Pro’s low bitrate is actually an issue.

The Test Setup

To make this comparison as fair as possible, we’re going to run both cameras at identical settings—4K 60fps with the highest bitrate possible on both cameras using HEVC. This will give you the closest comparison between the two.

Now, I can’t fly both cameras at the same time, but I’ll run the same lines—or as close to the same lines as I can—so we can get an A-to-B comparison. Normally, I would use ND Filters to add motion blur to the footage, but in this case, I’m not using any. I want to see a direct comparison with no motion blur, to evaluate the detail as clearly as possible.

Shoutout to Hoodman

No one is sponsoring this video, but I have to give a shoutout to Hoodman. They gave me a landing pad a while back, and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s the best small, portable drone pad I’ve found. It’s made of some kind of rubberized plastic material and folds up compactly. The whole thing is weighted, so it doesn’t blow away even with heavy prop wash from bigger drones like FPV models. Sure, it’s more expensive than the cheap ones on Amazon, but in my opinion, it’s 100% worth it.

Starting the Test

At this point, I’d usually realize I forgot to charge something and have to drive an hour back home for a battery. But today, everything is charged enough for the test. Luckily, we don’t need to do too many flights—just a few.

The Results

Okay, I can see a difference. It’s not night and day, but there are a few noticeable differences. For instance, in some spots, like the tops of trees, the Action 4 is definitely sharper and shows more detail. When you look at the gravel, you can see the footprints or hoofprints more clearly with the Action 4. It also captures better detail in bushes and, again, in the tops of spruce trees. The Action 4 footage is cleaner and sharper overall.

Both cameras were set to identical settings, so this confirms that the Action 5 Pro bitrate is an issue, particularly when shooting fast-moving subjects or scenes with lots of fine detail. The Action 5 Pro just doesn’t have enough bitrate to keep up in those scenarios.

The Future Fix

I checked DJI’s forums to see if there was any talk about this, and sure enough, there’s a forum thread about the Action 5 Pro. In the middle of the thread, I found a post from someone claiming to be part of DJI’s R&D team. They said the original intention behind the low bitrate was to save customers effort when transferring footage from the SD card or internal storage to a hard disk. However, they appreciated the feedback and confirmed that a higher bitrate option will be available in the next Firmware Update for the Action 5 Pro.

結論

So, according to this post, DJI plans to release a firmware update that will include a higher bitrate option. This should make the Action 5 Pro much better for fast-moving subjects like biking, FPV flying, or anything else with lots of fine detail. The update should clean up the ‘mushy’ effect that happens in those situations.

Next, watch the video linked here, and as always, feel free to ask me questions in the comments or join my live stream, which happens most Wednesday nights at 4:00 p.m. Alaska time (8:00 p.m. Eastern). We can discuss this topic further and address any questions I didn’t cover in this video.

See you next time.

Cheers!