The DJI's Osmo Sport Camera Announcement Is Hiding Something

[Andre Levite]

Despite all the leaks about tomorrow's (5/15/2019) announcement of the DJI Osmo Sport one burning question remains...

Why in the world would DJI want to produce an action camera in 2019?!?

GoPro saturated the market beginning in 2005 with its Hero models. For 10 years they dominated until demand waned and cheap clones stole their remaining sales. Since then GoPro has lost NINETY PERCENT had lost 90% of its value and suffered wave after wave of layoffs.

This is not the performance profile of a market you would typically jump into:


So all the analysts feel the action camera boon is over and yet a savvy company like DJI is eager to invest there...

Certainly there is something special about the DJI Osmo Sport besides just another overpriced Hero clone...

We will find out tomorrow!

 

[msinger]

You're referring to the DJI OSMO Action, right?

 

[Andre Levite]

You're referring to the DJI OSMO Action, right?

Yes. DJI is expected to announce a SPORT camera tomorrow. It's expected to be named "action" (pretty unimaginative)

Doesn't really matter what they call it. It's an odd market to enter unless you've got something much much more than a GoPro clone.

 

[Dodge DeBoulet]

Yes. DJI is expected to announce a SPORT camera tomorrow. It's expected to be named "action" (pretty unimaginative)

Doesn't really matter what they call it. It's an odd market to enter unless you've got something much much more than a GoPro clone.

I'm thinking that @msinger's little photographic hint means he may know a bit more about DJI's new doohickey than just what's in the rumor mill ?

 

[Andre Levite]

I'm thinking that @msinger's little photographic hint means he may know a bit more about DJI's new doohickey than just what's in the rumor mill ?

Could be. But a quick search found dozens and dozens of leaked photos from many sources... including that same photo

In 2019 it's unimaginable that any company would make a big deal about yet another "action camera".

I'm expecting a big twist... or a big disappointment.

 

[msinger]

I'm thinking that @msinger's little photographic hint means he may know a bit more about DJI's new doohickey than just what's in the rumor mill ?

I don't have any direct inside information, but the photos I've found come from known leakers.

I do know one thing though... DJI does not release copies of existing products. If anything, companies are trying to copy them. And they've been making outdoor cameras for years, so another camera is not really outside of their wheelhouse.

 

[Gryphon962]

Regarding DJI's range of photographic products in general, are the high end cameras and lenses for the Zenmuse X5 and X7 series usable on the ground, perhaps with an Osmo like grip, or is this new product intended to be the 'ground' product?

 

[msinger]

Regarding DJI's range of photographic products in general, are the high end cameras and lenses for the Zenmuse X5 and X7 series usable on the ground, perhaps with an Osmo like grip, or is this new product intended to be the 'ground' product?

The leaked information shows it's going to be an action camera like a GoPro. See more details in this thread.

 

[Andre Levite]

It will be interesting to see the long term success (or failure) of a DJI branded action camera if it's only a GoPro clone. When the roles were reversed and GoPro tried to compete with DJI in the drone market it was a disaster with the short lived Karma.

Savvy consumers often avoid 1st generation tech products as they are known to be much improved by gen2. So how does DJI get somebody to by a gen 1 Osmo action cam over a Hero 7 when the GoPro is literally the 17th iteration over a thirteen year development cycle?

DJI has the brand recognition among the relatively small subset of drone enthusiasts but in the overall target market GoPro is literally synonymous with "action cam".