The Action 6 follows the Action 5 Pro as DJI's flagship action camera. The changes DJI documents are in the imaging: a larger square sensor, a variable aperture, an 8K mode with conditions and HorizonSteady at 4K. Battery capacity and the waterproof rating stay the same.
Updated: October 2026
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Choose if: You want the larger 1/1.1-inch square sensor, a variable aperture, 4K Custom (3840×3840) for horizontal and vertical crops from one clip, or HorizonSteady at 4K.
Choose if: Your footage stays at 4K and below and you have no use for the variable aperture or 8K. It has the same 1950 mAh battery capacity, 20 m waterproof rating and 120 Mbps maximum bitrate.
| Spec | DJI Action 6 | DJI Action 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1/1.1" | 1/1.3" |
| Video | 8K30 / 4K120 | 4K120 |
| AF Points | Fixed | |
| IBIS | RockSteady 3.0 | RockSteady 3.0 |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
| Specification | DJI Osmo Action 6 | DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1/1.1-inch square CMOS | 1/1.3-inch CMOS |
| Aperture | Variable, f/2.0–4.0 | Fixed |
| Field of view | 155° (182° with the FOV Boost Lens, sold separately) | 155° |
| Top video modes | 8K30 (16:9 only, restricted); 4K120 in 16:9, 4:3 and 9:16 | 4K120 |
| Native slow motion | 4K120, 1080p240 | 4K120, 2.7K240 |
| Colour | 10-bit D-Log M (HLG not mentioned by DJI) | 10-bit D-Log M, HLG |
| Max bitrate | 120 Mbps | 120 Mbps |
| HorizonSteady | 1080p, 2.7K and 4K in 16:9, plus 4K Custom, up to 60 fps | 1080p and 2.7K in 16:9, up to 60 fps |
| Battery | 1950 mAh; 240 min (DJI: 1080p/24, 25 °C, screens off) | 1950 mAh; 4 h at 1080p, 2 h at 4K60 (conditions not stated) |
| Waterproof | 20 m without case, 60 m with case | 20 m without case, 60 m with dive case |
| Screens | 1.46" front and 2.5" rear, both OLED touch | 1.46" front and 2.5" rear, both OLED touch |
| Weight | 149 g | 145 g |
Action 6: DJI's spec sheet and product page, checked 16 October 2026. The Action 5 Pro's HorizonSteady limits are from a footnote on the same product page.
The Action 6 moves from a 1/1.3-inch to a 1/1.1-inch sensor, and DJI describes it as square. That shape is what makes 4K Custom possible (3840×3840 at up to 60 fps) and lets 4K at 120 fps run in 16:9, 4:3 and 9:16. One 4K Custom clip can be cut into a widescreen and a vertical version later.
The aperture is new as well. DJI calls the Action 6 its first action camera with a variable aperture: f/2.0–4.0, with five Auto ranges, a mode fixed at f/2.0 and a Starburst setting at f/4.0. The Action 5 Pro has a fixed aperture, so in bright light it can only adjust shutter speed and ISO, or rely on an ND filter.
Winner: Action 6.
For everyday shooting both cameras top out at 4K120 with 10-bit D-Log M. The Action 6 adds 8K at up to 30 fps, but DJI restricts it to 16:9, limits stabilisation to RockSteady and RockSteady+ and the field of view to Standard, Natural Wide and Wide, removes Film Tone and Quality Priority, and caps ISO at 12800 (6400 in D-Log M). Editing 8K in the DJI Mimo app currently needs an iPhone 15 Pro or later.
The newer camera does not move ahead on bitrate: DJI lists a 120 Mbps maximum for both. DJI's Action 6 spec sheet and product page do not mention HLG at all.
Winner: Action 6 for modes and framing options, not for bitrate.
Both cameras use RockSteady 3.0 and 3.0+. The difference is horizon levelling. According to a footnote on DJI's Action 6 product page, HorizonSteady on the Action 5 Pro works only at 1080p and 2.7K (16:9, up to 60 fps); on the Action 6 it adds 4K in 16:9 and 4K Custom. HorizonBalancing covers 1080p, 2.7K and 4K on both. On both cameras, DJI does not support electronic stabilisation in Slow Motion and Timelapse.
Winner: Action 6, if you want HorizonSteady at 4K.
The battery capacity is the same 1950 mAh. DJI rates the Action 6 at 240 minutes at 1080p/24 and 25 °C with Wi-Fi and the screens off, and says battery life may differ in the EU and UK. For the Action 5 Pro DJI gives the same 240 minutes, measured at 1080p/24 and 25 °C with RockSteady on and Wi-Fi and the screens off.
Both are waterproof to 20 m without a case and to 60 m with one. The Action 6 is 4 g heavier (149 g vs 145 g), has screens of the same size (1.46-inch front and 2.5-inch rear, both OLED touchscreens) and 64 GB of built-in storage, of which 50 GB is usable. Neither camera lists a GPS receiver.
Winner: Tie.
Hardly. DJI limits 8K on the Action 6 to 16:9 at up to 30 fps, with restricted stabilisation and field-of-view options, no Film Tone or Quality Priority, a maximum ISO of 12800 (6400 in D-Log M), and 8K editing in DJI Mimo only on iPhone 15 Pro models and later. The stronger reasons are the sensor, the aperture and HorizonSteady at 4K.
Both batteries are 1950 mAh, but DJI's Action 6 spec sheet and product page do not say whether Action 5 Pro batteries fit. Check DJI's compatibility information before buying spares for one camera to use in the other.
The Action 6. DJI's footnote limits HorizonSteady on the Action 5 Pro to 1080p and 2.7K; on the Action 6 it also works at 4K in 16:9 and in 4K Custom, up to 60 fps. HorizonBalancing covers 1080p to 4K on both.
Neither lists a GPS receiver: DJI's Action 6 spec sheet has no GPS entry, and for the Action 5 Pro DJI points to its optional Osmo Action GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller for GPS data. If you need GPS data in the camera, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro lists it.
For most buyers choosing today: the DJI Osmo Action 6, for the larger square sensor, the variable aperture and HorizonSteady at 4K.
If 4K and below is all you shoot: the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro shares the battery capacity, the waterproof rating, the 4K120 ceiling and the 120 Mbps maximum bitrate.
