XTU S7 Pro vs. DJI Osmo Action 4: Is the $110 Action Camera Good Enough?
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Action cameras used to mean picking between "cheap and limited" or "expensive and excellent." The XTU S7 Pro blurs that line in an interesting way: for around $110, it delivers 4K video, dual displays, solid stabilization, and a build quality that doesn't feel like a toy. I've been testing it alongside my DJI Osmo Action 4 — which I keep around as a backup camera for my YouTube channel — and the comparison ended up being more useful than I expected. It's not really a question of which camera is "better" in a vacuum. It's a question of what you're actually doing with it, because the gap between these two cameras is almost entirely about protection and accessories, not day-to-day image quality.
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What XTU gets right for $110
Video quality is the standout. XTU rates the S7 Pro for 4K recording at up to 50fps off a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, paired with Super EIS 5.0 stabilization, 360-degree horizon correction, a 152-degree ultra-wide field of view, and native vertical recording for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts. In casual use — dashboard mounting, walking shots, biking around the neighborhood — the stabilization held up better than I expected, smoothing out bounce without the warping artifacts you sometimes get from cheap electronic stabilization.
The build itself doesn't feel disposable. The chassis is dense rather than hollow, the 1,800mAh replaceable battery has held up fine in testing (XTU rates it for up to 200 minutes at 1080p/30fps), and the two screens — a 2.29-inch rear touchscreen and a 1.4-inch front display — make framing and settings easy to manage without picking the camera up.
XTU S7 Pro Video Sample: The following clip was recorded directly with the S7 Pro so you can judge the camera's real-world video quality for yourself. Just walking around holding the camera, shot in 4k 30fps.
Where the DJI Osmo Action 4 pulls ahead
This is where the price jump starts making sense. The Osmo Action 4 carries an IP68 rating and is waterproof to 18 meters with no case required — you can shoot in rain, get splashed, or drop it in a creek without a second thought. Compare that to the S7 Pro, where XTU is explicit in its own FAQ that the bare camera body is not waterproof at all, and you need an optional housing (rated to 30 meters) just to get basic protection from rain or submersion.
The Osmo Action 4 also comes with meaningfully more out of the box. The Standard Combo includes a battery, a horizontal-vertical protective frame, a quick-release adapter mount, a locking screw, a USB-C PD cable, a lens hood, a curved adhesive base, and an anti-slip pad. Higher-tier bundles add extra batteries, a multi-battery charging case, and a selfie stick. The S7 Pro, by contrast, doesn't even include a microSD card in the box — XTU recommends a U3-rated card or faster, up to 512GB, which is an extra cost you have to factor in just to start recording.
Street pricing on the Osmo Action 4 has dropped a fair amount since launch — it originally retailed around $399, but has been selling in the $209–$290 range during sales, sometimes lower during Black Friday. That still puts it at roughly double to triple the price of the S7 Pro, and for that jump you're getting real IP68 waterproofing with no case needed, a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, 4K recording up to 120fps, and a much more complete accessory bundle.
Where they're actually similar
Here's the part that surprised me: for plain, everyday shooting, the two cameras aren't that far apart. Filming around the house, casual clips, low-stakes outdoor use — the S7 Pro's video output holds its own against the Osmo Action 4 in good lighting. Neither camera is going to embarrass the other for basic content creation, vlogging, or backup footage. If your use case is "point it at something and record," the extra money for the Osmo Action 4 doesn't buy you a dramatically different-looking video in those conditions.
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The other S7 Pro quirks worth knowing
Beyond the waterproofing gap, there are two smaller issues with the S7 Pro. First, no included microSD card, covered above — budget for a U3 card separately. Second, it runs warm while charging: I measured the exterior hitting around 107°F during a fast-charge session. XTU advertises PD fast charging, with the battery reaching about 80% in roughly 46 minutes, and faster charging generally means more heat. It's not dangerous, and I didn't see any failures, but I'd avoid charging it under a blanket or buried in a bag without airflow.
Final thoughts
If I'm being honest about how I'd actually use these two cameras, the decision comes down to one question: is there real risk of water, mud, or impact involved? If I'm dirt biking, riding trails, or doing anything where the camera might get soaked or knocked around, I'm grabbing the Osmo Action 4 without hesitation — the IP68 rating with no case needed removes any anxiety about the conditions, and the fuller accessory kit means I'm not scrambling for a card or a mount. That peace of mind is worth the extra cost when the stakes are higher.
But for simple stuff around the house, casual outdoor use, or as a genuinely inexpensive second camera, the XTU S7 Pro punches way above its $110 price tag. The video looks good, the battery is reliable, and the hardware feels legitimate rather than like a toy. It just requires honesty about its limits — no waterproofing without an added case, no SD card in the box, and a charging habit that deserves a little airflow.
Neither camera is objectively "better." The Osmo Action 4 is the more capable, more protected, more complete package, and it should be, given the price. The S7 Pro is what happens when a budget camera actually delivers on video quality without cutting corners on the parts you'd notice day to day — the corners it cuts are all in the parts you only notice when things get rough. Know which situation you're walking into, and pick accordingly.
