Why the DJI Osmo Action Is My Go-To POV Camera for Sim Racing and Trucking
If you spend any amount of time filming inside a simulator — whether it’s truck sim like I usually do, or fast-paced sim racing — you know how much the camera affects the entire feel of a video. Lighting, movement, angle, screen brightness… everything inside a rig is harder to film than people think. For years the default answer was always GoPro, and trust me, I’ve used them all: the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
But the world of action cameras is shifting quickly, and the cameras that used to dominate simply aren’t the best fit anymore for our particular environment. That’s where the DJI Osmo Action 5 and the DJI Osmo 360 come in — two cameras that fundamentally changed the way I capture POV footage inside my rig.
This blog post is a deeper look into why these two cameras work so well for simulation content, what makes each one unique, and how I use them differently depending on the type of shot I need. All the exact settings and step-by-step adjustments are shown clearly in the video itself, but here you’ll get the bigger picture — the reasoning behind everything.
A Quick Shift Away From GoPro
Let me start with this: GoPro was the king for a long time, and it earned that position. For outdoor filming, action sports, and vlog-style content, GoPro absolutely delivers. But inside a simulator the demands are different:
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Your head moves, but the horizon shouldn’t tilt
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The lighting is darker around the cockpit and extremely bright at the screens
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You’re filming very close to your subject (your hands/wheel/UI)
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YouTube compression punishes low-detail sensors in dark rooms
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Color shifts from screens can destroy footage
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Wide angles can look distorted, not immersive
Once I moved to DJI, I realized how much of my workflow had been compromised without me noticing.
The DJI Osmo Action 5 — The “Realistic POV” Camera
The Osmo Action 5 quickly became my main POV filming camera because it gives a very natural, driver’s-eye look. What stands out most is how the footage feels:
• Horizon Balancing
This is a huge deal.
Inside a rig you move your head a lot — checking mirrors, glancing at monitors, leaning into turns. With GoPro, all that movement tilts the horizon and breaks immersion. The Action 5 completely locks the horizon, which makes the POV feel exactly like what you see when driving.
• Natural Motion
The camera handles motion extremely smoothly inside a tight cockpit, where most cameras struggle. Screens don’t flicker, textures stay clean, and the depth of the wheel + dash looks accurate instead of fish-eyed.
• Color Science
DJI’s color has a softer, cleaner look straight out of the camera. It handles screen brightness and dark cockpits better, especially when paired with its log color profile.
• Form Factor & Mounting
Small, lightweight, easy to position. In a rig, that matters.
In the video, I show the exact way I set it up, how I lock exposure, and how I tune the look, but it’s the combination of stabilization, color, and dynamic range that makes this camera shine for POV work.
The DJI Osmo 360 — The “Showstopper” Camera
If the Action 5 is all about realism, the Osmo 360 is about pure creativity.
This camera captures everything — front, back, above, below — and the shots you can create with it simply aren’t possible with any traditional camera.
• Impossible Angles
You can showcase:
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Your face
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The wheel
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The pedals
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The shifter
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The entire rig
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The game screen
…all in one shot.
It’s visually wild, and viewers instantly stop scrolling.
• The 360 POV Distortion
This has become one of my most clicked thumbnail styles. The stretched, curved look of a 360 camera gives a surreal perspective that pulls people in.
• Reframing in Post
You never have to point it “correctly.”
You point it anywhere, and choose your angle later. This is perfect for sim rigs, where traditional angles are limited by screens, wheels, or rigs.
• Great for B-Roll & Personality Shots
Seeing both the rig and my expressions at the same time adds a ton of character to the footage.
In the video, I show how I control exposure, how I handle its color profiles, and how I fine-tune the look so the image doesn’t get noisy — but the power of this camera isn’t the technical part. It’s the storytelling part.
Why These Cameras Work So Well for Sim Racing & Truck Sim
Simulation content is filmed in a weird environment.
Low light + bright screens + tight framing + fast movement = disaster for most cameras.
These two DJI cameras solve the biggest challenges:
Action 5 solves:
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natural movement
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stable horizon
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clean exposure
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realistic POV feel
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smooth head motion
Osmo 360 solves:
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creativity
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insane thumbnails
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impossible angles
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“wow” factor
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full cockpit coverage
Used together, they cover everything needed for modern sim POV filming.
Looking Ahead — Osmo Action 6
The Osmo Action 6 is coming soon, and based on what I’ve seen, this camera might be the next major leap. Better stabilization, better low-light, and upgrades that seem perfectly aligned with sim racing content.
I’ll be covering that the moment it lands.
Two New Series on the Channel
If you're following my journey:
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My CDL series continues to grow and has become one of the most enjoyable things I’ve filmed.
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And this new camera series explores not filmmaking in general, but filmmaking inside a rig — something most channels don’t cover.
From action cams to 360 cameras to mirrorless setups, each one will be tested for one purpose:
Which camera works best for sim racing POV?