How to Remove & Replace a DJI Osmo Action’s Lens Port Cover

The DJI Osmo Action has a removable lens port cover. And sometimes you might need to remove or replace it. Maybe it’s broken or cracked and you need to replace it with a new one. Or you might want to switch it out for a filter such as a circular polarizer or ND filters.

Several of the newer models of GoPro cameras have a distinctive twist and pull method for removing their lens port covers. ¹

The DJI Osmo Action takes a simpler approach with a standard screw twist thread. This simpler design has the benefit of encouraging more third-party filter manufacturers to make their filters compatible.

How to Remove the Lens Port

So here’s a quick rundown of how to remove the lens port on the DJI Osmo Action.

But the first time you try it, it might feel like it’s not going to budge. You might be worried that you’ll break something if you twist it too hard–I was, initially. And chances are, it’s precisely at this point that you’ve googled this and the reason you found this page. Rest assured, it does come off–it’s just very, very tight. Especially the first time you do it.

But don’t break out the pliers–that risks damaging things. A much simpler option is to dig out a rubber band. It’s the same old kitchen trick with jar lids that won’t budge.

Any rubber band will do. All you want is for it to add some extra grip. Just wrap it around the lens, two or three times if you need to so that it’s reasonably snug, or at least won’t slip when you start twisting.

Then twist anti-clockwise to unscrew it. The rubber band gives you a lot more grip and makes it much easier to loosen. You’ll probably find it now moves much more easily, and it should twist off smoothly.

Things to Watch For When Removing or Replacing the Lens Cover on a DJI Osmo Action

When you reattach the lens port, make sure you screw it on tight. Really tight. Tight enough that the water seal is secure. You don’t want leaks.

The first time you try this, it feels like it’s not going to come off or that you might break something. But the system is quite solid, so it’s quite hard to do any damage (so long as you’re not forcing it with tools).

Be extra careful not to get fingerprints or dust on the exposed lens or on the inside of the glass of the lens port. They’re easy enough to clean, but do that before you reattach the cover.

While the lens is exposed, don’t lay the camera down on its front. The front of the lens is curved, and although it’s made of glass, it can still get scratched pretty easily.

When you’re installing the cover again, make sure that there’s no sand or grit caught in there that can cause issues with the waterproof seal or jam the lens in place.

And, finally, if possible it’s a good idea to install the new lens cover in dry conditions such as an air-conditioned room. The reason is that if you do it in humid or damp conditions, such as out on a dive boat, trapping humid air in there might cause the lens to fog up, and there’s really no way to use anti-fog inserts with the protective lens cover. In reality, this isn’t a huge issue in this case for the simple reason that there’s not much air that can fit in that small space anyway, but it makes sense to minimize the risk of fogging if you can.

Lens Port Covers

If you’d like to reduce the risk of the lens cover glass getting scratched or broken, you can now buy simple lens port covers like these.

1. The HERO8 Black has a different lens port design that’s not removable. It’s the same design introduced with the HERO7 Silver and HERO7 White. The HERO9/10/11 Black went back to a removable lens port design.[↩]

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