Best Action Cameras (ALL Budgets & Activities)

The best action camera needs excellent image stabilization, waterproof housing, slow-motion, 4k video at multiple frame rates and stellar image and video quality.

Some models offer voice control, 8K, touchscreens, GPS, motion sensors, live streaming, 360-degree capture, replaceable lenses and social media connection.

Whether you’re looking for the top model or just a cheap action camera, this guide is all you need.

So, let’s dive into the recommendations.

What are the Best Action Cameras?

GoPro Hero12 Black | Best Action Camera for Still Photography and Video

This is arguably the best waterproof action camera on the planet.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there’s no shortage of excellent GoPro competitors on the market… and yet, the GoPro Hero12 Black takes our number one spot as the best action camera.

Why, you ask?

Firstly, there’s the camera’s undeniable reputation within the action cam market.

The GoPro Hero range is the most well-known for a reason: it’s been around the longest, meaning many iterations of research and development have made it what it is today.

That’s not to say the GoPro Hero is perfect, but the brand has banked up years of valuable experience with action cam technology, plus a great understanding of what its user base wants.

After numerous versions of the GoPro action camera, the Hero12 Black strikes an excellent balance between features, extreme ruggedness and price.

Firstly, you get the superb and now Emmy Award- Winning HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization system for ultra-smooth footage – a feature that works better than ever before by maximizing HyperSmooth AutoBoost performance with more stabilization and less image cropping.

Available with a host of GoPro accessories.

Skiing, biking, skydiving, or just running with your kids through the park? The Hero 12 offers silky smooth live video streaming through it all.

Horizon-leveling is also spookily good, meaning you’ll have way fewer issues getting straight footage, even after a camera mount mishap!

Then there’s the front-facing color display for vlogging and selfies and the sturdy body that’s waterproof to 10 meters  (33 feet), making this Hero great as an underwater camera, too – the hydrophobic coating means less water beading on the lens as well.

Video quality is excellent, with 5.3K High Dynamic Range video at 60 frames per second along with both 4K and 2.7K shooting. At the Hero 12‘s top resolution, you can pull high-quality stills out of your footage when you don’t have the chance to shoot both video and still shots.

If you dial in the best GoPro settings, the Hero12 is the best action camera for stills photography as well as for video recording.

You can even get 120fps at 4K, meaning your slow-motion footage is razor-sharp and also offers the ability to be heavily cropped in post.

Images grabbed from videos come out at a crisp 24.69 megapixels, in comparison to the camera’s (also excellent) 27.13-megapixel still photography capability. Either way, you can snap some excellent still shots as well as videos at the same time.

Need professional color features? The Hero 12 has you covered. Another feature of this latest Hero cam is GP-LOG capture and LUTS for better post-production and editing control of color grading in video.

If you want to start the camera rolling at times, you can’t be there to press the button; engage the scheduled capture feature – perfect for nabbing a timelapse of the sunrise while you’re still snuggled up in bed!

Other shooting additions in the Hero 12 flagship camera are support for a new Max Lens Mod 2.0 accessory that allows for a 177-degree FOV.

This comes in three settings: Max Wide, Max SuperView, and Max HyperView. Together, these give its lens a 36% wider and 48% taller recording field.

With the Hero 12, GoPro has also truly opted for a dramatic boost in battery life over that of previous Heros. In this edition of the action camera, you shoot for twice as long overall compared to the Hero 11.

This means shooting times of up to 70 minutes at 60p for 5.3K video and just under 100 minutes of 5.3K at 30p. This bumps up even further to 155 minutes in 1080p resolution at 30p.

Add to all of the above some spectacular shooting modes like TimeWarp 3.0, LiveBurst 8x Slo-Mo, and other accessories, and the GoPro Hero12 Black proves itself well worthy of being named the best action camera on the market right now.

It also finally comes with a built-in tripod mounting thread, a first in the Hero line of cameras, and a useful addition for solo content creators.

Insta360 Ace Pro 2 | Best Flip Screen Action Camera

It’s great to see Insta360, the company synonymous with popularising affordable 360-degree cameras, updating its popular action camera.

The obvious comparison would be the latest GoPro Hero 12 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2, with both action cameras exhibiting similar physical proportions and features.

Both offer show-stopping image stabilization, a wide selection of recording modes, and waterproofing, but some key differences may influence your decision.

First and foremost is the wonderful flip screen on the Ace Pro 2, essential for vloggers who need to see themselves while filming.

The GoPro Hero 12 lets you do this via its front screen, but the Ace Pro 2 offers more real estate and full touch screen functionality.

Then there’s the sensor itself, a 1/1.3-inch CMOS, bigger and thus better in low light than the one found in the latest GoPro.

This means that you can shoot videos and photos after the sun has set, with the media still looking crisp, especially in full 8k.

Another stand-out feature of the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is the Clarity Zoom, which allows you to take advantage of the 8k resolution to crop into the frame, changing the focal length digitally.

Similar to mirrorless cameras that offer a 35mm crop mode, it’s a bit like having two lenses in one, and the function can be quickly implemented while filming at the touch of a button.

The Pro Ace 2 offers multiple video modes, FlowState Stabilization, a 2x video, and a 2.5 photo digital zoom function.

To mount the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, you must first attach its proprietary magnetic ‘fingers,’ which allow it to be mounted to any of the usual action camera mounts to start filming on bikes, surfboards, cars, and more.

While I appreciate using magnetics to speed things up, it’s an extra step. I can imagine users losing the minute fingers, rendering the camera unmountable—that’s a win for the GoPro Hero 12 here, with its deployable fingers.

The flip screen makes it slightly bulkier than a GoPro

The build of the Ace Pro 2 is excellent, with a good heft to it and rubber in all the right places to make it a pleasure to hold.

Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 is an immensely fun and easy-to-use action camera with many great features.

Editing your footage with the Insta360 app is mainly intuitive and is a broadly enjoyable and streamlined experience.

If you’re like me and have no interest nor time to edit action camera footage manually, the new Auto Edit feature is a godsend, harnessing the power of AI to piece together a full video edit in under a minute.

The clip above took around 5 minutes to create – I chose to go in and manually edit a few of the AI selections. Still, the app did an astounding job of choosing and piecing together the best moments in over an hour of video footage.

Overall, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is one of the best action cameras of the year.

It’s better than the GoPro for low light shooting, the flip screen provides better viewing, it offers 8k 30p, and the Clarity Zoom feature is genuinely useful.

Being a premium action camera, the Insta360 Pro Ace 2 is waterproof to 39′ (12m) and supports hand-free voice and gesture control.

It also boasts a dual-chip design with a pro-level imaging chip and a 5nm AI chip to deliver enhanced image quality and performance. As a result, the dual-chip setup allows for more creative freedom while delivering exceptional outcomes.

However, the GoPro pips it to the post with its built-in mounting fingers and slightly slimmer profile.

Insta360 X4 | Best Action Camera for Motorcycle & Cycling

Insta360’s latest flagship consumer offering is an action and 360-degree camera in one. It’s tiny, so you can carry it around easily and/or clip it to your body, a car, or a motorbike using one of their accessories.

In true-action camera style, it’s weather-resistant and waterproof up to 33ft (10m).

The standout feature of the Insta360 X4 is the 8K image resolution, which is 78% more pixels than the 5.7K resolution of the Insta360 X3.

Boasting dual ½ inch 48-megapixel sensors, the Insta360 X4 can record 360-degree footage at a staggering 8K and still photos at an impressive 72-megapixel resolution!

While the 360-degree field of view is brilliant, it’s not always the only way to record hyper-smooth footage of your next adventure. By using a single forward-facing lens, you can shoot a 170º wide-angle perspective at 4K 60.

As found on the X3, the X4 also boasts the Invisible Selfie Stick mode. Both X4 cameras capture sweeping ultra-wide views and stitch the footage in a way that overlaps and conceals the selfie stick and camera when held at a distance from the user.

Another returning feature is the Me Mode, which uses AI learning to detect you while holding the Insta360 X4 at a distance and keep you in the center of the frame.

It’s important to note that Me Mode supports 2.7K 30 in-camera stitching and up to 4K 30 and 2.7K 120 slow-motion modes with external stitching in the dedicated app.

Thanks to AI learning, the Insta360 X4 supports silent gesture control to start and stop recording or take a photo with one camera. Alternatively, the camera supports Voice Control 2.0 for quick voice command outcomes.

If you’re keen to capture cinematic slow-motion footage, the X4 features a “Bullet Time” slow-motion video mode that captures rich, resolution-dense 5.7K 120.

The latest generation of the flagship Insta360 fleet also supports the capture of wide 360º time-lapse footage in 11K Time-Lapse mode. It also supports an 8K TimeShift to record ultra-high resolution footage while walking with the camera.

Regarding physical features, the new Insta360 X4 boasts a more rugged exterior, removable lens guards, and a larger 2.5″ Gorilla Glas touch screen.

Bigger than its predecessor, the X4 measures 1.81 × 4.86 × 1.48″ (46 × 123.6 × 37.6mm) and weighs 7.16oz (203g).

While the X4 can record ultra-high-resolution images and video content, it does so at the cost of power consumption. Fortunately, the team at Insta360 improved battery life in the X4 by 67% with its removable 2290mAh battery.

As a result, the Insta360 X4 can record 5.7K 30 360° video for up to 135 minutes and in 8K 30 mode for up to 71 minutes.

The Insta360 X4 delivers a significant power, performance, and output leap over its past iterations.

Insta360 GO 3S | Best Action Camera for Vlogging

Screenshot

The Insta360 Go 3S is one of the smallest action cameras available. Without the action pod, the camera measures 2.1 x 1.o x 0.9″ (54.4 x 25.6 x 24.8mm) and weighs just 1.4oz (37g).

The action pod is also compact and lightweight, measuring 1.9 x 2.5 x 1.2″ (48.3 x 63.5 x 30.5mm) and weighing 3.4oz (96.4g).

The GO 3S camera captures records up to UHD 4K video at up to 30p and 12MP still images. It also accommodates a super smooth 2.7K slow motion paired with Flow-State Image Stabilization.

Other recording modes include Time-Lapse, Time Shift, Loop Recording, and the unit supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity for quick sharing of content via the Insta360 app.

Regarding the Action Pod, the GO 3S connects magnetically and digitally to the case to expand the camera’s features and control while adding a flip-up touch screen for menu navigation and video preview.

It expands usability thanks to a 2.2-inch touch screen, USB-C charging port, a function mode button, and a start/stop recording control.

The Insta360 GO 3S’s beauty is its minuscule size and its ability to be worn with the included Magnet Pendant for around-the-neck mounting.

The GO 3S’s power management is supported by a 1270mAh battery that grants up to 38 minutes of action recording. However, if you pair the camera capsule with the Action Pod, the recording time jumps to 140 minutes.

Given its size, the GO 3S features built-in media storage and cannot be used with an external storage medium, even with the Action Pod.

When it comes to purchasing the Insta360 GO 3S, you have the option to grab it in Arctic White or Midnight Black with either 128GB or 64GB internal storage.

The Insta360 GO 3S is incredibly powerful and feature-packed for its size and portability.

Insta360 One RS 1-Inch 360 | Best Low Light 360° Action Camera

Insta360 makes some fantastic action cameras, and the One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the brand’s single best cameras for sheer picture quality.

What sets it apart is its rugged, hefty build and its superb ability to capture 6K videos thanks to a massive 1-inch Leica sensor that gives the One RS 1-Inch 360 even better video quality and versatility than you can get from a GoPro Hero camera.

This is of course also a 360-degree camera, so aside from being able to take standard-format and wide-angle action shots, you can stretch them all the way out to 360-degree panoramas, but with a resolution that possibly no other 360-degree camera can offer.

Dual 1-inch sensors combined with Leica lenses produce stunning video and stills quality.

Using the 360-degree module, you can capture stunning Super 6K resolution videos that are sharp, vivid and clear. Accompanying this is a video editing module that lets you edit and adjust your impressively rich videos with surprising ease.

Video recording in the One RS 1-Inch 360 is unfortunately available only up to 30fps in 6K resolution but the camera can capture beautiful 21MP still shots from its footage while also offering 3K video at 50fps.

Insta360’s proprietary Flowstate Stabilization and 360 Horizon Lock are truly excellent at keeping videos silky-smooth, and the horizon leveling on the One RS 1-Inch 360 works brilliantly.

We also love the simple yet powerful AI editing that’s available with the Insta360 app.

Other features worth mentioning include an invisible selfie stick, AI-powered subject tracking, real-time playback, a new PureShot HDR mode for superior photos and videos, and a range of modes like StarLapse, Slow-Mo, TimeShift and NightShot.

A couple of niggles of the One RS 1-Inch 360 are that it’s pretty bulky and heavy for an action camera and that its out-of-box waterproofing isn’t quite perfect, but If you’re using the waterproof case (which you may need for rougher water conditions), that last issue isn’t a problem.

The One RS 1-Inch 360 also definitely compensates for its size by delivering the best 360-degree video you’re likely to find among action cameras.

All things considered, this not-quite-so-little action cam has pretty much all the features you’d want for truly professional 360 and wide angle footage, with the versatility of both 360 spherical video and wide-angle views.

The One RS 1-Inch 360’s ability to pull out stitched 21MP photos from its massive video resolution is also a very useful workflow bonus.

If you’re who needs truly excellent 360-degree video footage, the One RS 1-Inch 360 could well be the best action camera for you. If you can’t stretch to the price, check out the aforementioned Insta360 X3 instead.

DJI Osmo Action | Best Action Camera for Beginners

If you’re looking for the best action camera on a budget, check out the DJI Osmo Action.

Coming in at under US$200, it’s considerably cheaper than options like the GoPro Hero while still maintaining a high level of quality.

One of the best things about the Osmo Action is its durability. This little camera is ready to accompany you on your most daring adventures.

Capture underwater scenes or climb snowy mountains: the DJI Osmo Action is waterproof to 11 meters (36 feet) and survives in temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F).

The 2.25-inch rear screen is touch-sensitive and has a waterproof, fingerprint-resistant, hydrophobic coating.

\There’s a second (1.4-inch) colour display on the front that isn’t touch-sensitive but is great for vlogging and selfies.

Video resolution isn’t the highest but it’s not at all shabby either: you get 4K footage at up to 60fps and 1080p slow motion at up to 240fps.

On top of that, DJI’s RockSteady electronic image stabilization keeps footage smooth, and a series of voice commands means you don’t even have to touch the camera to start and stop recording, change screens, take pictures, or power down.

You can also use your smartphone to operate the camera remotely via the DJI Mimo app (available for Android and iOS).

If you’re looking for an action camera that offers solid build quality and nifty features at an affordable price, do yourself a favour and check this one out.

GoPro Hero8 Black | Best Budget GoPro Action Camera

Marc Bergreen

You might be wondering why we’ve skipped from the Hero10 to the Hero8 in this guide to the best action camera.

There’s no doubt that the Hero9 is a great action camera, and one that’s worthy to be here, but thanks to its 2 more recent successors, the Hero8 represents the perfect sweet spot in the GoPro lineup.

You can check our handy GoPro comparison chart for the details, but let’s look first at what the Hero8 has to offer.

First, video and photo specs: the Hero8 records up to 4K in 60FPS and can shoot 12MP HDR and RAWs in all modes.

Marc Bergreen

Hypersmooth 2.0 and in-app horizon leveling keeps your footage straight and buttery smooth, and you even get live streaming and a webcam mode for when you’re stuck in lockdown! (Neither of these features was present on the Hero7 compared to the Hero8.)

The front LCD screen shows your status (as opposed to a live preview like on the Hero9 and 10), and TimeWarp 2.0, Time Lapse and Night Lapse Modes give you plenty of creative shooting options. This is one of the key GoPro Hero 8 specs.

For around $300, you’re getting one powerful little action camera with the Hero8 Black – many users don’t even need the Hero9 or 10, and can save hundreds of dollars by going with this older model.

So, what if you do have the budget and can invest another 100-or-so bucks in the Hero 9… what do you get over the 8?

Well, aside from the aforementioned front-facing live view LCD, the Hero9 shoots up to 5K video at 30fps (4K at 60fps), and captures 20MP RAWs too.

GoPro Hero 8 Sample Image | 1/2100 f/2.8 ISO 100 | Marc Bergreen

The already-amazing Hypersmooth is updated to v3.0 and the battery life is slightly better, but on the flip side, the size of the GoPro9 is marginally bigger than the 8.

If you don’t really have a need to shoot in 5K (most YouTubers definitely don’t!), our money would be with the Hero8, which is why we’re calling it the best budget action camera right now.

Sony RX0 II | Best Action Camera for Diving

Sony billed the RX0 II as the world’s smallest 4K video cam, and it’s certainly won a lot of hearts (or should we say pockets?!) with its compact shape and size.

The body of the RX0 II features a nifty flip-up screen that helps with framing the shot or shooting vlog-style videos. This leaves more room for the 1″ CMOS sensor and ZISS lens for great image quality.

One downside is that the screen isn’t a touch-screen. Given the tiny size of the camera’s controls and the fiddly settings menu, touch functionality would make operating the camera easier.

However, some users (divers in particular) prefer having actual physical buttons to press, which are definitely more responsive, especially when using the RX0 II with gloves.

This little action camera has plenty going for it for diving and other nautical spots – a tough body that can handle dives to 10 metres (33 feet), drops from 2 meters (6.5 feet), and a crushing force of 200kg (440 lbs).

Then there’s the 1-inch, 15.3-megapixel sensor which makes for far better low-light performance and dynamic range over that of competitors (bearing in mind that most of the best action cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors).

You can also attach an action camera flashlight to help shoot movies at night.

The Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm f/4 lens is high quality and produces crisp, clear images. Anyone who’s used a Sony Alpha camera can attest to the quality of Zeiss glass, which has achieved a cult-like status among photographers and videographers.

One thing that limits the RX0 II as an action camera is its image stabilisation, which doesn’t cut the mustard in comparison to other cameras in its class – we recommend mounting it to your chest (as opposed to fixing it to a vehicle, for example), so your body can provide some additional dampening to the footage.

Whether this is the right action camera for you will come down to how bumpy you intend to get with it. As a pocketable device for vlogging or travel, it has plenty to offer and is our pick of the best action camera for diving of the bunch.

Akaso Brave 4 | Best Action Camera Under $100

Looking for the best budget action camera under $100? Say hello to the Akaso Brave 4.

The form factor is clearly derived from the GoPro Hero range, with a boxy design and two screens (rear IPS screen and a small front-facing screen that shows recording stats and battery life).

The camera has a 20MP sensor, with 4K video resolution and a built-in gyroscope – pretty crazy for under 100 bucks!

However, while the image stabilisation and gyroscope do smooth out camera shake somewhat, they’re definitely not up to the level of more expensive alternatives.

Still, image quality is good for what you pay, and you can definitely have plenty of fun with this affordable device.

The Brave 2 comes with a number of modes including Video, Photo, Burst, Time-lapse, Loop, and Underwater.

Another neat feature is that the view angle of the camera is adjustable, with 170°, 140°, 110°, and 70° views to choose from.

The Akaso Brave comes with a wrist strap that acts as a wireless remote. While the strap isn’t waterproof, it does make it super easy to start and stop recording from afar.

The camera isn’t waterproof either, but with the included waterproof housing you can go diving up to 30 meters (100 feet).

The Akaso Brave comes with a bounty of accessories, including two rechargeable batteries that give you a commendable battery life (you can shoot an hour of 4K video).

Overall, the video and sound quality of the Brave 4 won’t rival those of the best action cameras from brands like GoPro, but it’s a fun, entry-level product for an extremely affordable price.

Edit: since this review was written, we discovered the Akaso EK7000 – a similarly-priced low budget action camera that’s slightly better than the Brave. Read our Akaso EK700 review to make your own mind up.

Oclu ActionCamera

The Oclu Action Camera is a small, adventure-ready device that makes for a great budget alternative to the GoPro Hero.

In fact, you can grab it right now for under US$200! That’s a pretty great deal, considering all it offers.

Spec-wise, you get 12MP still images and 4K video (maximum frame rate of 30p). Using the action cam’s full HD video mode, you can shoot super-slow-mo at 120fps.

You also get a bunch of shooting modes like timelapse, burst mode, loop recording, and a motion-sensor mode. The latter is great for when you only want the camera to start rolling when the action happens.

The OCLU has a unique feature called LiveCut that allows you to remove unwanted footage on the fly. It’s a great way to save memory card space and come home with only the parts of the action you know are worth keeping.

Two gripes with the OCLU Action Camera: the battery life runs down quickly when using particular functions, and the image stabilisation is only available at 1080p (in other words, 4K video isn’t stabilised).

On the plus side, image quality is clear and bright with vibrant colours, and the size and shape of the camera makes it easy to mount on your body and less likely to be knocked out of place.

There’s also a useful magnetic battery charging function, although we couldn’t get the file transfer to work via the magnetic cable and had to use an SD card reader instead.

The OCLU Action Camera has an IPX7 standard waterproof rating (1 meter for 30 mins). Add the OcShell waterproof case (sold separately for approx. US$39.99), and you can take it to depths of 50 meters (164 feet).

All in all, if you’re looking for a great action camera for an affordable price, the OCLU is a great pick.

Dragon Touch 4K

On a really tight budget? How about an action cam that costs less than US$70?!

Sure, it’s never going to perform as well as the others on our list of best action cameras, but that’s a compromise you make for the ultra-low price.

Still, you get 4K video (limited to 30fps) and 16MP stills. One thing you don’t get is image stabilisation.

Like other action cameras, the Dragon Touch 4K has multiple modes – driving mode, image rotation, time-lapse, loop recording, and slow-motion among them.

The Dragon Touch 4K comes with a waterproof housing (rated for 30 meters/100 feet), a wrist strap-style wireless remote controller (not waterproof), and a bunch of mounts, clips, tethers and other accessories – amazing for under $70!

The camera body features a 2-inch LCD display on the back but no front screen – you might remember that it wasn’t long ago that no action camera models featured a front-facing screen!

Battery life is good, with two rechargeable batteries that last up to 90 minutes each. Use them together for a combined 180 minutes of run time.

Bottom line: This action camera won’t nab you the smoothest footage, but if you’re looking for a fun camera at a bargain price, it’s worth a look!

Olympus Tough TG-6

We tend to think that the best action cameras have to be the smallest, but that really depends on how you intend to use them.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is comparatively large – it’ll fit in your palm much like a small point-and-shoot. If that’s not a dealbreaker, read on: it has plenty to offer.

First and foremost, it really is built tough. It’s waterproof to 15 meters (50 feet), freezeproof down to -10C (14F), shockproof from drops of 2.1 meters (7 feet), and crushproof to 100kg (220lbs).

It’s also arguably the best action camera for shooting underwater, due to its larger maximum lens aperture.

Beyond being waterproof, it performs well in low light thanks to that f/2 lens, shoots in RAW, and has superior white balance and colour management.

(It’s a dedicated camera, after all – not an action camera that’s trying to be as small as possible, sacrificing some image quality in favour of tiny dimensions.)

You can also finely control saturation, contrast, sharpness and noise reduction in-camera, which makes a huge difference in the quality of your shots.

Considering that you get 4K video, built-in image stabilisation, and exceptional build quality, the TG-6 is worthy of being considered one of the best action cameras.

How do I Choose an Action Camera?

Credit: Lucas Favre

Really, the best action camera is the one that’s best for you. So what do you look for, and how do you determine which action cam suits your needs?

Here are some things to consider:

1. Video resolution

Resolution and frame rate are two of the terms you’ll hear the most when on the hunt for an action cam. Not surprising given you want to get clear, usable footage from your investment!

Video quality keeps improving: 4K video is about the minimum you can expect from an action camera.

As for whether you need more than that, it depends. If your concern is getting pro-grade footage or buying the best possible specs so your action cam keeps you going for years without an upgrade, look for 5K video quality and above.

Otherwise, 4K video will serve you well.

Frame rates vary across cameras depending on which resolution you choose to shoot at, but as a general rule, 30fps is a good minimum to aim for.

Higher frame rates will allow you to slow down your footage, which can be handy for shooting fast-paced action.

2. Durability

Action cameras are made to be tossed about, dropped and dragged through the mud. That said, not all are created equal when it comes to durability.

With that in mind, look for one that matches your needs and interests.

Want to take it scuba diving? Check the waterproof rating.

Want to mount it to your helmet while you go cross-country skiing? Check what temperatures it can withstand, etc.

3. Form Factor

How and where do you intend to mount your action cam?

Action cameras come in all shapes and sizes. Boxier, bulkier action cams work well with helmet or chest mounts; bullet or oblong-shaped ones can fit well on handlebars, seats and a range of unconventional places.

When deciding where to mount it, think about the story you want to tell and the perspective you want to give the viewer.

Also bear in mind that the smallest action cams have to sacrifice something to achieve their tiny size. That sacrifice may be on battery life, front and/or rear displays, or something else.

It’s up to you to decide what matters to you most.

4. Battery Life

Even the best action cameras are nothing impressive when it comes to battery life. That’s simply a result of the size and type of camera we’re dealing with here.

Still, some action cams give you more juice to run off than others.

If you know you’ll be travelling or doing activities where you won’t have the opportunity to recharge, consider checking battery life before buying – or at least finding out whether you can purchase spare battery packs.

5. Extra Features

Which action camera features are non-negotiable in your eyes?

Maybe you want the best video stabilization possible so you can get smooth footage of your adrenaline-fuelled adventures.

Or maybe you want a camera with exceptional time-lapse capabilities, superb image quality for stills, above-average audio quality, or a front-facing screen so you can vlog to your heart’s content.

There are so many different features available in action cams nowadays.

Our advice? Write a list of the ones that appeal most to you and use it to quickly and easily filter through the options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Action Cameras

Which action camera is best for beginners?

Any action camera with an Auto setting will suit beginners, but if budget is a consideration, the GoPro Hero8 Black represents the perfect sweet spot in terms of bang for your buck,

Are action cameras worth it?

For shooting fast-paced action and adventure sports or capturing first-person ‘POV’ footage, action cameras are definitely worth it. Their size, durability, mounting options and feature set make them especially suited to these uses and they’ll far outperform a smartphone.

What are action cameras good for?

Action cameras are perfect for capturing immersive action shots, hence why they’re popularly used for action sports. Beyond that, they’re also great for vlogging, creating travel videos, as dash cams, or even for mounting to pets or taking fun family footage with the kids.

Final Words on Action Cameras

With so many action cams on the market, it can be difficult to choose the best action camera for you. Hopefully, this guide helped you narrow it down!

If you have any questions, leave them below and we’ll do our best to help you out. Also, feel free to share your own recommendations and experiences!

EDITOR’S CHOICE

GOPRO HERO12 BLACK

Incredible video and photo quality combined with excellent battery life and class-leading stabilization for buttery smooth footage.