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Action cameras have been an incredible game changer in documenting one’s own experiences, where once, the idea of having a camera present was unthinkable. Whether biking through the woods or catching waves on a surfboard, action cameras have made it possible to capture these adventures in ways we had never seen before. Being able to strap a tiny, lightweight, durable camera to your head, your body, your bike, or whatever it might be can give people a thrilling, first-person experience that your average camera can’t provide.
Of course, action cameras aren’t just used for high-octane videography. They can also be enormously helpful in situations where carrying around a camcorder — or just an iPhone — is impractical and can’t give you the full scope of what you’re trying to capture, such as outdoor surveying. Action cameras benefit from ultra-wide-angle lenses with an enormous range of vision, made even more impressive by their small size. When surveying, you never want to miss a spot; these cameras won’t let you do that.
So, if you’re someone who needs to head out to a campsite, a hiking trail, or any other outdoor space that needs surveying, these five action cameras would be excellent pickups to help you out. These five cameras were selected based on a variety of different sources of opinion that fulfill a plethora of different needs, be it the size of camera or your budget.
GoPro Hero12
Sometimes, one brand has such a cultural footprint that the name of the brand becomes a replacement for the actual name of the product. For many, a tissue is just a Kleenex. For certain regions, a soda is just a Coke. When it comes to action cameras, many think of GoPro first.
Not only does GoPro have the market cornered on action cameras in terms of sales, but it also routinely rates as the maker of the best action cameras across many publications. The GoPro Hero12, the company’s latest edition of its signature product, is the top-rated overall action camera from Wired, PC Mag, Outdoor Life, and The New York Times. Selling for $399.99, the Hero12 can record in a variety of different resolutions and frame rates, including 5.3K at 30 FPS and 2.7K at 240 FPS, with its higher resolution modes supporting HDR.
While the lens it comes with already captures an impressive 156-degree view, you also have the option (for a price) of adding on a Max Lens Mod 2.0 to expand that to 177 degrees. Add to that its image stabilization, the ability to connect through Bluetooth to AirPods for sound recording, and waterproof up to 33 feet.
GoPro makes action cameras that produce high-quality images and can stand up against many different environmental factors. There’s a reason GoPro now basically just means action camera.
Insta360 One RS
While the GoPro Hero12 has the ability for a lens change, it isn’t the most modular action camera out there in terms of affixing different lenses to it. A lot of people may not think much of that, but having one device that allows you to switch between a 16-millimeter lens, a 14.4-millimeter lens, and a 7.2-millimeter lens gives you enormously flexibility in what kind of image you can produce. Well, an action camera that does just that and more is the Insta360 One RS.
Although the multiple-lens version of this action camera goes for a hefty $549.99, you get a camera that PC Mag rates as the best for mixing 4K and 360 footage, and Wired praises it for its versatility. With its different lenses, not only do you get different ranges of view, but you also get different aspect ratios to choose from. The GoPro Hero12 shoots in an odd 8:7 aspect ratio, but the Insta360 One RS lets you choose between your standard 16:9, which is what you get on your average television, or 2.35:1, the common widescreen you find in a cinema. That wide format can also be shot in 6K resolution.
It features many of the same benefits as a GoPro, like image stabilization and HDR shooting, but it does slightly fall behind on things like battery life, which taps out at 75 minutes when shooting in 4K. The big selling point here is its modularity, and if that’s important to you, pick this camera up.
DJI Osmo Action 4
The most important element of photography or cinematography is light. This entire art form comes from people exposing a piece of film to light in order to create an image. Without light, there are no pictures and movies. Celluloid is still my preferred way of capturing the world, but if there’s one place that digital cameras have pushed the envelope, it is in how they can capture images with little to no available light, something film has always struggled with.
While digital cameras have improved, that doesn’t mean they are all great, including action cameras. Even the GoPro Hero12 struggles a bit when the light is low. If you can only survey at night, either by circumstance or wanting a better idea of what these places look like in the dark, then the best low-light action camera out there, according to Outdoor Life and PC Mag, is the DJI Osmo Action 4.
Thanks to the camera’s 1/1.3 inch sensor, the Osmo Action 4 is able to capture pretty clear images at lower frame rates compared to its competitors. This also comes in handy as it is waterproof up to 18 meters (59 feet) or even 60 meters (nearly 197 feet) with a waterproof case. Going that deep makes light hard to come by. The DJI Osmo Action 4 also retails at a very competitive price of $299.
Wolfang GA420
Action cameras, by and large, will cost you a couple hundred dollars to purchase. Even if you need an action camera for a specific reason, those prices just may put you out of the market of purchasing one. Looking at so many recommendations for budget action cameras still usually puts you in the $250 price range. However, there is an action camera out there that still records 4K video, which is budget-friendly. That would be the Wolfang GA420.
Digital Camera World called its predecessor, the GA400, the best budget action camera on the market, but as that camera is no longer on the market, the GA420 still gets you everything you’d want. On Amazon, this camera goes for just $84.99, far outpacing other action cameras in affordability. While it does record in 4K up to 60 FPS, that is about the only frill you are going to get here. This is your base-level action camera that will get the job done but won’t offer many of the luxuries the previously recommended cameras will.
To be this affordable of a camera, you would have to expect that. If your surveying needs require basic capturing and you don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Wolfang GA420 will do what you want.
GoPro Hero11 Black Mini
Action cameras are already compact devices. To be able to strap it to somebody’s bike helmet or surfboard requires it to be rather small. What if these already small cameras just aren’t small enough for you? Well, there are options for that as well, and of course, the first place to look is GoPro. The top-of-the-line in-action camera also has the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini. For comparison, the aforementioned Hero12 measures 71.8 millimeters wide. That is quite small. Meanwhile, the Hero11 Black Mini is 52.4 millimeters wide, nearly 30% narrower.
Because it’s a smaller camera, it’s not quite as powerful as its full-size counterpart, but it features just about everything else that makes a GoPro a GoPro, from its 5.7K recording capabilities to HyperSmooth image stabilization. A smaller camera also means a smaller price, as it currently retails for $299.99. So, for a good combination of size, power, and price, the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini is an extremely exciting choice.
How we chose these action cameras
Boiarkina Marina/Shutterstock
There are many different ways one could come to the conclusion of recommending these five different action cameras. The most obvious is personal experience, but when you recommend devices that often cost several hundred dollars to purchase, one person’s anecdotal experience may not be enough to justify investing in such an expensive product. That is why this particular list of action cameras was created, finding a consensus experience from several publications well versed in judging devices like action cameras, including SlashGear.
To narrow it to five, each of the cameras had to have something unique about it that set it apart from its competitors. Otherwise, you are just recommending five cameras that all basically do the same thing. This selection could have been for a particular feature, such as the low light capabilities of the DJI Osmo Action 4 or the low price of the Wolfang GA420. Of course, there are other action cameras available that are perfectly worthy of mention, but these five each had a specific to give you a greater picture of what is available on the market.
