Choose one of these budget action cameras if you have an active lifestyle and want to capture the most dynamic moments of your trips. We’ve tested many popular and efficient models and managed to single out the top 10 best action cameras for affordable price. They are all described below. If you want to have more options to choose from, check the entire collection of Top 15 Best Action Cameras.
1. GoPro Hero7
Pros
Great image stabilization
Perfect audio characteristics
Rubber-coated
Cons
Haven’t been found
Once you get GoPro Hero 7 Black, you understand why the company takes leading places in various action camera ranks. This model can be deservedly called the best GoPro camera regardless of minor imperfections it has.
Developers studied the most frequent requirements of action camera users and tried to make the device that would fully satisfy them. That’s why, GoPro Hero 7 offers wonderful image and video quality, perfect stabilization, through-out, waterproof designed and a range of mounts.
The only real problem is the price. Still, in this case, it is justified. You can use this camera to take images and then send them to a reliable outsource photo editing service like Fixthephoto to get them professionally edited.
2. Sony HDR-AS100V
Pros
Wonderful image stabilization
Impressive work and results in low light
Remote control
Cons
Shallow water depth limit
Some problems with mounts stability
Among many GoPro competitors, Sony cameras are the most reliable ones. However, the Sony HDR-AS100V is inferior to its rival in terms of speed and resolution, and when it comes to choosing fitting mounts, photographers are likely to face many difficulties.
Still, this is a go-to model for ski and snowboard lovers, who want to capture the extreme moment in great detail. Having only 16-foot waterproof depth, the camera can still boast a reliable housing.
If you are just learning the genre of active, adrenaline-filled photography, you can safely choose this variant.
3. Yi Lite
Pros
1080p/60fps, with 4K support
Can become a dashcam
Small weight and size
Cons
Slow 4K filming
No kit accessories
You can hardly find a reliable action camera, which has top-quality housing, interesting functions and nice video quality, and doesn’t cost a fortune. But Yi Lite offers all these benefits for less than $100.
Besides, you can easily fit it in a small compartment of your bag or even a pocket, and pair with a wide range of accessories from other Yi models. Shooting in 4K seems interesting, but you can do it only at 20 IPS.
If your budget is tight but you cherish hope to get a good action camera, check one of these Top 11 Action Cameras under 100 Dollars .
4. Garmin VIRB XE
Pros
Filming at high speed
Reliable, watertight body
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Cons
Poor/Laggy Metering
No 4K shooting
Battery life leaves much to be desired
Though Garmin VIRB XE is no way better than GoPro, it still has some decent features that help get quality results. The waterproof body ensures effective work at depths up to 164 feet, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity makes files transferring fast and efficient.
GPS tracking is another advantage. A simple UI ensures convenient work without long searching for the necessary button. All in all, this is can become a good action camera, but only if developers improve metering and video quality.
5. Kodak Pixpro SP360 4K
Pros
360-degree and 4K video recording
Waterproof body
Cons
Soft video edges
Smartphone and desktop software tends to lag
Purple fringing
Kodak SP360-4K is among the best action cameras for extreme photographers thanks to its 4K and 360-degree video recording capabilities. Though there are some issues with software support, it doesn’t affect the functioning of this camera.
Actually, the results Kodak SP360-4K provides are equal to those of more expensive action cameras. The work in poor lighting is absolutely marvelous. Offering a broad range of accessories and flexible system, this model may please many extreme shooters.
6. Yi 4K+
Pros
4K video at 60fps
Touch LCD
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Cons
Lacks stabilization at 4K
Gets hot
Digital stabilization with artifacts
Being on the list of top action cameras, Yi 4K+ absolutely has something to offer to extreme sports lovers. 8MP resolution + 4K video recording at 60 fps give you a chance to capture tiniest details and get crisp footage.
Unfortunately, it can’t please users with a watertight body and 24fps video recording. RAW image support is also absent. Anyway, you can give it a try, especially if you are just honing your skills.
7. Sony HDRAS50
Pros
Long battery life
High-quality design
Cons
Average video capabilities
Dissatisfactory results in dim lighting
An affordable action camera with a basic set of functions that can interest beginner shooters. No 4K footage recording, only HD video.
Waterproof and dustproof housing enables shooting in various conditions. A very compact design adds to more flexibility, while recording videos.
8. GoPro HERO Session
Pros
Small size
Watertight without a case
User-friendly
Cons
Non-removable battery
Lacks live-recording preview
With such small dimensions and weight, GoPro Hero Session is an ideal option if you want to have maximum freedom while recording videos. You can send files in a quick way using Wi-Fi function.
The battery works approximately 1 hour 45 minutes if you shoot without breaks.
9. Hawkeye Firefly 8S
Pros
Comes with a waterproof case
Sunshade for the lens
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Cons
Lacks RAW photo support
Work in poor light is dissatisfactory
This is the best action camera when it comes to recording footage from the most unpredictable perspectives, since it features 2 modes with different shooting angles (90° and 170°). Besides, 4K capabilities for such an affordable cost seem rather attractive.
10. SJCAM M20
Pros
Built-in speaker
Various kit accessories
Drone-compatibility
Cons
Noisy in low light
Poor battery life
Inconvenient design
Need a compact action camera? Want something with a drone mount? Then SJCAM M120 is an ideal variant. The image quality is satisfactory, but can become perfect if you fiddle a bit around the settings.
You can easily change batteries if needed or make use of kit mounts for aerial shooting.