Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! NY 10036. Now it appears they are having a stab at the action camera market, too. The camera itself also looks incredibly sleek and sexy. With stellar Amazon reviews and a lot of praise across the website, the Campark ACT74 might seem like a great choice. Action cameras take rechargeable lithium ion batteries. Like the V50 Pro it features an 2-inch IPS touchscreen, adjustable viewing angle and WiFi and gyroscope. I was unaware that the V50 Pro’s internal microphone could not be disabled. The rubberized Polaroid Cube is only splashproof, so don’t completely submerge it underwater. Many of them share the same 16MP or 20MP image sensors which deliver acceptable 2.7K footage at 30fps or 1080P@60fps. Rubber bungs over the two ports provide IPx7 water resistance without a case. The AKASO V50X generously includes a huge accessory kit featuring things like a remote control, 12 different mounts and a waterproof case. However, it’s outdated by today’s standards and the Dragon Touch Vision 3 is a better ultra-budget choice (especially as it includes a remote). The least-loved GoPro in years still has its charms, Weight: 92g | Waterproof: 10m(no case needed), 40m (with case, not included) | 4K video: No 4K mode | 1080 video: up to 60fps | 720 video: No 720p mode | Stills resolution: 10MP | Battery life: 120 mins. The 12MP Sony sensor produces amazing daylight footage and acceptable nighttime video recordings (no action camera can produce great nighttime footage because the sensors are so small). They will pretty much do everything you need them to do, and certainly be better suited for filming intense action than any smartphone. Note that a micro SD memory card is not included so make sure to buy one if you don’t have one already. It tops out at 4K resolution, 30 frames per second. It’s costs less than $50 and does a decent job of recording HD video at 60fps. It’s very simple to operate and a great way to get a newbie into the world of shooting action videos. The X450 also has the best non-GoPro stabilization in this guide too. And a diving-style case with 40m waterproofing is included too. Most action cameras under $100 are not native 4K. That definitely defeats the purpose of having the option to take an external mic! Because action cameras are small by nature, they feature small apertures which take in much light. You can mount it without any accessories at all, although the exposed ports mean that’s probably a bad idea, unless you’re shooting indoors or on a sunny day. It has also fewer features – no stabilization and a slightly worse screen – but we liked it more and it’s a decent buy if your budget is very tight. A lot of this comes down to weight. For most situations, that means no case will ever be needed. Our overall pick for the best budget action camera right now is the Apeman A100. A couple of these budget action cameras offer genuinely gorgeous 4K image quality during the day. Whether it’s lifting it up on a selfie stick when you’re going down a slide, mounting it on your bike helmet or even taking it underwater diving – the benefits of owning an action camera are numerous. Big screen makes this a great budget action cam option. Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. The Dragon Touch Vision 3 is currently my recommendation for the best under $50 entry-level action camera available today. There’s a 1440p mode, but this is effectively the 4:3 version of Full HD, not 'true' 1440p. All in all, the Vision 5 is a very sensible budget action camera for those who are planning to get the camera very wet. Do we miss electronic image stabilization? The V50 is their flagship camera line and the only one to boast 4K30fps recording. The tone of the image is better and you really don’t lose all that much detail even at 1080p. If there are any shooting modes you would like to use, check to make sure the camera features it before purchasing. Finding the best cheap action camera for you can be tricky. Its photos are solid too, particularly if you take the time to edit the color balance a little in Photoshop. Your first assumption may well be: they must all be terrible right? Bad bits? Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, For most people these accessories will be enough. If there’s one word to sum up the Akaso V50 X, it’s 'soft'. Check out the, For the best all-rounders, see our guide to the. It can shoot at up to 4K/50p. First up, build quality. 2020 is no doubt the beginning of the $100 native 4k action camera. There’s no water resistance unless you use the diving case, and the ports are exposed just like those of a really budget action cam. Polaroid got their name from building instant cameras, but the company is moving along and has come up with their very own action camera—The Polaroid Cube Act II. Some people would say modern camera phones have made action cameras redundant. You may have better luck. The internal one is decent, too, with clarity just a level below the Akaso Brave 7 LE. The Apeman A100 doesn’t have a tripod thread on its body, so you’ll need to bulk it up with accessory for any form of mounting. Yet it costs a little more and doesn’t come with a remote control so I wouldn’t consider it the best ultra-budget action camera today. The camera’s audio is also fairly poor, with much lower output than the Akaso Brave 7 LE and the same absent treble and gated style we heard from the Apeman A100. However, the vast majority of non-GoPro action cameras are not waterproof out of the box. At its best, the A100 renders video with detail not that far off a GoPro Hero 8 Black, albeit without that charming GoPro color profile. If native 4K isn’t necessary, our options for action cameras costing below $100 are plentiful. It shoots lovely 4K footage, with its 14MP sensor even capturing slightly more detail than a GoPro Hero 9 Black at its 'wide' setting, in certain lighting conditions (based on a frame analysis at sunset). Akaso says the EK7000 records 4K at 25fps, but judging by what we see it may be dropping frames or doubling up on them in the final file. Even without these interface issues, we think the superior dynamic range of the Apeman A100 (see above) is worth the bump up in price. The resulting output file is technically a 4K video, but the actual quality difference with a camera that is capable of shooting native 4K is drastic. But after reviewing dozens of clips we prefer it to an overly softened look. If you’re simply looking for the cheapest entry-level action camera look no further than the Dragon Touch 4K Vision 3. Thanks for reading! Recording at higher resolutions and using features like EIS will consume more battery. It is helpful to disable any form of Electronic Image Stabilization if you are recording at night. That means you don’t capture as much in the video. Still, stick your clips in a piece of video editing software like iMovie and it’ll do the job better than most of these cheap action cameras’ in-body processing. This is something incredibly important to consider when purchasing an action camera today. It’s touchscreen-led and has the touch of gloss you don’t see in most other GoPro clones. The Xiaomi MI Mijia 4K is an excellent native 4K action camera. This concludes my review of the best budget action cameras on the market right now. While the Mijia 4K generated a lot of hype around its release, it hasn’t done particularly well. Well, there are now some very decent options around that offer good value. Our conclusions? I’m sure any photographer or vlogger would love to have one lying on their desk! This offers incredible value for money. Dragon Touch is just the name of the manufacturer! It can only shoot widescreen at up to 1080p. Hopefully I’ve got you covered. Compromised, but surprisingly capable for the price, Weight: 59g | Waterproof: 30m (with a case) | 4K video: up to 25fps | 1080 video: up to 60fps | 720 video: up to 120fps | Stills resolution: 12MP | Battery life: 90 mins.