Last updated on August 14th, 2019 at 06:25 am
I’ve wanted an action camera for a while, but there was no way I could justify $400 or so that the GoPro Hero 6 commands as an asking price. The search for an action camera began even before GoPro launched the Hero-6. Even when they launched the 6th model and reduced the GoPro Hero 5 to around $300, I was still thinking that I could not warrant spending even $299 on the Hero 5, which is basically old technology now. What to do?
My approach with technology is that if I can’t bring the wallet to the tech, wait a while and the technology will come to the wallet… ie, prices of technology comes down, while technology gets better. That’s just how it works with technology. It gets cheaper – wait a while…
So I waited and researched… I built a list of features that were ‘nice to have’ and ‘really important’.
My must-have list was:
- Sony Sensor – it’s just a lot better than the others/
- Long Battery Life – no-one wants 30minutes of recording, it’s not useful to anyone.
- Less than $150 – I have no real ‘need’ of an action camera, so keeping it cheap is important.
The ‘nice to have’ list was about 3 items also:
- Image stabilization or ‘EIS’
- Next-gen image processor
- Front LCD screen – so I can tell what it’s doing when the lens is facing me
During my searches I found some models that were pretty close – the following models made my short-list – and I’m listing them with pros and cons:
AKASO EK7000 4K
Pros:
- Very affordable – sub $70 can be found!
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 25fps
- Multiple mounts and accessories in the box.
- Lots of positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of > 4 stars on Amazon
- Built-in WiFi and HDMI
Cons:
- A few negative reviews on Amazon
- No EIS
- No Sony Sensor
- Older Image Processor
AKASO Brave 4 4K
Pros:
- Affordable – under $90 on Amazon
- This is the upgrade to the AKASO EK7000
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 24fps
- Sony Sensor
- Front screen to see that it’s doing!
- 20MP – very high resolution still photos
- The same Multiple mounts and accessories in the box.
- Lots of positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of > 4 stars on Amazon
- Built-in WiFi and HDMI
Cons:
- Again a few very negative reviews on Amazon
- Has a basic EIS according to the manufacturer
- Older Image Processor.
- Some reviews said that the battery life was poor.
YI 4K+ Sports and Action Camera
Pros:
- Gets really good reviews
- Less than the GoPro Hero 6
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 60fps
- Built-in Sony IMX377 image sensor
- 12MP – high resolution still photos
- can save as RAW image format (no-lossy)
- The same Multiple mounts and accessories in the box.
- Mostly positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of about a 4 stars on Amazon
- It does have EIS
- Very nice sized rear screen
Cons:
- It’s almost $300
- No front screen.
- Comes with very few accessories.
- Not waterproof
EKEN H9R 4K
Pros:
- Again, very affordable – $63!!
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 25fps
- Multiple mounts and accessories in the box.
- Comes with 2 Batteries
- Comes with a small Tripod
- Available in Black + Silver (if that matters to you)
- Many positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon
- Built-in WiFi and HDMI
- Video Format: MOV, H.264
Cons:
- A few negative reviews on Amazon
- No EIS
- No Sony Sensor
- Older Image Processor Again.
EKEN H6s Ultra HD Camera 4K
Pros:
- Affordable-ish – under $110 on Amazon
- Waterproof to 100 ft.
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 30fps
- Panasonic Sensor (not quite a Sony)
- It has the Front screen
- 14MP – very high resolution still photos
- Tons of mounts and accessories in the box.
- Lots of positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of 4 stars on Amazon
- Reviewers were giving this camera some really good ratings.
- Built-in WiFi and HDMI
Cons:
- A few very negative reviews on Amazon
- Has a basic EIS according to the manufacturer
- Older Image Processor – but newer than some.
- Some reviews had missing accessories, or broken out of the box.
I was going to mention the GoPro cameras which started the whole thing, but I think it’s clear – I don’t want to spend $300 or $400 so reviewing them when I’ve already knocked out a $300 camera is a little redundant – I just won’t pay that kind of money, but I don’t begrudge you doing so if that’s your thing.. 😉
Meanwhile – back to my hunt for the best Action Camera for *my money*…
It was at this stage I got a little discouraged by the choices. It seemed to me that AKASO and EKEN had a lot in common, and might even be the same cameras, or made in the same factory. So I decided to chat to someone I knew that was headed to CES in Las Vegas – EKEN was there and had a new camera that they were pitching against the Hero 6 – this new camera is the ‘EKEN H5s Plus’ and the specs looked impressive…. the down-side? It’s so new, that it wasn’t available on Amazon, so I decided to wait and see if it would arrive on Amazon… no-one likes to think they might be missing out on the next best thing by a couple of week right?
OK – so here is the camera and the pros and cons as I see them for the EKEN H5S Plus:
EKEN H5s Plus nextGen Action Camera
Pros:
- Affordable-ish – under $129.99 and a coupon for 5% off ($123.49)
- Waterproof to 100 ft.
- 4K Ultra HD in up to 30fps with EIA
- Sony Sensor
- It has the Front screen I wanted
- 12MP – high resolution still photos (good enough)
- Many mounts and accessories in the box – including remote.
- Lots of positive reviews on Amazon
- Overall Rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon
- Save 5% with coupon on Amazon
- AMBARELLA A12S75 Image Processor
- Built-in WiFi and HDMI
Cons:
- A few very negative reviews on Amazon
- Has a basic EIS according to the manufacturer
- Some reviews had missing accessories, or broken out of the box.
Well it took a few months – but the new EKEN finally arrived on Amazon – and the reviews started coming in… I decided to pull the trigger… it’s on it’s way… I’ll report back when it arrives and I’ve had a change to test it!
For MicroSD cards, I have also ordered a single 64GB card as follows:
Patriot LX Series 64GB High Speed Micro SD
GoPro HERO6 Black — Waterproof Digital Action Camera for Travel with Touch Screen 4K HD Video 12MP Photos
Dragon Touch 4K Action Camera 20MP Vision 3 Underwater Waterproof Camera 170° Wide Angle WiFi Sports Cam with Remote 2 Batteries and Mounting Accessories Kit
$48.99 (as of December 20, 2024 20:33 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
AKASO EK7000 4K30FPS 20MP WiFi Action Camera with EIS Ultra HD Underwater Camera 131FT Waterproof Camera Remote Control 4X Zoom in Photo Mode Support External Microphone Black
34% Off
First Impressions: Nice camera, 1050mAh batteries included don’t last long while recording, but stronger batteries are available online very reasonably prices – I got 3x 1350 mAh batteries for $10. EIS works well, and for $125-ish, this is a great option as an affordable action camera or as a GoPro alternative for less!