Best Action Cameras Below 200
One of the best ways to remember adventures or show your friends is to record them, a lot of times it can be hard or uncomfortable to carry a DLSR camera or a phone, action cameras seem to be the perfect solution, resistant, waterproof, and very light you can take action cameras everywhere.
And being able to record videos of your trips, sports or adventures, with a small camera is really a very useful gadget to have, although it is necessary to compare the different ranges and brands such as GoPro, DJI, Akaso, Xiaomi Yi or SJCAM.
When searching online you can find hundreds of different sports cameras with different specifications, different brands, etc. It can be easy to get confused or get tricked into getting a camera that isn’t as good as you thought it was with cheaper cams.
In this blog I’ve put together the 5 best action cameras you can find with a budget of 200 in 2021, each camera is similar but has some different specifications, features, prices, and more. This guide will help you choose which is the best for you. If you want to check out the 5 best action cameras click here
With up to 4K resolution, excellent video quality, and great action camera stabilization the Hero 7 is one of the best action cameras
Excellent video quality with up to 4K resolution, the DJI comes with “RockSteady” stabilization and 12MP pictures
The SJ8 Pro is a great GoPro alternative recording with great video quality up to 4K resolution with stabilization, and 12MP pictures
The AC940 is one of the best budget action cameras in 2021, with up to 4K 60fps videos and 20MP pictures. The AC940 Comes with 6-axis stabilization
The V50 Elite achieves great image quality recording up to 4K 60fps with EIS stabilization, the battery can last about 110 minutes in 1080p
Some of the best high-quality product companies are GoPro, DJI, and Insta360 but Chinese companies are the ones who produce most of the action cameras you see on the market. Most of the cheapest action cameras are very similar and low-quality.
If you plan on not using your action camera a lot during the year consider getting a cheaper one such as the Akaso V50 Elite or GoPro’s older model the GoPro Hero 6. Sometimes investing a little more in a higher quality camera can help you in the long run with problems.
If you are interested in making the most out of your action camera consider checking out our Tips page (Click Here). There you will find useful tips that can help you on different types of topics about sports cams.
GoPro’s Hero 7 is from 2018 and still holds up as one of the best action cameras you can find, capable of 4K resolution and 60fps and 12MP pictures. GoPro is one of the biggest producers in the action camera market with some of the most successful models especially on sites such as Amazon.
The Hero 9 also comes with dual screens, the classic one in the back, and the front screen to easily see if you are recording or not or what specs are you using.
One of the main features of the Hero 8 was the Hypersmooth 2.0, this year the Hero 9 has improved the EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) from Hero 8 and came out with Hypersmooth 3.0, Hypersmooth keeps the video very smooth and produces results as good as using a gimbal.
It uses a GP1 chipset that allows it to record 5K 30fps and 20MP photos using a 170° super wide-angle lens with an opening of F1.8. The HyperSmooth 3.0 Video Stabilization + Boost can support up to 5K resolution.
As for the photography, the GoPro Hero 9 can take pictures up to 23.6MP (4096 x 2160) a lot more than its predecessors used to be at 12MP, thanks to the higher resolution we get a lot more detail in the pictures. The battery can last up to 180 minutes recording 1080p Full HD video, with the WiFi and screen turned off. In the case of capturing 5K video, battery life will drop dramatically.
The Hero 9 also comes with a Wi-Fi connection with the GoPro smartphone app to control the camera through your phone or enjoy hands-free control of your camera via simple voice commands. The GoPro App can also automatically back up footage to GoPro’s cloud subscription service (over Wi-Fi).
The DJI Osmo is the best GoPro alternative you can find, recording up to 4K 60fps with great video quality. DJI is one of the top producers in the action camera and drone market.
The DJI Osmo uses a sensor Sony IMX377 capable of taking pictures of 12MP and producing good looking pictures and videos with natural colors.
The 1300 mAh battery on the Osmo can last about 90min in 1080p and decreases a bit shooting in 4K.
For stabilization, the DJI Osmo uses “RockSteady” stabilization up to 4K, it’s not as good as GoPro’s Hypersmooth but it produces great results and keeps the video pretty stable. For more stabilization, you can always get a gimbal which will keep the video perfectly smooth.
DJI Osmo has a dark design with a screen in the front and pretty big lens, it is well-built resistant with good quality plastics. The Osmo does come with waterproof housing but it can go underwater up to 11m without it, with the case the camera will be more protected and be able to go deeper underwater.
The Osmo comes with WiFi connectivity through the app, but it isn’t as good as GoPro’s app, it needs some improvements and we hope will be solved soon with updates.
The DJI Osmo Action is a big competitor of GoPro but it doesn’t quite catch them yet. The Osmo Action has very good image quality and stabilization, although the starting price seems a bit above the current market and the touchscreen might be a bit glitchy, but overall it’s a great option for those looking for the best action camera that isn’t a GoPro.
The SJCAM SJ8 PRO is another successful sports cam by SJCAM after the SJCAM SJ8. SJCAM is one of the top producers in the action camera market and now they have released another high-end action.
The SJCAM SJ8 PRO lets you take photos up to 12MP with 4K and up to 60fps recording, and allows you to use other cool features as well as record underwater with the case.
It has a wide-angle lens of up to 170° which gives you the classic GoPro look. The SJCAM SJ8 PRO has (EIS) Electronic Image Stabilization and Gyro stabilization (Inner Six-Axis Gyroscope) for anti-shaking and image stabilization to make your video much more smooth.
The SJCAM SJ8 PRO Sports Camera 4K uses an Ambarella H22 S85 chipset with a Sony IMX377 sensor and uses an F 2.8 aperture that is able to shoot in 4K/ 60fps, 2.7K/ 60fps, and 1080P/ 120/ 60fps video resolution, this action camera supports Class 10 micro SD of up to a maximum of 128GB.
SJCAM SJ8 Pro has an elegant modern design, it is well built with good quality plastics and it has a black color. The SJ8 Pro comes with waterproof housing, it can go underwater up to 30m (100 feet), the SJ8 Pro is compatible with all GoPro accessories.
The SJCAM SJ8 PRO is a really good action camera quality-budget, but it falls a bit short in front of big brands such as GoPro. You will get good videos and pictures, crisp stable even shooting underwater. The camera also has several recording modes which gives amplitude to all the effects and quality levels you can get when using this camera and can record up to 60fps.
The Victure AC940 is one of the best budget action cameras right now in 2021, achieving up to 4K like the AC900 and a bit better video quality. It can record up to real 4K and 60fps with 6-axis EIS stabilization.
As for the photography, the Victure AC940 can take pictures up to 20MP the same as the Victure AC900, but AC940 pictures achieve a bit better quality and look better.
The AC940 uses a Sony sensor that allows it to record 4K 60fps and 20MP photos using a 170° super wide-angle lens with an opening of F1.8. For stabilization, the AC940 uses an advanced EIS 6-axis stabilization. Victure also has multiple ways of control to enjoy hands-free control such as the mobile app or the remote control, which can help if you are using it when the waterproof case is on.
The Victure AC940 uses advanced Electronic Image Stabilization, built-in 6-axis Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). The (EIS) stabilization can go up to resolutions from 720p HD to 4K video, being one of the first models of budget sports cameras that can stabilize 4K video.
The Victure AC940 has an elegant modern design, it is well built with good quality plastics and it has a black color. Its design is similar to its predecessors such as the Victure AC900, a great new feature on the AC940 is the ability to go underwater without a waterproof case, it can go underwater up to 5m (16 feet).
The Victure AC940 doesn’t produce the best quality of image or the best stabilization out there but it does produce great results for its value and it’s a great GoPro alternative to get if the is what you are looking for.
The AKASO V50 ELITE is a very impressive GoPro alternative with good video quality. AKASO is a successful action camera brand that most people don’t know about, this model.
The V50 Elite can offer up to 4K quality and 20MP pictures using a 170° super wide-angle lens with an opening of F1.8. It uses an advanced gyro stabilization function (EIS) that supports 4K gyro anti-shake.
The V50 Elite also comes with a smartphone app and Wi-Fi and enjoys hands-free control of your camera via simple voice commands or conveniently controls your action camera 4K remotely. As for stabilization AKASO V50, ELITE uses built-in Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) advanced anti-vibration that can keep the footage pretty stable and smooth while shooting sports.
The AKASO V50 ELITE uses a 1100mAh 3.7V battery which is quite good, not having a touch screen or front LCD panel, it will save us battery. The battery can last up to 120 minutes recording 1080p Full HD video, with the WiFi and screen turned off. In the case of capturing 4K video, battery life will drop dramatically.
The AKASO V50 ELITE is well built with good quality plastics and it has black and red colors, similar to the other AKASO V50 action cameras. It feels pretty durable and with the waterproof housing, it can go underwater up to 40m (130feet). All attachments are sturdy and the waterproof case is made of high-quality plastic which makes its waterproof level up to 130 feet and protects the camera from damage in normal use.
The AKASO V50 ELITE action camera is another great medium-budget action cameras, with great quality on its pictures and videos. It can record up to real 4K and 60fps which is amazing for a medium-budget camera along with many other great features and modes, I definitely recommend getting this camera if you’re looking for a good budget GoPro alternative.
In this blog, we also offer you all the information you need on where to buy a 4k budget sports camera, what specifications are exactly, the best camera accessories, more about GoPro’s action cams, and more.
Down below you can see a comparative chart with these 5 action cameras comparing different specifications so you can easily see some differences and similarities between them, keep in mind there are a lot more aspects to keep in mind besides these specifications.
Video Resolution
4K, 2.7K
1080p, 720p
4K, 2.7K
1080p, 720p
4K, 2.7K
1080p, 720p
4K, 2.7K
1080p, 720p
4K, 2.7K
1080p, 720p
Mega Pixels
12 MP
12 MP
12 MP
20 MP
20 MP
Battery
1220 mAh
1300 mAh
1200 mAh
1350 mAh
1100 mAh
Stabilization
Hypersmooth 1.0
RockySteady
EIS stabilization
EIS stabilization
EIS stabilization
SD Card
128 GB
256 GB
128 GB
128 GB
128 GB
Size Dimensions
55 x 71 x 33,6 mm
65 x 42 x 35 mm
90 x 60 x 30 mm
63 x 45 x 33 mm
65 x 42 x 30 mm
GoPro's Action Cameras
GoPro is a company that develops, produces the best action cameras in the market. Some sports cams come pretty close to catching up to GoPro but the best 3 action cameras you can find are the Hero 9, Hero 8, and Hero 7.
The Hero 9, Hero 8, and the Hero 7 are pretty similar, they offer very similar video quality, design, and specs. Every year GoPro improves the Hero GoPro camera with new features, better stabilization, better specs…
The best of the 3 is the new Hero 9 from 2020 with a better battery, improved Hypersmooth 3.0, better resolutions (5K 30fps and 20MP pictures), and more. The Hero 8 is the 2n best action camera you can find, improving its stabilization Hypersmooth 1.0 from the Hero 7 to Hypersmooth 2.0, and many more features.
The Hero 9 is the best of the GoPro action cameras, achieving higher resolution and a longer-lasting battery. In terms of video quality the Hero 9, Hero 8, and Hero 7 look very similar.
The GoPro Hero 8 is very similar to the Hero 9 but with a few downgrades. It’s capable of recording up to 4K 60fps and 12MP pictures. Its battery isn’t as good as the Hero 9 but it’s pretty decent.
The Hero 7 was the first GoPro to have this design and the first GoPro with Hyersmooth stabilization. Its video quality is similar to the Hero 8 and 9, and the battery is the same as Hero 8.
What to look for in an Action Camera
If you are not sure what exactly you want on an action camera this part might be useful for you, there is a lot of different action cameras with different features and specifications, from 360-degree action cameras to 12-hour long-lasting sports cams.
Most sports cams are similar but there are a couple of different categories. Most action cameras record with about a 180-degree lens giving a fisheye look and producing similar footage to most typical cameras.
Another popular category is 360-degree cameras, these sports cams can record and take pictures of every angle and produce very cool looking results. Some other sports cams focus on long-lasting batteries and not on good video quality.
You can also find action cameras from a wide variety of prices, from cheaper low-quality sports cams to high-end action cameras. We can also find action cameras with and without touchscreens, with waterproof case or without, and more.
Specifications of action cameras
In this blog, we talk about action cameras specifications a lot, it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you don’t quite understand what camera specifications are. Camera specifications are important to understand what the camera is capable of and helps when comparing to other cameras.
Even though specifications are important you shouldn’t base your opinion on a camera entirely on its specifications, sometimes different cameras can have the same resolution but one of them might produce better-looking footage.
The Resolution is one of the most important specs of an action camera, the resolution tells us how many pixels a video has for example 4K is (3840 x 2160 pixels) and 1080p is (1920 x 1080 pixels), normally the higher the resolution the higher quality the video will be.
Some cheaper action cameras will claim to have 4K video but they actually use an upscaled lower resolution to appear as if they have 4K video, this is called interpolated which works by guessing or “interpolating” values.
The Framerate or frames per second or FPS is the frequency at which we are shotting in a video. Most videos you see are in 30fps or 24 fps for a more cinematic feel, higher framerates such as 60fps or 120fps can be used for slow-motion slowing down the footage.
Mega Pixels are used for pictures, a megapixel is a million pixels, which are the minimum unit of a color that appears in a digital image.
The Battery is another important part of an action camera, the battery allows you to store energy to prolong the use of the camera. Most batteries are Li-ion and measured with mAH. The higher the mAH the more the battery will last, but there are many things that can decrease your battery life such as screen brightness or recording in 4K.
The Aperture defines the amount of light perceived by the sensor of the camera and allows the picture or video to be more or less bright. The lower this figure, the more light all our images and videos will get. For 4K sports cameras, the average they use is f/2.8.
White Balance is a setting used to balance the levels of the basic colors red, green, and blue (RGB) so that the brightest part of the image appears white and more natural.
The ISO is nothing more than the sensitivity of the sensor when it comes to capturing light. The higher the ISO number, the greater the ability to capture light, the lower the value, the less the ability to capture that light. A con to high ISO is that you produce noise or grain which doesn’t look good so it’s better to leave the ISO low.
WiFi allows a wireless connection from your sports cam to your smartphones and tablets through action camera apps, thanks to the app you can use the camera remotely, and some apps such as the GoPro app allows you to directly edit and upload your pictures and videos to social media.
Accessories for action cameras
You can find endless accessories for your action camera, to enjoy the experience from different angles and better footage. If you just bought a GoPro or a different brand action camera or want to, and you want to make the most of it when you go skating or snowboarding with your friends, you may not know many of the possibilities that accessories can give you.
But are they all compatible with each other? Most action camera accessories are compatible with each other including GoPro’s. So how can you tell which ones are and which ones are not? It’s pretty easy, most accessories for action cameras come with the typical three-piece accessory mount to mount your GoPro or another action camera with the thumbscrew.
Some of the most popular accessories are the extensive stick, the chest strap/head strap, the floating handle grip, a tripod mount, a helmet strap mount, and many more which you can learn about here (Click here).
Veridict
We hope that this blog will help as a reference for the doubts which you might have when getting a sports camera in 2021, with so many action cameras it can be hard to know which are the best you can find. In addition, we also have a guide to what are specifications for sports cams and accessories.
With these action cameras, we showed you, will be able to produce great results for the budget, from image quality to stabilization to the best modes and features, but if you are looking for the best action cameras you can find (Click Here).
