5 Best Budget Action Cameras of 2023

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Discover the 5 Best Budget Action Cameras of 2023! These compact marvels are perfect for capturing your most exciting moments, whether you’re conquering epic waves, scaling towering peaks, or creating stunning vlogs. Our guide explores affordable action cameras that deliver top-notch performance without breaking the bank. Join us in exploring the world of action cameras and find the affordable gems that will revolutionize how you document your 2023 adventures.

1
AKASO Brave 7 LE

2
WOLFANG GA300

3
Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro

4
AKASO V50X

5
Apex Cam M80 Air

1. AKASO Brave 7 LE

The AKASO Brave 7 LE is a compact action camera that represents an alternative to models in the GoPro and DJI lineup. The AKASO Brave 7 LE copies some of the core features of GoPros but at a much more affordable price. 

The AKASO Brave 7 LE is an all-weather action camera. Its IPX7 water-resistant design can protect the action camera from rain, snow, and water splashing. Your underwater adventure can even go down to 40 meters while equipped with the included waterproof housing.

Moreover, with an innovative dual-color screen design, you can change framing and monitoring views between the back and front, especially the vivid front screen that can satisfy your selfie needs.

This action camera can take hyper-quality 4k video at a frame rate of 30FPS  and 20-megapixel photo, recording your adventure without missing any details! This action camera is equipped with an improved 6-axis EIS, it can provide gimbal-like stabilization and greatly boost the stability and fluency of your recording. 

On the other hand, the digital zoom function and various shooting modes, such as time-lapse, burst photo, and fast motion, help you create your footage beyond your imagination. Included accessories of 2 rechargeable batteries, remote control, waterproof housing, and multifunctional mounting kits help you expand your usage scenarios with a pleasant budget.

The AKASO Brave 7 LE uses a small Li-ion battery that’s rated at 1350mAh. Its model number is PG 1350. As with most action cameras, the battery life isn’t great—maybe a bit over an hour of video shooting if you’re lucky. But in a nice touch, it comes with a spare battery and a USB dual charging cradle. 

It can shoot at up to 120 fps in FHD to capture fast action or generate slow-motion footage, although it can’t record at 24 fps for those who prefer to shoot more cinematic-looking videos. Unfortunately, it can also only shoot at 30 fps in 4k mode.

Overall, The beauty of the Akaso Brave 7 LE is that it keeps things very accessible in the price department while maximizing features. It may not have all the prowess of that big-name brand action camera, but the Akaso Brave 7 LE is loaded with features that more than make it worth your money.

Pros

  • Affordable price
  • Dual-screens
  • 4K recording

Cons

  • Clunky app
  • Not waterproof without housing
  • Not good in low light

2. WOLFANG GA300

The next one on our list is the WOLFANG GA300 action camera. If you’re after an affordable alternative to the best GoPro alternative then you will almost certainly have come across the Wolfang brand.

 The WOLFANG GA300 action camera is a built-in 4K camera that offers up to 4K video resolution at a frame rate of 60 frames per second to capture all the details of your adventure. Its photo capture resolution can go up to 24 megapixels as compared to the 20 megapixels of AKASO Brave 7 LE. 

Just like the AKASO Brave 7 LE, it also comes with a waterproof casing which makes it perfect for water sports. The Dive mode significantly reduces blue or green light underwater, correcting colors to make your videos look more vivid and natural under the water.

The Wolfang GA 300 has a built-in tripod thread and the box contains a lot of accessories. The GA300 also comes with an external noise-canceling microphone to capture clearer sounds in noisy environments. The included multi-function mounting accessories can meet the needs of different usage scenarios, such as bike, motorcycle, riding, snorkeling, diving, and skiing, without buying additional accessories.

What is more, the Wolfang GA 300 has an advanced electronic 6-axis Electronic Image stabilizer, which greatly improves the stability and smoothness of the video. With the times zoom function, you can master the shooting distance. The WOLFANG GA300 camera has a sensitive touchscreen that can respond quickly with a light touch of your finger.

Physically the GA300 is more basic. It’s got an on-off switch on the front, a shutter button on the top, and two rockers on the side for manually navigating its on-screen menus, they can also be navigated using its 2-inch touchscreen, which makes it much easier to use than the GA100.  

Wolfang GA300 also has features like auto video recording, noise reduction, slow-motion, time-lapse recording, burst recording, etc., which are full of potential for capturing all sorts of content. A smartphone can connect to the GA300 via its WiFI network, which was stable and fast during our review.

In a nutshell, although it lacks impressive build quality, the amazing features at such an affordable price outweigh all the negatives and make Wolfang GA 300 a perfect choice for you. Especially if you are a beginner on a budget. 

Pros

  • Colorful 4K
  • Excellent stills
  • Responsive touchscreen
  • Built-in tripod thread
  • Lots of accessories

Cons

  • 4K lacks detail
  • A little heavy
  • Average image stabilization
  • No external mic support
  • No 24p/25p frame rates

3. Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro

The third budget action camera on our list is the Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro. This is probably the most affordable action camera in the market this year with astonishing features working perfectly. The Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro captures 4K video at a frame rate of 30FPS and 16-megapixel still images via its high-precision lens and 170-degree adjustable angles.

It has an external memory slot that supports up to 64GB SD card which enables you to extend the built-in internal storage with affordable memory modules, or easily retrieve data from the memory card.  Moreover, it is dustproof and water-resistant. The Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro is compatible with Android and IOS devices as well. 

The 2-inch touch screen with IPS display makes the Vision 3 Pro action camera easy to operate and handy to shoot. Equipped with driving mode, loop recording, image rotation functions, time-lapse, burst photo, slow motion, etc. This camera offers extremely smooth photos and stable video. It has 4X zoom as compared to 8X zoom in Wolfang GA 300.
  
The  2.4GHz wrist remote control, when the Dragon Touch 4k action camera is mounted on helmets, selfie sticks, etc., can reduce the distance limitation and free hands. In addition, with its water-proof case, you can dive as deep as 100 feet which is ideal for underwater sports such as swimming, surfing, diving, snorkeling, etc. This product does not have amazing video quality but if you are looking for a decent camera then this is a good option.

The beauty of  Dragon Touch Vision 3 Pro is that you can Download the app “XDV ” to share your videos or photos instantly on social platforms like Facebook, YouTube Instagram, etc. This Action camera comes with 2 rechargeable 1050mAh batteries, each battery can record up to 90 minutes as experimented by us.

Overall, the Dragon Touch Vision 3 pro is a Great camera at a fraction of the price of a go-pro.  This camera has a crystal clear viewing screen even in the dark and it is the Easiest to operate. We would highly recommend this perfectly priced camera with amazing features.

Pros

  • It is nicely small and stand-alone
  • Good for beginners
  • The video quality is okay

Cons

  • Does not support an external mic
  • Doesn’t work with Apple products
  • Poor audio quality

4. AKASO V50X

The next one on our list is the Akaso V50X Action Camera, The AKASO V50X is a compact camera designed for action video. It comes with a clear plastic case advertised to render it waterproof and impact-resistant, though we don’t currently test for that.

It comes with a variety of accessories that allow it to be mounted to a helmet or a chest rig. You can use it for your bicycle rides as well. It fits perfectly in the handlebar or the helmet. The resolution quality is amazingly good. And you will not be disappointed for sure.  This is one of the few inexpensive action cameras that have a zoom feature. The Akaso V50X features various video modes. There is a 4k camera that shoots video at 30fps.

Other modes let you shoot video footage in 2K at a  frame rate of 60FPS and 2.7K  at a frame rate of 30FPS. And takes 12-megapixel still photos. The Native 4k action camera is impressive. But sadly this 4k video camera doesn’t have 4k at a 60 frame rate, but we are willing to trade that for the price cut. 

The V50X works with the Roadcam app. Making it easy to use your smartphone to operate the camera. Getting a wifi action camera for this price is unheard of! 
The intuitive touch screen which is bright and simple, and streamlined capture modes make it easy to jump right in and get great shots. It also supports external microphones. 

To add more to it, the electronic image stabilization feature of the AKASO V50X action camera records smooth, steady video whether you’re skiing, snorkeling, or chasing your dog around the yard.

With its adjustable view angle, you can set the view angle of this action camera according to your needs from 70 to 170 degrees. You can Turn on Distortion Calibration, which can correct the image distortion.

To speak of the battery, the AKASO V50X action camera comes with 2 rechargeable 1350mAh batteries which support video recording for up to 180 minutes which is amazing. And 17 accessories kit fits most action cameras, even Gopro.

Plus it has a wireless remote control as well. But It’s a poor fit for photography, as it lacks an autofocus system. Yet it is an attractive option with plenty of features under such an affordable price range.

To conclude, the price point for Akaso’s V50X is a great option for budgets or new-to-action cameras. This is a solid option for anyone looking for a good and inexpensive action camera – especially at the $100 price point.

Pros

  • 4K 30 has lots of detail
  • Stabilization is great for walking
  • Great night video

Cons

  • Mic is too quiet
  • Stabilization jumps when turning quick
  • 1080p60 and 2K modes lack details

5. Apex Cam M80 Air

Last but not least, ApexCam M80 Air Action Camera is on our list as well. This camera Uses advanced technology to record your moments and take high-resolution photos. There is also an HDMI system, and you can also view pictures on your TV. It also comes with a storage bag for easy carrying and no need to worry about missing accessories. 

The Apex Cam M80 Air Action Camera has a 20-megapixel camera for still images and it can record 4k videos at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. With a 170° super wide-angle 6G fisheye lens, Capture and share your world in a fantastic resolution. Like many other action cameras, it also comes with flash memory and an external memory card slot.

It also comes with a Wireless Wrist 2.4G Remote Control. The remote control wireless range is 15 meters or 49 feet which is quite impressive. To speak of connectivity technology, You can use the APP to keep and share your exciting sports moments on your phone or tablet, WiFi signal range of up to 10 meters.

The 2-inch LCD HD display allows you to preview anytime, anywhere Wonderful videos and photos in motion. Additionally, it is Equipped with a durable IP68 waterproof sleeve. With the use of a waterproof case, you can record videos up to 40 meters under the water.

This underwater camera is also equipped with 2 rechargeable 1050mAh batteries and the battery charger can charge two batteries at the same time– very convenient to save time. And it comes with many other multi-functional accessories (most are compatible with GoPro cameras).

Other functions of the Apex Cam M80 Air Action Camera include loop recording, slow motion photography, driving mode, image flipping, time-lapse photo, exposure adjustment, and white balance adjustment; You can take the camera to a variety of sports environments and use it, the effect will exceed your expectations.

To cut a long story short, It’s a great little camera under the $100 price range. The camera is very simple to use. Overall, our experience with the Apexcam was pretty good. It’s nothing professional, but it gets the job done and is worth it for the price with plenty of attractive features.

Pros

  • 4K video recording capability
  • The image quality is good
  • Many useful accessories for the price

Cons

  • Awful video quality
  • Does not support external mic
  • Not compatible with Android and IOS

Buying Guide: 5 Best Budget Action Cameras for 2023

In today’s fast-paced world, capturing life’s adventures and memorable moments has become a part of our daily lives. Action cameras have gained immense popularity for their compact size, durability, and impressive video quality. If you’re in the market for the 5 best budget action cameras of 2023, this comprehensive buying guide will help you make an informed decision.

Step 1: Determine Your Budget
Before delving into the specifics of action cameras, establish a budget. Determine how much you’re willing to invest in this piece of technology. By setting a budget, you can narrow down your options and make your selection process more manageable.

Step 2: Consider Your Intended Use
Different action cameras cater to various needs. Consider your intended use. Are you planning to use it for extreme sports, vlogging, or general outdoor adventures? Understanding your primary purpose will guide your decision-making process.

Step 3: Evaluate Image and Video Quality
One of the crucial factors when choosing an action camera is the quality of images and videos it can produce. Look for cameras with at least 1080p resolution or higher for crisp and clear footage. Additionally, check for features like image stabilization to ensure your videos are steady, even during action-packed moments.

Step 4: Assess Durability and Water Resistance
Action cameras are built to withstand rugged conditions. Ensure the camera you choose is durable and can endure the environment you plan to use it in. Most action cameras are also water-resistant or even waterproof. If you’re into water sports, verify the depth to which the camera can be submerged without damage.

Step 5: Battery Life and Storage
Long battery life is essential when capturing extended adventures. Look for cameras with good battery longevity to ensure you don’t miss any exciting moments. Moreover, consider the storage options. Some cameras support microSD cards, allowing you to expand storage for longer recording sessions.

Step 6: Check Mounting and Accessories
Action cameras often come with a variety of mounting options and accessories. Ensure that the camera you choose has compatible mounts and accessories for your intended use. Accessories like chest mounts, helmet mounts, and tripods can enhance your shooting experience.

Step 7: Explore Connectivity Options
Today’s action cameras offer seamless connectivity with smartphones and other devices. Check if the camera has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities, as this allows for easy sharing and remote control via mobile apps.

Step 8: Read Reviews and Seek Recommendations
To get real insights into a camera’s performance, read user reviews and seek recommendations from fellow adventurers. Websites and forums dedicated to action cameras can be valuable resources for gathering opinions and feedback.

Step 9: Compare Prices and Warranty
Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, compare prices from various retailers to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Additionally, check the warranty offered by the manufacturer to safeguard your investment.

Step 10: Make Your Purchase
After thorough research and consideration, make your purchase from a reputable retailer or the camera manufacturer’s official website. Ensure that all the features you require are included in the package.

In conclusion, selecting the best budget action camera for your needs in 2023 involves careful consideration of your budget, intended use, image quality, durability, and various other factors. By following these ten steps, you can confidently choose the action camera that will capture your adventures with style and precision. Happy filming!