If you find yourself spending much of your free time mountain-biking, trail-running, skiing or otherwise challenging yourself outdoors and you don’t have an action cam, what are you waiting for? These four models are some of the best CNET has found to help you share your exploits with the world.
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GoPro Hero5 Black
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/gopro-hero5-black/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding)
The good: The GoPro Hero5 Black is a true flagship camera with all the shooting options from its predecessor plus raw and wide dynamic range photo capture and linear field of view video, a touchscreen, a waterproof body, GPS, electronic image stabilization, stereo audio, voice control, the option for auto cloud uploads, and the best photo and video quality in a GoPro.
The bad: Battery life, especially with GPS, Wi-Fi and EIS on, is predictably short, and the camera is not compatible with older batteries. Auto upload feature only works with GoPro’s $5/month Plus service. Linear field of view and electronic image stabilization not available at all resolutions and frame rates.
The cost: $399.00 to $399.99
The bottom line: Combining everything great about the Hero4 cameras and then some, the GoPro Hero5 Black is a no-compromise capture device for the ordinary and extraordinary.
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Sony Action Cam FDR-X1000V
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/sony-4k-action-cam/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The X1000V houses a ton of useful features for action lovers, plus it can record at 4K 100Mbps in Sony’s efficient XAVC S codec. There’s built-in image stabilization and the camera offers exposure compensation and white balance control. To top it all off, the X1000V records great quality 4K video.
The bad: Menu response times when tweaking settings on the camera can be slow, while the lens casing gets smeary and droplets cling to the front when you shoot in and out of the water.
The cost: $489.90
The bottom line: Sony’s X1000V offers power and performance in a package that goes head-to-head with the GoPro.
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YI 4K Action Camera
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/yi-4k-action-cam/review/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The YI 4K Action Camera is a remarkable camera for the money, offering great features and performance in an easy-to-use package. It has long battery life for its size. A touchscreen gives you full control of the camera or you can use the high-speed Wi-Fi to connect to your phone and control via an app. App handles shooting, editing and sharing. YI continues to add features through firmware updates.
The bad: You’ll need to buy accessories such as a waterproof housing. Though YI used Gorilla Glass, the touchscreen is not shatterproof. The microSD card slot is a little hard to access. Parts of the English app are still in Chinese.
The cost: $189.98 to $199.99
The bottom line: An action cam with a lot of features, excellent video quality and a more affordable price, the YI 4K is undeniably a good deal.
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Ricoh Theta S
Product Review: https://www.cnet.com/products/ricoh-theta-s/#ftag=CAD187281f
CNET rating: 4.0 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The Ricoh Theta S takes the complex process of capturing and creating spherical photos and videos down to a single button press. Using its Wi-Fi and mobile apps, you can control the camera, and edit and share photos and video. The addition of self-timer gets you better selfies or time to get out of the shot entirely.
The bad: Processing takes its toll on photo and video quality, so just don’t look too closely. Having separate apps for capture and editing hurts the user experience. You need to upload to Ricoh’s site before sharing to other sites. Because of the twin-lens design, you have to be extra careful how you store the camera and the battery and storage can’t be increased.
The cost: $326.95 to $358.49
The bottom line: Whether you’re looking to create content for your VR headset or just love cool camera gadgetry, the Ricoh Theta S is an excellent way to start creating spherical images.
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The following CNET staff contributed to this story: Senior Editor Joshua Goldman, Senior Editor Lexy Savvides and Senior Editor Laura K. Cucullu. For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.
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