10 best action cameras on AliExpress

Today, only a lazy person has not thought about buying an action camera.

get yourself a device suitable forto shoot everything and in any conditions: from tricks on snowboards somewhere in the mountains to leisurely country walks with your beloved dog, who is always trying to get his nose into the lens. Many even manage to use action cameras as the main tool for home vlogging, which, however, can be put in your pocket at any time and taken with you anywhere to capture the necessary material. There are a lot of suitable options for action filming enthusiasts, from the trendsetters of the GoPro genre to cheap Chinese devices, the brand of which is as difficult for the user to find out as it is to get at least decent video quality from them. Today we will look at the ten best-selling devices on Ali and try to figure out what they come with. It’s worth noting right away that we deliberately did not include some popular cameras in this list, so as, firstly, not to confuse you with very low-quality products, and, secondly, to better illuminate the market and demonstrate its diversity.

1. Eken H9R


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EKEN devices are firmly in the forefrontplaces in the AliExpress sales lists and the main thing in popularity among them is EKEN H9, the current main device in its line (almost 13,000 of them were sold in the official store alone). Let's clarify right away that there is technically no difference between the H9 and H9R, the only difference is whether the remote control device will be included in the kit (H9R) or not (H9). Depending on this, the price will vary by six dollars. The EKEN H9 itself pleases consumers with a fairly standard set of capabilities for modern action cameras: the notorious 4K is available, however, available only at 25 frames per second (despite the fact that the manufacturer indicated 30 fps, in the device settings they are only available in resolution 2.7K), but in FullHD you can already shoot 60 fps if you suddenly want easy slow-mo; a two-inch screen, a basic 170-degree lens, an HDMI output and a promised water resistance of up to 100 meters (in a waterproof case, of course). The main feature of the H9, which the creators are very proud of, is the ability to stream directly from the device to YouTube or FB Live. But there is one point: you can only enjoy this using the camera with devices based on Apple iOS. In its most basic configuration, the H9 costs $32, but you can add a bunch of accessories to it to suit the needs of a specific user.

Price: $32. Want to buy!

2. Yi Lite


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One of the most popular manufacturing companiesaction cameras - Yi Technology (and, concurrently, part of the Xiaomi ecosystem - we have a separate article about this), which many still consider GoPro's main competitor, is in no hurry to lose ground in the mid-price range: the Yi Lite model confidently holds on first positions of popularity in search results on Ali. Created on the basis of the Hi3556 chip, Yi Lite captivates at least with the honesty of the creators: instead of trying to cram 4K resolution into the device (which on budget devices is achieved mainly by hardware image stretching), they limited themselves to 1080@60, 16 MP photos and electronic stabilization mode . The Yi Lite's lens is a little narrower: 150 degrees instead of the standard 170. Separately, it is worth mentioning the two-inch screen - unlike many competitors, here it is touch-sensitive. Overall, the Yi Lite follows Xiaomi's design philosophy: nothing superfluous and fairly high-quality components for the money.

Price $100 I want to buy!

3. SJCAM SJ4000 AIR


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Unsinkable SJCAM is still being successfully promotedits classic model SJCAM4000, this time with the AIR tag. This model has a new processor (Allwinner V3) instead of the rather outdated Novatek96650, and, of course, they didn’t forget to squeeze in the 4K@30 mode. Allwinner V3, however, supports a maximum of 1080p, which says a lot about how “fair” 4K is here. Also, a touchscreen and support for memory cards up to 64 gigabytes were added to the classic model. The lens is still 170 degrees, but for some reason they decided to get rid of the electronic stabilization mode. In addition to the basic configuration, as usual, there are many variants with accessories available.

Price: $40. Want to buy!

4. Drift Ghost XL


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One of the most unusual cameras on the best list isDrift's Ghost XL model was initially positioned by its creators as a camera for motorsports enthusiasts. Its original form factor immediately sets it apart from standard action-&#8220;boxes&#8221; and says that it is intended primarily to be attached to a helmet without looking like the Teletubbies coat of arms. Also, the shape of the body and the purpose of the device determine the camera’s viewing angle, which is smaller than the standard; here it is 140 degrees. There is moisture protection and the ability to connect an external microphone. What the Ghost XL especially boasts is its battery: 3000 mAh is a figure unheard of for most competitors, and such a large battery allows the device to function for up to nine hours at a time.

Price: $122 I want to buy!

5. SJCAM SJ8 Pro


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SJCAM's attempt to enter a higher price range,as we can see, it is quite popular among users. In SJCAM SJ8 PRO we already have honest 4K, provided by the Ambarella H2 chip, and even with the ability to shoot at 60fps, and an extended 1200 mAh battery, and support for memory cards up to 128 gigabytes. The screen has also been enlarged, now it is 2.3 inches and, of course, touchscreen. But photos (if you need an action camera as a camera for some reason) can be taken in a maximum resolution of 12MP. Oh yes, SJ8 PRO, unlike its more budget counterparts from SJCAM, supports a remote control device, which can be purchased as part of the kit.

Price: $130. Want to buy!

6. ThiEYE T5 Pro


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Another mid-price action camerarange, T5 PRO from ThiEYE is designed to compete, rather, with Yi Lite, and in this battle it immediately plays its main trump card: the presence of 4K, and even “honest”, which is provided by the ICatch V50 chip. However, you can only shoot at 30 fps, but for that amount of money this is quite a lot. Add to this a touch screen, a decent 1100 mAh battery and an absolutely gigantic number of elements as standard (even a remote control device is included, which many other cameras have to be purchased separately), and you will understand why the ThiEYE flagship has rightfully won its position On the market.

Price: $97. Want to buy!

7. GoPro HERO 7 Black


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And under the drum roll our heavyweight, the great and terrible GoPro Hero 7, enters the arena!

For those who don’t know, it’s worth clarifying right away that when buyingWith GoPro, you're paying a lot for the brand, but don't forget the consistently high build quality inherent in this trendsetter. The seventh GoPro Hero model in the Black modification can perhaps be called the best action camera of last year in all respects. It shoots in ultra-HD 60FPS without any problems, and even at standard 1080 it can shoot 240 frames per second. Image quality on the seventh &#8220;Hero&#8221; is beyond competition, and the built-in HyperSmooth stabilization system generally works wonders, at some moments creating the impression that an external stabilizer was used. All this fun costs a lot: in the basic configuration, the GoPro Hero 7 Black will cost you $293.

Price: $293. Want to buy!

8. YI 4K


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Yi Technology model specially designedfor the 4K format has been enjoying the unflagging interest of buyers on AliExpress for three years now. Despite the fact that Yi 4k is currently starting to become a little outdated, its &#8220;honest&#8221; Ultra HD at 30FPS still attracts those who want a high-quality picture and are not ready to shell out money for a GoPro. In addition to the above-mentioned resolution, which is provided to the camera by the Ambarella A9 chip, the Yi 4k boasts the company’s traditional high-quality build, minimalist design and the ability to connect a remote control device via Bluetooth. Otherwise, the camera's specifications are fairly standard, except that the slightly larger 1200 mAh battery is a nice touch.

Price: $130 I want to buy!

9. Insta360 GO


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Another camera with an unusual form factor intoday's review: Insta360's Insta 360 GO immediately attracts attention with its size: it is sooooo small, this little one is positioned primarily as a camera for hyperlapse shooting, that is, creating accelerated videos. The camera runs on an Ambarella A12 chip, which seems to be supposed to produce 4K at 30 fps, but the shooting resolution is limited to 1080@25 in standard mode and slow-mo mode with capture at 100 fps, which is then converted in a special application to 1600x900 at 30fps. The camera also has a proprietary FlowState video stabilization system. Among the disadvantages, we can note the fact that controlling the camera is not very convenient, since it is not intended to be carried in the hands in principle, and for maximum efficiency you will have to use a smartphone with an application.

Price: $200 I want to buy!

10. AKASO V50 Pro


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Our list ends with the interesting AKASO camera.who have been trying to climb to the top of the Olympus of action cameras for about five years now and regularly claim that their products are the best alternative to GoPro. The V50 Pro, however, is worth comparing more to mid-range products from Yi and ThiEYE, as they are similar in price and features. AKASO V50 Pro runs on the Novatek96680 chip, which logically continues the chain of Novatek chips underlying the same old SJCAM models. This model is capable of producing honest 4K at 30fps, is equipped with a touch screen and the ability to connect a remote control device. The seller also lists some mysterious Optical Image Stabilizer in the specifications, but we suspect that this is still the same good old electronic stabilization as in the V50x model, albeit slightly modified.

Price: $95 I want to buy!