As an avid traveler and adventurer, I like to travel as light as possible. At the same time, I want to be able to capture those moments underwater or driving a motorcycle through the mountainside and any other special moments as they occur. Enter the action camera.
These small cameras are lightweight and small, making them easily portable. By now, you’ve probably seen Go Pro cameras attached to everything from motorcycles to skydivers helmets. A great camera, but they come at a hefty price point of at least $400. With that, I began the search for a less expensive alternative and all signs pointed to the Akaso Brave 4 Action camera. This camera comes at a price point of $79.99 and provides you with everything you need. Let’s take a closer look
The Specs
First things first, let’s check out the specs for the Akaso Brave 4.
- Dimensions: 59.5mm*41.8mm*30.3mm
- Weight 5.6oz
- Video Resolution 4K/24fps, 2K/30fps and 1080P/60FPS video resolution
- Photo resolution 20MP
- Adjustable field of view angle between 170°, 140°, 110°, and 70°
- Digital Zoom
- Smart gyroscope for anti-shaking and image stabilization
- Wifi capability to connect to smartphone and share using the free Akaso DV app
- HDMI Port that allows you to connect it directly to a television.
- MicroSD memory card slot capable of max 64GB card
- Video,Photo, Burst photo, Looping Video, Time lapse, diving mode, and burst capture camera modes
What’s Included
When you open the package, you may be surprised by the number of parts and accessories the camera comes with. There are various mounts and screws, many of which you may never end up using but they’re good to have nonetheless. Simply think about the activities you may do on your next adventure and bring along the mounts and parts you need for that. The camera comes with:
- The Akaso Brave 4 Camera
- 1 Remote Control with wristband
- 2 Batteries
- 1 Waterproof Case
- 1 Bicycle Stand
- 1 Helmet Mount
- 7 Various Mounts
- 2 Clips
- 1 Bandages
- 5 Tethers
- 1 Extra backdoor for the waterproof housing
- 1 USB Cable
- Basic user manual
Video Quality
This camera is great for travelers, especially those that love to vlog. It’s small size and weight combined with its small handset make it ideal for traveling. Below, you can see a short video I did while riding a motorcycle through the mountains of Colombia.
Photo Quality
The quality of the photos taken out of water, I found to be so-so. A good smart phones will give you better quality in my opinion. However, the photos and video taken underwater look great. Other cameras and the pouches they give you to house your cell phone for underwater photos often produce hazy and blurry photos, but the Brave 4 produced blur-free photos and video. You can check out both below.
Underwater Performance
Not all the cameras on the market provide the ability to take your camera into the water without any problem. I recently took this camera on a trip to St Maarten, as I wanted to do some snorkeling and soon found that the camera produced some great underwater video. I only wish I’d have seen more animals!
The waterproof case was very solid and no water was able to get into the camera. This was a major issue I’d read about with other cameras at this price point. Additionally, the case also allows you to shoot up to 30 meters under water. If you open up the diving mode setting, you can even filter the red light under water. The camera also stayed focused and produced a smooth image.
Pros
- The camera comes wit stabilization /anti-shaking technology, helping with the quality of the photo or video
- The wide angle of viewing from 70 – 170 degrees
- The waterproof case performed great underwater. No water leaked into the case and photo and video quality was not compromised at all.
- Easy to use. The camera is pretty easy to learn how to use out of the box.
- Good photo and video quality
- Lightweight and portable. Traveling with this camera was a breeze, whether it was through an airport or over a mountain.
- Accessories. The camera comes with a ton of mounts and accessories to prepare you for your next adventure.
- The price. At $79.99, you won’t find a better action camera at this price.
Cons
- When doing continuous filming, I found the battery did not last well beyond 30 minutes. However, I remedied this by carrying several batteries and simply swapped one out when one ran out.
- The mobile app to pass photos and videos from the camera to a smartphone isn’t the best, as connecting and staying connected proved to be difficult.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I found that the Brave 4 took great quality videos and acceptable photos. Additionally, I can definitively say that it’s fully waterproof with not a drop of water getting into the waterproof housing. And at this price point, it makes a great alternative to the much more costly Go Pro and I don’t think you will find a better alternative.
You can pick the Akaso Brave 4 on Amazon.
Geron is an avid traveler, entreprenuer and mens style aficionado. He love’s mac and cheese, getting discounts, his momma, and a good whiskey, not particularly in that order. It’s alleged he lives in Miami, but no one really knows anymore.
Follow him on instagram at @geronp
