What is action camera used for?
Action cameras are those small and light handheld cameras which are created for recording action while being immersed in it, such as skiing or skydiving. They are of high resolution and have exclusively better image stabilization compared to smartphone cameras.
Read also: 10 Best Vlogging Cameras for Beginners and Professionals in 2020
Thus, what is the best action camera in 2020?
Now, action camera 4K are sufficiently supplied in the market. When you are planning to go shop for one of the best action camera, you need to consider and compare many factors: frame rates and resolutions, video quality, image stabilization, battery life, waterproof, weight, accessories accompanied with, and more. More importantly, its price. A heavy and annoying task!
Fortunately, we carefully compared and picked 8 best action camera 4K in 2020 for you and an excellent video editing software for your action video.
Let's strat.
Top 8 Popular 4K+ Action Camera
1. GoPro Hero 7 Black
This action camera is an upgrade of GoPro Hero6 Black, which offers a HyperSmooth and an excellent in-camera video stabilisation system which has incited new creative possibilities. It is so powerful, and this is clear by working up to 4K 60fps. With it, the HyperSmooth gives the handheld video a silky –smooth look. Therefore, there is no need for using a gimbal on their GoPro. The new possibilities available on the GoPro Hero 7 Black includes handheld TimeLapse video, 2GB memory allows the application of HyperSmooth to handheld video camera frame-by-frame time-lapse shooting.
Pros:
- HyperSmooth feature is a pure revelation
- Smooth 4K video
Cons:
- At times an unresponsive screen is experienced.
- Voice commands are unresponsive
Price: $399.99
2. GoPro Hero6 Black
This is the GoPro flagship model which is still doing great in the industry. The only thing we might fail to concur with this action camcorder is it’s perhaps pricey. Though there is no other action camera which can match its 4K video recording at 60 fps video, and this can be credited to low-light improvement over the previous Hero5 black model as well as exceptional image stabilization to get rid of camera shake. Moreover, there is a handful of what you can get with GoPro Hero6 Black besides poor video quality including voice activation which is useful when your hands are fully occupied, drop-proof, and waterproof design up to 10 meters without any extra video housing making it insanely usable.
Pros:
- 4K HDR video
- Natively waterproof
Cons:
- Pricey
- Fiddly touchscreen
Price: $329.09
3. YI 4K+
This is a handheld video camera from Yi technologies which offers you more than what you paid for. You may not realize about this if you have never tried the latest GoPro model when you are seeking to get hold of the best-quality action camera, they exhibit a high price tag. YI 4K+ touchscreen is slightly larger than that of a GoPro HERO6 Black and marches its competitor by recording 4K footage at 60 fps. The results produced by this action cam suite are detailed, smooth and colourful. Features a user interface which is both super-fast and super-simple for every user to manoeuvre with it smoothly.
Pros:
- So simple and easy to use.
- 4K and 60fps videos
Cons:
- Accessories are acquired separately
- Has no waterproof housing
Price: $219.99
4. Sony FDR-X3000
The Sony community puts forward image quality more than any other thing like their arch rival GoPro when it comes to action camera. Sony FDR-X3000 is easy to use and captures a video in 4K, comes with built-in optical image stabilization, and the lens achieves this and sensor physically moving to counteract the motion.
Pros:
- Waterproof housing up to 197ft
- Intuitive interface
Cons:
- Screen to frame shots is unavailable
- Included accessories are limited
Price: $369.99
5. Sony RX0 II
By considering its price tag, this is among the most expensive action camera 4K, but it comes with a full set of features which are worth considering. For instance, it can capture a quick and short burst of video at up to 1,000 fps, which is far much unmatchable with its rival business partner GoPro. Some of this noble handheld video camera features include a unique flip screen, can shoot the video at the 4K video, include a microphone jack, and all of these coupled with in-body electronic stabilization that you can effectively use in handheld mode.
Pros:
- Large Exmor 1-inch sensor available
- Supports super-slow motion
Cons:
- Very expensive
- 4K is dependent on an external recorder
Price: $700
6. Insta 360 ONE X
Insta 360 ONE X is a leading action camera with 5.7K resolution image quality; hence 360-degree videos look sharp and 18MB shots result in stunning photo quality. By simply turning on 50fps mode makes videos buttery fool. Snapping the action camcorder into the drift accessory, it will fly the camera and shoots in every direction at once.
Pros:
- Has a flow state stabilization
- Timeshift makes perfect for capturing slow motion and speedy action with a stabilized hyper-lapse
Cons:
- Not waterproof
- Requires companion smartphone
Price:$399.95
7. DJI Osmo Action
This is a solid handheld video camera with a dual display which offers versatile and flexible videos taken on a selfie mode. Excellent image stabilization and the HDR video option opens up shadows in difficult, backlit shots. Moreover, it is compatible with many mount accessories. It’s waterproof.
Pros:
- Good image stabilization
- Perfect front facing the camera
Cons:
- Lacks HDMI out
- No support to GPS
Price:$369
8. DJI Osmo Pocket
Keeping in mind that although this is not technically an action camcorder, DJI Osmo Pocket still has got a huge number of users. It’s not as rugged as typical handheld camera rivals but instead has a clever trick up sleeve resembling built-in gimbal. Gimbals make sure there is no blurry or shaky in the video helping you to shoot super-smooth videos.
Pros:
- Records 4K video up to 60fps.
- Gimbal stabilisation
Cons:
- Audio is not efficient
- Purchases of accessories are separate
Price:$349
Ultimate Comparison of 8 Popular 4K action Cam
The table below shows a comparison between the eight popular 4K+ action camera suites.
| GoPro Hero 7 Black | GoPro Hero6 Black | YI 4K+ | Sony FDR- X3000 | Sony RXO II | Insta360 ONE X | DJI Osmo Action | DJI Osmo Pocket | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video Resolution | 4K/60 fps | 4K/60fps | 4K/30 fps | 4K | 4K/30fps | 4K/50fps | 4K/60fps | 4K/60fps |
| Waterproof | 10m | 10m | N / A | 60m | 1m | 5m | 11m | N/A |
| Weight | 118g | 118g | 93g | 114g | 132g | 206g | 124g | 116g |
| Battery life | 1-3h | 1-3h | 2h | 2h | 0.5-1h | 1h | 1-2h | 2h |
| Price | $360 | $329.09 | $199.99 | $348 | $700 | $399.95 | $369 | $349 |
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Well, after a detailed comparison, which camera would you choose?
I believe that you have your choice now. And after getting an action camera and shoot some sports or travel video clips, how can you get a perfect video?
An action camera is not enough. In my opinion, you still need a video editing software to edit your action videos, to make them more cool and amazing. Here I suggest you try Filmora Video Editor & Filmora Video Editor for Mac, which is a powerful video editor for Mac and Windows. It is professional but easy to use.
Key Features of Filmora Video Editor:
- Filmora Video Editor has basics and advanced editing tools to help you edit action videos, like cutting, rotating, cropping, color tuning, etc.
- You can add music, text, animation, and picture to your sports videos.
- It offers more than 300 effects to make your sports video more attractive, including filters, overlays, transitions, face off, mosaic, tilt-shift.
- It supports almost all popular video formats, audio formats and image formats.
- You can share your sports video directly to YouTube or Vimeo with Filmora Video Editor.
Here's a video tutorial that helps you edit your action movies with Filmora Video Editor.
If you want to know how to use this sports video editing software to edit a video, please click here to get more info.
