Related Articles
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Action cams and all their gear offer endless possibilities to capture epic footage. The downside? They can be a real investment, making it difficult to own one if you’re on a strict budget. The good news is that there are still plenty of choices for action cams out there to record the content you’re going for. It’s a double-edged sword though — because there are so many, it’s difficult and overwhelming to sift through them all to find one that’s built well. We’ve selected our four favorites below. But first, familiarize yourself with what to look for in a good, and affordable, mini action cam.
Budget Action Camera Buying Guide
Resolution: This may vary a lot, but it’s best to shoot for something that can handle 4K and 60fps if possible. Even 1080p still looks pretty great for capturing color and detail, but it’s best not to go lower than that if you’re shooting action shots or professional level video, or else the colors can look a little off.
Audio:If you’ll also be capturing audio along with video, a built-in mic or input for an external mic is a must-have. Not all mini cameras have this, so be sure to check if it’s something you’ll need.
Durability: Even a budget camera is an investment, and needs to stand up to whatever damage it might run into. If you’re looking for a waterproof case, it’s possible to find, but make sure it’s tightly sealed. Even a little water getting in can turn your cam into an expensive paperweight.
Size: This one’s particularly important if you’ll be wearing your cam with a mount, or even carrying it with any additional equipment for long periods of time. A bulky, heavy cam can weigh you down after even a brief stint of shooting. Fortunately, because of their size, most of these are pretty light to begin with. But if it meets all your feature requirements, and you’ll be carrying or wearing it for long stretches, go towards the light.
Image Stabilization:Of all the features, this might be the most overlooked. Image stabilization can really make or break the video you take. Shakiness and wobbling brings the quality way down, and a poor stabilization processor trying to constantly compensate for it just looks awful and dizzying. It’s a feature that takes up a significant chunk of memory usage, and with a budget mini cam, there’s not always a lot to spare.
Features: These may not have all the latest abilities that the most recent big budget (and big-sized) cams do, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty to play around with. Filming in HD is now common even on the cheaper cams, allowing even beginners to create impressive videos.
Accessories:To get even more out of your money, some cams are also bundled with extras that can be extremely helpful when filming out in the world. An extra battery is great to have when the primary one dies unexpectedly. A built-in screen is an instant way to view and even edit what you just recorded, but if you’d prefer to view it all later in RAW files, be sure it has that ability before you connect to your favorite editing application.
