More and more people today are participating in adrenaline fuelled sports and death defying feats as technology advances to make these types of sports safer. One of the major joys of doing these things is being able to share the amazing moments with our friends and family. Since the introduction of the sports camera everybody including novice mountain climbers, X-Games, athletes, intermediate mountain bike riders and paraglider pilots can share their extreme moments and insane stunts in point of view, HD glory.
The market for action cameras has risen dramatically over the past couple of years and thanks to the demand of these first person view cameras, many new makes of sports camera have arrived on the market. Everybody is familiar with the current market leader, GoPro, but there are many other alternatives out there, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. We have whittled down all the vast alternatives into 5 of what we consider to be the best action sports cameras on the market today.
GoPro Hero3 Black Edition
GoPro Hero 3 Black
The current market leader and benchmark for all sports cameras, the GoPro Hero 3 Black edition boasts a plethora of specs that others cameras only dream to have. With its 12MP CMOS sensor, and wide angle f/2.8 lens you can record eye popping 4K uhd footage at 12fps (frames per second) that will blow your friends away. Other video modes available are 2.7K/30 fps to 720p/120fps both of which are HD type footage. The camera comes with its own WiFi operated remote control and can be controlled with the free GoPro app for your mobile phone. It comes bundled with CineForm video editing software which had various digital filter effects and editing controls to produce eye popping, spiced up footage. This really is the best of the best at the moment but it will set you back a cool £300
Buy now from http://www.amazon.co.uk
Drift HD Ghost
Drift HD Ghost
The Drift HD Ghost is marketed towards outdoor athletes and is really an all rounder in the action camera scene. One advantage over the market leader is that it has a 2 inch LCD screen, toughened with Gorilla Glass so you can see the footage you are filming which helps you to set up the perfect shot. The lens on the Drift Hd Ghost can be rotated a whole 360 degrees which helps to level out any shots from awkward angles and the lens itself can take in a whole 170 degree wide angled spectrum. It offers a broad range of HD recording modes and has wind reducing software so the microphone records a much better sound quality than other action cameras. The built in WiFi allows you to transfer and edit clips on iOS devices (Android not currently available) and has a removable battery pack so you can change batteries to extend video recording time. It comes boxed with a handful of flat and curved mounts so you can attach it to a variety of surfaces.
Buy Now £250 from http://www.wexphotographic.com
Sony Action Camera with Wi-Fi
Sony Action Camera
This camera really is a beast and is built to last and endure the hardest treatment. It shares the majority of features with its two main rivals above, but it has been built to a much tougher standard and has been designed to outlive even its own operator. It has a super slim and aerodynamic design that lends itself to super fast, adrenaline filled, video filming moments and you won’t even feel that the camera is there. This camera boasts the longest battery life of all the cameras we have shown here with an estimated life of three to four hours.
This camera is also WiFi controlled and you can start it recording remotely in various modes such as 1080p 30/60fps and 720p 30/120fps. The most important factor is that the lens is a Carl Zeiss creation, renowned worldwide as one of the best lens manufacturers. All this coupled with the ability to share your videos on social media directly from the camera itself should persuaded you that its not to hefty price tag is worth it.
Buy Now: £198 http://www.wiggle.co.uk
SJ4000
SJ4000
The SJ4000 is a budget action camera that is not shy of features. At only £60 you would be forgiven for thinking that this camera is no good. Au contraire, mon ami. Don’t let its budget price fool you. It may not be as high ion specs as the others but it has 90% of the specifications at 25% of the price. Capable of filming at a maximum of 1080p 30fps on its 12MP sensor you can film some amazing footage at amazing HD quality. It does lack a little on the battery life, filming for only 1 hour at full HD, but as spare batteries only cost £3, carry a couple extra and film all day. It comes with a 1.5 inch LCD screen on the back to be able to line up and see exactly what you are filming. The tough case lets you submerge the camera in up to 30 metres of water without worrying about it breaking and it is compatible with all GoPros accessories. If you’re unsure about what you can really achieve with an action camera, you can try this one out without taking out a second mortgage for the GoPro. Most people, once they buy the SJ4000 find it is enough for their needs and prefer to spend another £60 on a second one rather than change it for a GoPro.
Buy now £60 http://www.chinaelectronics.co.uk
GoTop HD
GoTop
This other budget camera also boasts some impressive features at a not so high price. Its 16MP CMOS sensor (better than the GoPro) is capable of filming 1080p footage at 120fps. This make for some awesome footage that rivals anything the GoPro can kick out. Submersible at up to 30 metres you really can take this camera anywhere. It comes bundled with 5 mounting accessories allowing you to place it anywhere you want to record any kind of adrenaline fuelled footage.
Buy Now £130 http://www.chinaelectronics.co.uk
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