The Best Action Cameras for 2024

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Are you looking for a small camera that you can take anywhere—even underwater—and shoot epic slow-motion videos of surfing, rock climbing, parasailing, or another adventurous activity? If so, you need an action camera. These compact wonders support fast frame rates, high-pixel video, and mounting on your person or in tight spaces. They also stabilize handheld recording, making them suitable for vlogs and travel videos. PCMag has been reviewing action cams for more than 12 years, and our current Editors' Choice winners are the single-lens DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and the dual-lens Insta360 X4 for 360-degree recording. But you can trust that all of our picks below are well worth a look. Make sure to read past the list for a full rundown of what you need to know before buying.

What Are Action Cameras?

Action cameras are small, lightweight, and sometimes even waterproof. They're useful because you can mount them to pretty much anything—from skateboards, surfboards, and bicycles to helmets, body parts, and even your pets.

They have all but replaced traditional camcorders in the marketplace. Family historians and budding cinematographers now use a GoPro or similar camera for wide shots and vlogs, while smartphones and newer mirrorless cameras are the tools of choice for home movies.

Action cams also have a place in professional work. You should use a camera with a big sensor and interchangeable lenses when you can, but modern action cams capture video that's good enough to intercut. Think about movie or TV scenes that show the interior of an exploding or crashing car—a GoPro likely recorded the footage.

Do Action Cameras Need More Than 4K?

The first thing to consider is a camera's video resolution. 4K is a minimum requirement these days, and the best models offer more than double that resolution. The GoPro Hero13 Black, for instance, supports 5.3K. Those extra pixels are useful for cropping out widescreen and vertical frames from the same clip.

Next, take a look at the available frame rates, expressed as frames per second (fps). Some action cameras offer up to 240fps recording, whereas ultra-budget options might top out at only 30fps. The latter is perfectly fine for standard playback, but the frame rate matters when you want to slow footage down in editing to create dramatic scenes. For instance, you can slow 240fps recordings down and play them back smoothly at one-quarter speed. If you want a cinematic look, pick a camera with a 24fps capture option; that's the speed most Hollywood productions use.

The best action cams combine fast frame rates and high pixel counts—the GoPro Hero13 Black pushes 240fps at 2.7K, for example, better than the 1080p240 you get from the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro.

If you're more serious about video, look for a model that offers a flat video profile that grades easily. We've not yet seen Raw video support in an action cam. That level of video quality is still restricted to big cameras with interchangeable lenses.

Digital stabilization is also important since it can help you get smooth footage without a tripod or gimbal. As long as you buy a newer DJI, GoPro, or Insta360 action cam, you won't have to worry much. All include extremely effective digital stabilization, so you can get smooth footage regardless of whether you're handholding or mounting the camera.

The Best Action Cameras With Wide Lenses and 360-Degree Video

Most action cams have a lens with a wide, wide view of the world. Thus, you are likely to encounter some fish-eye distortion, especially if you mount it close to what it's filming. Newer models compensate for that effect automatically. Most action cams also let you select a narrower angle for recording to avoid distortion at the outset.

Some entries have two lenses for spherical video capture, though not as many as during the height of the 360-degree video fad. The cameras that survived serve a dual purpose, leveraging software so you can use video for both VR headsets and flat screens. Software tools allow you to manipulate video in interesting ways, as you can see in the GoPro Max clip above.

There are also outliers in the design department. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has a gimbal-stabilized camera. It's not rugged or waterproof, but vloggers should take a look.

How to Mount Your Action Cam

You should also consider your specific needs. Not all cameras are suitable for every sport and certain designs lend themselves better to particular activities. On top of that, different shapes allow for different mounting accessories and possibilities. Pay close attention to a camera's size if you want to catch a unique perspective, like an under-skateboard shot.

GoPro's mount system is prevalent across the industry. Most action cams include built-in or bundled mounts that match up with the integrated mounting clips on recent GoPros. DJI Osmo cameras use removable mounts and include both GoPro and standard tripod options in the box. Meanwhile, the Insta360 X4 has a standard tripod socket, and the GoPro Hero12 Black is the first model in the series to include both clips and a standard tripod socket.

Waterproofing is an important aspect to consider if you plan to record underwater or even around water. Some waterproof cameras can go deeper than others or even have built-in waterproofing, so you don't need to worry about an extra housing.

The Best Editing Tools for Action Cameras

Longtime editors might be happy working with desktop editing software, but adventurers might want to cut footage on a smartphone or tablet. If mobile editing is important, look for a model with built-in Wi-Fi at minimum.

Name-brand options offer better software support. DJI, GoPro, and Insta360 all include full-featured smartphone apps for on-the-go editing, so you can upload videos right to your social channels.

If you choose a brand that doesn't supply an editing app, you must bring your own. However, it's easy enough to use iMovie or Adobe Premiere Rush to cut clips together on your phone. If you need software for your desktop or laptop, check out our top video editing recommendations.