AKASO Brave 8 camera

Product Information

I’ve got three GoPros (all of which I’ve bought myself) – a Hero 3+, a 5 and a 7, so while I can’t compare this Akaso to the most recent Heroes, I was pretty excited at the idea of upgrading my current kit for less money. The AKASO Brave 8’s whopping sensor does indeed deliver the goods, especially in terms of photos, which are impressively good given the compact size of the camera. Akaso has launched the latest version of its action camera range, the Akaso Brave 8. It is being marketed as a cheaper alternative to the Go Pro 10 and, in this review, we are going to look at the pro and cons of the camera and whether it really is a suitable alternative to more premium brands or whether you are better off saving for a little bit longer to get the market leading product. Akaso Brave 8 Specifications Controlling the camera via the app is pretty straightforward, and as it gives a live view of the camera, it makes framing shots relatively easy. To connect to your phone you have to create an account, but once done it takes you through steps and it’s easy to use. The app community has a credits system that makes it look a bit like BangGood, but overall it works and isn’t too laggy. The cage seems to help protect the battery door from rain, but on the camera I have at least, water has got in, so I’d be nervous about using it on a long ride in heavy rain.

Akaso Brave 8 action camera review: not the GoPro rival it

There are little things that make it frustrating too, like the fact that when you touch the area that says ‘Video 1080P60’ it only allows you to change modes, not resolution (and mode changes are easy to do with light brushes of the finger from the main screen, hence my filming mistake). When using the front camera, there’s less information displayed, and that’s very small so it’s easy to miss that you’re in the wrong mode. In this section of my Akaso Brave 8 review, we’re going to look at exactly what kinda usage the camera excels in. Purists will be disappointed to find no 24fps option for a filmic style, but I do miss 25fps, which is what I edit all my footage in.The Akaso Brave 7’s in-built microphones give appalling audio quality; speech is very quiet and wind noise is totally uncontrolled. This is a real shame as the front-facing screen could make this great for vlogging, if that’s your thing, but as it comes it’s pretty much useless. The range of accessories that come with this make it a great action camera for skaters, bikers and adrenaline-adventure type people We are planning to use ours film DJ sets and crowd reaction next month in Goa at the legendary and still awesome trace parties. Vloggers also love the Akaso 8 as it allows them to talk clearly whilst strolling around.

AKASO Brave 8 Action Camera 4K60fps SuperSmooth 48MP Sports AKASO Brave 8 Action Camera 4K60fps SuperSmooth 48MP Sports

All in all I will continue to use this camera as it does more than enough for what I need and I for one am quite happy with it. If you are after a good action camera but can’t afford a GoPro, then the Akaso 8 is not a bad shout at all. It will offer good enough video and sound quality for most uses with the exceptions of pros and video geeks. The battery life is long enough for most occasions (but not perfect) and the camera comes with all the basic accessories. All in all, the AKASO Brave 7LE action camera is is a superb little camera that can be controlled remotely, and has all the extras you could need for your active life. If we are talking about useful features that customers actually want and need, then the Akaso Brave 8 delivers the goods. The battery and micro-SD / USB-C port covers latch down in a similar style to GoPros, but I have found them increasingly hard to open with use, which appears to be down to surface corrosion.It’s good to see a removable lens cover on the Brave 7 – I’ve replaced it on my GoPro Hero 7 twice due to welding spatter and having it too close to an angle-grinder. The Hero 8 didn’t have a replaceable cover, but 9 nine and 10 do. The problem is that I can’t find replacement lens covers for the Akaso for sale anywhere online. Well, the Brave 8 can capture high quality video as well as very good photos. In most lights, the videos would pass for a professional standard (professional does not necessarily mean Hollywood) and the stills are at least on a par with my iPhone 8 camera. Clips are smooth, they are clear and the colours look authentic; you may have noticed that the pixel tech used to reproduce colours in some cameras can make certain ones look a bit synthetic – no sign of that here with the Akaso Brave 8 though. The Insta360 One R changed the way I shoot action on a motorcycle, but it’s expensive and the lenses are vulnerable. If you’re serious about getting great angles with the minimum of fuss, and you can afford it, this – or the Insta360 One X2 – is my recommendation.

AKASO Affordable Sports Action Camera | Best GoPro Alternative - AKASO

As a rider, what matters to me is that it can survive the rain, and in my testing – with it exposed on the front of the bike – it showed no immediate signs of water ingress, but the removable lens cover only seems to be sealed on the inside, leaving the possibility of water creeping past the outside. I’m not sure if this is where it got through, but the camera started glitching, then shut down completely before I found water in the battery case the day after I had it on the front of the bike and had also left it for 30 minutes in the sink under 10cm of water. You probably know this already but it’s not a camera for photographers. Whilst the Akaso Brave 8 can take still pictures, this aint its best use. You can take equal quality snaps with modern smartphones and if you need pro-stills then go grab a great DSLR camera.

Aiden’s favourite countries include India, Spain, Lebanon along with 195 others. His biggest travel achievements include pushing a shitty tuk-tuk into the Himalayas, leading a group trip to Pakistan and surviving many near death experiences.