I’ve spent more than 10 years testing the best action cameras, and through that time, GoPro has remained one of the biggest names in the category. Its compact, rugged cameras are built for capturing everything from HD and 4K footage to 8K video, with some models offering frame rates as high as 240fps. Their tiny size also makes them easy to mount to helmets, bikes, vehicles and other equipment, which is why they became so closely associated with extreme sports. But action cameras have come a long way since then, and today they’re just as useful for vlogging, photography and even professional broadcast work.
One of the biggest reasons to purchase an action camera is that they’re easy to mount or hold, waterproof and easy to use. There has also been something of an evolution of design in the past year, with 360 action cameras finally breaking through to the mainstream and offering a little more than a standard fixed-ratio camera. A 360-degree action camera enables you to shoot 360 footages so you can play the video back through one of the best VR headsets, or (if you have the time) you can edit the footage to recompose, ensuring the composition is always spot on.
