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1. My top picks for best action camera (spoiler, it's not a GoPro)
2. Best 360-degree camera
3. Best GoPro alternative
I can't understate how useful a GoPro-style action camera is to everyone in this day and age. They're (relatively) cheap, some are spectacularly good, and they can survive just about anything. That means you can get extra footage from places you wouldn't put your camera (or your phone) without feeling too much risk.
Most are waterproof without any extra accessories, at least for as deep as you'd normally go, and all also have mounts and fittings you can use to attach to helmets, handlebars and, frankly anything. Some can record speed and other data so you can make brilliant movie clips showing just how fast you were running/pedalling/falling!
Finally, a benefit that people don't talk about enough is the STEM value; we're looking at cameras you can very safely give to your kids for all kinds of awesome slow-mo creativity, safe in the knowledge nothing bad can happen – they're not going to be able to access the web, or your WhatsApp messages!
Best GoPro & action cameras in the world right now
Compare Black Friday deals on top-ranked GoPros
Best retailers
🇺🇸 Adorama: 25% off camera & up to 40% off lenses
🇺🇸 Amazon: discounts on all photographic equipment
🇺🇸 Walmart: Deals on DSLRs, Mirrorless & action cameras
🇺🇸 B&H: Holiday savings on hundreds of items
🇺🇸 Canon USA: Buy direct to save money
🇬🇧 Amazon: big savings on cameras, lenses and more
🇬🇧 Canon UK: Buy direct from the source and tap into the Savings
🇬🇧 Jessops: Deals from the iconic camera store
🇬🇧 Park Cameras: Amazing Cashback savings on cameras & lenses
🇬🇧 Wex: Great deals on Canon, Rotolight, Elinchrom & more
I've seen the GoPro Hero 12 Black for an impressive 28% discount (from £399.99 to £288.90) at Amazon.co.uk. Now personally I'd choose the DJI Action 4 or, to be honest, were I spending this much, why not the Action 5 Pro every time, but I felt I should point out the deal was there if you were interested!
I'd also warn that £399.99 isn't really a fair RRP for a camera that has recently been replaced with the Hero 13!)
To get an idea of why I think the cheaper DJI is better (especially than the Hero 12 – GoPro's weakest camera of recent generations) read my Action 5 Pro v GoPro Hero 13 comparison (and remember the 12 doesn't have some of the features of the 13!
Incredibly there are some deals of up to 15% on the Insta360 X4 – the latest 8K camera which is my top choice as best 360-degree camera (and my left-field choice as the best action camera for those feeling a bit creative!) Its predecessor, the X3, has been discounted (as you'll see on this list) but – if you can dig a bit deeper into your pockets you get – the latest and greatest!
15% off the latest (and still current) model? That would definitely be my choice. This is still the best camera of its type out there.
🇺🇸 Insta360 X4 was $499 NOW $425 at Amazon.com
🇬🇧 Insta360 X4 was £499 NOW £425.99 at Amazon.co.uk
If you're looking at this page thinking the prices are still more than you'd bargained for, then there are options. As a camera geek, I do tend to push for quality and features, but the AKASO Brave 7 LE is one of those cheaper GoPro equivalents which wasn't quite as good as the GoPros of its time in 2020, but was available for less. Since those are still good cameras, this is still a 'not quite as good' but it's available for EVEN LESS and it boasts features like 4K (at 30fps), touchscreen controls, a front monitor and electronic image stabilization so it's not as far off as you might imagine. (The link above is to our original review, and we do include it as a the best budget option in our best action camera guide).
🇺🇸AKASO Brave 7 LE was $159 NOW $109.99
🇬🇧 AKASO Brave 7 LE was £159 NOW £111.99
‼️ Remember to look for and click for the 10% voucher box on Amazon
Something GoPro didn't ever forget is those who need a truly tiny rugged camera that can capture top-quality video, and that's evident from the cunningly designed new GoPro Hero – this camera is basically a Hero 13 Pro without the front screen so it can be smaller and lighter – just 86g – and even though it's brand new you can grab £20 off. I flash it up now because, WEX says, the stock is running out (and I'm honestly not surprised)
There's still a touchscreen on the back too!
🇬🇧 GoPro HERO WEX was 199 now 179
Sorry, and – Happy Turkey Day – the GoPro Hero is also discounted by 10% in the US of A:
As I said this is a brand new product, a cheaper version of the iconic GoPro 13 Hero which is smaller and lighter, so great for activities when you don't need to be checking the display all the time). It still records in 4K which, most of the time is enough, and today at least, it's less:
🇺🇸 GoPro HERO was $199 NOW $179 at Amazon.com
The Insta360 AcePro – the Action Camera from the company that also does 360-degree cameras – was quite the head-scratcher when it came out last year. In many respects it blew GoPro out of the water with its 8K (yes, 8K) capability and larger image sensor making it capable in all kinds of lighting conditions. The most significant difference is the flip-up screen that vloggers love, though the Leica lens is a plus too! The main issue at launch was the price: $449/£429. That might be less of a problem now!
Fair warning – price reductions have come in part because the Ace Pro 2 arrived last month, but this is still pretty new and cool; the Ace Pro was £429 at launch!):
🇺🇸 Insta360 Ace Pro was $449 Now $299 at Insta360 store
🇬🇧 Insta360 Ace Pro was £379 Now £299.99 at currys
Something to think about when you're looking at a new action camera is how you plan to record sound. Early on, the best way to do it was either to live with the built in mic or to just do it separately and worry about it in the edit. All the old tricks – hand claps and the like – were available, of course. The latest DJI Action 5 Pro is directly compatible with the new Mic Mini, for example.
Inbetween times, though, there were some accessories. The GoPro Meida Mod added a mic in a bracket.
Where the ability to record a narration is key, some of the devices I've mentioned on this page – including the GoPro Hero 12 (and up) and the Ace Pro – is compatible with Bluetooth mics including Apple AirPods!
GoPro themselves are running a not insignificant discount through their direct store this Black Friday season, with 15% discount of new cameras from the company itself. If you wanted the latest model from the most famous name then it's very giftable.
When I tried the Hero 13 Back, the lens mod was easily my favourite feature and the new magnetic mount (which is better than DJI's) a close second. There are discounts on the mods for GoPro members so these devices might get upgraded over time, just like an SLR/mirrorless.
🇺🇸 GoPro Hero 13 Black was $399.99 NOW $339.99 (hit 'CAMERA DEALS')
🇬🇧 GoPro Hero 13 Black was £399.99 NOW £339.99 (hit 'CAMERA DEALS')
Oh - I also strongly urge you to look at the bundles as this is a great chance to save on the accessories. The Mountain bike Bundle is down from 559.99 to 475.99. for example, and there is "Pets Bundle" for rather less (hence the pic!)
The Insta360 Go 3 is a brilliant tiny 2.7K action camera that's so light (and clever) you can take it out of the housing ('ActionPod') and wear it on your clothes for a bit. It keeps on recording and you can keep on watching the now detached display! Magic. And you can get some amazing POV shots that a "normal" GoPro would be far too big for.
Following the recent arrival of a new Go 3S (which is 4K) – a change which, it turns out, only required a new camera design, not a new pod, there are (yeay) some good deals on the older – but still basically magic – Go 3:
🇺🇸 Insta360 Go 3 was $429 now $339 at Insta360 store
🇬🇧 Insta360 Go 3 was £429 now £339 at Insta360 store
Hurry though – all the original white are out of stock already, so it's just the midnight black variant left! (you may need to switch)
Just to hammer home the point about GoPro bundles now the day itself has started (Happy Black Friday y'all) the Hero 13 is 22% off – the extra battery, case, and memory card are not just useful, the card is an essential with the GoPro which – unlike the DJI – has no memory of its own):
🇺🇸 GoPro HERO13 Black Accessory Bundle was $449.99 NOW $349.99 on Amazon.com
🇬🇧 GoPro HERO13 Black Accessory Bundle was £449.99 NOW £347.00 on Amazon.co.uk
Once upon a time, GoPro decided to make a drone – and it was terrible. It was called Karma. The battery life was poor and it fell out of the sky and needed to be recalled. The main problem (aside from the rush to market and presumably fixable flaws) was that GoPro had tried to make it as a way to sell more GoPros, so the drone was, in essence, a big accessory, so it was far too expensive and heavy even if it did work.
The rest of the drone market had already moved on from sticking GoPros onto drones, building in cameras which saved weight.
I mention all this because the dreams that GoPro had with that drone – something which could actually follow you, the person engaging in action – entirely automatically, have since been realised by two other companies, HoverAir and the DJI Neo (see my Live Drones deals page), and both their brilliant, safe, much cheaper drones are available this Black Friday!
It's a bit left-field as an action camera, but it's worth a look:
🇺🇸 HOVERAir X1 Self-Flying Camera COMBO PLUS was $439 now $349 at Amazon.com
🇬🇧 HOVERAir X1 Self-Flying Camera was £345 now £289 at Amazon.co.uk
OK, quick one because I've been so busy writing about the lens I want for my big camera and Sony's cashback deals in the UK that I've fallen behind – but I do want to say this – ask your kids if they want a GoPro (as my son calls them) or an Action cam.
Seriously, he had a DJI Action 5 Pro in one hand and an Ace Pro 2 in the other, helping me decide which was the best at night shooting (much as I do in the pic), and he called them both GoPros! Now that's brand domination! I nearly started a lecture on image sensor size.
At his age, eight, he said he preferred the big-screened Ace Pro 2, but actually seemed to find it easier to use the Action 5 Pro (with the smaller screen nearer the lens, and the lighter overall weight) to speak into.
If you're in any way east the Pacific time zone then Black Friday is, theoretically, already over. But I've spotted that a lot of the deals here are still active and (historically at least) IF there is still stock retailers can sometimes keep them going until Monday (or Cyber Monday as they once tried to rebrand it – that's not a term I've heard so much this year though, right?).
The point being don't be afraid to try the links on here! It doesn't hurt to look on the retailer's pagers.
I'm not going anywhere until Monday night (except my allotted bathroom breaks) but do remember the time pressure is on now!
We also have a longer list of GoPro-only deals in the UK so if you're brand-loyal, I've just been through and updated the UK list since it's already Saturday for Brits:
(Word of warning – a couple of the deals were NOT QUITE as good as they were yesterday... just by a couple of quid but that's interesting... tick tock?)
🇬🇧 Day-after Black Friday GoPro Deals page
Now the sun has risen on the American side of the Atlantic, I've also been checking the deals in our US GoPro guide page. Don't worry, I'm still providing live updates here, but if you want a deeper dive into the DISCOUNTED GoPro possibilities, this is a good place to look:
Like in the UK, the big takeaway is that the deals on the GoPro Hero 13 have got just a couple of dollars worse (so far), so perhaps moving sooner rather than later is wise:
🇺🇸 Black Friday weekend GoPro deals: best action camera offers available right now!
Morning Sunday deals hunters – I'm looking around for changes and spotted that the DJI Action 2 deal we've had has got a couple of dollars better and in both the US and UK don't forget that, if you don't need a secondary screen, it is EVEN CHEAPER to get the 'Power Combo' – just an extended battery for the camera, not a display. It wouldn't be my choice, as it's not as cool, but it's $30 less!
(And over £100 less than list in the UK)
🇺🇸 DJI Action 2 Power Combo List Price $229 NOW $149 at Amazon.com
🇬🇧 DJI Action 2 Power Combo List Price £269 NOW $146.48 at Amazon.com
(Check the Combo in the same place you might check a shoe size on the Amazon page)
By the way, did you catch my piece yesterday on the Insta360 X4 deal? If you're thinking about buying an action camera and looking for discounts, don't forget that there is also a good reason things get updated.
For me, anyway, if you can get a smaller deal on newer tech, that's often a bit of a win. Read it and see what you think!
Last night I went out for a little play with the GoPro Hero (2024) on my bike in the low light – I'll be posting the video as part of my review). I've been likening the camera to a cut-down GoPro, which it is, but I think I'd failed to describe clearly one thing: Despite its obvious compromises in terms of features, it does something that I really like in terms of practical use. It makes my cycle helmet stay in place because it only weights 86g.
For me – someone who has been using GoPros for a very long time now – the comparison between this and the Hero Session (from a long while back) is the obvious one – and this is way better because it has a built-in touchscreen. That's just me though.
🇬🇧 GoPro Hero (2024) was £199.99 now £179.99 at Argos.co.uk
🇬🇧 🇺🇸 GoPro Hero (2024) was $199.99 now $179.99 at GoPro
Just to add to my earlier update, I have now posted my review of the GoPro Hero (2024) – or Hero 4K as the box seems to say. Just before re-packaging it to return to GoPro, I've been out to take a couple more test clips in central London so I might add them later and update. Why not check back tomorrow (well, perhaps the prices will be $20 / £20 higher...)?
GoPro Hero (2024) review
