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. If you are after a high spec, versatile, low profile camera for multiple uses then boom!!! The Akaso Brave 8 offers a very high (almost pro) level of video imaging. 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. 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. Filming at 1080P, 30fps the Brave 7’s 1,350mAh battery lasted 1hr 41mins. The 1,220mAh cell in my GoPro Hero 7 managed 2hr 4mins (and that’s after a couple of years of use).

The best action camera for 2023: top cameras for adventures

Of course, if you are not an adrenaline junkie then you can use it for simply pointing out of the bus window and capturing the landscape rolling by or simply take it up and down the high street to capture the bustle. When it comes to the accessories that come with that camera, the Akaso Brave 8 is miles ahead of the competition. There is absolutely loads of stuff in the box. So much so that I have to admit that I was scratching my head wondering what half of it was. While you don’t get the control of a high-end camera, you can adjust exposure from the sub-menu up or down two stops, in single stop increments, and choose from five preset white balances, or leave it on auto. The boldly beautiful Akaso Brave 8 comes with built-in image stabilisation, and offers waterproofing down to depths of 10 metres or 33 feet without even needing an additional case! Like a brain in a box, the Brave 8 utilises the latest generation AI software for metering light on a subject’s face and there is also hands-free voice control so you can control the camera remotely quite easily.

My GoPro Hero 7 is far from perfect, the battery sometimes being completely dead just a day after charging it (it seems to not properly shut down sometimes), and the odd glitch here and there. Close inspection of the footage can sometimes show over-processing in the camera, but there’s a reason that professionals use these; even the BBC World Service videographers use them as second cameras at times. The level of control and the general reliability and sturdiness help justify the higher price. You do get what you pay for. Stereo Audio is what we will call “normal” recording mode and is supposed to offer a true, unfiltered rendition of what is being recorded (**digital products don’t really do “true” recording but that’s a whole other post). 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. It can shoot highly impressive 4k/60 video as well aso capture 8k timelapse and x16 slow-motion clips. In terms of still photos, it takes 48MP which is decent for an action camera but obviously not as good as a DSLR. When GoPro first launched there was plenty of speculation over whether this unknown brand would be able to cut it in a world of big names like Canon and Nikon, yet now it’s the benchmark for action cameras.

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

If you are skint, then don’t buy this camera. Whilst it’s cheaper than a GoPro and is fairly priced for its spec, it is just not a bargain-budget option.

In this section of my Akaso Brave 8 review, we’re going to look at exactly what kinda usage the camera excels in. For the price, this seems a reasonably well-made bit of kit – there’s a decent heft to it, the plastics seem quite robust and the lens cover has resisted scratches from my pen-knife. Featuring 4K60p video, the Brave 8 can capture ultra-smooth moments in stunning detail. Meanwhile, the 8K time lapse feature gives users the ability to capture an epic hike or incredible bike ride in all of their entirety. For the price (there’s that phrase again), the video quality from the Akaso Brave 7 is pretty good. You don’t get the same level of control as you do from a GoPro, but few riders want to faff about with ProTune, LUTs and time-consuming post-processing. Slap the Akaso on your bike then hit record and unless you’re used to high-end kit, you’ll not be disappointed.