I debated between the GoPro Hero and various Akaso models and ended up on realizing I simply needed an affordable action cam that was waterproof, so I went with the Brave 7. I was going on a trip to FL so water was in its future.
I ordered a couple 128GB highspeed micrsoSD cards for it as well. It came well packaged and with a ton of accessories. The documentation, which you get online, is precise and well written. Tip: don’t throw away the foam cover that it comes with, it can be used for wind noise reduction. The model is well reviewed on other platforms so I was able to get enough information on how to set it up and the best settings for it. The touch screen is easy to use and is responsive. I turned off the wind noise reduction feature, with it on, audio just cut in and out and it did not seem to work. The image stabilization worked great, I really liked how I didn’t need a gimble for it at all.
On the FL trip I used it to film walking on the beach, in the city, playing in the ocean, ( and yes its waterproof, at least down a couple feet), driving in a car mounted on the windshield, and to take a couple pictures. I ended up on 2.7k/30fps as a good resolution for shooting most video. The best video you are going to get out of it will be in good sunlight, outdoors. It is after all, an action camera meant to be used outdoors 😊 The batteries seemed to last a decent while, we’ll see how the longevity of them will be over time.
The only small gripe I have is the SD/USB slot door, it’s a bit tricky to get shut, you have to do this push in and slide up maneuver to get it to click back in place. I can only assume its due to the waterproofing material. Its not a huge deal as I don’t take the SD card out super often, its just something you have plan for if you are in a hurry to swap SD cards.
I did download the AKASO GO app on my iPhone and it seems to work OK, but I haven’t yet used it extensively yet. The accessories seem to be good, if you need them. The remote control is useful if you have it mounted to like a helmet or somewhere you don’t want to have to constant be hit the record button. It survived the trip and being used in a saltwater ocean without a case, I just made sure to wash it off with cold tap water after each ocean use. It also performed well in 110 degree heat, I just made sure I didn’t use it for hours at a time in that heat, so it didn’t get too hot. The pictures it took, with using the widest angle, were crisp and it was nice to get a wider field of vision than you’d get from a phone.
Overall I’d recommend this camera to someone who is looking for a affordable action cam to use for travel in damp and wet environments. I’m happy with it and will continue to use it for my adventures.
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