Even though the day itself has passed, Cyber Monday deals are still available! You can still bag some awesome discounts on GoPro cameras and accessories from various retailers, including GoPro itself, Amazon, Best Buy and B&H Photo.

My favorite deal of the sales period is still on: that's the GoPro Hero12 Black with an awesome accessories bundle for just $349 at Amazon — that's $100 off the usual list price and $50 cheaper than the standalone Hero12. We're only seeing the standalone Hero12 discounted by up to $50, which means this awesome accessories bundle costs the same as the Hero12 without any accessories at all! It's a no brainer.

There are also some decent sales on older GoPro tech, including last year's Hero11 Black, and even the GoPro Max, which is currently on sale for just $349 — that's a saving of $150.

GoPro cameras are perfect for all kinds of video, whether you want to ride a bicycle off the side of a mountain, jump out of a plane, dive into the sea or simply document a relaxing family holiday. That's why they're some of the best action cameras around. 

Cyber Week is one of the best times to buy a new GoPro, but not every deal is as good as it may seem. We've filtered through the noise and found the best Cyber Monday GoPro deals still on offer now.

Best Cyber Monday GoPro deals still available now

• GoPro Hero12 Black Accessories Bundle: was $449 now $349 @ Amazon [LATEST MODEL]
• GoPro Hero12 Black (camera only): was $399 now $349 @ Walmart [LATEST MODEL]
• GoPro Hero11 Black: was $349 now $299 @ Amazon
• GoPro Max: was $499 now $349 @ GoPro
• GoPro Hero12 Black Creator Edition: was $599 now $499 @ GoPro [WORTH $660]
• GoPro Hero11 Black + 50-in-1 bundle: was $439 now $369 @ Amazon
• GoPro Hero10 Black: was $449 now $234 @ Amazon
• GoPro Hero9 Black: was $229 now $199 @ Amazon
• GoPro Subscription: was $49 now $24 @ GoPro

Best Cyber Monday GoPro deals still available

GoPro Camera deals

GoPro Accessory deals

GoPro: which model is best?

There are a lot of GoPro cameras available, from the brand new GoPro Hero12 Black, back to the Hero8 Black. You might find it difficult choosing the right one for you.

Most GoPro models you can find now, back to the Hero8 Black, will shoot 4K/60p footage, although the GoPro Hero9 Black onwards will shoot higher resolutions of 5.3K/60p. If all you want is a rugged 4K action camera, an older model might be best for you as you might not need all the additional features of newer models.

The older the model, the cheaper it'll be, but the less features you'll get. You'll also only get earlier versions of autofocus and image stabilization systems. You can read our best GoPro cameras guide to see all the specs laid out in a table to help you decide.

In essence, you just need to balance your budget with what features you actually want and need.

There are a couple of exceptions, though. The first is the GoPro Hero11 Mini, which packs most of the Hero11 Black's features into a compact body for when size is a concern. And there's the GoPro Max, which is a 360 camera designed to take immersive 360 degree footage. Choose these cameras if you need either of those things specifically.

How to get the best deal on a GoPro

Because there are so many older models still available, you need to tread carefully when looking for GoPro deals. That's because many retailers are showing discounts from the original list prices of older GoPros. For example, you might see $150 off an older GoPro's original price. This may look like a good deal but that camera might be years old and won't have sold at its list price for a while.

It's especially tricky for the two latest models though, the Hero12 Black and Hero11 Black. GoPro dropped the list price of the Hero12 Black to $399 — that's $100 cheaper than the Hero11 Black was at launch. That means the newer model is starting much cheaper, so the deals have to be insanely good on the older model to compete (which we aren't really seeing).

The best deals on newer GoPros right now are found on the newest GoPro Hero12. We're seeing GoPro slash $50 off the list price for Cyber Monday, but even better value can be had on accessories bundles. We're currently seeing similar prices on Hero12 Black and Hero11 Black accessories bundles — why would you go with the older model?

If you're not after the latest features, the Hero9 Black can be had for under $200, and the Hero10 Black for under $250. If you really can't manage the extra $100-150 outlay for a Hero12 Black, these are still very capable cameras.

Where to find GoPro Cyber Monday deals

Thankfully, GoPro deals are everywhere! GoPro itself is offering some great deals on its products, including the latest GoPro Hero12 Black and the GoPro Max 360 camera. There are also some awesome deals on accessories bundles to get you up and running, as well as individual accessories.

What's more, GoPro is offering 50% off its GoPro Subscription service. This gives you some awesome benefits like unlimited cloud storage and full access to Quik app editing features. However, it also gives you $100 off your next GoPro camera and significant discounts on GoPro accessories, meaning you can make your money back in no time!

You can also find great deals at Amazon, B&H Photo, Walmart and Best Buy. Keep your eyes peeled and stay locked to Tom's Guide, as we'll be covering the Cyber Monday deals on all your favorite tech.

The Black Friday deals are rolling in thick and fast, and there are some awesome deals on action cameras, including from Insta360. If you've been eyeing up an Insta360 Go 3, now's the time to buy one, but you'll need to hurry.

Right now, there's $80 off the Insta360 Go 3 at B&H Photo, but there's a catch: this deal is only for a limited time.

The Insta360 Go 3 is our favorite small action camera and an awesome little piece of kit, so act now if you've been waiting for a deal.

We love the Insta360 Go 3 and have name it the best small action camera on our list of the best action cameras. In our Insta360 Go 3 review, we praised this camera's lovely looking 2.7K video, unlimited recording and diminutive size. 

In fact, this camera is so small that you can mount it on the peak of a cap without it weighing the cap down. In fact, our U.S. Editor In Chief even strapped the earlier model, the Go 2, to his cat.

With the included action pod, this camera has a 170-minute battery life, which is super impressive. The action pod also features a flip up touch screen to make vlogging and selfies super easy.

As this is quite a new action camera, we haven't seen that many great deals on it yet, so you'll definitely want to snap up this deal while it lasts.

Do you often wonder what your cat does all day, out of your sight? I wondered the same thing, which is why I strapped an action camera to my cat to see where he went — and the results were pretty awesome.

Now, you can do the same, and for less, with this Black Friday deal that cuts the price of the Insta360 Go 3 to $379 at Amazon, a savings of $20 off its regular price. It's the purrrfect camera deal for cat lovers of all stripes.

The Insta360 Go 3 is the third generation of the company's smallest action camera, and is great if you want something small and unobtrusive. Cleverly, though, it attaches to a housing that turns it into more of a GoPro-style camera, complete with a flip-up touchscreen display, so you can frame yourself in your videos if you're a vlogger.

But what makes the Insta360 Go 3 ideal for pets is its size: at 2.5 x 1. 9 x 1.2 inches and 4.6 ounces, it's the smallest action camera around, which means it's not too clunky to place on your cat's collar.

One of the biggest improvements in the Insta360 Go 3 is that it can record video continuously until its storage runs out (the older version had a 15-minute time limit on each video). If you want a taste for what this camera can do, check out what happened with I attached the Insta360 Go 2 to my cat Mervin; it got nearly 900K views on YouTube. 

The biggest tradeoff with the Insta360 Go 3's size is that it lacks removable storage; if you think the 64GB model is too limiting — in our Insta360 Go 3 review, we were able to record for just under 3 hours — the company also makes a 128GB version, which is also on sale. You can also purchase other bundles, which include such things as mini tripods and travel cases.

Regardless of the model you choose, you'll want to get a package that includes the Easy Clip, which is what you'll use to attach it to your cat's collar.  This deal isn't the biggest, but it sure is fun to see what your cat drags home.

If you're looking for other savings this holiday season, be sure to check out all of our Black Friday deals, which we're updating several times per day.

This year's Black Friday deals have well-and-truly arrived, and we're seeing some awesome discounts on tech, including action cameras. There are plenty of GoPro deals from the manufacturer itself, as well as other retailers.

Right now, the GoPro Max is $150 off at GoPro — that's a huge 30% discount and the cheapest we've ever seen this camera. Now is the time to buy a GoPro Max!

The GoPro Max is one of the best 360 cameras around, giving you the ability to record your entire surroundings in 5.3K high resolution video. In our GoPro Max review, Senior Editor Kate Kozuch praised the camera's video and audio quality, as well as the stitching of 360 footage. 

The GoPro Max is undeniably getting a little long in the tooth now, having been released in 2019. Rival Insta360 has since released the X3, which is our favorite 360 camera and offers 6K spherical footage versus the Max's 5.6K, plus a bigger rear display and better waterproofing.

That said, the GoPro Max still has a lot going for it in 2023. It boasts GoPro's fantastic image stabilization and is slightly smaller and lighter than the X3. It's also a more usable shape, being more stout and square while the X3 is rather tall and unwieldy — these things make a big difference when mounting in certain places like helmets.

What's more, with this discount, the GoPro Max is significantly cheaper than the Insta360 X3, so if you're on a strict budget and need a 360 camera, the GoPro is the better choice.

Make sure you keep it locked to Tom's Guide for full Black Friday deals coverage.

The Black Friday deals are now starting to roll in thick and fast ahead of the day itself. If you're in the market for a new action camera, there are some awesome GoPro deals to be had.

Right now, the GoPro Hero12 Black Accessories Bundle is $100 off at Amazon. Normally $449, this bundle is now $349 for Black Friday, and given all the accessories you get included, it's an absolute steal at this price. 

For context, the base GoPro Hero12 Black retails at $399, with the best price we've seen for the standalone unit being $349 so far. This Accessories Bundle includes the standalone unit plus some awesome starter accessories... for the same price!

The GoPro Hero12 Black tops our list of the best action cameras around. The biggest revelation when it was launched earlier in 2023 was the fact that GoPro dropped the list price from $100 over the launch price of the GoPro Hero11 Black, without dropping any features.

The Hero12 Black keeps the same core imaging credentials from its 1/1.9-inch sensor, shooting up to 5.3K/60p video. It also features the same 33-foot water resistance.

The Hero12 has a couple of advantages over its predecessor, though. It features the newest iteration of GoPro's image stabilization (which was already best in class in the Hero11) and now lets users hook up bluetooth headphones like AirPods to be used as an external microphone.

While the competition creeps every closer to GoPro, with rivals from the likes of Insta360 and DJI producing fantastic cameras (in particular the DJI Osmo Action 4), the competitors still haven't taken the GoPro Hero's crown and the Hero12 remains the best action camera around. Reason enough to scoop it up in this deal.

If you still aren't convinced, this accessories bundle gives you great value for money, and in particular will be a great starter kit if you're new to the GoPro line. There's two extra batteries so you can shoot all day, a grip for stable handheld shooting and a head mount for POV action footage. There's also a carry case to keep your kit protected when you aren't using it. Grab this deal while you still can!

Black Friday deals have landed, and action cam maker GoPro isn't shying away from discounting some of its top products for the sales.

There are currently numerous deals from retailers. Right now, our favorite deal is on the GoPro Hero12 Black with an awesome accessories bundle for just $349 at Amazon — that's $100 off and $50 cheaper than a standalone Hero12 at other retailers. Scoop it up now.

GoPro itself is also offering some great deals, including on the GoPro Max, which is currently on sale for just $349 — that's a saving of $150. 

So whether you're shooting action footage for YouTube or just documenting family holidays, if you've been eyeing up the best action cameras for a while, then now is a great time to take the plunge and invest in a GoPro to take your content to a new level. We've rounded up the best Black Friday GoPro deals you can get right now. 

Best Black Friday GoPro deals now

• GoPro Hero12 Black Accessories Bundle: was $449 now $349 @ Amazon
• GoPro Hero12 Black (camera only): was $399 now $349 @ Walmart
• GoPro Hero11 Black: was $349 now $299 @ Amazon
• GoPro Max: was $499 now $349 @ GoPro
• GoPro Hero12 Black Creator Edition: was $660 now $499 @ GoPro
• GoPro Hero11 Black + 50-in-1 bundle: was $439 now $369 @ Amazon
• GoPro Subscription: was $49 now $24 @ GoPro

Best Black Friday GoPro deals

GoPro Camera deals

GoPro Accessory deals

GoPro: which model is best?

There are a lot of GoPro cameras available, from the brand new GoPro Hero12 Black, back to the Hero8 Black. You might find it difficult choosing the right one for you.

Most GoPro models you can find now, back to the Hero8 Black, will shoot 4K/60p footage, although the GoPro Hero9 Black onwards will shoot higher resolutions of 5.3K/60p. If all you want is a rugged 4K action camera, an older model might be best for you as you might not need all the additional features of newer models.

The older the model, the cheaper it'll be, but the less features you'll get. You'll also only get earlier versions of autofocus and image stabilization systems. You can read our best GoPro cameras guide to see all the specs laid out in a table to help you decide.

In essence, you just need to balance your budget with what features you actually want and need.

There are a couple of exceptions, though. The first is the GoPro Hero11 Mini, which packs most of the Hero11 Black's features into a compact body for when size is a concern. And there's the GoPro Max, which is a 360 camera designed to take immersive 360 degree footage. Choose these cameras if you need either of those things specifically.

How to get the best deal on a GoPro

Because there are so many older models still available, you need to tread carefully when looking for GoPro deals. That's because many retailers are showing discounts from the original list prices of older GoPros. For example, you might see $150 off an older GoPro's original price. This may look like a good deal but that camera might be years old and won't have sold at its list price for a while.

It's especially tricky for the two latest models though, the Hero12 Black and Hero11 Black. GoPro dropped the list price of the Hero12 Black to $399 — that's $100 cheaper than the Hero11 Black was at launch. That means the newer model is starting much cheaper, so the deals have to be insanely good on the older model to compete (which we aren't really seeing).

The best deals on newer GoPros right now are found on the newest GoPro Hero12. We're seeing GoPro slash $50 off the list price before Black Friday has even begun, but even more savings can be had on accessories bundles. We're currently seeing similar prices on Hero12 Black and Hero11 Black accessories bundles — why would you go with the older model?

If you're not after the latest features, the Hero9 Black can be had for under $200, and the Hero10 Black for under $250. If you really can't manage the extra $100-150 outlay for a Hero12 Black, these are still very capable cameras.

Where to find GoPro Black Friday deals

Thankfully, GoPro deals are everywhere! GoPro itself is offering some great deals on its products, including the latest GoPro Hero12 Black and the GoPro Max 360 camera. There are also some awesome deals on accessories bundles to get you up and running, as well as individual accessories.

What's more, GoPro is offering 50% off its GoPro Subscription service. This gives you some awesome benefits like unlimited cloud storage and full access to Quik app editing features. However, it also gives you $100 off your next GoPro camera and significant discounts on GoPro accessories, meaning you can make your money back in no time!

You can also find great deals at Amazon, B&H Photo, Walmart and Best Buy. Keep your eyes peeled and stay locked to Tom's Guide, as we'll be covering the best Black Friday deals on GoPros and other tech.

GoPro single handedly established the action camera segment, but its dominance has been questioned over the last few years with heated competition from rivals like DJI and Insta360. While the company has remained firm on focusing its attention on action cameras, rather than exploring other product categories like its competition, the GoPro Hero12 Black is a convincing successor that plays up to its core audience. And you know what? It might be just enough to make its latest offering one of the best action cameras around.

One look at the GoPro Hero12 and you might be scratching your head wondering what’s different about it. Sure, it’s very similar in design to the previous GoPro Hero11 Black, but it’s what's under the hood and a few new additions that make it a worthy successor. Boasting a maximum 5.3K video resolution capture, double the battery life, and a class-leading 177-degree field of view, it’s everything that enthusiasts crave in an action camera — but there are still more features that make it ideal for today’s content creators.

Making it an even more attractive option is the fact that it’s accompanied with a starting price of $400 — which is $100 less than its predecessor. You can also pick up the Max Lens Mod 2.0 for $100 (or $80 for GoPro subscribers) that effectively gives it that extra wide 177-degree field of view. Pre-orders are available right now, with global availability starting on September 13.

Familiar specs

GoPro users already familiar with the Hero11 Black may not be too enthused about the specs attached to the Hero12 Black, but it’s still one of its key selling points. Noticeably absent is the 1-inch sensor that rumors hinted to make an appearance here. Despite that, it’s no slouch when you graze over the specs below.

That’s because the GoPro Hero12 Black tops out a 5.3K 60fps recording, with a maximum 240 fps capture rate at 2.7K resolution. Other familiar specs include its 27-megapixel camera, 120Mbps bit rate, 2.27-inch rear touchscreen display, 1.4-inch front screen, and 1,720 mAh battery. It’s also flaunting the same size and weight as the Hero11 Black.

Like we said, these specs don’t push the boundaries, but there are two qualities that really make a strong selling point.

Double the battery, wider coverage

Wider coverage is always coveted amongst action cameras, so this is one area that GoPro does right with the Hero12 Black. Swapping out the included lens with the optional Max Lens Mode 2.0, it extends the field of view to a whopping 177-degree. It’s a class leading field of view that lets you capture more the action and scene, making it an even more valuable vlogging camera.

Moreover, the GoPro Hero12 Black supposedly offers double the battery life over its predecessor — with up to 70 minutes of continuous recording at 5.3K 60fps. Given how it’s packing the same 1,720 mAh battery as before, it’s able to achieve this extended range thanks to a redesigned power management system.

Use your AirPods to record audio

One of its new features we’re excited about doesn’t actually revolve around video. Rather, it’s focused on recording audio. Instead of having to buy a separate wireless microphone system of some kind, or buying a mic adapter, you could actually just pair your AirPods and use it as a wireless microphone.

Seriously, it’s a feature we wish more camera makers offer, but it essentially will let you pair any Bluetooth wireless earbuds to use an audio source while recording. Recording audio with the built-in mics should be no issue as long it’s no more than arm’s reach, but anything farther than that typically isn’t advisable.

That’s why we’re enthusiastic about its support for Bluetooth devices, so you don’t have to spend extra money on getting better audio when you’re farther away from the camera.

More features for content creators

If using a pair of AirPods to record audio isn’t enough to convince you the GoPro Hero12 Black means business, it offers even more tools for content creators who want to produce videos quick and easy. For starters, it tucks away 1/4-20 mounting threads in addition to the standard action camera mount — making it incredibly convenient to use existing camera accessories with it.

Secondly, simplified controls make it easy for beginners or first time users to get acquainted with all of the controls and settings. There’s also a vertical capture mode that lets user capture video content for social media, all without having to physically position the GoPro Hero12 vertically. And lastly, professional video editors will have even more control with GP-Log and LUTs (Look Up Table) support so that it gives them better color grading control in post.

The GoPro Hero12 Black is fundamentally an action camera that focuses its attention on what enthusiasts crave. Sure, it’s not a tremendous overhaul, nor is it trying to redefine the segment, but it absolutely caters to content creators and serious users. These iterative upgrades all lend to helping it appeal to a wider audience that wouldn’t necessarily think of action cameras as primary content creation tools.

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The Insta360 Go 3 is the latest iteration of the company’s smallest and most affordable action camera. Replacing the Insta360 Go 2, the Go 3 aims to give casual content creators and vloggers a pocketable, travel friendly tool for high quality video. Like its predecessor, the Go 3 puts a big focus not only on size and portability, but on being wearable too, allowing you to document your adventures without much trouble or thought. 

The Go 3 builds upon the Go 2 in certain areas, such as video performance and recording modes. It also makes a radical departure from some of the standout features of the earlier model. Most notably, the case, previously a case/remote/grip, has been replaced by an Action Pod that turns the Go 3 into more of a classic action camera in both form and function and gives it genuine vlogging potential.

The action camera market is a busy one, though, and the Go 3 is up against some stiff competition, such as the vaunted GoPro Hero11 Black, which ranks top on our list of the best action cameras. In size terms, it’s competing against the GoPro Hero11 Mini. All of these cameras have trade-offs and use cases though, meaning the tiny little Go 3 might be perfect for you, so we’ve tested it in a range of scenarios to help you find out. Read on to see our full Insta360 Go 3 review. 

Insta360 Go 3 review: Price and availability

The Insta360 Go 3 went on sale on Jun 27, 2023 and is available worldwide via the Insta360 store and from authorized retailers including Amazon. The company is offering it in three storage options: 32GB ($379), 64GB ($399), and 128GB ($429). Each model includes the Action Pod, the Magnet Pendant, Easy Clip, Pivot Stand, and Lens Guard. 

Insta360 also offers a wide range of accessories and mounting kits. We used the 2-in-1 mini tripod and selfie stick ($29), the motorcycle mount bundle ($45), the helmet mount bundle ($19) and the standalone quick release mount ($34). The tripod comes with a version of the quick release mount which uses a ¼” thread, but you’ll want to look carefully into whether the standalone quick release mount is needed when you purchase any of the accessories or mounting bundles — some accessories use the ¼” thread, while others use the the tilting fork attachment system of the standalone quick release mount. The motorcycle bundle, for example, works with the ¼” thread mount, while the helmet bundle works with the tilting fork mount. All the accessories we tried utilized the fantastic magnetic mounting system to attach to the Go 3’s Action Pod, and felt high quality and sturdy.

Bear in mind that there’s no expandable storage, so choose wisely. By comparison, the GoPro Hero 11 Black costs $399, but you have to provide your own storage. For context, our 64GB test version was able to record 2 hours 50 minutes of maximum resolution 2.7K video, so you can effectively halve or double that for the other versions.

Insta360 Go 3 review: Design

Insta360 has always had some clever designs, but the Go 3 is perhaps the most intriguing yet. 

Like the Insta360 Go 2, the Go 3’s camera module is smaller than your thumb; it’s a little oval-shaped device with a lens on one end, and a button built into the body.

Where the Go 2 snapped into something that resembled an AirPods case, the Go 3 docks into a housing, called the Action Pod, that turns the whole affair into something that looks like a GoPro. The Action Pod has a large 2.2-inch touchscreen that flips up vertically, so you can frame yourself in a shot. This is something you won’t find on similarly-sized rival, the GoPro Hero11 Mini, making the Go 3 a better choice for vlogging. In our testing, the screen also came in very handy for lining up the device when mounting on an accessory, to ensure your composure isn’t wonky, especially using the 3x3 composure grid available. When testing it on our motorcycle, it was extremely easy to flick up the screen and double check everything was still lined up — while we were safely stopped, of course. 

The Go 3 can be recharged and controlled from the Action Pod’s screen, as well as from the large Record button on top. The Action Pod also has a power button and a quick record button on its left side and a USB-C port on the right. Cleverly, you can also use the Action Pod as a remote control, so you don’t have to pull out your phone if you want to change a setting on the camera, or see what it’s recording. The Go 3 connects to the Action Pod via a strong magnet and seats with a satisfying thunk. It’s then locked securely and an unlock button needs to be pressed to get it out. One issue we had during testing is that to pull the Go 3 out of its Pod meant pressing the release button and yanking on the lens surround, as there isn’t any kind of pull tab — this may not be a problem and could be the intended way of removing the camera, but it felt a little wrong.

As a unit, the Go 3 and the Action Pod weigh 4.65 ounces and measure 2.5 x 1.9 x 1.2 inches, which remarkably is both smaller and lighter than the similarly priced Hero11 Black (5.4 ounces, 2.8 x 2 x 1.3 inches). The Go 3 is also supplied with a magnetic cap peak mount for the standalone camera, which demonstrates just how light the unit is — testing on the peak of an old, loose fitting tennis hat, it didn't cause the hat to droop at all and stayed put as we moved around.

The bottom of the Action Pod has a magnetic clip attachment on either end which allows it to magnetically hook into quick release mounts. When connected to the included mount, it’s surprisingly strong for something so small and again requires an unlock button to be pressed before the Action Pod can come free. It’s a great system and inspires confidence even when attached to the side of a helmet at freeway speeds. Overall, the form of the Go 3, and the range and quality of official (and affordable) accessories on offer make this a great camera for a wide range of use cases: from sports and adventure, through to vlogging, motoring and even as a dash cam or security camera. 

One of the biggest trade offs with the Go 3 versus the GoPro is that the Go 3 lacks any sort of expandable storage, so if you run out of room on the camera, that’s it. In a pinch, though, you can simply export the high res files straight to your phone, then wipe the camera to start fresh. 

In addition, the Go 3 isn’t as rugged as the GoPro; while the Go 3’s camera can be submerged in up to 5 meters of water, the Hero11 Black can go down as much as 10 meters. And while the GoPro features a 3.5mm audio jack to hook up a microphone, the Go 3 does not support any external audio whatsoever, meaning you’re stuck with the two onboard microphones. Admittedly, this won’t be a massive problem for much of the target audience wearing the Go 3 on their cap peak or around their neck while walking or exploring. 

Insta360 Go 3 review: Video quality

The Insta360 Go 3 features an ultra-wide angle 11.2mm (full frame equivalent) f/2 lens, allowing you to capture a sweeping field of view. There are four field of view modes (ultra-wide, action, linear and narrow), which each essentially step down the field of view. This means you aren’t limited to the fish-eye ultra-wide view and can tailor the look of your footage to what you want or need. It can shoot in landscape or portrait orientation, meaning you can use the camera for YouTube footage or TikTok videos and social media shorts.

Similar to the Hero 11 Black, the Go 3 has a FreeFrame Mode, available in up to 1440p, which lets you change the aspect ratio of your video after you shoot it. There’s also image stabilization, this time up to the beefed-up maximum resolution of 2.7K, which can shoot at 30fps. You can choose from three levels of stabilization, based on the intensity of activity you’re doing — the more stabilization you apply, the more video preview delay you’ll see. 1440p resolution can be shot at 50fps for smoother footage. Then there’s a 1080p mode, which will allow you to record more footage and for longer. However, in terms of overall resolution, the Hero 11 Black, which can record 5.6K video at 30 fps, has the Go 3 beat by a mile.

The Go 3’s 2.7K video still looks great — there’s plenty of detail and 30fps is just enough for footage to avoid looking too choppy. For higher octane action, 1440p at 50fps is obviously a lot smoother, although the drop in resolution was noticeable, making it difficult to discern smaller details in footage. Peter, testing on his motorbike, tried to work out someone’s registration plate when they ran a red light and nearly killed him, but the 1440p footage wasn’t high enough resolution to catch it given the speed the driver was going. Still, 1440p is plenty for awesome looking YouTube content. Feeding into the smoothness of content, there’s also a 360 Horizon Lock in Freeframe Mode which keeps the camera leveled on the horizon, and FlowState image stabilization in general mode, which kept our motorcycling footage free of bumping and shaking, even on rough British roads.

At 2.7K, our Go 3 could record with no video limits until the battery ran out, although footage was broken down into 30-minute chunks. Essentially then, you have no time limit on recording at maximum resolution, meaning your only constraints are battery life and storage space. 

The camera’s automatic metering does a great job at exposing properly, even on bright days. In our test motorcycling footage, you can see the camera having to play catch up as we move from shade to bright light, but this was done fairly quickly and accurately. There’s a manual mode available in both the camera and the smartphone app, allowing you to adjust the camera’s basic parameters like color mode, ISO, shutter and white balance, but we found it does a good enough job just left on auto. 

For shooting in slightly lower lighting, there’s a low light stabilization mode to help reduce motion blur caused by the auto mode slowing the camera’s shutter speed. You won’t want to use this when it’s too dark, though, as it may reduce image brightness too much. Low light video in general is poor, too, even with the low light stabilization. It’s to be expected from a camera like this with a small image sensor, but if you’re considering lots of nighttime vlogging, the Go 3 is not the tool for you. I tested in the day, but in a room darkened by drawn curtains — in automatic mode, intense noise was visible, which was highly destructive to image quality.

You can also use the Go 3 to shoot slow motion 1080p video at 120fps, although this is weirdly locked to 9:16 portrait orientation. There are two photo modes — HDR and normal — but these are pretty basic. You can change the exposure settings manually, but can’t control where to focus, so realistically the photo mode would only be used in a pinch, as you’d probably be better off just using your phone.

Insta360 Go 3 review: Audio quality

Recording in a quiet environment, the Go 3’s dual internals microphones picked up and relayed voices clearly. It balanced sound well, with whispers audible, and shouting remaining relatively distortion free. There are directional focus and stereo modes, allowing you to customize the mic setup based on your environment and aims.

However, the lack of an external microphone port does strip the “action” out of “action cam” a little, as wearing the Go 3 during fast-paced activities like cycling or motorcycling will generate a lot of wind noise in the footage. There is a Wind Reduction mode but, under testing, it wasn’t able to reduce severe wind noise from motorcycling and couldn’t pick up my voice while riding. If you want to record clean spoken audio while using the Go 3 at speed, you’ll need to use a separate external microphone and sync up the audio in post. 

An external microphone port is something we’d have really liked to see in the Go 3, as it would enable better results from a wider breadth of action scenarios, and the lack of one is perhaps this camera’s biggest limitation. 

Insta360 Go 3 review: App and features

The Insta360 app hooks up to the Go 3 with relative ease, allowing full control over the device from your smartphone. You can use the app to shoot tethered, controlling the exposure parameters and style from the screen, or you can shoot on the device only, then connect to the app to export and edit your footage. (Note: you can also connect the Go 3 to a computer and offload media files directly, if you want to edit at a workstation.) 

We had a few difficulties at first hooking up and connecting to the Insta360 app via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which could be a bit fussy, and some problems remaining connected while exporting — the app would cut out mid-export. However, we were using a test version of the app as we tested the Go 3 pre-launch. After a firmware update, these issues were totally solved and the pre-launch test app was completely stable.

In the smartphone app, there are a range of color filters to apply to your video before you shoot, including dedicated biking, ocean and nighttime filters. These will allow you to be creative with your content based on the type of action you’re undertaking, and will save you having to edit colors in post production. In the vivid mode, colors look great. Testing on a sunny day, it rendered deep blue skies, warm red and orange tones and vivid greens. Nevertheless, footage felt natural and not overly saturated. 

The app gives you a variety of ways to edit your footage after shooting, from adding filters to existing recorded content, through to trimming, snapshotting, mirroring (i.e. flipping the video so you look like you do in the mirror), adjusting color and adding music. You also have a range of standard exposure, temperature and hue controls, face filters and a freeze frame tool — this lets you hold a specific frame for 3, 5 or 10 seconds on screen, and it’s pretty nifty if you want to draw attention to something in your footage. Overall, when it comes to editing, the Insta360 app is an effective tool for people who want to quickly edit and upload content, and avoid the financial outlay and complexity of the best video editing software.

New recording modes are also available, in both the app and standalone camera mode, including Pre-recording, Loop Recording and Timed Capture. The Timed Capture mode is a feature also found on the Hero 11 Black. You can schedule the Go 3 to turn on and start recording at a certain time — handy for when you want to capture a star lapse, but don’t want to wake up at 3 a.m. 

Loop Recording will film for a set interval, such as 30 minutes or an hour, before recording over the footage. This is perfect for using the Go 3 as a motor vehicle dash cam, in tandem with the Car Mount ($39) or the Helmet Mount ($19). Pre-recording is great for fast moving situations such as family get-togethers. In this mode, the camera films footage before you’ve even pressed the record button, to make sure you don’t miss things if you aren’t quite quick enough. These features aren’t just gimmicks, and are all very usable in real world scenarios.

Insta360 Go 3 review: Battery life

One of the limitations of the Insta360 Go 2 was that clips were limited to 30 minutes in length, but only if the camera was in a windy environment. Otherwise, the company recommended that you keep the limit to 15 minutes to prevent the camera from overheating. It was an issue when we attached the Go 2 to our cat, as his meanderings far exceeded the time limit on the camera.

The Go 3 no longer has that limitation, featuring a new heat dissipation design. In our testing with the camera in its Action Pod (which serves as a second battery), we could record non-stop until the battery ran out, albeit in consecutive 30-minute videos — that’s 170 minutes! The Go 3 does get a bit warm to the touch, though.

Recording at maximum resolution in standard Video mode on our 64GB version, we achieved just over 2 hours 50 minutes, which is a decent amount of content and essentially the same as the battery life of the camera (in its Action Pod). FreeFrame Video will drop your recording time by almost half, as it takes up more room, but won’t dramatically affect your battery life. 

Insta360 Go 3 review: Verdict

There’s no sense in making an action camera that’s essentially a clone of a GoPro. You just won’t compete. What Insta360 has done — and fairly successfully in our opinion — is create a series of cameras that offer something GoPro doesn’t. This has included 360 cameras and tiny cameras such as the Go 3, whose Lilliputian size lets you do some fun things — like put it on your cat.

If you want an action camera to record professional-grade video, the Go 3 isn’t for you, nor was it designed to be. You’ll want to spend similar money for a GoPro Hero11, so you can shoot 5.3K video at 60p in 10-bit color, hook up a mic for external audio and then jump into a lake. Or, you’ll want to spend a chunk more for an Insta360 X3 if you want to do all of the above and also have access to the awesome "floating" third person mode. 

However, if you want a lightweight, portable video camera to join you on adventures, sports and vlogging, with enough credentials to produce some nice-looking video with minimal effort, the Go 3 is a compelling little package. 

While my cat doesn't stray far from my yard, I often wonder what he does when he goes prowling about. 

About a month ago, I read an article in the New York Times about other cat owners who have strapped cameras to their feline companions, so I decided to do the same.

I happened to have an Insta360 Go 2 laying around from when I reviewed the camera. Turns out it's just the right size for Mervin, who has appeared in a few other Tom's Guide stories over the years. (He's reviewed the PetCube Bites and the Petzi Treat Cam for us in the past.)

Ed. note: Updated on June 27 with footage from the new Insta360 Go 3 camera.

One of the advantages of the Insta360 Go 2 compared to some of the best action cameras is that it's really small — it's smaller than my thumb. Yet, it takes pretty extraordinary video for its size, has built-in motion stabilization, and the Insta360 app allows for some neat tricks, like some fancy editing.

The cats in the other videos I've seen have a pretty active social life, chirping and purring near other cats and frolicking around their yard. Does my cat have a similar joie de vivre? I was about to find out.

Included with the Insta360 Go 2 is a small clip for attaching the camera to an article of clothing. Turns out it also fits perfectly well around a pet collar, too. The clip has a very strong magnet that holds the camera in place. 

In fact, I was more worried that Mervin would try and remove his entire collar more than I was worried that the camera would pop out of its case. (He has a habit of shucking his collar on occasion.) It's not a great feeling if a $300 piece of equipment goes missing.

So, what did I see when I put the camera on my cat? A whole lot of sitting around. Turns out he's as every bit as lazy as I thought. 

The most exciting clip was when he climbed a tree to hop over our fence, but paused for a minute or two to chirp at a nearby bird. Still, it was cute to see his whiskers flowing down from the top of the camera, and his little paws popping out in front. 

One limitation of the Go 2 is that its max recording time is 15 minutes per clip, and the camera doesn't automatically start recording a second clip after the first one ends. (You can change a setting on the Go 2 to let it record for up to 30 minutes at a stretch, but the company only advises using this setting if the camera is going to be used where there's a lot of airflow, like on a bike or ski helmet. Otherwise, the camera is at risk of overheating.)

To get around this limitation, I used the timelapse feature on the Go 2; while you don't get the benefit of audio, you do get a chance to see what happens over a greater stretch of time. Again, all I saw from my cat was a lot of sitting around.

New adventures with the Insta360 Go 3

Since Mervin's first trips around the yard, Insta360 came out with the Insta360 Go 3 (read our full Insta360 Go 3 review), which removes the previous recording limitations of the Go 2. Now, when the camera starts recording, it will keep going until the battery runs out. However, instead of one long video, you'll get a succession of 30-minute videos. 

Like the Go 2, the Go 3 also gets warm to the touch, but the collar clip kept the camera far enough away from Mervin that I wasn't concerned he'd get injured. 

The Insta360 Go 3 also comes with a new detachable "Action Pod" case that has a flip-up touchscreen, turning the camera into something that more closely resembles a GoPro. 

I plan to send him out again a few times with the new camera to see if I manage to capture anything else of interest. But if you have a dog or a cat who wanders outside — and don't mind risking the camera — it's something that's fun to try.

More from Tom's Guide

• The new iPhone 15 could be delayed — here's why 
• Your phone can instantly identify any dog or cat — here's how
• CatGPT is the best use of AI yet

Holiday sales are happening everywhere this week and the latest merchant to kick off its Black Friday deals is none other than GoPro. The action cam maker is knocking  15% off everything as part of its Black Friday sale. 

For instance, right now you can get the GoPro HERO11 Black with a 1-year GoPro subscription for just $347.48. That's one of the best sales we've seen from GoPro. The GoPro subscription ($49/year) gives you unlimited storage of full-resolution photos and videos taken with your GoPro.

In our GoPro HERO11 Black review, we called the Editor's Choice camera the best action camera you can buy. Priced at $499 (without the GoPro subscription), it packs a large 1/1.9-inch sensor with 8:7 aspect ratio, the ability to take 27MP stills, 5.3K video capability, and more. 

However, what really made the Hero 11 Black shine was its superior image stabilization — you can literally rotate the camera all the way around, and it will keep the horizon level. New shooting modes also let you capture star trails and try your hand at light painting, and GoPro's Quik app makes editing your videos a real pleasure.

Make sure to follow our Black Friday deals coverage for the best sales you can get right now. 

Our GoPro Hero11 Black vs. GoPro Hero11 Black Mini comparison is here to help you decide which action camera is best for you.

Yes, for the first time in a long while, GoPro has two action cameras on the market: The GoPro Hero11 Black, and the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini. While the Hero11 Black has the same design as last year’s GoPro Hero10 Black, the Hero11 Black Mini resurrects the smaller, squarer form of the GoPro Session, an action camera the company discontinued after 2016.

So which camera is best for you? We break down the specs and features of each, so you can better choose which of the best action cameras you should take on your next adventure.

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Price

If you don’t have a GoPro subscription, the Hero11 Black will cost $499 and the Hero11 Black Mini will cost $399. If you do have a subscription (which costs $50/year), the price for each model drops by $100.

The Hero11 Black is currently available, while the Hero11 Black Mini will go on sale October 25.

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Specs

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Design

The most obvious difference is that the Hero11 Black is larger and heavier than the Hero11 Black Mini. Also, there’s no rear display on the Mini, though there is a small readout next to the camera’s Record button. If you want to change any of the Mini’s settings, you’ll have to do it via the GoPro Quik app. 

Unlike the older Session, where the camera lens occupied the entire front of the camera, the Hero11’s camera only takes up a corner of the front. There’s also only one button on the Mini — a large Record button on the top (the Hero11 Black has a Power and a Record button). The Mini is designed to be in a sort of “ready” state — just press Record, and the camera will turn on and start taping. 

The Black Mini (2.1 x 2 x 1.5 inches) is the same height as the Black (2.8 x 2 x 1.3 inches) and slightly thicker, but it’s also narrower. The Mini is also lighter, at 4.7 ounces to the Black’s 5.4 ounces. That’s not much of a difference — the old Session cameras weighed in at around 2.6 ounces — but on your head, every little bit counts.

While smaller than the Black, the Mini is still a bit larger than the long-discontinued GoPro Session 5, which measured 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.4 inches. 

Cleverly, the Mini also has the GoPro mounting “fingers” on both the bottom and back, which should give you more options when attaching it to a helmet, or to some of the best GoPro accessories. However, because the Mini is newer, as of now there are no “Mods” available — the add-on cases from GoPro that give you a better microphone, for instance.

While we haven't had a chance to go hands-on with it yet, by the looks of the images, the rear of the Mini could get a bit toasty. It has fins, which would indicate that it's used as a heat sink, and there's a warning label that the back can get hot.

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Video and photo capabilities

Despite their differing sizes, both the Hero11 Black and Hero11 Black Mini have the same image sensor, a 27-megapixel 1/1.9-inch sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio, the largest to date on any GoPro camera. As such, both cameras can record video at 5.3K/60 fps, as well as 4K/120 fps and 2.7K/240 fps. 

However, only the Hero11 Black lets you manually adjust the exposure, and it alone has a burst photo and night photo mode. 

Because both cameras can also use GoPro’s Max Lens mod, which provides an even wider field of view. 

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Features

For the most part, the Hero11 Black and the Hero11 Black Mini have the same functions, but there are a few other things you get with the Black that you don’t get with the Mini.

For starters, the Mini lacks scheduled capture, so you can’t program it to turn on at a specified time. It’s a handy feature if you want to record star trails, but don’t want to stay up until 3 AM to turn the camera on. Similarly, only the Black has Duration capture and Hindsight mode, a useful feature if you think you missed something. 

The other big feature found on the Black that’s not on the Mini is webcam mode. As people started to work from home during the pandemic and webcams were in short supply, GoPro updated the firmware for its cameras so you can use a GoPro as a webcam. While webcam mode will be available for the Hero11 Black, it’s not available for the Mini.

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: Battery life

The Hero11 Black comes with a removable 1720mAh battery that the company says will get you up to 80 minutes of recording 5.3K/30 fps, and 137 minutes of 1080p recording time. 

By comparison (and necessity), the Mini has a smaller 1500 mAh battery that is nonremovable. GoPro says that you should expect about 10-15 percent less runtime than the Hero10 Black, so you should expect about an hour out of the Mini.

GoPro Hero11 Black vs. Hero11 Black Mini: What’s best for you?

While we have yet to test the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini, our own experiences for our GoPro Hero11 Black review would indicate that the Mini will perform equally well. So, whether you opt for the Mini or the Black will ultimately come down to how you plan to use the camera. 

Granted, the Hero11 Black Mini isn’t all that much lighter than the Hero11 Black — we’re talking a difference of 0.7 ounces — but its smaller size and dual mounting points should make it better suited for helmets. However, if your needs go beyond action shots — if, for example, you plan on shooting a lot of star trails — then the Hero11 Black is the best option. 

When your name is synonymous with the best action cameras, how do you maintain your status as the best action camera? GoPro has figured it out with the GoPro Hero11 Black, which combines a new image sensor with some innovative features to let you make the most of what you shoot.  

My GoPro Hero11 Black review took me through the skies above and along the waterways of New York, as I tested out its new 8:7 image sensor, improved motion stabilization, and new settings for things such as light painting and star trails. TL;DR — if you’re in the market for a new action camera, this is the one for you.

GoPro Hero11 Black review: Price and availability

The GoPro Hero11 Black is now on sale for $499 (AU$869.94). However, you can get it for $399 (AU$649.95) if you also sign up for a GoPro subscription ($50 (AU$69.99)/year).

A Hero11 Black Creator Edition will be available for $699 (AU$1,324.74) or $579 (AU$929.95) with GoPro Subscription. It includes the camera, the Media Mod (a case with an external microphone), the Light Mod, and the Volta tripod, which has on-handle camera controls and a 4,900 mAh battery that gives you an extra 4 hours of recording time. It’s one of the best GoPro accessories, especially if you plan on shooting video for a long time.

GoPro is also releasing the GoPro Hero11 Black Mini ($399/$299 with GoPro subscription) in October (Australian pricing TBD). Like the long-discontinued GoPro Session action camera, the Mini is a small cube that lacks a screen, though there is a small display on the top that shows battery life and recording time. The Mini, which is meant for those who want a smaller and lighter camera for, say, their helmet, has just a single button on top for starting and stopping recording. For more details, be sure to check out our GoPro Hero11 Black vs. GoPro Hero11 Black Mini comparison.

GoPro Hero11 Black review: Design

The Hero11 Black has the same design and appearance as the Hero10 Black and Hero9 Black, so all of the same accessories you bought for those cameras should work with this one. 

As with the previous model, the Hero11 has a display on both the front and back; the front display is great for composing selfie shots, while the rear touchscreen is spacious, and makes changing settings a cinch. 

GoPro also tweaked its on-screen interface, too: Now you can switch between Easy and Pro controls — the former gives you fewer choices but lets you get to shooting faster, while the latter lets you tweak every setting.

On the top of the camera is a record button, while the left side (if looking at the camera from the rear) has a power button. The Hero11 Black also has two fold-down “fingers” on the bottom that let you attach the camera to any standard GoPro mount without needing a separate case. 

The right side of the camera opens to reveal the battery compartment, SD card slot, and USB-C port. It’s a little annoying that you have to open the door to charge the camera, but GoPro sells a USB door for $19 (AU$29.95), which lets you charge the camera while keeping the door closed. 

GoPro Hero11 Black review: New features

The biggest change to the GoPro Hero11 is its 1/1.9-inch sensor, which is not only larger than the previous model, but has a 8:7 aspect ratio, which really allows for some neat things. When coupled with Hypersmooth 5.0, you get incredibly great image stabilization. 

In addition, the Hero11 also has 360-degree Horizon Lock — you can literally rotate the camera in a full circle, and have the image remain steady. And, thanks to the more square-shaped sensor, you can do so knowing that nothing will get cut off. The only other camera with a similar ability is a 360 camera, such as the Insta360 X3.

The other key benefit to this larger sensor is that it also gives you a lot more flexibility when editing video, and outputting it to the aspect ratio you want. The GoPro Quik app lets you choose from 16:9, 4:3, 8:7, 1:1, 7:8, 3:4, and 9:16.

While it wasn’t available while I was testing the camera, GoPro will be adding a feature that lets you change between digital lenses in the app, so you can adjust the field of view after the fact. 

GoPro Hero11 Black review: Performance

To test the Hero11 Black, GoPro took me and a few others on an open-door helicopter ride around Manhattan, as well as a speedboat ride up and down the East River. 

For the helicopter ride, I mostly filmed using the Hero11’s full-frame 8:7 setting, as the ride wasn’t all that bumpy, and I wanted to give myself the most options after the fact for editing. The full-frame offers you a wide field of view — while not as expansive as a 360 camera, it’s still plenty wide. 

For the speedboat ride, I used the 4k/30 fps setting. Despite the boat bouncing up and down as we flew over the wakes in the East River, the video I shot remained nice and smooth, as if the camera were on a table.

I further tested the Hero11 Black’s motion stabilization by strapping the camera to the back of my three-legged dog, and had him run around (he loves running, and it doesn’t hurt him). As with the Hero10 Black, I was astounded at how steady the resulting video looked. The camera was flopping around as much as my pup’s ears, yet you would never know it by looking at the finished product. 

GoPro added three new night-specific shooting modes to the Hero11: Light painting, Star Trails, and Vehicle light trails. While you could create each of these to a certain extent with earlier models, it was a much more cumbersome process. Now, it’s a simple matter of tapping a couple times on the screen.

Star Trails lets you capture the stars and other celestial objects as they move across the sky. Here, you can set how long you want the trails to be, how long you want the shutter to stay open for, and more. I like that you can also set the duration, as well as when you want the camera to start recording. That way, you can set it to record at 3 a.m., but not have to stay up that late.

Light painting is also a lot of fun, and lets you explore your inner Picasso. Like the other night modes, Light Painting opens the camera’s shutter for an extended duration. Then, using a light source — like a flashlight or lighter — you can trace objects and designs in the air, and it will show up as a single image. I was able to do some pretty neat things with a light-up hula hoop, as you can see in the video above.

GoPro Hero11 Black review: App

GoPro’s Quik app is the second part of what makes the Hero11 one of the best action cameras. 

In addition to letting you manually edit videos, the Quik app has a number of theme-based editing templates, which automatically create highlight videos from your recordings. It works by analyzing your video, then cuts it into a highlight reel, complete with a soundtrack.

It works really well; in mere minutes, I had created a pretty whiz-bang video from some of the chopper footage I shot.

Annoyingly, you have to download videos to your phone to edit them — whereas the Insta360 X3 lets you edit files while they’re still on-camera. If you have a GoPro subscription, you’ll soon be able to edit videos stored in the cloud, though you’ll be limited to files smaller than 4GB.

When it comes to manual edits, you can speed up or slow down specific segments, add filters, and change exposure, contrast, and more. The one thing I wish it could do was lock on a subject, as with the Insta360 X3, but it’s a bit trickier to do if you don’t have a 360 lens. An auto-highlight feature is also being added, but was not available while I was testing the camera.

GoPro subscription

If you have a GoPro subscription ($49.99 (AU$ 69.99)/year), you can enable another helpful feature in the Hero11 Black. When the camera is plugged in and connected to a Wi-Fi network, it will automatically upload all of the files on the camera to your GoPro account, saving you the trouble of having to do this manually.

A GoPro subscription gives you unlimited storage of full-resolution photos and videos taken with your GoPro. In addition, you get advanced editing tools (such as the aforementioned ability to speed up and slow down segments of your video, filters and music), live streaming, discounts on GoPro gear, and a no-questions-asked replacement if your GoPro camera gets damaged or goes missing.

GoPro Hero11 Black review: Battery life

When GoPro launched the Hero10, it also released a new optional Enduro battery, which offered roughly 40 percent more endurance, faster charging, and the ability to work in temperatures as low as 14 degrees F. 

Good news for Hero11 Black buyers: That battery now comes as standard. According to GoPro, you should be able to record for up to 80 minutes when the camera is set to 5.3K/30 fps, and up to 137 minutes when recording at 1080p/30 fps.

GoPro Hero11 Black review: Verdict

While it’s not quite as expansive as a 360 camera, the GoPro Hero11 Black’s larger 8:7 image sensor lets you capture more of what you see, and, thanks to some clever editing tools in the GoPro Quik app, you have a lot more options around what to do with your footage afterwards.

Undoubtedly, the GoPro11 Black is the best action camera overall (and, not surprisingly, the best GoPro). However, those of you who plan to use an action camera mounted to a helmet may prefer the upcoming GoPro Hero11 Mini, which has the same sensor as the standard model, but which is smaller and lighter. The biggest tradeoff is that there’s no display, so you just turn the camera on, and edit things later. 

Those looking for an even more immersive view should check out the Insta360 X3, which has a 1/2-inch image sensor and an equally impressive number of editing features. 

As someone who has been using action cameras for more than a decade, the GoPro Hero11 Black is the best I’ve ever used. At least until the GoPro Hero12 comes out.

Next: Here is our detailed comparison between the GoPro Hero11 Black vs GoPro Hero11 Black Mini.

A security flaw discovered seven months ago in one of the best 360 cameras could allow anyone to access and download photos and videos captured by an Insta 360 camera.

As reported by Cybernews, a Reddit user made a post on the Insta 360 subreddit back in January of this year in which they revealed they had discovered a serious vulnerability in the Insta360 One X2 camera.

Apparently, when the camera is on, “it’s always broadcasting a 5G Wi-Fi signal that is named ‘One X2 XXXXXX.OSC’ where the X marks the last characters of your camera’s serial number”. This makes it possible for users to connect to their Insta360 cameras over Wi-Fi but the flaw allows anyone else to do so as well.

At the same time, the eight symbol password which consists of a single number is the same for every device and as a result of firmware limitations, users aren’t able to change their passwords.

An easy way to infect users with malware

The Reddit user also discovered that by following a simple URL with an IP address of the camera that they could access and download photos and videos right from a browser.

This makes it possible to gain root access to the camera over Wi-Fi. From here, an attacker with basic tools could put malware on the camera’s SD card which could then be easily transferred to their computer when they plug it in.

Unlike other malware infections, users might not even be aware that their devices had become infected as they hadn’t visited any suspicious sites or downloaded any malicious content onto their devices.

Still unpatched

Even though this flaw was discovered seven months ago, Insta360 has yet to release a fix despite the fact that the Shenzen-based company is likely aware of the issue.

In the Reddit post, another user pointed out how an attacker could easily target Insta360 owners using just a laptop running a python script.

In an email to Tom's Guide, a company spokesperson for Insta360 explained that the company has been working on updating the firmware for its devices as well as its app for the past few months. 

Once these changes are finalized, users will be able to choose their own password for additional security and it will no longer be possible to access content from an Insta360 camera through a web browser. We don't have a set date as to when these changes will be rolling out but hopefully, they'll arrive soon.

How to stay safe until a fix is released

Until this issue is fixed once and for all, it might be best to leave your Insta360 camera at home while traveling.

While you can still use it around your house, an attacker could pull off a ‘drive-by attack’ and infect your camera with malware.

If you’re really concerned about falling victim to a potential attack, letting your device run out of battery or removing the battery altogether and storing it in a closet may be the safest thing you can do until a fix is released. 

GoPro cams are the gold standard when it comes to action cams. However, these popular cameras can be pricey. So we're rounding up the best cheap GoPro sales you can get right now. 

Currently, our favorite GoPro sale is coming direct from GoPro, including a deal on the Editor's Choice GoPro Hero10 Black. The manufacturer is taking up to $200 off select GoPro cams. For instance, you can get the GoPro HERO10 for $349. That's the best price we've seen for this model. So before you head off on your next outdoor adventure, here are the best cheap GoPro sales you can get right now. (Wondering which camera to pick? Make sure to check out our guide to the best action cameras).

Best cheap GoPro sales right now

The GoPro Hero10 is by far the best action camera around. It takes impressive footage, has incredible image stabilization, and is a cinch to use. However, there's one issue I have with the camera. The Hero10 Black is 5.3 ounces — actually 0.3 ounces lighter than the Hero9 Black — but its weight is still very noticeable when the camera is mounted to your helmet. 

DJI's new action cam, the DJI Action 2, not only has an innovative modular design, but it weighs just under 2 ounces, making it much more portable. Read on for how DJI is attempting to differentiate its action camera from the industry leader.

• These are the best action cameras around
• Take a look at our best 360 cameras list

DJI Action 2: Price and availability

The DJI Action 2 is available for preorder in two bundles, and will ship by the end of November.

DJI Action 2 Power combo ($399): Includes the camera, a power module, magnetic lanyard, and magnetic adapter mount.

DJI Action 2 Dual screen combo ($519): Includes the camera, front touchscreen module, magnetic lanyard, magnetic ball-joint adapter mount, and magnetic adapter mount.

DJI Action 2: Design and modules

In some ways, the DJI Action 2 shares the same design philosophy as the Insta360 One R, an action camera that pioneered a modular design. Like the One R, the Action 2 has a main camera body, to which you can attach modules to increase its functionality. 

At launch, there will be two modules available:

Power Module ($75): Basically a large battery with a microSD card slot. When attached, it can extend the runtime of the Action 2 to up to 180 minutes. 

Front Touchscreen Module ($169): This module has a OLED front screen, a microSD card slot, and three microphones; similar to the front-facing display on the original DJI Osmo Action and on the GoPro Hero10, it lets you better frame your shots if you're vlogging or taking selfies. The battery in this module also extends the camera's battery life to 160 minutes.

While similar in concept to the Insta360 One R, the DJI Action 2's modules are hot-swappable, so you don't have to shut down the camera if you want to switch something out. However, the Insta360 One R has more choices when it comes to the camera itself, letting you choose from three options, including a 1-inch sensor and a 360 camera. 

DJI Action 2: Specs

The main module of the DJI Action 2 measures 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.9 inches and weighs 1.97 ounces. It has a 1/1.7-inch CMOS camera on the front, and a 1.76-inch OLED touchscreen on the back. The camera has 32GB of built-in storage.

The camera itself has a 155-degree field of view and a max aperture of f/2.8. It can take still photos up to 12MP in size, and videos at a max resolution of 4K at 60 fps. It's also capable of recording 2.7K at 120 fps, and 1080p video at 240 fps. 

Those specs are lower than the Hero10 Black, which has a 23MP camera, and can record 4K at 120 fps, and 2.7K at 240 fps.

As with most action cams these days, the DJI Action 2 has built-in image stabilization (here called RockSteady 2.0), as well as HorizonSteady, which can keep the horizon level even if the camera twists and turns. 

The DJI Action 2 is water-resistant to 10 meters without a waterproof case; that's roughly the same as the GoPro Hero10.

DJI Action 2: Battery life

DJI says that the camera module alone will provide up to 70 minutes of battery life, though we've seen with other action cameras that when you use motion stabilization and increase the resolution, you often get less. 

When paired with the front touchscreen model, the company says battery life should increase to 160 minutes, and the power module should extend battery life to 180 minutes. The fact that the modules are hot-swappable also means that you could potentially have a number of battery packs and extend the endurance even further, though DJI hasn't said what happens if you're recording a video to the microSD card and detach a module.

DJI Action 2: Outlook

I think DJI realized after it released the Osmo Action that it couldn't compete head to head with GoPro; instead, it came up with an action camera that addresses the few weaknesses that the Hero10 has. 

In some ways, the DJI Action 2 is like GoPro's now-discontinued Session camera, whose small and square design made it more compact than the company's rectangular action cameras.

We hope to get our hands on the DJI Action 2 soon, so stay tuned to see how it compares with the best action cameras. 

Influencers, rejoice! Instagram and TikTok stars who want to put themselves in the center of the frame will find a lot to like with the front-facing display on the GoPro Hero 9. 

But GoPro’s latest action camera isn’t just about appeasing narcissistic millennials; it comes with a higher-resolution sensor and a suite of new features to capture smoother, sharper, and more vivid videos. 

The Hero9 also has better battery life than its predecessor, too, which makes it the best action camera around, one of the best cameras for vlogging and also, obviously, the best GoPro Camera.  

Editor's Note (Sept. 2021): GoPro has released the GoPro Hero10 Black, which has improved image stabilization, a larger 23MP image sensor, and can record video at 5.3K/60 fps. You can read our full GoPro Hero10 Black review here.

GoPro Hero9 Black: Price and availability

The GoPro Hero9 Black was first available for purchase in September 2020 for $449, or $349 with the purchase of a one-year subscription to GoPro Plus ($4.99/month), which gets you unlimited cloud storage for all your GoPro photos and video, free replacement if your camera gets damaged, and 50 percent off accessories. 

GoPro is also offering a Hero9 Black bundle for $499 (or $399 with a GoPro Plus subscription). The bundle includes the camera, a new floating grip, a magnetic swivel clip, an extra battery, and a microSD card.

The Hero8 Black is still available at a reduced price, while the Hero7 Black is now the company’s entry-level model.

GoPro Hero9 Black: Design

DJI’s Osmo Action was the first action cam to recognize the importance of a front-facing display, so that influencers could more easily frame themselves in photos and videos.

The GoPro Hero9 has followed suit with a front-facing screen of its own. At 1.4 inches, the Hero9’s color screen is the same size as that on the Osmo Action, and helped when I tried to take a photo or video of myself.  

With the Hero8, GoPro’s action camera underwent a significant design change, which has been refined a bit with the Hero9. Like the GoPro Hero8 and the GoPro Hero Max, the Hero9 has foldable “fingers” on the bottom that let you more easily attach it to various mounts and accessories.

GoPro also made the side door on the Hero9 much more secure; with the Hero8, it was prone to flying off when unlatched. Open this door, and you can swap out the battery and access the Hero9’s USB-C charging port, as well as the camera’s microSD card slot. 

Another improvement from the previous generation makes the Hero9’s lens cover is removable, which means that you’ll be able to attach third-party filters and the like when they’re available. GoPro itself has the Max Lens Mod, which will provide a 155-degree field of view, and will let you lock the horizon, so you can rotate the camera 360 degrees horizontally, and still get smooth, level video. We're currently evaluating it, and will update this review accordingly.

The Hero9 Black is a substantial camera. Measuring 2.75 x 1.9 x 1.6 inches, it’s both longer and thicker than the Hero8, mostly due to the larger, protruding lens. It’s much larger than the Osmo Action (2.6 x 1.45 x 1.25 inches).

At 5.6 ounces (with battery), it’s much heavier than the Osmo Action and the Hero8 Black, both of which weigh 4.4 ounces. In fact, the Hero9 is even heavier than the GoPro Hero Max, the company’s 360 action camera. 

Like previous models, the Hero9 Black is waterproof to 33 feet.

One other pleasant change is that the Hero9 Black comes in plastic-free packaging. Instead, the camera will come in a little travel case, which is much more practical. 

GoPro Hero9 Black: Video Performance

The biggest change between the Hero9 and the Hero8 is the larger 23.6MP sensor on the newer model, which lets you capture video at resolutions up to 5K/30 fps, versus just 4K/60 fps on the Hero8.

I took the Hero9 Black on a little end-of-the summer vacation to Cape Cod, and attached the camera to the front of my bike for a few treks to the beach.

The camera did a good job at capturing the bright yellows and pinks of my daughter’s dress as she bounded through a verdant forest. It was a bit overexposed, though, which caused the yellows to be a bit washed out.

The Hero9 also picked up the shimmering plumage from a flock of wild turkeys that happened along our path.

The Hero9’s three microphones did an excellent job at reducing wind noise. While definitely noticeable on a particularly windy beach, the camera was able to cut the sound to manageable levels, while still keeping my voice audible.

In less trying situations—such as when I biked down a hill—I could hear myself and my daughter very clearly. 

GoPro Hero9 Black: Photos

Another upgrade between the Hero9 and the Hero8 is the size of the still images you can capture. On the Hero9, you can take 20MP images, 8MP larger than the Hero8. If you’re recording video at 5K, you can use the Hero9 to grab 14.7MP still frames.

You can also choose between fields of view so you can take either a narrow, medium, or wide shot; the latter is so expansive that it’s nearly a fisheye view, and will warp objects in the foreground. 

GoPro Hero9 Black: Features

When I first started testing action cameras, I had to contend with jumpy video if I ran, rode, or skied over bumpy terrain. Now in its third iteration, GoPro’s video stabilization is some of the best you’ll find at evening things out. Hypersmooth 3.0, as the feature is called, is even more refined than in older GoPros. Even though it eats into battery life, Hypersmooth is worth turning this feature on if you’re planning on using the GoPro for any sort of activity with motion.

Timewarp 3.0 is the latest version of a feature that combines time-lapse video with GoPro’s motion stabilization, so rather than looking jagged, time-lapse videos are smoothed out. New for Timewarp 3.0 is Enhanced Speed Ramp, which lets you slow down the video to regular speed if you happen to see something interesting you want to examine in more detail. Timewarp 3.0 can also be set to automatically change capture speed. 

A new feature in the Hero9 helps you capture events that you’d otherwise miss. Hindsight will capture and save up to 30 seconds of video before the shutter button is pressed. 

Scheduled Capture will be a boon for those who don’t want to wake up before the crack of dawn to record a sunrise. Using this feature, you can program the GoPro to turn on and start recording automatically, up to 24 hours in advance. You can use it in conjunction with Duration Capture to specify the length of the video you’d like to record. 

GoPro Hero9 Black: Livestreaming and Webcam

As many consumers have tried without success to buy webcams for their home office setups, camera makers have been releasing software to let you use their devices as ad hoc webcams. GoPro released a firmware update that lets you use the Hero8 Black as a webcam, and the Hero9 Black can also be used in a similar fashion. You can stream in either 720p or 1080p. Here’s how to use your GoPro as a webcam. 

Additionally, you can livestream from the Hero9 to various services such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook in resolutions up to 1080p with Hypersmooth enabled. 

GoPro Hero9 Black: Battery Life

The Hero9’s 1720mAh battery is rated to last up to 30% longer than previous GoPro models (roughly 1 hour and 41 minutes versus 1 hour and 15 minutes); in practice, I found it lasted for a little more than an hour when shooting videos, in both regular and time-lapse modes. Because the battery is physically larger than the one with previous models, you can’t swap in your old GoPro batteries.

GoPro Hero9 Black: Verdict

There are many imitators, but no one has yet come close to knocking GoPro off its perch as the best action camera, and that continues with the GoPro Hero9. While it's large, it's very easy to use, and even though GoPro didn’t invent the front-facing screen, I have a feeling every GoPro knock-off is going to sport this feature from now on.

More than that, though, it’s the GoPro’s image quality, coupled with its comprehensive features, that make the Hero9 one of the best action cameras around. However, all these new features, plus a larger battery also make the Hero9 one of the heaviest action cameras around. Given all it can do, though, I imagine many will accept that compromise.

One thing that's been in short supply during the pandemic are webcams; as people have rushed to set up home offices, they've cleared the shelves of the best webcams, a necessary tool for communicating with coworkers and colleagues via Zoom, Skype, and other video chat apps. 

Fortunately, there are myriad ways to use both your smartphone and your camera as a webcam (you can even use the Wyze home security camera), and now, there's yet another option: GoPro released a utility that lets you use a GoPro—one of our top picks for the best action cameras and the best GoPro Cameras — as a webcam. Here's how to set it up.

Initially, the software only worked if your GoPro was connected to a Mac, but the company has released beta software that works with Windows PCs. However, the software (for both Macs and PCs) will only work with the GoPro Hero10 Black, the GoPro Hero9 Black and the GoPro Hero8 Black. 

What you'll need to use your GoPro as a webcam

• GoPro Hero10 Black, Hero9 Black, or Hero8 Black 
• MicroSD card, microSD card reader 
• USB 3.0 cable 
• Mac/Windows laptop or desktop

Don't have a GoPro? You can also use a smartphone or a camera as a webcam. Here are our guides for both.

• How to use your phone as a webcam
• How to use your camera as a webcam

How to use your GoPro as a webcam (Mac)

1. Update your GoPro's firmware via the GoPro app (you can also do this manually)

1. Download and install the GoPro Webcam beta utility on your Mac. If it installed correctly, you should see a small GoPro icon in the status bar at the top of your screen.

2. Turn on the GoPro, and connect it to your Mac via USB. GoPro says that a USB 3.0 port will provide enough power to the GoPro.

3. If the connection is successful, you should see a small green dot on top of the GoPro icon in the status bar.

4. Click on the icon, and select Show Preview to properly align the GoPro. We also suggest investing in one of the best iPhone tripods to ensure your GoPro remains stable on your desk. You might also want to check out the best GoPro accessories for filters, clamps, and other add-ons to enhance your chat.

5. Adjust the resolution of your GoPro. If you have bandwidth issues, you can switch between 1080p (default) and 720p in the Preferences menu. At the moment, though, you can't adjust the field of view, which is pretty wide.

How to use your GoPro as a webcam (PC)

1. Update your GoPro's firmware via the GoPro app (you can also do this manually)

2. Join the Facebook group called GoPro Webcam Beta (A Facebook account required)

3. Download the GoPro Webcam desktop utility and install the software on your computer.

4. Turn on the GoPro, and connect it to your PC via USB. 

Video chat apps that work with the GoPro

GoPro says that its Webcam utility should work with the following programs, many of which are on our list of the best video chat apps.

• Zoom (v 5.0.5 and newer) and Zoom Chrome Extension
• YouTube Live (Using Chrome)
• Webex (Using Chrome)
• Google Meet
• Microsoft Teams
• Skype
• Twitch via OBS
• BlueJeans
• GoTo Meeting
• Snap Camera
• Facebook Rooms

New to Zoom? Check out our guides to one of the most popular video chat services.

• How to use Zoom
• Best free Zoom backgrounds
• How to change your Zoom background
• How to host the ultimate Zoom Happy Hour
• How to stand out and look your best on video calls

For the past decade, companies have been trying to dethrone GoPro as the best action camera. While there are lots of copycat brands on the market, the modular Insta360 One R, which combines elements of an action camera with a 360 camera, is a legitimate challenger. This modular action camera lets you switch between a wide angle 4K camera, a camera with a 1-inch sensor, and a 360-degree camera, providing a lot more versatility than your standard GoPro.  

In this Insta360 review, we’ll take a look under the hood and see how the Insta360 One R performs as one of the best 360 cameras, as an action camera and as a mix of both of them. 

Insta360 One R: Price and availability

Insta360 offers a variety of configurations with one, two or all three lenses in the bundle; you can also create a custom lens and accessory package offering on its website. 

If you want the Insta360 One R with just the standard 4K lens, it’ll cost $254. The Insta360 One R with just the 360-degree module is $365. 

The Insta360 One R Twin edition, which includes the 4K lens and the 360-degree module and a microSD card, retails for $415. 

A configuration with just the 1-inch Leica module costs $467.

Alternatively, you can purchase the Ultimate edition that combines the 360-module with the 1-inch edition along with the invisible selfie stick and dual batteries for $645. 

When purchasing the lenses separately, the 4K lens adds $99, while the 360 lens adds $199 and the 1-inch lens adds $299. 

Insta360 One R: Design

The Insta360 One R offers a unique modular design comprising three parts that make up the camera: The lens, the Core module, and the battery. 

The “Core” module not only features the brains of the camera but also a 1.5-inch reversible screen, which can be mounted facing either front or back, which lets the user to see themself while standing in front of the lens or watch the screen while filming their subject.

Insta360 offers three lens modules: A 4K wide angle module with an f/2.8 aperture and 16.4mm equivalent focal length, a 360-camera module, and a 1-inch sensor based lens, co-developed with famed lens manufacturer Leica. The latter offers a f/3.2 aperture with 14.4mm focal length equivalent. It is the largest and heaviest of the three lenses, weighing 37g more than the standard 4K lens and ~28g more than the 360 lens.

The 1190mAh battery extends the width of the camera. The portion of the battery that can’t be seen when the other modules are connected include various clips and contacts that attach the other two modules to the power source. 

After spending some time using the Insta360 One R, I found it relatively easy to disassemble and reconfigure the camera, turning a lens around or replacing one option with another. 

To mount the Insta360 One R to an accessory requires the use of a frame similar to older generations of GoPros. While it does provide security to hold the individual modules together, it also requires taking it off every time you want to change or re-orient the lens. 

The Insta360 One R has an IPX8 waterproof rating, which means you can take it swimming. However, the company recommends using a housing to help hold everything together, since everything could come apart and that would be bad, especially while underwater.

Insta360 One R: Interface

Due to its modular design and 360 capability, it’s hard to make a direct comparison to GoPro as it obviously adds an entirely new set of features and abilities. 

While I actually applaud the company for rethinking the category and adding some innovation, the more I used it, the more I missed GoPro’s interface from a usability standpoint. 

One of my biggest complaints is that the 1.5-inch screen is too small. This is a similar issue that I had when trying the Sony RX0 II; I had trouble navigating menus, selecting options, and changing settings. The GoPro’s larger 2-inch display makes things not only easier to see, but allows for words and phrases to be used in menus while the Insta360 One R needs to rely on unlabeled icons. 

Insta360 One R: Video performance

To test the Insta360 One R, I walked and ran down the beach in Fort Lauderdale, FL at sunset, and held the camera out the window of a car while driving. For both these tests, I used the extendable Insta360 Invisible Selfie Stick, a $20 accessory on the company’s website.

Using the standard lens, I was pleased to see that the sky remained an accurately graded shade of blue as the sun dipped behind the horizon and nothing seemed oversaturated from signs alongside the road to cars and bicyclists riding past. As the sun went down, the camera did a good job to prevent the image from breaking up with graininess.

With the 1-inch Leica lens module, the image remained very sharp and color was accurate while at the beach, even as the sun began to set. Because of the size of the sensor, it allows more light than that of the GoPro Hero 8, which results in slightly better performance in low light situations.  

Performance with the 360 lens module was also very good, with accurate colors. As with any 360 camera, there’s a bit of a learning curve, and you’ll need to install the company’s software in order to decode the 360 footage.

Most of the clips looked good, except for an odd seam and color gradation that was taking place where the camera was stitching the image from the front and rear cameras together. When I played it back, I smiled and then quickly moved on.

I was also quite impressed with the Insta360 One R’s image stabilization, which the company calls FlowState Stabilization. Its performance matches the GoPro Hero 8 Black, which has the best stabilization I’ve seen in an action camera. While running down the beach, no matter how much I bounced up and down, the horizon stayed level the entire time. 

Insta360 One R: App 

Insta360’s app (Android, iOS) allows you to change settings of most aspects of the camera such as resolution, frame rate and mode, etc, while filming. The app allows editing of footage and uses some cool artificial intelligence (A.I.) to help beginners create exciting stories that can be shared with friends and family via social media apps. 

Overall, I like the functionality of the app, though upon opening it, you are presented with a showcase of other people’s work using the Insta360 One R. While it’s nice to see what can be done with this tool, it also comes across a little busy. I would like to see an option in a future update that allows users to choose which screen the app opens up to. 

It was relatively easy to trim the beginning or end of the clip before downloading it locally to my phone, however ideally, you should download it first before making any edits. While connected to the camera, you will be using the camera’s Wi-Fi which does not allow pass-through to the Internet, so while using this, a few apps on my phone were continually popping up notifications that they were offline. To minimize this, download footage to the local app while connected to the camera, then disconnect from the camera and reconnect to a cellular or traditional Wi-Fi network. 

I did experience a few errors. At one point, the app froze while downloading 360-degree videos. I restarted the app on my phone, power cycled the camera and while the app showed it was resuming downloading those three files, nothing was actually being downloaded. 

Once downloaded, the app analyzed the footage before any major editing took place. For a 2-minute, 34-second clip, it took roughly 6-7 minutes and caused my phone to get quite warm. I analyzed a 1:59 video on the iPhone X and it took just over 5 minutes. This is where your phone’s processor will certainly be tested, especially if using a lower tier or mid-tier phone. 

There are also several cute “tricks” that you can perform with the Insta360 One R. Simply watch the tutorial video on each one in the app and then record your footage as instructed. Once you have downloaded the clips from the camera to your phone, you can simply select which trick you want to edit, select the clip and then smile once it's finished – that is after it finishes analyzing each clip. 

If you have local music stored on your phone, you can add music directly to the clip or use one of the limited selections of royalty free music in the app. 

Insta360 One R review: Verdict

Insta360 did something innovative with the modular platform, allowing you to choose one of three different lenses and their orientation. And, the company really nailed image stabilization that kept my footage steady, no matter how much I jarred it up and down while running down the beach. 

The app also offers some fun effects that can be done with the app to add another layer to the traditional action camera by using the 360-degree lens. The biggest issue for me, however, is still the usability and functionality of a 1-inch screen and icon-based menus. At around $400 for a two-lens bundle, it’s more expensive than the GoPro Hero 9, but does add another element to creation which would require an entirely separate camera.  

While I personally prefer GoPro’s user interface (and the GoPro Hero9 adds a front-facing color screen), the modularity of the Insta360 One R makes it the most versatile camera platform around.

Be sure to check out all of our camera picks:

Best DSLR cameras | Best action cameras | Best waterproof cameras | Best point-and-shoot cameras | Best instant cameras | Best mirrorless cameras | Best cheap cameras | Best GoPro camera | Best GoPro accessories | Best drones | Best iPhone lenses | Best iPhone tripods |DSLR vs. mirrorless | Best Nikon accessories | Best Sony a6000 accessories

The best apps and software for editing, managing, and sharing your photos:
Best photo organizer apps | Best photo storage sites | Best photo editing software | Best photo editing apps | Best photo collage apps

The best Cyber Monday camera deals of 2020 are here, and you can save on major camera brands such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic when you shop right now. Whether you're looking for a new GoPro to capture memories wherever you go, or a DSLR or mirrorless camera for high-quality photography, we've found the best deals for you right here.

Cyber Monday deals always deliver on some of our favorite brands and 2020 is no exception. Among this year's best Cyber Monday camera deals you can find a Canon EOS Rebel T7 at $499 with a $100 discount, and the Nikon D3500 at $596, with $250 off right now. These are great beginner cameras, with the potential to expand into new lens options as you practice. 

We've also found a few deals on camera lenses in this year's best Cyber Monday camera deals, but these deals are selling out fast, so act now if you find one in stock. For the best camera deals this Cyber Monday, keep reading. 

Best Cyber Monday camera deals right now

• Canon EOS Rebel T7 (w/two lenses): was $599, now $499 @ Best Buy
• Sony a7R II body w/flash: was $1,798, now $1,198 @ Adorama
• Fujifilm X-T200 kit: was $799, now $499 @ B&H on 2-4 week backorder
• Panasonic Lumix FZ300: was $597, now $397 @ B&H
• Nikon Z 50 w/two lenses: was $1,349, now $1,099 @ Best Buy

Cyber Monday camera deals

Canon Cyber Monday deals

Nikon Cyber Monday deals

Sony Cyber Monday deals

Olympus Cyber Monday deals

Fujifilm Cyber Monday camera deals

Panasonic Cyber Monday deals

Instant camera Cyber Monday deals

GoPro Cyber Monday Deals

iPhone lens Cyber Monday deals

Camera accessories

For more deals from Canon, take a look at our Canon promo codes.

For the past week or so, my daughter has been taking her first tentative steps towards walking, wobbling on her two feet for a few seconds before plopping back down on the ground. And by the time I get my phone out to film her, she’s back on her behind. Insta360’s newest camera, the Insta360 Go ($199), is meant for those fleeting moments.

MORE: Best Action Cameras

This tiny camera is meant to be worn on your clothing, ready to record whenever you see one of those spontaneous events. But while the Go works well, I’m not ready to wear a camera all the time. And I’m not sure I should.

Insta360 Go design

The Insta360 Go is a small, thumb-sized camera that’s intended to let you easily capture spontaneous moments. The all-white Go weighs a mere 0.65 ounces, and at 1.9 x 0.8 x 0.58 inches, can easily disappear into your pocket. The device has an IPX4 rating, so it can survive water splashes and super-brief dunks, but I wouldn’t press my luck.

The Insta360 Go comes with several accessories: a charging case, several clips for attaching the camera to your person or a tripod, and a magnetic pendant you wear around your neck; slip this under your shirt, and you can secure the Go to the middle of your chest. 

The charging case, which is about the size of an Apple AirPods case, not only provides extra juice, but also a way to connect the camera to your phone (Android or iOS) and view your videos on the Insta360 app. 

Confusing controls

While the camera is off, pressing its button once will record a 30-second video. Turn the camera on with a longer press, and you can access other recording features: Pressing the button once takes a still photo; press the button twice, and the Go will take a hyperlapse video; with three presses, the Go takes a 15-second slo-mo video.

The camera responds to each of these commands with a short vibration (letting you know that recording has started), followed by a long vibration when recording stops. A small light on the front of the camera blinks to let you – and others – know that it’s recording. 

Have you got all that? Even after a few days of using the camera, I still had trouble remembering what each button press did. The Go was filled with short 1- and 2-second videos of nothing but me staring at the camera, wondering if it was recording. 

Complicating things further is that the Insta360’s Go’s button is on its back, so you have to take it off of the pendant or out of its case to press it. Company reps said that because the button protrudes slightly, if the camera is attached to something solid (like the metal pendant), pressing on the front of the camera will cause the button to depress. In practice, I couldn’t get this to work reliably. 

You can also remap all of the button presses, which is handy if you like to use one recording function more than others. 

Insta360 Go motion stabilization

Similar to its 360-degree cameras, the Insta360 Go has six-axis motion stabilization, helping ensure that your videos are smooth. The camera does this digitally, by recording a 180-degree field of view at a resolution of 2720 x 2720 (or 3040 x 3040 for timelapse video), it exports video at a resolution of 1080p.

It’s a feature that works well on Insta360’s other cameras, and does a good job here too, but it’s largely wasted. The only time you’d really notice a lot of shakiness is with standard videos.

Hyperlapse Videos

Of all the camera’s recording modes, Hyperlapse, which creates a video at 6x normal speed, is the Go’s most useful feature.

I took several hyperlapse videos of my commute to and from work, and found that the Go did a good job of capturing colors, as well as adjusting for varying lighting conditions. 

Slo-Mo

Slo-mo Videos are recorded at a resolution of 1600 x 900, and shot at 100 frames per second; finished videos, which are exported at the same resolution, but sped up to 30 fps, are 15 seconds in length. 

Standard video

An action camera this isn’t. The maximum length of standard video recordings is a paltry 30 seconds, so this is perhaps the Insta360 Go’s least useful feature. From the time I pressed the button, the camera started recording in two seconds. If you’re trying to capture a spontaneous moment, you may miss it. 

Still photos

This is probably the Insta360 Go’s weakest area. Although its lens has an f/2.1 aperture, the Go struggled to take good photos in low light.

An image of several college banners looked dim, fuzzy and out of focus, as if someone smeared Vaseline across the lens.

If the subject moved at all — such as a curious child might —the images ended up blurry. Plus, if I held the camera in my hand, I often found that part of my index finger appeared in the bottom of the frame. 

Insta360 Go app

One of the best things about Insta360’s camera has been the editing tools in its smartphone app, and that continues with the Go.

Once you download a video to your smartphone, you can adjust its speed (2x, 4x, 6x, 8x and 16x), apply filters, adjust lighting, contrast and more, and add a soundtrack. 

Battery Life

Insta360 estimates that the Go’s battery will last for up to 200 clips a day if each clip averages 20 seconds in length. That’s about 67 minutes total, which isn’t bad for a camera this small. The case itself holds enough juice to recharge the Go 2.5 times. 

Bottom line

The Insta360 Go is the latest in an odd subgenre of cameras that includes the Snapchat Spectacles 2, Roader, and Google Clips. They’re meant to always be there, waiting to capture a video or photo faster than you could with your smartphone. The Insta360 Go does some things well — hyperlapse videos, for instance — but I wish it could record standard videos for longer than 30 seconds. 

However, a camera this size also brings up privacy concerns. Even though it’s all white, and an LED flashes on its front while you’re filming, it’s inconspicuous enough to be used by someone to record others without their knowledge. 

Those issues aside, I can’t see myself wearing it every day in the hopes that I’ll be able to capture something I’d otherwise miss. Even if I did, I’d still be fumbling with the camera’s controls as my daughter walks on by.

With the introduction of its second gen RX0 II action camera, Sony wants to convince action sports enthusiasts that paying nearly double the price of others from GoPro, DJI and YI is worth it. With a unique crushproof metal design, flip-out screen and great color reproduction, Sony hopes that consumers will overlook the RX0 II's lack of a larger touch screen and user-friendly interface — as well as its $700 price. But in the end, you can get better performance from cameras that cost half as much.

Design

The first thing you will notice about the Sony RX0 II is that its build quality stands on a pedestal of its own compared to pretty much every other action camera out there. While GoPro, Yi, SJCam and even the new DJI Osmo Action camera have a plastic housing, the Sony RX0 IIs  is a hefty, durable, solid metal. Sony claims the camera is good down to 10 meters (33 feet) with an IPX8 waterproof rating, shockproof up to 6.5 feet and unlike any of these other cameras, is even crushproof up to 440 lbs./feet, according to Sony's testing.

Measuring 2.4 x 1.6 x 1.3 inches, the RX0 II is almost identical to the GoPro Hero 7 (2.45 x 1.8 x 1.3 inches), but unlike the GoPro's design, the RX0 II's Zeiss lens remains behind a flush plastic casing rather than one that protrudes from its body. This makes the Sony camera look a bit more blocky than the GoPro.  

The top of the camera features a slightly recessed power button and a similarly recessed shutter button, which are used for capturing both photos and videos.

The rear of the camera takes a departure from GoPro's simplified 2-inch touch-screen design by offering a smaller 1.5-inch non-touch LCD screen with six small buttons spread along the bottom and right sides that control the various functions and settings.

The biggest notable feature of the RX0's screen is that it can be flipped 180 degrees for selfies and vlogging or angled so the operator can see the screen while holding the camera either at a low angle close to the ground or overhead while trying to capture a concert, for instance.

To the left of the screen is a removable, weather-sealed door that hides the microSD card slot, a micro HDMI and microUSB ports for connecting to a TV and charging the camera, respectively, as well as a 3.5mm jack for attaching an external microphone. While I appreciate the flexibility of this design, I do wish Sony had moved the door to the side of the camera and made the screen larger.

A second, spring-loaded door on the right side protects the removable 700 mAh lithium-ion battery.

Similar to the Yi 4K+, the RX0 II includes a standard tripod thread mount on the bottom.

Cumbersome Interface

After using the Sony RX0 II for about two weeks, I got used to the button-centric user interface, but I never felt quite as comfortable as when I was using the GoPro's simple, touch-screen interface.

As the RX0 II does not have a touch screen, it is insusceptible to accidental inputs if the screen or your finger is wet. However, Sony's interface is cumbersome, filled with almost 30 pages of menus. Even choosing a video resolution was a pain. Rather than showing menu items that clearly state 4K, 2K, 1080p, 720p, etc., the resolution and frame rate are listed as 60p 50M, 30p 50M, 60p 25M, 30p 16M, etc. And, you can’t switch to 4K unless you change the movie-recording format from XAVC S HD to XAVC S 4K.  

For a professional photographer or videographer who wants to tweak every possible setting, the Sony RX0 II will be a dream come true. Changing shutter speed, ISO, aperture and white balance are relatively easy, especially when using Sony's mobile app (available on Android or iOS), and it only took a few moments to connect to my Google Pixel 2. For a less-proficient user however, there are also fully automatic and intelligent automatic settings in both photo and video modes.

MORE: Best Action Cameras 2019

Due to the much smaller screen and single colored font, I found myself holding the camera 6 to 8 inches away from my face to read menus. The GoPro's larger screen and bold white and contrasting light blue text made it easily readable at arm's length.  In comparison, the new DJI Osmo Action Cam features a 2.25-inch rear touch screen and 1.4-inch front-facing screen.

The 180-degree rotatable screen makes this a good potential option as a blogging camera However, due to its small stature and limited brightness control, it may actually make it slightly difficult to see in bright sunny conditions.

The test unit we were sent came with the optional Shooting Grip ($99), which really made using the RX0 II significantly more tolerable. The legs fold out into a little minitripod, and the grip has thumb controls for  zoom and for taking photos and videos. Without this grip, I haven't figured out how to make the camera zoom while filming.

Video and Audio Quality

To test the video quality, I captured footage with the camera attached to the handlebars of my bike, walked up and down the beach and along the sidewalk in front of my apartment as well as jumped in the pool.

When the video or pictures are captured while stationary, the colors are very impressive. Photos of the ocean and the sky at the beach came out beautiful. The water appeared deep blue, the foam from the waves was white and the sand had a nice warm tint to it, as it was late afternoon and the sun was getting lower in the sky.

Footage recorded in 4K followed the same pattern. I jumped in the pool and captured a few underwater clips, and I think this is where this camera truly shines. Colors were bright, vivid and realistic and the footage was much more usable.

Like the GoPro Hero7, the Sony RX0 II has built-in electronic image stabilization (EIS). However, it was much less effective than GoPro's.

Even compared with the older GoPro Hero 5's IS, the Sony's image-stabilization function seemed to lag and footage was almost unusable at times while it attached to my bike. There was quite a bit of motion blur when the camera was moving quickly.  

Even walking down the dock while holding the camera fairly still presented problems for the camera to record smooth video. I also noticed that I would need to lightly press the RX0 II's shutter button to actively establish a new focus point, which is certainly a shame.

Like most other action cameras, the Sony RX0 II was subject to a bit of wind noise, though enabling the wind noise reduction setting helped. While out on my bike, I stumbled on a band playing at a restaurant and sat for a few moments to listen. The audio quality is quite decent from roughly 25 feet away without using an optional external microphone.

Bottom Line

The Sony RX0 II sits in a price class all its own compared to almost every other action camera out there. At $700, I'm not really sure I can recommend Sony's action camera for the average consumer, especially with such competition from GoPro, Yi and now DJI with its newest DJI Osmo Action.

Pro videographers who want full exposure control will not be disappointed in the amount of manual control available. Accessing all of these settings, though, was certainly a frustrating task. At double the cost of the GoPro Hero 7 ($350) and the new DJI Osmo Action Cam ($350) with a front-facing screen, I'd suggest you look to one of these other models first.

Credit: Tom's Guide

In a market where one company dominates, the SJCam SJ8 action cam aims to stand out by featuring a Retina touch screen, and image stabilization at a lower price than the GoPro Hero 7. The SJ8 also turns out good-quality video with accurate colors, but doesn't do quite enough for us to recommend it over the market leader.

Design

Like the GoPro Hero 7, the SJ8 Pro has a relatively plain and uninspiring design compared with the Yi 4K+, whose carbon-fiber face makes it the best-looking action camera. There are only two physical buttons on the exterior of the SJ8 – a power button on the upper right side and a shutter button on the top, which features a ring that glows blue.

On the front is a small, rectangular, 0.97-inch screen that shows the mode, battery life remaining, space remaining on the card and recording status. For those who use the SJ8 as a POV action camera and can't see the rear screen,  this addition is a nice touch.

Unlike the past few iterations of GoPro, which are waterproof by themselves, the SJCam requires a plastic housing for protection from water, dust and the occasional bump. Unlike Yi’s cameras, SJCam includes the case, as well as a number of mounting accessories, both for the GoPro-type mount on the plastic housing and the tripod screw mount on the bottom of the camera.

A door on the bottom of the camera encloses both the battery and the microSD card slot. A USB Type-C port on the side of the camera with a plastic door can be used for charging, file transfer and even connecting an external microphone.

MORE: Action Cams Tested: What's the Best Outdoor Camera?

It seems that the SJ8 Pro can be a little picky with USB cables used to charge the camera. I found a few cables around my apartment that, unfortunately, wouldn't charge the camera. Others, however, including the cable bundled in the box, wouldn't have any issues.

Ease of Use

Overall, the SJ8 Pro is intuitive to use. When removed from the case, I could easily make changes to settings using its beautiful, high-resolution Retina touch screen. Additionally, if you are not planning on going more than 10 feet underwater, the secondary back could be used to control the camera in the case as well.  

Unfortunately, the font is quite small on the bottom edge menu so, like me, you may need to go deeper into the menu to confirm your settings. SJCam offers two different user interfaces – the Classic interface is a text-based list, while the SJCam interface are square icons with text underneath. While the first is easy to use, I preferred the latter.

Unlike other cameras that prompt you to choose a field of view, typically notated as wide, normal or narrow, the SJCam allows users to zoom in or out to customize the field of view using a "+" or "–" on the touch screen. However, this zoom function is available only when image stabilization is turned off.

One nice accessory that SJCam includes in the box is a secondary back for its waterproof housing that lets you use the touch screen even when wet, although it does not work underwater. However, this secondary back reduces the waterproof rating to just 10 feet,  versus 90 feet (30 meters) with the traditional back. While it was not perfect and it doesn't work underwater, it was a nice addition that I've never seen other manufacturers include.

Video Quality

The SJ8 Pro can record video up to and including 4K at 60fps; I was most impressed with its color reproduction. In a video I captured on a sunny day at the beach,  the sky was a beautiful blue color without being too oversaturated, while clouds appear white in contrast. The waves lapping up on the beach are not clear, but you can easily make out the grains of sand and the foam as the water receded.

When lighting conditions were less than ideal, footage turned a little grainy and while passable, certainly didn't pop the same way.

To test its Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), I mounted the SJ8 Pro camera to the handlebars of my bike and went for a ride. EIS certainly helped minimize shaky footage; without it, the video was so jittery as to be unwatchable. But with EIS turned on, the video was certainly an improvement, though not as good as the Yi 4K+. What I've found from previous action camera reviews is that certain sports or activities that have less hard jarring, like surfing or wakeboarding, will produce significantly better quality videos.

Bottom Line

The SJCam SJ8 Pro is a decent alternative to the GoPro line, at a slightly lower price. It offers video capture of 4K resolution at 60fps, electronic image stabilization, an assortment of accessories and easy-to-use touch-screen interface, though it does have a few mild downfalls. At $249, it's about $40 more than the Yi 4K+, which has a better design and a better selection of features. Keep in mind, though, that if you want to take the YiCam underwater, you'll also have to shell out an additional $40 for its case.

MORE: Best Action Cameras Available Right Now

The GoPro Hero7 Silver ($234) is another good alternative; while its video maxes out at 4K/30 fps, it doesn't need a waterproof case and doesn't have issues connecting to Android devices. Ultimately, SJCam's SJ8 Pro is a good action camera but not a great one.

Credit: Tom's Guide

To get the smoothest video, videographers often attach their camera to a gimbal, which uses a gyroscope and moving arms to keep the shot steady no matter how much they (or the camera) move around.

While consumer-grade gimbals are inexpensive — you can get a good one for around $140 — they're a niche product. Who wants to carry around an extra gadget and take the time to attach it to their camera or smartphone?

DJI thinks it has found an answer with the Osmo Pocket. This diminutive device combines a gimbal and camera, and is small enough to slip into any pocket. It also has a lot of cool features that can make your home movies look like they were shot by Martin Scorsese — hence why it makes it into our list of the best cameras for vlogging. But the features that make it unique could also deter more casual shooters.

Osmo Pocket Design: Cute and Sturdy

The Osmo Pocket is like a DJI drone without the wings and rotors. At the top of this candy bar-sized device is a camera on a three-axis gimbal, not unlike the one on the Mavic Air. The body of the Osmo Pocket has a small color touch screen toward the top, with two buttons below it to turn the gadget on and off, and to start and stop recording.

Between the screen and the buttons is a small slot into which slides a Lightning or USB connector (both included) for when you want to attach your smartphone to the Osmo Pocket.

On one side of the Osmo Pocket is a microSD card slot, and on the bottom is a USB Type-C port; here, I wish there had been room to include a tripod mount.

Despite its small size, the 4.2-ounce Osmo Pocket has a nice heft, and when you turn it on, the camera gimbal swivels into action in a second.

Tiny Touch Screen

The Osmo Pocket's touch screen is functional but tiny. It provides a live view of what the camera is capturing, and through numerous swipes, you can change pretty much every setting on the camera. It also has a handy function for selfie addicts: A single button press turns the camera 180 degrees, so it's facing you.

Swipe to the left, and you can change shooting modes (Photo, Video, Slow Mo, Timelapse, Pano). Swipe right to view your saved footage, swipe up to change camera and gimbal settings, and swipe down to access even more general settings. DJI made it as intuitive as it could, but it's still tedious.

While it's definitely bulkier, using your smartphone's display as the viewfinder makes it much easier to access all of the Osmo Pocket's controls. You also get a few extra features; for example, when you're using the Osmo's touch screen, you can only pan the camera up and down. With your smartphone, you can move it in any direction.

Using a smartphone with the Osmo also gives you expanded camera controls, such as adjusting the photo format (JPEG or RAW), white balance, histogram and more. Even more helpful are manual controls for aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

MORE: Best Action Cameras

Also in the app is Story Mode, which will automatically stitch together multiple clips and photos into a movie. You can pick from a number of different themes, including Leisure, Fashion, Cut, Lively, Party and Rhythm.

Excellent Image Stabilization

The allure of a gimbal-equipped camera is its promised ability to capture stable video, no matter how bumpy the ride. And the DJI Osmo Pocket delivers. I attached the camera to a strap on the back of my dog Hunter, and then ran him around a park. I estimate that the Osmo Pocket flopped 45 degrees from side to side as he ran, yet the footage from the camera was nearly as stable as if he had been standing still.

When compared with the Insta360 One X, which uses a combination of electronic image stabilization and a 360-degree image to get smooth video, the Osmo was just as good, if not better, in terms of overall image quality.

I also tried the same running-dog test with the GoPro Hero7, which also uses electronic image stabilization. While the GoPro was able to smooth the video somewhat, Hunter's running was too bouncy for it to fully compensate for the movement.

MORE: Who has the smoothest video?

Despite its performance, I would be extra-cautious using the Osmo Pocket during more extreme sports such as skiing. Unlike a GoPro or the Insta360 One X, which have no moving parts, I'd be afraid of damaging the Osmo Pocket's gimbal if I fell. In fact, one of my colleagues who was also testing an Osmo Pocket dropped the device and damaged the gimbal enough so that it wouldn't turn fully.

Camera Performance

As to specs, the Osmo Pocket has a 1/2.3-inch sensor, can take video at up to 4K/60 frames per second and can take images up to 12 megapixels in size.

A Panorama mode took three photos in quick succession (you can also take a nine-photo pano) and stitched them together for this expansive view of Grand Central Terminal. The Osmo Pocket slowed down the shutter speed, but overall captured a bright, crisp image. The clock in the center and some other areas were a bit washed-out, though.

When I took a standard photo with the Pocket, brighter areas were also overexposed. As with the Panorama mode, the camera slowed the shutter speed to 1/10th of a second (at ISO 400, f/2.0), which blurred people moving in the frame, but still kept the building nice and sharp.

DJI was smart to import some camera features from its drones, including Active Track and Face Track: Draw a square around the person you want the camera to follow, and the Osmo will keep them in frame as you — or they — move around.

Osmo Pocket Accessories

DJI will sell a number of accessories, including a wireless module ($59) that lets you control the Osmo Pocket remotely using your smartphone; and a controller wheel ($59) that makes it easier to control the gimbal. Other accessories include an extension pole, an underwater case and a GoPro mount adapter.

Battery Life

The Osmo Pocket's 875-mAh battery should last for about 2 hours when shooting 1080p video and 1 hour when shooting 4K. That's roughly comparable to the GoPro7 at both resolutions.

Bottom Line

The Osmo Pocket isn't the first all-in-one camera-and-gimbal device, but its small size and wealth of features make it a very intriguing product. It works incredibly well and has a great set of features that will make it an essential part of any influencer's tool kit. However, what sets the Osmo Pocket apart, well, sets it apart.

Generally, when I'm shooting casual video using my smartphone, I'm not moving around all that much, so the benefits of having a separate motion-stabilized camera aren't all that great. When it comes to action sports like skiing, I would be leery of using the Osmo Pocket: Not only is it not waterproof, but damage the gimbal and you're sunk. While the GoPro Hero7's motion stabilization isn't as effective, it has a more rugged design and no moving parts.

But, for those who need a compact camera to shoot very smooth video — and don't plan to knock it around too much — the DJI Osmo Pocket is incredibly capable.

Credit: Tom's Guide

The Rylo 360 camera offers a natural upgrade for those looking to expand their view during most adrenaline-inducing activities. A small, portable and easily pocketable camera, the Rylo 360 benefits from a straightforward design, easy-to-use app and very few settings you'll need to change. It excels at processing action video, offering users the ability to be the director of their footage after the fact by changing views and follow focus. With its waterproof housing, Rylo adds the ability to use the camera in virtually any environment, no matter the conditions. It's our favorite 360 camera for action sports; for all of our picks, be sure to check out our best 360 cameras page.

Design

The Rylo 360 camera resembles a slightly larger relative of the Insta360, with a different orientation of its dual lenses and a more premium feel. Both outward-facing surfaces are matte black plastic. There is a continuous piece of lightly brushed aluminum that circles around the top, bottom and sides of the camera, giving it that sturdy feel. The Rylo is about the size of a D-battery, though it looks nothing like one.

Both Rylo 360 faces feature identical cameras, located opposite each other, as if you could almost look through one and see what is on the other side. This is unlike the design of both the Insta360 One and the Holo360, which use slightly offset camera placement. Additionally, both the top and bottom of the Rylo have a flat surface so it will easily stay put on a table, while the Insta360 is rounded on top and bottom and rolls onto the lens when set down. I prefer the Rylo's design to the Insta360.

On one face is the camera lens, with the Rylo logo is embossed alongside in the black plastic. The opposing side has an identical camera lens, with a small single-color display showing users which of its three modes is selected as well as the current battery level. Depending on whether in photo or video mode, an indicator will show you how much space is left on the microSD card. In video mode, that figure is displayed in minutes, while photo mode will show pictures remaining.

On the top of the camera is the dual-function shutter release/on-off button, which has no differentiation in height but features two circular etched rings that still makes it relatively easy to find the shutter button. There is a speaker on the top as well, noticeable by the three small holes. On the bottom of the camera is a spring-loaded battery door, inside which there's a slot for a microSD card. Charging the camera is done through the micro USB port on the side of the unit.

The Rylo 360 comes with the "Everyday Case," a plastic frame with a GoPro mount on the bottom and a short, removable handle that has a tripod-screw mount underneath the removable base cap. There are only a few accessories listed on Rylo's website, including the optional $69 Adventure Case. which makes the camera fully waterproof to 10 feet.

I got a chance to try the Adventure Case while wakeboarding. It was fairly easy to use, but my only wish was for an extra hole or ring that could be used as a secondary point of contact for a safety cable so the Rylo doesn't end up at the bottom of the lake.

Besides the case and cables, the Rylo camera comes with a 16GB microSD card, since there is no onboard storage. However the review sample that was sent to us by the company had a 64GB card, which is a good indication that you should plan on upgrading your storage card as well or plan on offloading footage quite often.

MORE: Best 360-Degree Cameras

Ease of Use

Using the Rylo 360-degree camera was fairly straightforward, thanks to the camera's simple design. The Rylo has three simple mode choices: 360-video, 180-video or Panorama (also 360-degree field of view). The dual lenses have a maximum F/2.8 aperture, a 7mm equivalent, and each cover a viewing angle of 208 degrees.

Once paired with the well-designed app, the Rylo 360 offers users an easy, hassle-free experience. Your Android or iOS  device can connect wirelessly to the camera through the app and offers a few user-selectable options and status messages, including battery remaining, storage remaining and firmware version. I could remotely control the camera as well, changing the mode and take a picture or start recording video. There are a few other handy features such as a photo timer, which made it ideal for me to set the camera on a tripod and capture footage without my dopey facial expression front and center.

The Rylo comes in two "flavors" – Android and iOS, which only seems to determine which cable is included in the box – either a micro USB-to-micro USB, or a micro USB-to-USB-C for newer Android phones. For the iOS version like the one I tested, there is a micro USB-to-Lightning cable about 18-inches long.

Once I plugged the camera in for the first time to my iPhone, I simply followed the on-screen instructions in the app to sync footage on the camera to the phone. If you wanted to change phones, you can order a replacement cable in a different configuration on the company's website

Using the Rylo 360-degree camera was fairly straightforward, thanks to the camera's simple design of only two buttons and three mode choices

When taking a photo or video, the camera vibrates and produces a brief, audible tone that I liked. However if this annoys you, both functions can be disabled within the app.

MORE: 360 Camera Buying Guide

Additionally, you can't upload content directly from the camera to social media sites like the Holo360 can, but once you connect the camera to the phone, you can transfer the pictures or video to your device and then share them directly from the app.

Video Quality

The Rylo camera seems to be a good alternative for those that want to step up their action camera footage from something like a GoPro.

Video is shot in 4K while still panorama photos are shot in 6K. Due to the overlapping field of view, Rylo offers incredibly functional image stabilization, even when you're doing something as shaky as mountain biking.

Once you transfer video from the camera to your phone within the app, the true power of Rylo is almost immediately recognizable. Following the on-screen instructions, the app shows you how to select a person or an item to follow in the footage or, alternatively, how to look at a different item within the 360-degree video.

While it may take you one or two times to get it right as you are playing back the video, the ability to change your viewing angles is quite easy and turns boring footage into a multi-angle adventure.

Walking around Grand Central Station in New York City, the video feels immersive. Even watching it afterwards, you feel like you are there.

Additionally, within the playback screen, there is an icon that allowed me to toggle whether image stabilization was turned on or off. While it isn't perfect, even someone with fairly steady hands would appreciate how much better enabling this makes footage look.

While video quality is certainly good, one of my only gripes with the Rylo 360 is image and video quality when shooting conditions aren’t bright. When taken in a well-lit environment, images look great and there is plenty of detail. However, when conditions are less than ideal — including inside a restaurant with unequal lighting — quality becomes somewhat unusable at a point with pixelated photos and videos. I do find this a little surprising given the 2.8-maximum aperture of both lenses of the Rylo 360.  

Besides standard video, you can choose to export footage in the Little Planet format. I personally find this a format gets a bit novel after the second or third time but it does offer a unique perspective for a Facebook profile photo.

I think the image and video quality was better in the Rylo than the Holo360. Having such a nice image- stabilization feature built in also helped, though it's certainly not perfect. If the camera gets jolted too hard, you may notice a blur in the footage for a moment

Audio Quality

The Rylo has a microphone on both faces of the camera, offering decent audio quality. When talking to the camera, even in a loud environment such as Grand Central Terminal in N.Y., my commentary was clear and distinguishable from the other noise outside. While walking around, I had attached the Everyday Case to a selfie stick that I held above my head. Discerning my commentary in the video throughout different parts of the building was easily intelligible, no matter the angle.

Unlike the Holo360, there is not a speaker on the Rylo 360 camera since you need your mobile device to download and play clips recorded on the Rylo. Additionally unlike the Holo360, there is no way to add an external microphone using a 3.5mm jack.

Bottom Line

Of the three 360 cameras I've tried, including the Acer Holo360 and Insta360 One, the Rylo seems to be the most functional and easiest to use, especially for anyone looking to upgrade from an action camera such as a GoPro.

The Holo360 was certainly built to be an all-in-one solution, but its relatively slow processing, potentially fragile form-factor and inability to be mounted to other devices without the plastic case significantly lowers its image quality and makes the both the Rylo or Insta360 better choices.

I liked how easy and straightforward the Rylo app made it to edit footage on a mobile device, offering users the ability to choose where to look in the clip or who or what to follow. The image stabilization really did help smooth out any bumps or jarring found in footage as I walked around GCT in NYC.

The two biggest issues with the Rylo 360 are its price and low-light performance. Although I think it is mostly justified with its targeted usage, the camera is still pricey. Additionally, I would have liked the performance at night or in dimly lit rooms to be better, as footage got a bit grainy when shooting in these lighting conditions.

As an alternative, try the $300 Insta360 One, which our editors gave a stamp of approval earlier this year.

With the included Everyday Case, Rylo offers a strong platform with multiple connectivity options, an intuitive app and a unique tracking feature, making this camera a good choice if trying to elevate standard footage to a 360-degree point of view.

Credit: Tom's Guide

Tom's Guide forum member pablogaxiola35 is looking to record some sweet first-person footage from his Airsoft battles, but is having trouble deciding which camera best suits his needs, the GoPro Hero4 Black, or the GoPro Hero5 Session.

Both GoPro cameras take great video, but I'd be inclined to go with the Hero 5 Session. First, let's take a quick look at each:

As you can see, both shoot the same resolution video, while the Hero 4 Black has a slightly higher resolution when it comes to stills. The Hero 4 Black can also dive deeper than the Session, but that's because the Hero 4 Black comes with a more durable waterproof housing. Unless your Airsoft bouts include SEAL training, this shouldn't be a big factor.

MORE: Which GoPro Is Right For You?

More importantly, the Hero 5 Session's smaller dimensions means a lower profile when mounted to your rifle, and built-in video stabilization will result in smoother footage as you're running around. Even better, it's voice-activated, so you don't need to take your hand off the stock to start recording.

I would also recommend a Picatinny rail mount for attaching the GoPro to your Airsoft; This side mount from Rail Dogs is all metal, and has received good reviews on Amazon.

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The GoPro Hero5 Black is the best action camera you can buy. Not only has it won our Editors' Choice award, but it's also our Best Pick when it comes to action cameras. For a limited time, you can score a free $60 gift card when you buy a GoPro Hero5 at Walmart. This is a rare deal on a popular camera that's hardly ever discounted.

The Hero5 Black retains the popular, square shape of its predecessors, but wraps the camera in a rubber exterior with protection around the lens and gasket-sealed doors that protect its battery compartment and ports. As a result, the camera is waterproof up to 33 feet without the need for a special case.

The camera is capable of capturing 4K/UHD video and its electronic image stabilization is so good that it can give some novice videos a touch of professionalism. It can be controlled via the 2-inch touch LCD or alternatively you can control it via voice commands. It responds to 12 voice commands, all of which start with the phrase "Ok, GoPro."

The Hero5 Black has a microSD card slot and supports up to 128GB in capacity. That should hold roughly 9 hours and 20 minutes of 1080p/60fps video. In terms of performance, it records excellent 1080p content and 4K footage. Its battery lasts just shy of 2 hours when recording at 1080p/60fps.

The GoPro Hero5 can be paired with a variety of accessories from spare batteries to head mounts.

Alternatively, Walmart also has the GoPro Hero5 Session for $299 with a free $45 gift card. The more compact Session offers similar features, but loses the touch screen, GPS capture data, and offers less battery life.

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GoPro has dominated the compact-action camera industry for more than a decade, and its cameras are great for capturing high-risk, high-flying sports in high-definition video. But did you know you they can also be used to stream video to social media networks? Or used as a backup camera on a car? Here are 10 cheap, creative and fun ways to use your GoPro.

YouꞋll need a GoPro Hero4, but if you have one, you can pair it with your Periscope social media account on your smartphone. You still need to keep your phone nearby so you can connect to the cameraꞋs Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but this opens up a world of underwater and high-speed video you can stream to your friends when your smartphone's built-in camera just wonꞌt cut it. You can do this in three easy steps:

• Turn your GoProꞋs Wi-Fi on and connect your phone to it.
• Open the Periscope app and click broadcast.
• The app will detect your GoPro, and is ready to roll!

We suggest getting a waterproof case for your smartphone and streaming some tropical snorkeling footage, or mount the GoPro on your mountain bike and rip down some trails while your friends are watching from their desk with envy.

MORE: Trying Periscope with a GoPro Was Frustrating and Fun

Have you ever wondered what your pets do all day while youꞌre gone? Do you constantly blame your significant other for something that happened, never suspecting the real culprit is Fido? Or maybe you just want to get your dogꞌs-eye view of playing fetch. No matter the reason, seeing the world from your petꞋs perspective always seems to give a tiny look into what might be going through your petꞋs brains when the animal is acting playfully and foolishly. 

You can attach a collar, harness or head mount with existing accessories, or use some of the up- and-coming products designed for this kind of thing. GoPro has recently released the Fetch harness for dogs ($59.99) that gives you the POV angle weꞋve all come to love with our GoPros.

It would be great to make a floating tripod that could withstand 20-foot swells and Class IV rapids to capture your killer surfing and rafting adventures, but for some of the more mellow watersports — stand up paddle boarding (SUP), non-whitewater kayaking, canoeing — you could easily make a floating platform for your GoPro to capture those serene, middle of nowhere, "how did they do that?!" moments. Yes, GoPro has the Floaty Backdoor ($19.99) and floating selfie sticks, but for these types of captures, youꞌre going to need your camera upright and pointing directly at you, not floating upside down in the water.

To do this, just grab a few empty plastic bottles for pontoons, a plastic lid or a Frisbee for the GoPro platform, some duct tape to hold everything together and, viola! — you have a floating GoPro catamaran. Now just use some clear fishing line to pull it behind your watercraft and start capturing your moments.

The GoProꞌs video capabilities are excellent, but if you want to grab one single instant, exporting a still photo from the video isnꞌt going to be of the highest quality. Instead, use the time-lapse feature built into the camera.

Depending on your activity, go into the time-lapse settings and set the time accordingly. For high-octane captures, such as screaming around that hairpin turn on your sport bike, set the timer to take a photo every half second. For slower things where the scenery isnꞌt changing quite as quickly (like SUP), slow the timer down to once every second or longer.

When shooting faster, like every 0.5 seconds, change the field of view to medium or narrow if possible to ensure the highest image quality.

GoPro Back-Up Camera

If youꞌve always wanted a back-up camera, hereꞌs your chance to make one using your GoPro. Sure, thereꞌs a little hassle with installation and youꞌre not going to use it every time you back out of a parking spot, but when youꞌre in a tricky situation, this hack can come in handy.

Simply use the adhesive-mounting platforms that come with your camera and affix it to your bumper. Or grab the surfboard suction cup attachment ($19.99) and put it on your back window — this method will let you keep the GoPro mounted, and you wonꞌt have to worry about someone ripping it off your bumper. Then, just open and connect to the GoPro app, tap on Control, and wait for the preview to show up. You can now see behind you so you can avoid those tricky obstacles.

Time-Lapse Video

Thereꞌs something intrinsically mesmerizing about watching time-lapse videos, and your GoPro has some pretty amazing capabilities built right in.

The size of your SD memory card will help determine how fast you can set the timer, but the more pictures you can take (0.5 - 1 second intervals) within your eventꞌs time period, the smoother your time-lapse video will look. Conversely, if youꞌre filming a long-term project, perhaps the building of your house, you can set the interval much slower and still have a cool-looking video. If itꞌs a days-long shoot, your GoProꞌs battery may run out well before the end, so make sure you have spares or a portable battery pack handy. 

GoPro’s native video-editing software makes importing the still photos and creating the final video incredibly easy.

People have mistaken GoPro images for full-resolution DSLR pictures as long as you use it within its "sweet spots." Bright, diffuse lighting and about a 3-foot distance seems to be the GoProꞌs bread-and-butter, though it certainly handles conditions outside that zone extremely well, too. You can use either the shutter button on the camera itself or your smartphone to preview and/or snap the shot. The latter method also lets you hold the GoPro up high, to capture photos from awkward angles.

Compact point-and-shoot cameras have gotten really small and really good at what they do, but most still donꞌt match the quality, ruggedness and functionality of the GoPro camera.

GoPro Dashcam for Your Bike

If youꞌre a pedal-powered commuter you already know this, but riding your bike in the city, even bike-friendly cities, is still inherently dangerous. Grab a handlebar-mounting accessory ($19.99) and press record as you set out on your urban journeys. Nobody ever tries to get in an accident, but if it happens, youꞌll have it all on video. The insurance companies will love you AND youꞌll probably go viral online.

Using the GoProꞌs built-in HDMI port, you can stream to any device that has HDMI input ports without using an app. You can use the GoPro as a webcam or record directly to your DVR. Or you can have a much better camera than whatꞌs included with your mobile device (with the proper cables and/or adapters).

Whether you raise bees or teach an educational class on beekeeping, having a look inside a beehive with a GoPro is much more convenient (and a lot safer to show an entire class). This one could end up damaging your camera if you get a little honey in the wrong place, so take every precaution necessary to protect it.

For the most protection — aside from a beekeeperꞌs suit so you can safely mount the GoPro — buy an extra waterproof case ($49.99) and use a Dremel to carve out a hole so that you can connect a USB charging cable and the HDMI connector. Connect the two cables and then use some moldable putty to create a complete seal. Make sure the cables are long enough to reach a power source and the viewing screen, and then youꞌre ready to add it to the beehive. Watch as the queen lays her eggs and the bees fill their honeycombs. As a bonus, youꞌll know exactly when to feed them, when to add another screen, and when youꞌre ready to harvest the honey.

Still deciding which camera is right for you? Here are our top action cam picks for all types of outdoor activities. If you've narrowed your selection to GoPro, check out this guide for the best GoPro to suit your needs. Or, if you want to take your video to the next level, take a look at our buying guide to 360-degree cameras, as well as our reviews of the best 360-degree cameras.

Your Periscope game is about to go pro — GoPro, that is. The live video-broadcast and streaming app has added the ability to stream from your GoPro action camera over Wi-Fi, so you're not stuck with just your phone's cameras. We tested it out here with a GoPro Hero 4 Silver, and while the initial experience is inconsistent and glitchy, it's still incredibly promising.

The new feature is only available for those Periscoping on iPhones 5s, 6 and 6s running iOS 8.2, pairing with GoPro Hero4 Black and Silver models. No word on whether the new feature will come to Android, although GoPro's statement notes "Broadcast functionality is currently only available on iOS, but users will be able to view GoPro broadcasts from any platform."

MORE: How to Use Periscope with Twitter

A Winning Formula

Yes, I look great through my iPhone 6s' cameras, but the GoPro on a selfie stick-esque GoPole makes me look so much better. Plus, the GoPro's wider field of view helped me easily capture much more of my surroundings, which would have come in handy when I Periscoped my daring trek through the treacherous streets of Manhattan in the middle of winter storm Jonas. Instead of seeing just my face or the five feet or so around me, my viewers could have been treated to the sight of New York covered in snow.

As a recently avid user of Periscope, I've also found it tiring and challenging to try to keep my phone up while showing off my latest escapades. I hate the shaky footage that results from me fumbling with the phone, even though some would say that feeling of reality is part of Periscope's appeal.

The GoPro offers smoother and higher-quality video, which makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience; the camera can be mounted on a helmet or strapped onto part of your clothes so you don't have to keep holding it up.

And while you can easily latch your phone onto a selfie stick to get a seemingly wider shot, you won't be able to read the comments or questions that are coming in from your viewers at a distance. With the GoPro in one hand and my phone in the other, interacting with my audience was as easy as glancing down to check my stream.

Setting up the external camera was easy, too. I just had to turn on the camera, install the GoPro app, find the camera's Wi-Fi signal on my phone and hop on it. Once I had my phone connected to the GoPro's Wi-Fi network, the Periscope app picked up the action camera's video feed automatically when I opened it. I wish there were a more obvious indicator to tell me I was using the GoPro, other than the small camera symbol that shows up at the end of the row of icons above the Start Broadcast button.

Switching between the GoPro for a wider scene and my iPhone for a more personal view was as easy as double-tapping the screen. That action normally toggles between my phone's front and rear camera (when Periscope isn't paired to a GoPro), but you can still switch between your phone's two cameras by tapping the button on the top right while filming.

I can see people Periscoping with their GoPros strapped to helmets on ski slopes, hidden in a treetop perch or strapped onto a drone, and the resulting footage could be so eye-opening and mind-blowing. However, a few issues need to be fixed first.

NoPro For Now

We struggled for a long time trying to figure out why our audio feed wasn't working. Disgruntled (though very helpful) Periscope viewers were telling us they couldn't hear us when the GoPro was the selected camera. When I turned it back to my iPhone camera, viewers could hear me.

This happened inconsistently, and we found that it might have to do with whether the GoPro itself was recording to its internal storage or SD card. When the camera itself was recording, the stream's audio worked. When it wasn't, our Periscope stream had no sound. We've reached out to GoPro and Periscope to see if this is by design or if it will be addressed in the future, and were directed to a tweet from Periscope Help confirming the issue is being fixed.

When I played back some of the videos that had audio, I also noticed that sound was muffled when the camera was in the standard GoPro case that comes with each device. People were saying they couldn't hear us when the camera was encased, but really, it was very muffled and hard to hear. We took it out of the case and our audio problems went away.

The Wi-Fi connection between iPhone and GoPro also dropped out without warning from time to time, and when that happens, Periscope will default to the last-used camera on your phone (front or rear). This caused me to end up shooting random, boring scenes or my phone's incredibly fascinating black cover.

Data hoarders like me also won't like that GoPro videos beyond a certain duration do not get saved to your phone's camera roll. It's possible that the higher resolution video makes it impossible to save all your streams to your phone, and of the videos I Periscoped, only the ones shorter than 10 minutes were saved.

Bottom Line

If you already own a GoPro and want to broadcast your extreme sports prowess as it happens, you'll enjoy trying out the new feature. You'll likely not be narrating or interacting with your viewers while midway down the ski slope, so the audio problems may not be a big concern of yours. Anyone thinking of strapping their action cams to drones or sticking them in the middle of nowhere will also have fun trying the new feature out.

However, the Wi-Fi inconsistencies may mar your video and let you end up shooting an all too real clip of What's In My Bag? from wherever you stashed your phone when you assumed you would be recording from your GoPro.

Periscope fans who just want the ability to stream from a camera other than their phone's should refrain from running out to buy a GoPro just yet. Not only are the GoPros expensive investments (the Hero 4 Silver starts at $400, the Black at $500), but it's very likely that Periscope will partner with other third-party camera makers soon to give you an alternative. Until the Wi-Fi and audio issues are fixed, typical Periscope users would probably be better off using a simple tripod or selfie stick.

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LAS VEGAS—Sony and GoPro better watch their backs, because at CES 2016, Nikon announced its first ever action cam, the Key Mission 360.

The name not only tells you how important this product is to Nikon, it also hints at its biggest feature: full 360-degree video capture in 4K (UHD) resolution. The Key Mission 360 is built tough too: Nikon claims it's shockproof up to 6.6 feet and waterproof down to 100 feet.

MORE: CES Readers' Choice Awards

While the full range of specs and pricing info is still forthcoming, one interesting tidbit came from action photographer Corey Rich, who Nikon tasked with testing out the Key Mission 360 prior to its launch this spring. He said that one of the Key Mission’s standout features was audio that was heads and shoulders above any other action cam on the market.

The Key Mission also has built-in electronic shake reduction, which the Nikon says can be enabled using apps even in the middle of recording.

Unfortunately, during the touch and see portion of the event, the Key Missions 360 was sealed under a clear box, so the only impressions I could get were from my eyes.

The first thing that jumped out was the Key Mission’s size. Design-wise, the Key Mission is most similar to Ricoh’s Theta 360 camera, although the Key Mission is significantly more durable. The small camera fits neatly into the palm of your hand, and is about the same size as GoPro’s Hero 4 Session camera, but with two bulbous lenses on either side of its body.

The Key Mission also has built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, which along with the app-enabled shake reduction, suggests that you will be able to connect the Key Mission to a nearby smart device.

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Depending on whom you ask, drones are either the most fun you can have with a gadget, or a menace in the skies. Next year will see exciting new advances in the category ─ including GoPro's first drone ─ but also new rules for pilots.

In late 2015, the FAA began requiring that drone owners register their devices online, partly because of alarming drone sightings around airports and other places these devices shouldn't be. Only drones that weigh more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams, or a bit less than 9 ounces) need be registered. That doesn't cover toys, but it does include aerial video drones like the DJI Phantom 3.

"There is massive confusion there," said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association. "Any time there is a lack of clarity in public policy, that can stymie innovation and stymie uptake of technology, so that's something policymakers need to be cautious of."

MORE: The Biggest Tech Trends of 2016

Regardless, the CTA expected 400,000 drones to be sold over the holiday season alone.

"You'll see continued expansion of the drone category," DuBravac said. "We focus so much on aerial drones, but obviously you'll see the toy piece of it continue to expand."

Looking ahead, drone makers are working to address some of the pain points owners have had so far, as well as dream up ways to get fliers hooked. For instance, at CES 2016, Intelligent Energy is showing off a fuel-cell-powered drone that's supposed to last several hours instead of only 20 minutes. Fleye, which is on Kickstarter, is a spherical flying robot that's designed to be safer than traditional drones because its blades aren't exposed.

The $199 Onagofly looks especially fun, a palm-size quadrocopter that will follow you around and snap pictures of you ─ but only when you're smiling. The drone will leverage the GPS connection in your smartphone and shoot 1080p video.

The most anticipated drone of 2016 could be the Karma, the first drone from GoPro. The action-camera company has posted only a teaser video thus far, with aerial footage, but GoPro describes the Karma as an "ultra-portable folding drone." You can bet that you'll have to register this puppy with the FAA.

GoPro recently acquired Kolor, a company that develops 360-degree video software to combine footage from multiple cameras into a single clip. The company's founder is now GoPro's senior director of immersive media solutions.

"The few details that we have seen of the GoPro drone so far look promising, and GoPro is definitely a company that knows all about video," said Richard Baguley, a contributing editor for Tom's Guide, who has reviewed all the major drones. "But do they know drones? That remains to be seen, and it is a very competitive market."

In a category dominated by super complex cameras from GoPro and Sony, the Roam3's sleek, spartan design is refreshing. The controls are too simple for you to accidentally enable a horribly wrong video setting, and a rugged, waterproof housing saves you from fiddling with additional cases. Too bad the video quality is too weak to trust this camera with catching special moments.

Keep reading, though, because Contour's design provides a lot of good lessons for other camera makers.

Design: Smart and Simple

The Roam3 just feels right. A 4-inch metal barrel sits atop a slightly shorter rectangular plastic block, which provides a tripod screw hole on the bottom and clever mounting brackets on each side. The Roam3's included adhesive mounts feature two tabs that slide into a pair of slots on each side of the block.

The Roam3 can withstand being submerged under 33 feet of water — no additional case needed. (In contrast, GoPro and Sony action cams require cases in order to go underwater at all.) You can rotate the camera up to 270 degrees inside the cylinder, so you can shoot upright however you end up mounting the Roam3. That's very helpful: It's often hard to mount a camera perfectly level on something like the side of a helmet, as I had to do. Pressing the Status button on the back of the camera activates a red laser that projects a horizontal line that serves as a guide for getting the camera level.  

Measuring 3.9 x 2.2 x 1.3 inches and weighing 5.5 ounces, the Roam3 is roughly average-size for an action camera — about the same size and heft as the Ion Air Pro 3 and the Kodak Pixpro SP1, both of which are also rugged and waterproof and don't require a separate case.

Controls and Usability: All You Need

Contour does a good job of making the Roam3 easy to use, despite the lack of a screen. On top is a long slider switch. Push it forward, and the camera turns on and starts recording video — that's it. Hold down a button on the back of the camera for 3 seconds (until you hear two beeps), and the Roam3 switches into still-camera mode. Subsequently pressing the same button snaps a photo.

Unlocking and opening the watertight door on the back reveals two more tiny buttons: one to format the memory card (which is inserted just above) and one to reset all of the camera settings. A slider switch lets you toggle between two video modes you've configured, such as 1080p/30-fps and 720p/60-fps video.

The challenge is in setting those video configurations. The Roam3 is the only action camera we tested that does not feature Wi-Fi for controlling it via a smartphone. (The company's $299.99 Contour+2 boasts Bluetooth as well as GPS.) Instead, you need to tether it to a Mac or PC using a USB cable and run Contour's bare-bones, retro-looking Storyteller software, which allows you to organize and edit photos and video, and program settings for each of the two switch positions. The app isn't elegant, but it's easy to use.

Video and Photo Quality: Middling

Video shot with the Roam3 quickly deteriorated with motion. I originally tested the Roam3 while mountain biking in California, using the 720p/60-fps setting recommended for action, but the footage was rather muddy-looking. Nothing was in sharp focus, and the movement further blurred details.

Surprised at the poor results, I decided to give the Roam3 a second chance after I got back to New York City. This time, I set it to 1080p and 30 fps, and compared it to the Kodak Pixpro SP1 and the GoPro Hero4 Silver at the same settings.

The video was sharper overall and no longer looked out of focus, although motion blur was still pretty noticeable. (Look at the signs I rode by.)

Footage from the Kodak was sharper and steadier, but not radically better as it had been in the mountain biking footage.

Nighttime footage of a dim Brooklyn street was quite dark, with only areas directly under the streetlights discernible. This was a hard test, however, and none of the six other cameras I reviewed fared much better.

Still photos looked about as good as the video I shot with the camera when stationary. Details were soft, and colors were a bit simplistic. Things fell apart in the night photos, though, in which not much more than the streetlights were discernible.

For the price, you'll get better image quality and somewhat better controls — though a much-less-elegant design — in the boxy Kodak Pixpro SP1 action camera.

Battery Life and Storage: Good Enough

The Roam3's battery is not removable, which is one reason the device is so compact and can be waterproof without requiring a separate housing. However, that means you don't have the option to extend shooting time by swapping in a spare cell. The built-in battery is rated for 3 hours of 1080p/30-fps video, which is quite good. The similarly priced Kodak Pixpro SP1 is rated for 2 hours and 10 minutes.

MORE: Sony HDR-AS200V Action Cam Review

The Roam3 takes microSD cards up to 32GB. Some cameras can handle up to 64GB, but 32GB is plenty — enough for about 5 hours and 11 minutes of 1080p/30-fps video.

Accessories: All Situations Covered

Contour's mounting options are another example of simple-but-useful design. The Roam3 kit comes with two mounts that slide into the slots on either side of the camera. The first is a basic flat plate. The second is a handy rotating mount that you can set to any angle and then lock into place. That mount, along with the rotating lens, makes it as easy as possible to shoot level video regardless of where you mount the camera.

Contour sells about a dozen other handy mounts specialized for activities such as biking, skiing and surfboarding. 

Bottom Line

With its clever design and low price, the Roam3 is almost inviting. The company put a lot of thought into engineering a great physical product. Unfortunately, this camera skimps too much on image quality. I suggest giving the Roam3 a pass. Contour just merged with another action-cam maker, iON. Perhaps the combined resources will enable the companies to build better image quality into future models. In the meantime, the Kodak Pixpro SP1 is your best option at this price.

Amateur and professional photographers alike love the GoPro, a durable little camera that users can control remotely to record just about anything on Earth. As it turns out, though, cybercriminals may love the GoPro as well. A new report suggests that GoPros may be eminently crackable, and that a weak password could lead to unprecedented control over the devices.

Pen Test Partners, a security firm based in Middle Claydon, England, brought its findings to the BBC, and explained that a poor password could let malefactors take remote control of a GoPro through a Web browser. This isn't just a password-strength issue: once he or she has the password, a savvy intruder could manipulate a GoPro on a very fine level in order to steal photos and videos, or even stream a live feed in real time.

MORE: Best Cameras Available Now

To test the GoPro's security, Pen Test Partners researchers tried to brute-force their way into the GoPro from a laptop on the same Wi-Fi network. Using "pointless" and "Sausages" as test passwords, and a regular graphics card to run password-cracking software on the laptop, the researchers were able to get in within seconds.

Fair enough, you might say, but insecure passwords are hardly unique to GoPros. While that's true, the fact remains that once in, a malefactor could wreak an unusual amount of havoc with a compromised GoPro. Whereas other devices might have secondary security features, such as pairing codes, the GoPro seems to takes a more lackadaisical approach.

Beginning with the latest model of camera, the Hero4, pairing a GoPro with a Wi-Fi network does require a pairing number, provided by the camera itself, but it makes a user input this number only once. Once the number is entered, the GoPro can communicate with any device on the same Wi-Fi network.

Malicious users can send commands to a GoPro via HTTP, meaning that any Web browser can help accomplish the task. Just by manipulating the URL bar, an unauthorized user can make the GoPro beep incessantly, start a recording, access its stored photos and videos or even tell it to start streaming. (This is obviously problematic for users who keep their GoPros in their bedrooms.)

Even turning off the GoPro is not necessarily a barrier to foul play. Once an intruder has accessed a GoPro, he or she can tell it to "wake from sleep" as long as Wi-Fi is still enabled, provided that he or she has the device's MAC address, a unique networking number. The MAC address is, of course, one of many things a user can access through HTTP commands.

"Wi-Fi-enabled devices must provide the user's password to access the Hero4 Wi-Fi network," GoPro told the BBC. "We require our customers to create a password 8-16 characters in length; it's their choice to decide how complex they want it to be. As is true of all password-protected devices and services, if a password is easily guessable, a user is more prone to someone predicting what it is."

Having remote features accessible is usually a good thing, but the GoPro's are arguably too open and too prone to exploitation. On the other hand, savvy users could argue that setting strong passwords is a necessity, regardless of device, and that complex passwords usually can't be brute-forced. Indeed, Pen Test Partners' primary recommendation is to employ a strong Wi-Fi password.

Users can also turn off their GoPros' Wi-Fi by holding down the button on the camera's left side for three seconds when the device is not in use. There's no evidence that malefactors have taken advantage of the GoPro's vulnerabilities in the wild, but given its relative simplicity, a little caution could go a long way.

• Camera Buying Guide
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Marshall Honorof is a senior writer for Tom's Guide. Contact him at mhonorof@tomsguide.com. Follow him @marshallhonorof. Follow us @tomsguide, on Facebook and on Google+.

Like many extreme athletes, Sony can’t seem to get enough action. Less than four months after releasing its smallest action cam, the Mini, Sony showed off two new action-oriented cameras at CES 2015, one with 4K and one HD, that aim to push the limits of its adventure-ready shooters.

The $500 Sony FDR-X100V 4K leads the way, claiming the spot as the first 4K action camera shooting 3940 x 2160-pixel videos at 30 fps. The Action Cam 4K, as I call it for short, features improved SteadyShot image stabilization tech which Sony says is three times better at reducing vibrations -- important for when the camera is mounted on a skateboard or on a drone.

MORE: CES 2015 Day 2: Top 10 Stories

The Action Cam 4K uses a wide-angle 170 degree Zeiss lens, and Sony’s own CMOS image sensor to create stunning high-res videos even legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk was proud to show off at CES. His test footage displayed steady, wobble-free clips taken during a wide range of activities such as snowboarding, slipping down a water slide and of course riding a skateboard. Even the audio was crisp, thanks to Sony’s new and improved wind noise reduction on the X1000V’s stereo microphone.

Additional features include the ability to shoot super high-speed clips at 120 fps at full-HD (1920 x 1080p) resolution, and a blazing 240 fps at 1280 x 720. Like Sony's older actions cams, the 4K X1000V can stream video to U-Stream via a smartphone using the camera's built-in Wi-Fi.

The less-expensive $300 Action Cam HDR-AS200V carries over most of the features of its slightly larger sibling, except the 4K resolution. The main improvements over the older AS100V, which it now replaces, are the same image stabilization and wind noise reduction from the 4K model, and the use of a new threaded mount that supports most of Sony's action cam accessories since the AS100V was released at last year's CES.

With some previous experience using Sony’s Action Cam Mini, I was impressed when I got to see for myself the size of the new 4K X1000V Action Cam. It’s only 0.6-inches longer, 0.6-inches taller and 1.8-ounces heavier than the Lilliputian Mini. The 4K model also has a much larger side-mounted screen, making it easier to see what settings you have selected than when looking at the Mini’s tiny display.

And like many of its action cam competitors, Sony has created a wide range of accessories for its new 4K flagship cam such as the VCT-HSM1 Helmet Side Mount, the VCT-BDM1 Board Mount, and the SPK-X1 Waterproof Case 9, which protects cameras to depths up to 33 feet. Sony also teased its upcoming Action Cam app for Android and iOS, which it Sony says promises a simple method of achieving pro-level editing.

Both new action cams will be available in March, and will joined by Sony's action cam app around the same time.

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Sam Rutherford is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide. Follow him @SamRutherford on Twitter, and Tom’s Guide on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

RE: Your camera. If you've been using your smartphone to capture concerts, birthday parties and other life events, you've been doing it wrong -- at least according to HTC. The company is hoping to help you live in the moment instead of behind your smartphone with the HTC Re. This tube-shaped $199 point-and-shoot camera is designed to make capturing and streaming life events easy.

Design

You’re not alone if you think that the Re looks like a tiny periscope. I was definitely expecting a small submarine to surface. Despite the weird design, I couldn’t deny how comfortably the 2.31 ounce device fit in my hand.

The white plastic shell hides a capacitive panel that activates the Re as soon as you touch it. In case you’re wearing non-conductive gloves, the camera can be turned on with a quick press of the large chrome button at the top-rear of the device. The Re is IP57-certified, which means that it can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes.

MORE: Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras

HTC has strategically placed an HD microphone along the top of camera to capture all your exploits. A microUSB port and microSD slot are located on the Re’s base, along with a tripod mount. The Re will come bundled with a 8GB microSD card, but the microSD slot can accept cards with up 128GB of space.

If white’s not your color, the Re will also be available in navy blue exclusively at Best Buy.

Camera

The Re is outfitted with a 16 megapixel camera with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor and an ultra wide angle (146 degree) lens. The camera is capable of capturing stills and video (30 fps) at 1920 x 1080. HTC claims that the Re's large sensor can capture enough light without a flash to make shooting in dim settings possible.

During a brief demo, the Re live streamed fairly clear footage to a nearby smartphone over Wi-Fi, and it was in a pretty dim environment.

Features

The device has a few other tricks up its sleeve, including time lapse and slow motion recording. Slow motion mode changes recording from a standard 30 fps to 80 fps.

In time-lapse mode, the camera will capture one shot every minute, letting shutterbugs capture fun scenes like a sunset or morning dew as it condenses on a blade of grass. Once the process is complete, the Re will stitch your photos into a MP4 file.

App

HTC is hoping to provide customers with what it's calling “viewfinder-less” pictures, which means trusting that the Re’s wide angle lens will capture all the action while you go and actually enjoy your event. As great as that sounds, I find the idea of capturing photos and video without a viewfinder a little strange.

If you’re anything like me and you’re not confident in your camera placement skills, HTC has created a remote viewfinder app for your smartphone. Available for Android or iOS (coming soon), the app allows you to see everything your Re is filming in real-time.

The demo that HTC showed off on a HTC One M8 was still in beta, but it captured most of the room and the people in it. As an HTC rep turned the Re around for a slow pan shot, I noticed a second or two of lag that made for a jumpy presentation.

In addition to live-time viewing, the app can also be used to view previously shot content stored on the camera. It will also store all your footage in the cloud so you can erase old photos without fear. HTC has plans to allow Re users to livestream to YouTube in the future. However, the company did not disclose a release time for this feature. 

Battery and Connectivity

The Re is outfitted with a 820mAH battery, which HTC claims will let you shoot up to 1 hour and 40 minutes of full HD video. There will be several ways to connect your RE to your mobile device, including Bluetooth 4.0. Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) and Wi-Fi Direct.

Outlook

The HTC RE provides a novel way to capture life's precious memories, but I'm not sure if consumers are ready for it. The 16-megapixel camera and its host of features are certainly compelling, but the idea of snapping photos or video without a viewfinder might be too foreign a concept for the average consumer. However, with its fairly competitive price, the Re could catch on with the lifelogging crowd. Stay tuned for a full review.

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This fall’s battle for action cam supremacy may have reached its peak with GoPro announcing not one, but three new cameras, including its new Flagship GoPro Hero4 Black. The Hero4 Black’s most important feature is its ability to shoot 4k video at 30 frames per second, This is a big step up from the old Hero3+ which was able to shoot 4k video, but at only 15 fps.

The Hero4 Black ($500), Hero4 Silver ($400) and new Hero ($130) cameras are targeted at professionals, enthusiasts and entry level users, respectively, with the flagship Hero4 Black pushing the boundaries of action cam abilities.

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The Black has what GoPro is calling professional audio performance with a new mic that promises double the dynamic range and smoother, more natural sounding audio. This flagship cam can also shoot 2.7k video at 50 fps, as well as 1080p footage at 120 fps.

Both the Black and Silver Hero4 models can shoot stills at 12 MP at up to 30 fps and feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy connection to the GoPro app via your smartphone or tablet. The Hero 4 Black and Silver cameras also have impressive waterproofing up to 131 feet

The cameras' Protunes feature provides manual controls for settings such as color, ISO, while balance, sharpness and exposure. Protunes also includes additional modes for night lapse and night photos which allows for a wider variety of low-light shots. Finally, the HiLight Tag allows users to mark important moments, making it easy to locate memorable clips even when shooting tons of footage.

The mid-range Hero4 Silver caps out at 1080p 60 fps video, but features a built-in touch display not found on the pro-grade Hero4 Black. Users will be able to review videos and photos, compose a shot using live view and navigate menus with a quick tap or swipe.

The simply named Hero is GoPro’s entry-level replacement, featuring 1080p 30 fps video, 5 MP stills up to 5 fps and the same 131 foot waterproofing for $130. The Hero has a QuickCapture mode, which provides easy one-button solution for turning on your camera and beginning recording with a single press.

All three cameras will work with GoPro’s extensive range of mounts and accessories, a feature other recently announced action cams from Sony and Ricoh have a hard time matching. The Sony Action Cam Mini stacks up well against the Hero4 Silver, costing $150 less while still being able to record 1080p 60 fps video, with the main difference being the Mini’s 16 feet of waterproofing versus 131 for the GoPro.

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Sam Rutherford is a Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide. Follow him @SamRutherford on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @Tom’s Guide on Facebook and Google+