9 best action cameras that will ensure you never miss a shot

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

• Weight: 158
• 4K Footage: Yes, at 120fps; 5.3K at 60fps
• Waterproof: 10m
• Stabilisation: Yes

The newest in the line-up of GoPros is undoubtedly its most powerful yet. The all-new processor twinned with the new HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilisation system means you’re guaranteed GoPro’s most effective footage yet – smooth across all frame rates and with a fast user interface backed up by the new processor, which makes a surprising amount of difference. Design-wise, there’s little change, but the changes under the hood make it a worthwhile addition and upgrade for many GoPro fans.

Best: For latest cutting-edge tech

Rating: 9/10

• Weight: 158g
• 4K Footage: Yes, at 60fps; 5K at 50fps available
• Waterproof: 10m
• Stabilisation: Yes

The previous version of the GoPro, as you’d imagine, still packs a punch with 5K recording and the addition of a highly useful front-facing screen. With the new processor included in the 10 Black, the hero9’s touchscreen and general interface response is found a little lacking in comparison, but for most casual or enthusiast users, we don’t think this will be a deal-breaker. What’s more, as it’s slightly older tech, there are some significant deals to be found across retailers.

Best: For 4K video

Rating: 9/10

• Weight: 126g
• 4K Footage: Yes, at 60fps
• Waterproof: 10m
• Stabilisation: Yes

We rate the Hero8 black as it still offers great camera ability for the price, as well as GoPro’s class-leading capture and stabilisation systems. If you can go without a front-facing screen and a 5K recording mode, which we think most people will, you can get this version for nearly £100 less than the newer Hero9 black model. It still has the same “hyper smooth” technology and can film 4K video up to 60fps.

Best: For 36-degree footage

Rating: 8/10

• Weight: 121g
• 4K footage: Yes, at 30fps
• Waterproof: 5m
• Stabilisation: Yes

This one is a little bit of a different option, offering a fully modular design that allows a 360-degree lens to be plugged into a conventional core action camera. Perhaps our only criticism is that for the full package, it does seem a little expensive when you compare it with the state-of-the-art GoPro, but we really liked the flexibility and versatility of this camera, providing 360-degree recording, a nice and easy-to-use touchscreen and generally well-thought-out packaging and design.

Best: For all-out action

Rating: 8/10

• Weight: 88g
• 4K footage: Yes, at 30fps
• Waterproof: No (40m with case)
• Stabilisation: Yes (not in 4K)

A nice large touchscreen and voice-activated operation make this offering from Garmin a good choice for those looking to record action quickly and easily. It doesn’t have stabilisation at 4K, which is a shame, and you do have to purchase the case separately, but in general we found footage from this camera to be excellent and the voice-operated “on/off” more useful than you might expect.

Best: For budget-conscious buyers

Rating: 7/10

• Weight: 127g
• 4K Footage: Yes, at 30fps
• Waterproof: 1m without case and 30m with included case
• Stabilisation: Yes

We’ve included this as a more of a budget option, but in all honesty, although it’s affordable compared with other options, it’ll be perfect for most people and adequately filmed what we wanted it to in a number of different situations. It can shoot 4K and 20MP stills, and we thought its front screen was a really nice added extra for the price. There are downsides – the stabilisation is perhaps not quite what others offer – but in general, this is a great package that anyone starting out in the world of action cameras would be wise to consider.

Best: For slow motion footage

Rating: 8/10

• Weight: 110g
• 4K Footage: Yes
• Waterproof: 10m
• Stabilisation: Yes

Sony’s offering provides a 1in sensor and the ability to shoot incredible slow-mo in 1000fps bursts, which is a market leader in this respect. It’s an ultimate premium model – and very expensive – but we’d recommend this as the camera to look at if you’re dedicated to professional shooting and are looking for image quality, especially when it comes to slow-mo and low-light conditions, over anything else. As we said, it’ll set you back, but there are some deals to be had at the moment so it’s definitely worth considering.

Best: For portability

Rating: 9/10

• Weight: 117g
• 4K footage: Yes, at 60fps
• Waterproof: No
• Stabilisation: Yes

We really like the lightweight nature of the DJI pocket 2, which we felt more than lived up to its name. With full three-axis stabilisation, activetrack 3.0 and a handy AI editor for edits and cuts on the fly, it’s a worthwhile addition to any action camera fan’s arsenal. It offers 4K footage at 60fps and can also capture 64MP photos, which is incredibly handy for those looking for an alternative to the filmmaking focus of other cameras on this list.