Amazon's second Prime Day of the year is now happening, offering sharp shooting shoppers the chance to swoop up some bargains before Black Friday and Christmas. If you’re in the market for the best action camera your budget can buy, this is a good time to set your sights on scoring a deal. Here are some models we suggest you keep your eye on over the next 48 hours.
The GoPro Hero 11 Black was released amid much excitement last month, and promptly shot to the top of the best action camera list, as rated by our experts. Upgrades to the new model include a new, larger sensor, which delivers the highest resolution, highest 10-bit colour depth, highest level of video stabilisation and widest field of view ever featured natively in a HERO camera. Despite being brand spanking new, there are some deals to be had on this model during the Early Access Prime Day sale, currently on.
The GoPro HERO 10 Black was easily the best action camera on the market until the HERO 11 arrived last month, but the improvements on the new model are incremental rather than revolutionary, and the HERO 10 remains a brilliant camera, delivering 5.3K video at 60FPS (or 4K at a blistering 120FPS) and stills up to 23MP. And, with the GoPro HERO 11 Black stealing the headlines, your chances of finding a GoPro HERO 10 Black for a bargain price have just soared.
Even better deals can be found for the Go-Pro HERO 9 Black, which was first released two years ago but is still a solidly brilliant action camera. It was the first HERO to feature the front-facing screen, so if you’re after a camera that will allow you to frame yourself in shot, this is the oldest GoPro you should go for. It also boasts a removable lens cover.
For those who aren’t worried about the lack of a front facing screen, the GoPro HERO 8 Black is the action camera that arguably offers the very best value for money on the market today, and if you can get it at a further reduced price, you’re really winning. The GoPro HERO 8 Black was the first HERO to offer frameless performance, with two folding fingers at its base removing the need for a case when you want to mount the camera.
While GoPro cameras continue to dominate the market, there are some excellent alternatives out there, including the Insta360 One RS, which really offers something different, with its ultra-flexible and super-fun modular design. Once you have the ONE RS Core (the control model), a battery module and mounting bracket, you can then interchange numerous lenses depending on the situation, choosing from a 4K Boost Lens, 360 Lens or 1-Inch Wide Angle Lens. In our Insta360 ONE RS review, our tester was especially impressed with the build and image quality, and found the swap-and-switch setup compelling, effective and fun to fiddle with.
Better known for being the brand behind the best drones on the market, DJI also make cameras and their top model is the DJI Action 2, which works via an innovative modular approach. There’s a robust and compact main camera unit, to which accessory units – including an extra battery and a front-facing screen – can be snapped on magnetically as required, to extend the camera's capabilities. See how this model matches up against the GoPro HERO 10 Black here.
As the name suggests, this Prime Early Access sale is only open to Prime members, and note that, on 15th September 2022, the price of a Prime subscription went up. The monthly cost for standard Prime members is now £8.99 and the annual subscription is now £95. However, if you’re new to Prime, it’s available on a 30-day free trial for all new members, and you can cancel within that time without being charged, having scored yourself a bargain. If that appeals, sign up to Prime here.