The action camera landscape has changed a lot over time. Several years ago there were few who could afford a good performing pocket camera, because the prices were oriented upwards. Now on the scene there are a myriad of low cost models, which often offer a rather poor image quality.
Akaso V50 Pro falls within the circle of economic action cameras, but it stands out because it really offers an above average quality, able to stand out among competitors in the same price range. 4K is stunning for what it costs!
Equipment and aesthetics
Let's start with aesthetics. The sales package does not hide the similarities with a GoPro. At first glance it almost seems to have a GoPro in your hands, both for the packaging and for the shape and colors used in the pack. The first difference that immediately catches the eye is the equipment present inside the package. Unlike the more famous room, this Akaso V50 Pro offers a myriad of accessories.
From the waterproof case, to tons of supports for helmets, bike handlebars, to a second battery and a smart band to be worn on the wrist for remote control of photos and videos from the camera. This is a feature that is often appreciated on these low cost rooms, but which this time really makes sense considering the good quality of photos and videos offered by the room.
From an aesthetic point of view, in no uncertain terms, it is one of the best low cost action cameras we have had in our hands. Indeed, it is probably the best. Simple and minimal, it offers a very soft gray color, and is pleasant to the touch: the plastics seem slightly rubberized.
The appearance is similar to those of a thousand other action cameras, except for the fact that on the upper part there are two buttons, one for changing the mode (photo, video, settings, integrated player), the other to activate the shutter. On the back a large 2-inch touchscreen, which allows you to manage all the features of the camera, but which of course does not work and is not usable when the camera is inserted in the underwater cover.
On one side are available MiniUSB port (not micro), Mini HDMI for connection to external monitor / TV, and MicroSD slot, which is not included in the package.
As already mentioned, a smartband is included, with the control keypad to take videos and photos from the wrist, simply by pressing the relative buttons. This is an excellent solution when, for example, the camera is installed on a helmet and therefore with the keypad not too accessible.
Technical features
Before touching the photo and video quality, which we entrust to a gallery taken live with the action cam in hand, it is good to take a look at the technical characteristics displayed on the Akaso V50 Pro card. Features a 14MP Panasonic sensor, and is equipped with the V50 Sunplus iCatch chipset.
This means that the ability to record 4K video is real, native, and that it is not a red herring.
Many, in fact, are the action cameras that boast the wording 4K in the voice resolution, only to discover in daily use that it is an absolutely unusable resolution. In short, Akaso V50 Pro is truly a 4K action cam.
When it comes to autonomy, however, it turns out that the battery is 1100 mAh, enough for about an hour of recording, 40 minutes in 4K. In the package, however, there is a second battery, which allows you to double the autonomy. Moreover, the included battery charger allows you to recharge them both at the same time.
Performance and daily use
The user experience of Akaso V50 Pro, during photo and video recording, turned out to be practically excellent. Easy to use, with some advanced settings on which to intervene, such as support for the H265 codec.
Image stabilization works at all resolutions, with the highest FPS achievable at 720p (120 frames per second), while 1080P hits 60 FPS and 4K hits 30 FPS. There is also the 2K option, again at 40 FPS.
The photo section is very functional, with the ability to switch from one resolution to another, and the ability to adjust the type of scene, including indoor, outdoor, night mode, landscape and more, as well as being able to manage the exposure.
In the settings menu there is also the ability to correct the fish eye effect on the fly, thus offering a flat movie at the edges. an option that not all action cameras have, but which is absolutely enjoyable for those who prefer to have more traditional footage, without the slightest distortion on the sides. Then there is also the possibility to adjust the width of the frame, being able to choose between Super Wide, Wide, Medium and Narrow.
1080P @ 60FPS video :
Let's move on to the quality of the video: for a camera that costs 100 euros, even less in promotion on Amazon, it is excellent, impressive. Very good color capture, even if sometimes the image feels too contrasted, but nothing that cannot be solved in post production. Even the movie out of the box is still pleasant, and does not need deep changes to be pleasant.
4K video @ 30 FPS:
The audio captured by the microphone is also absolutely good. Overall, both the videos and the images have a very good quality, and considering the price what the Akaso V50 offers is impressive. We leave you with a gallery of images taken directly from the action cam, as well as videos recorded at 1080p at 60 FPS, and 4K at 30 FPS.
Application
Of course, not all that glitters is gold. The application, available for free on the App Store and Google Play, leaves a lot to be desired, and there are numerous crashes we encountered, especially when we had to save photos and videos on the smartphone via the wireless connection.
Oddly, it worked better on Android, while with an iPhone X we couldn't finish the export experience successfully. We gave up, and we preferred to insert the microSD on the Mac to copy video files and images. Since with iOS 13 and iPadOS it will be possible to access external memories directly from iPhone and iPad, we recommend proceeding in the same way when the new version of the operating system is available.
Conclusions
If you are looking for an inexpensive action camera for your summer we can only recommend this Akaso V50 Pro. On the one hand because it is equipped with everything, even with waterproof underwater case up to 30 meters, on the other hand because the quality will leave you satisfied. . Forget, however, the use via app: it is dated and full of bugs, and there will be crashes. Not bad, however, it is an aspect that can easily be renounced if you look at the value for money and especially if you look at the 4K quality, really impressive for such a cheap action cam.
PRO
VERSUS
Retail price
Find the camera on Amazon at € 84.79 with a discount compared to € 119 of the standard price for special pre-Christmas discounts
