The Best Action Cameras for All Your Craziest Adventures (2026)

Best Flying Action CameraIf I had to pick a video trend of the year, it'd be solo adventures shot from a third-person point of view—as if you have a film crew following you. If you want to imitate a Hollywood production without the personnel, a drone is an essential piece in your filming kit. Of all the drones I've tested, the Hover Air X Pro is the best at being a flying action camera. It's spendy, and not without its quirks, but no drone is better at following you through all kinds of terrain, and no other drone is this easy to use.All you do is unfold it, hit the power button, select the video mode, and then place the drone on your outstretched palm facing you. Tap the power button again, and it’ll head out to capture your shot. When you're done, it'll land in your hand again. It can follow you at up to 26 mph, shoots up to 8K/30-fps video, and offers 50 GB of built-in storage (expandable by 1 TB via microSD card). The one thing I don't like is the battery life, which is only about 15 minutes in my testing. The flip side to the poor battery life is that the battery is small, meaning you can carry two or three when you go out.WIREDExcellent follow system and obstacle avoidanceSimple operation and range of automated flight modesGood image qualitySmaller and lighter than a DJI FlipTIREDShort battery lifeController costs extraBest for Underwater ActionThe OM System (formerly Olympus) TG-7 isn't a strap-it-to-your-head-and-shred camera, but if you're shooting underwater—a common use case for these cameras—this is your best bet. Besides the Mission 1, the sensor in the TG-7 is the largest of the bunch (it's a 1/2.33-inch CMOS sensor), and this is a seriously tough camera: freeze-proof, crush-proof, dustproof, and shockproof (you can drop it from 7 feet). It also has "real" camera features you won't find elsewhere, like focus stacking for close-ups, an extensive set of add-ons, extra lenses, and even an underwater case that extends its depth rating. The catch is that you probably don't want to strap it to your head, but for certain use cases, it will give you better-looking photos and video in many situations.Alternative: Ricoh's Pentax WG-8 ($477) looks very similar to the TG-7 but costs a bit less and uses a 20-MP sensor instead of the TG-7's 12 MP. Images are sharp, and the LED lights around the lens work remarkably well for macro images. The major limitation is that it only shoots JPG, not RAW photos. But if you don't care about editing your RAW files and just want images straight out of the camera, the WG-8 is a cheaper alternative to the TG-7.WIREDMicro 4/3 sensor captures excellent high res imagesVideo capabilities are dated but still good enough for most (4L/30fps)Large lens with optical zoom (25-100mm)TIREDFuture of Olympus camera line is unclearThe B-RollAbout all those cheap cameras on Amazon: Readers often ask, why spend $400 on a GoPro when they can get a camera with 4K video for $100? It's a fair question, and the answer comes down to software, primarily image stabilization. Action cameras are designed to be strapped to helmets or clipped to your chest while you skydive, rock climb, or race through the city on a scooter. Without stabilization, the results are something even your closest friends won't sit through. So yes, you'll get 4K footage with the cheaper cams, but it'll be footage no one wants to see. In our view, you're better off spending another $100 for an older GoPro or DJI Osmo Action on sale.Best Accessories to Trick Out Your CameraPhotograph: Scott GilbertsonOnce you have an action camera, you're good to go for most use cases. GoPro, Insta360, and DJI all provide helmet mounts and other ways to stick your camera where you want it. But there are some nice extras that can make getting that shot you're dreaming of even easier. Here are a few:A good microSD card: The action camera you buy may include an SD card. Insta360's SD cards are pretty good, actually, but I tend to use SanDisk's Extreme cards because they're fast and waterproof. You can pick up a 512-GB card for around $110. DJI has some specific recommendations for microSD cards to use with the Action 6. Of their list, the one I recommend is the Lexar Professional Silver Plus 512-GB card ($165). Sadly, like all flash-memory products, a shortage has led to skyrocketing microSD card prices.GoPro Media Mod ($100): The Hero 13 Black's sound capture is OK out of the box, but if you want higher-quality audio, this is where you start. Not because the Media Mod mic captures great sound—it's better than the camera, but still not great. What it offers is a microphone jack. Plug in a high-quality microphone, and you'll finally have awesome sound. GoPro has listened to users and wisely included this feature out of the box for the Mission 1 Pro, which will have a media mod as well, but not necessary just to connect external audio.Handlebar/seatpost/pole mount ($40): This is my favorite mount for mountain biking, but it'll also work on ski poles and any other round object you want to clamp it to.Motorcycle accessory bundle ($60): If you ride, this mount for Insta360 cameras (Ace Pro, X5, etc.) is a must-have. It's one of the most secure clamps I've ever used, almost as good as a bench vise.Yallsame tripod mount ($12): Action cameras offer many ways to mount them, but one that's curiously missing is the traditional quarter-inch tripod screw mount. The GoPros have them, but this three-pack of adapters solves the problem for the others.Polarizer and ND filters: If you shoot around water, through glass, or in any other high-glare situation, a polarizing filter will help cut that glare. Neutral density (ND) filters hold back light to let you shoot at a wider aperture in bright light, helping to increase the amount of intentional motion blur. Both are great additions to your action camera kit. Here are the filters by camera:GoPro Mission 1 ND filters ($100): These are hot off the press, and I have not tested them yet, but they work the same way the Hero 13 ND filters below do, automatically adjusting the camera settings when they are attached. This is a godsend for most of us since figuring out the best settings to use with an ND filter on is complicated. GoPro has done all the hard work for you.GoPro Hero 13 Black ND filter Four-Pack ($90): These work like the Mission 1 ND filters above when it comes to automatic adjustment, but I have used these quite a bit. They're great for increasing the motion blur in fast shots on bright, sunny days—especially if there's snow on the ground.DJI ND filter set for the Action 6 ($79): The Action 6 does not automatically detect and adjust settings, but depending on what you're shooting, there are plenty of guides online to getting good results with these filters.Insta360 Ace Pro 2 ND Filters ($122): These strangely expensive filters work well with the Ace Pro 2.Third-party ND filters: These are very hit-or-miss. Beware of slip-on filters as they often cause internal reflections. Others I've tried have had some pretty bad vignetting. For older GoPros, I like Freewell's polarizing and ND filters ($20). I suggest starting with an 8-stop ND or combo ND and polarizing filter.Floaty ($35): Another one for the water shooters, but well worth the money since it'll keep your GoPro from ending up at the bottom of the sea. I haven't tried it, but there's one for the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 ($26) as well. DJI doesn't make an official case for the Action 6, but there is a floating grip ($59).Selfie stick ($25): Surprisingly for someone who hates being on camera, I've tested a lot of selfie sticks, and they're almost all fine, but I keep grabbing this Insta360 version when I head out the door. It's lightweight, small enough to fit at the bottom of my bag, and it's affordable. If you want to go big, this Insta360 Extended Edition Selfie Stick ($100) can imitate a low-flying drone, perfect for use in national parks and other places where drones are forbidden.