I recently posted about my ailing Polaroid Cube+ and stated that I’m trying to find a replacement.
Well, I bought the Akaso Brave 7 LE. While Akaso offers the Brave 8, I wanted to use Amazon to purchase it (in case the camera was crap) – they don’t offer the Brave 8 on Amazon.
The pros:
- The camera costs $118 USD.
- The camera comes with many different mounts using the same form factor as GoPro (so you can mix/match parts with your GoPro mounts).
- The camera is wifi-capable.
- The Brave 7 LE has a front and rear screen
- The camera is capable of 4K resolution.
- It is water resistant – no waterproof case is needed for quick splashes.
The cons:
- Audio quality is bad, even outside of it’s waterproof case. It only has one mic, which is probably why audio quality is so bad.
- Bad quality as far as low lighting is concerned, granted, action cameras in general don’t do so well in low light environments.
- When using the smartphone app to connect to the camera, it is required that you disable you phone’s mobile data service.
- Firmware support is weird. There’s nowhere you can download firmware (for updates) on their webpage.
The camera has a ton of capabilities and those configuration options can be changed quickly from the phone app or from the camera itself.
The camera display’s UI is quick and simple.
Initially, I had issues with image quality when using it as a range camera, but found that I should use higher FPS settings (I was recording at 1080P). I almost returned the camera when I compared footage with my GoPro Hero 4, which was outperforming the Akaso. I found that the Hero 4 was set to capture at 1080P/60FPS and that I was recording on the Akaso at 1080P/30FPS. When testing the Akaso at 1080P/60FPS, the video footage was much more clearer than before.
The only thing I truly do not like about this camera is it’s crappy audio, but since this is a range camera, I don’t need superb audio…the footage I’ll be collecting will consist mostly of very loud gunshots.
As soon as I’ve 1080P/60FPS footage, I’ll post it up. It should be close to equal what the Hero 4 generates (we’ll see).
UPDATE (11/12/2023):
In my user experience, this camera does NOT record good footage in low light conditions. I can somewhat mitigate this by manipulating the camera’s EV settings. The settings can be adjusted between -2.0 to 0 to 2.0. I’ve found that in low level contitions, I’ve to be below 0, otherwise the footage is quite grainy.
I’ve older range footage that this camera recorded, but I can’t remember the exact EV settings that was used in that footage. Keep in mind that the light conditions at that range (Elite Shooting Sports) wasn’t dark or lacking. The footage appears to be quite yellow and a tad bit grainy, even with good lighting.
I’ll take the Akaso Brave to the range with me when I next visit the range (possibly tomorrow evening). I’ll try both -2.0 and 0 EV setting values (and verbally state, on camera, which values I’ll be using).
Here’s the older footage I have:
UPDATE 2 (11/12/2023):
Well, the battery compartment latch broke completely off tonight. While the battery will not faill completely out of the camera, the battery will not stay stationary within the compartment. The camera has never been dropped, so this isn’t an issue of accidental damage.
This SUCKS! I’ve accessories that can only be used with this particular camera!
Luckily, I bought an extended warranty on the camera. While it didn’t cost all that much, I was approved for a full refund.
I don’t really want a refund but this problem isn’t going to fix itself, and the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.
I guess I need another camera, sooner than later. I’m still using the Hero 4 as my primary camera, but since that camera is so old, the Brave 7 LE was the standby camera.