Akaso V50 Elite action camera review 2020

Spare batteries and accessories galore make a travel-friendly alternative to a GoPro 

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Are you looking for one of the best value action cameras? If so, it’s worth considering the best-selling Akaso brand, which continues to pump out good value and nicely priced action cameras to challenge GoPro. However, while most GoPro competitors include a pared-down feature set, the Akaso V50 Elite action camera includes some top-drawer features. As a bonus, it also piles on the accessories. TravGear.com took the Akaso V50 Elite for a spin. 

Akaso V50 Elite: design

Although it has a fairly rudimentary design, this action camera is all about streamlining. It’s got a unique soft-touch chassis, and unlike most action cameras doesn’t have a fiddly cover over its SD card slot and micro-USB recharging slot. That makes it really convenient to use, though it also means that the Akaso V50 Elite is only waterproof if it’s used with an underwater cover. Happily, there’s one of those in the box, which allows users to go down to 131 ft/40m underwater. TravGear.com also loves its  1/4-inch tripod thread, which means it can be mounted on any tripod, and its micro HDMI port, which means all video can be outputted to a TV. 

However, what we liked most about the Akaso V50 Elite’s design is the provision of two 1,050mAh batteries and a dual USB charger in the box. That’s really going to help usability while traveling.  

Akaso V50 Elite: features

The key feature is 4K at 60 frames per second (fps). That’s the highest quality video capture available in the mainstream action camera market, so it’s good to see it on this challenger action camera. So too is a “wrist remote” to allow no-touch recording. 

There’s also an app for iOS and Android smartphones that allows real-time live views over WiFi and swaps files from camera to phone. 

Akaso V50 Elite: performance

Although voice control works well (“Action Photo” and “Action Start Video” both work, though they are a bit of a mouthful), it’s the Akaso V50 Elite’s 8x zoom digital function that we like most from a usability standpoint. It’s also got a mode to straighten the curved look of video shot through its 170-degree wide-angle lens. It takes excellent still photos in 20 MP resolution (both in JPEG and RAW) and shoots video in 4K/60fps, 4K/30fps, 2.7K/60fps, 2.7K/30fps, 1080p/120fps and 720p/240fps. 

Detail, color, and contrast impress, though like most action cameras is it excels only in good lighting conditions. We were also impressed by its Advanced Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), which keeps fast-action footage reasonably smooth on playback. 

Akaso V50 Elite: conclusion

The Akaso V50 Elite is a good, solid, and value-laden attempt at creating an alternative to a GoPro action camera. It’s not quite as polished an attempt as the market leaders, but it’s got core quality for video and photos and comes laden down with accessories galore.