Akaso V50 Pro SE Review
GoPro practically invented the “tiny action camera” market, but it’s been having a tough time of late. Dozens of competitors have sprung up offering similar cameras for less money, and customers have paid attention.
One of the more successful of those competitors is Akaso. The company has sold a range of low-cost GoPro clones for a few years, and recent versions have offered impressive specifications for the price.
Akaso’s V50 Pro Special Edition action camera is a wallet-friendly little action shooter that punches well above its weight class. If you’ve been searching for a decent-quality 4K cam you can use underwater, but you don’t want to spend GoPro money for it, keep reading.
For such a small camera, the box for the Akaso V50 Pro SE seemed surprisingly large when it showed up at my door. The reason for that became clear as I opened it: there was a vast array of accessories under the plastic display case.
There were two extra batteries, and an external charger and cable for them. There was a handlebar mount, helmet mount, flat mounts with sticky strips for surfboards, and others that I still haven’t figured out a use for.
A chunky wrist-mounted remote control toppled out, along with bags of cable ties and velcro strips. There were extra mounting screws and a plastic wrench to tighten them, a cleaning cloth, and a little safety tether. Let’s not forget the mounting frame or spare backdoor section either.
Basically, if you need a standard type of mount for your action camera, there’s a pretty good chance it’ll come in the box. While some of them felt a little flimsy, with screw caps popping out and the like, they all clipped securely into place, and it’s impossible to argue with the value.
The V50 Pro will use pretty much any old microSD card you’ve got lying around, but you’ll need a UHS-III class card to record 4k/60fps video. If your card is too slow, you’ll get a message to that effect and will need to select a lower recording rate or replace the card.
While the camera itself feels quite premium, you can’t say the same for its software. The interface is pretty basic, and not particularly intuitive.
I didn’t find the touchscreen overly responsive either, and it often took two or three attempts to get it to register a finger tap. Still, it does the job, and you probably won’t be digging deep through the menus all that often after the initial setup anyway.
PACKAGING AND UNBOXING
- 1x akaso v50 pro se câmera de ação
- 3x 1100mAh Battery;
- Battery Charger;
- Waterproof Case;
- Remote Control;
- Bicycle Stand;
- 10x Mount;
- 2x Helmet Mount;
- Bandages;
- 5x Tethers;
- Protective Backdoor;
- USB Cable;
- Lens Cloth;
- Quick Reference Guide.
DESCRIPTION
About the special edition: Akaso joins the access background and launches this special edition of the action cam v50 pro. A part of the product of each unit sold will go directly to the access bottom, supporting the environmental preservation of climbing areas in danger for current and future generations.
What's special :
- Compared to the normal v50 pro, the 4k60 videos, 3 batteries and a wrist strap are included in the accessory kit. Last but not least, a black camera with the white access background logo printed in silk on the front panel is simply commemorative!
- Qualit excellent imaging :Offers impressive 4k60, 1080p120, 720p240 and 20 mp video images.
- Electronic image stabilization (eis) and 6-axis gyroscope automatically detects position or change of motion and ensures smooth and stable images even when the camera is tilted, moved or shaken.
- Adjustable field of view: You have the option to adjust the camera's angle of view, varying from very wide, wide, medium and narrow, according to personal preferences or location requirements. You also have lens distortion correction (ldc) if curved or fisheye clamps are not desired.
- Built-in Wi-fi and hdmi:Download the isismart pro+ pro application on your smartphone and pair it with the action camera, it's simple and fast to celebrate the last trip of climbing, snowboarding, scuba diving or biking in social media.
- The hdmi port allows you to display your adventure on a larger tv screen.
Despite the low price, however, it doesn’t look or feel cheaply made. The outer material is soft rather than hard plastic, and while the front is dominated by a large white Leave No Trace logo, it doesn’t seem tacky.
The 2″ touchscreen on the back isn’t super-high resolution, but it’s nice and bright even in direct sunlight. One side holds the micro-USB charging port, a microSD card slot, and micro-HDMI for outputting to a TV or monitor if you’re so inclined. You can also plug an external mic into the USB slot.
The top holds a pair of round buttons that control power, shutter, and switching between modes. Other than grills for the internal microphone and speaker, that’s about it for external features.
As with most action cameras these days, there’s a wide range of advertised features beyond just taking photos and video. Time-lapse, burst mode, and self-timer are all pretty standard fare, but there’s also a diving mode (to compensate for the loss of red light at depth), and an auto-start mode to let you use the camera as a dashcam.
Extras like lens distortion correction (to reduce the curved, fish-eye effect of the wide-angle lens), wind noise cancellation, and image stabilization are also included.
Unlike recent GoPro models, the Akaso V50 Pro SE isn’t water-resistant by itself. You’ll need to put it in the bundled case for that, which is rated down to 130 feet (40m).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Video Resolution:
4K@60FPS, 4K@30FPS, 2.7K@30FPS, 1080p@120FPS, 1080p@60FPS, 1080p@30FPS, 720p@240FPS, 720p@120FPS, 720p@60FPS
- Video Format: MOV (H.264/AVC), MOV (H.265/HVEC)
- Photo Resolution / Image Format: 20M JPEG
- Dimensions: 60.2*41*31.5mm
- Storage: MicroSD (up to 64GB)
- Display: 2” LCD
- Operation: Wrist-strap RF remote control, App via WiFI
- Battery: 3 X 1100mAh
- Audio: internal microphone, external microphone support
- Mode features: Burst Photo/ Time Lapse Photo/ Time Lapse Video/ Slow Motion Movie/ Fast Motion Movie
FEATURES
Inside, however, it’s a different camera, whether that’s through hardware or software, it’s difficult to tell, but the results for the specifications are quite different.
First of all, there’s native 4K at 60fps, 1080p at 120fps and 720p at 240fps, and there are a few lower framerate choices at each resolution. Then there’s the ability to shoot stills at up to 20mp, one of the top buttons enables you to scroll through the modes.
On the back of the camera is the large 2-inch IPS touch screen that enables you to preview and review your shots as well as navigate the settings and options when the waterproof housing is removed.
A prominent feature these days is the image stabilisation and here you have the option for 4K at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps which is pretty decent.
As ever there’s WiFi built-in and the accompanying App which is again fully featured and exceptionally easy to use.
Other features include wind noise reduction, adjustable view angle, input and output Mini USB, the remote control that can found in the box sits alongside a vast selection of accessories and three batteries.
Finally, the camera comes in a 130-foot waterproof housing,
BUILD AND HANDLING
The AKASO V50 Pro SE is a beautifully designed camera and different from the usual material style adopted by so many other manufacturers.
It does as ever come in a waterproof housing which is kept closed by a single lever lock on the top. The camera is held firm inside the housing, but once the lever is released, the camera is easy enough to remove.
A nice feature of the housing is the flat lens on the front, which makes it easy to clean and is especially important as we head into winter.
On the base of the housing are the two-prong GoPro mounts enabling it to be attached with ease to most GoPro accessories.
On the top are two buttons that are used to power on the camera and then start and stop recording. The other button is used to switch through the modes.
With the housing in place, the touch screen can’t be used, so you need to get the settings sorted before it’s popped in, or use the remote or mobile app.
Another alternative is to use the cage that comes in the box.
The waterproof housing does have buttons on the exterior but using them to navigate some of the settings can leave you in a dead-end scenario. In these instances, you hit an options screen, and there’s no obvious way out.
With the camera firmly fixed to whatever it is you want to attach it to the camera is as good as any. Hit one button to record and again to stop.
The screen on the back is clear and bright and gives you an excellent preview of what it is you’re filming.
The waterproof housing while obstructive to settings changes does do a fantastic job of keeping the camera dry and safe, and in almost all aspects are well designed.
The front lens, especially with its flat easy-clean design, shows other waterproof housings exactly how it should be done.
Out on the water as well as attached to a bike, there is little to fault with the handling and usability, as long as you already have the settings you want set on the camera before popping it inside the housing.
As hands got colder in the water the small metal buttons to start and stop recording do became more difficult to press, but not impossible.
Out of the water and used for more leisurely activities the camera was popped inside the open cage that comes in the box and then popped on to a grip.
The design is simple, and any water or dust protection is instantly removed, but you do have full access to the touch screen.
Used in this way the camera is as good as any, the preview is excellent and the touch screen while not having the full design finesse of GoPro or DJI is still outstanding and easy to navigate.
MY CONCLUSION
When it arrived the overall design and feature set instantly impressed, but it was only when out in the field that this camera revealed it’s full potential. The AKASO V50 Pro SE is streets ahead of its namesakes, it looks great, is well finished, and quality-wise the video footage is excellent.
The quality of the footage at 4K was excellent with plenty of detail and tone at both 30fps and 60fps, something that few other cameras aside from GoPro, DJI and Yi can do.
At 1080p 120fps the footage was impressive, there is a slight fall in quality but not enough to warrant issues. Drop that framerate down to 60fps or 30fps, and again the footage is superb.
As ever the App plays a big part in the usability of the camera and here while basic it gives you direct access to all the essential features and there’s very little to fault.
If I were to pick holes, it would be that despite the excellent touch screen, the camera still resides within the waterproof housing, there’s no GPS or voice control.
Still, those are pretty minor niggles for a device that really does do most things right. It’s a well-constructed little camera that offers 4K/60FPS video, good battery life, and a bunch of useful features. Pricing is extremely competitive, especially given the vast array of mounts and accessories that other companies charge extra for.
If you’re in the market for an action camera with high-end specifications and don’t want the bells, whistles, and price tag of the GoPro range, the Akasao V50 Pro SE should be up the top of your shortlist.
PRICE VS PERFORMANCE
You can find Akaso V50 Pro SE:
- at any Amazon store, and you can find it at 135€
- or from AKASO Website: (15% off code: SEP15OFF)
From the outset, the AKASO V50 Pro SE was a camera that I instantly liked. There’s plenty to like about the design, and real care has been taken over many of the design aspects and choices of materials.
Then you review the footage, and it’s a tale of two. At 4K 30fps the footage is decent enough, proper levels of detail and although only 30fps the smoothness of motion in the frame was excellent.
WHAT I LIKED
- Beatifull Design
- Good Image Quality
- Very affordable price
WHAT I FEEL COULD BE IMPROVED
-Very bad quality of the remote wacth
- Sound quality could be better
