Amazon.com: Customer reviews: AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera Ultra HD with EIS 30m Underwater Waterproof Camera Remote Control 5X Zoom Underwater Camcorder with 2 Batteries and Helmet Accessories Kit

Top positive review

Detailed analysis & tips, during my trip in Hawaii!

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017

Incredible value for the money.
Great quality videos, acceptable photos, fully waterproof, good menu, plenty of accessories.
** Amazon compressed the video. It looks awesome on my computer **

Why did I choose the Akaso Brave?
1. Akaso has a better website (and hopefully support/warranty) compared other action cams I see on Amazon.
2. Olympus Tough TG-5 (amazing camera) was outside my budget.
3. GoPro Hero was way outside my budget.
4. Most waterproof cameras under $400 are mixed with bad reviews indicating leakage.

This camera is with me & the wife right now in Hawaii celebrating our ten year anniversary!

It has done a great job across several hours of salt water snorkeling, exploring beautiful pools, and adventuring in bamboo forests.

The wireless was relatively straightforward so I could transfer the photos and videos to my iPhone easily.

Here's some extra stuff I bought:
1. Flow by microJib ... floating, extendable handle. Worth every penny. Best one I could find.
https://www.amazon.com/Flow-MicroJib-Waterproof-Extendable-Floating/dp/B01MXHWWUA
2. Shoot waterproof diving light (works great; I have not submerged more than 5 feet underwater)
3. Samsung EVO 32GB microSD
4. Tekcam waterproof case (an extra, just in case, have not yet tested)
5. Extra batteries (two original batteries have each given me about 40 minutes of good use so far, so I have not tested new batteries)

When I need it handy, I store the Flow handle, my flash, and action cam (all connected ready to go) inside of two big socks.

What don't I like about this camera?
1. No lens protector :( so be careful to store your plastic waterproof case in a sock!
2. No ability to buy extra cases from the manufacturer (had to by 3rd party).
3. Included Remote control is not waterproof/submersible; there is no way to buy replacements from manufacturer.
4. Not quite the same quality as GoPro or Olympus TG-5 (but close for most people, and costs much less).
5. Photos: not nearly the same quality as iPhone or Samsung Android, but still acceptable.
6. Less support, no user manual, etc.

Here are some tips (for most people):
1. See my attached photo for how to insert microSD.
2. The screen will shut off to save battery. Tap the down button to turn it back on. (when snorkeling, for example)
3. When in video recording mode, tap the down arrow to turn microphone on or off.
4. In the menu, 1080 30 fps is a great high-quality video choice.
5. In the menu, 5M or 8M will be decent for images/photos, for most people. (Larger values increase the storage size & print size).
6. In the menu, turn OFF the loop recording, date stamp, motion detection, and beep sound. (for most people)
7. In the menu, set Auto Off to 10 minutes (for snorkeling/ adventuring).
8. In the menu, set Quality to fine.
9. In the menu, play around with Angle.
Wider angles can be more fisheye for objects on the edge, but wide is great for snorkeling.
10. Yes you CAN delete photos/videos from the preview mode on screen.
Hold the up arrow and push the enter button on top; you will be prompted what to delete.

Overall I am super super pleased.
Incredible value, easy to use.
Great videos and acceptable photos. Lots of features and accessories.

This review is sincere. If the action cam disappoints in the future, I'll update my review.

1,615 people found this helpful

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jman995x

1 BATTERY ONLY LASTS 25 MINUTES FULLY CHARGED & CROOKED CUSTOMER SERVICE- BEWARE!!

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2020

Why does this company LIE here in the product description saying the battery life is up to 90 minutes?!?! That's a TOTAL LIE!!! We've had these cameras (THREE OF THEM!) for a FULL YEAR now and batteries will only last about 20-30mins. fully charged!!! Worst battery life ever!!!!

Aside from that, I'm pleased with other features of the product, but the battery life is totally a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. Had I known this BEFORE we made our purchase, we wouldn't have bought THREE cameras. I mean, 20 minutes battery life is absolutely RIDICULOUS when you're using this cameras to capture outside adventures and such! TOTAL CRAP!

***** UPDATE MAY 20, 2020: THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL TRY TO BUY YOUR RATING/REVIEW!
I LOWERED THEIR RATING FROM THE ORIGINAL 2 STARS TO 1 STAR DUE TO "QUESTIONABLE" CUSTOMER SERVICE TACTICS!
An Akaso customer service representative reached out to me via email last week due to my low rating review. On her very first email she offered a replacement kit (camera & batteries) at NO cost or a partial refund so I could be a "satisfied Akaso customer". I then replied that a replacement doesn't really do me ANY good, since their battery life is total garbage. She replied that: "we do not hear from other customer's complain", she then offered again a new replacement kit (camera & batteries), and then also said: "Would you please update the comment to 5 stars to reflect our customer service in advance?"
In my reply email I told her she could mail me a new kit, however, I wasn't going to LIE and change my rating from 2 starts (which is now 1) to 5 just because she was going to send me a new kit with the same crappy batteries. My 2 start rating was based on the product (or in this case, the battery life), not on their customer service.
Upon receiving my email saying this, she then replied: "In this case we may could not send you a new camera but we can still send you a battery kit, does it work for you?"
I could NOT believe my eyes! She backed out of her original offer and flat out expressed that since I wasn't going to change my rating to five stars, then she wouldn't honor her initial offer to me. I was so disgusted by this horrible way to conduct business by trying to BUY PEOPLE'S REVIEWS/RATINGS, so I replied back telling her that I was going to expose her customer service and lower their rating to 1 star due to this. So that's what I'm doing right now. I still can't believe the nerve of these people! What kind of "customer service" is that?!?!

158 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Magpie

Not great. Was expecting much better.

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2022

Verified Purchase

I really wish I'd set the camera to a higher resolution--- I followed a recommendation off one of these leading Amazon reviews, and when we got home from our trip the photos are all so grainy. Pretty disappointing.

The photos are okay. The video is okay. I'm glad I have them, but they don't capture the snorkeling experience very well. On a previous trip I used a different underwater camera (no longer available) and the photos were much better. I found it difficult to use the zoom feature at all because the screen and buttons are so tiny. The buttons are also so limited that it's tricky to remember what to press in order to get the functions you need....kind of like a digital watch with 100 features but only four buttons. You can do it, but it's frustrating at times.

Photos were best when they were taken in shallow water, close to the subject. The photos I shared above are straight off the camera. When you zoom in on them at all, it's pixel city. :/ I would suggest setting your resolution as high as it can go.

Battery life was fine-- we didn't need the back up set of batteries we bought and brought along.

One person found this helpful

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Plumb

Great video quality, bad batteries & wrist remote; generous but mediocre mounting accessories

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

I purchased this for last ski season but never got to use it. I finally used it for the first time this ski season this past week. All in all, it performed very well, albeit with a few notable problems.

First, the good:
- The video quality appears excellent. I did not record at full 4k yet, instead opting for slightly smaller files with 2560x1440 resolution. Nonetheless, the video footage captured looks very detailed and sharp, and the colors look very good; the wide dynamic range appears to work well, capturing detail in shadows as well as the bright areas on a sunny ski slope with hard shadows just as effectively as on overcast days with very little available dynamic contrast.
- Wifi is a nice feature for dynamically viewing the camera's feed.
- There is a very nice assortment of different mounts to help in achieving the right mounting configuration.
- The files captured without any flaws that I've noticed so far; no dropped frames or other anomalies, and with no corruption of any kind preventing playback on either the camera or my computer.

Now, the not-so-good:
- The included pair of batteries don't last long. Additionally, one of the two batteries inflated its case on its first charge. The included charger also does not turn off the lights when the batteries have reached what I presume to be full charge. I had to simply time them, and upon jostling the charger or removal+reinsertion of the batteries, the light would then change from red to blue. The inflated battery is a safety risk, and barely fit in the camera, but since it was my only choice, I did go ahead and use it, and was able to at least get a bit more footage than if I only relied on the non-inflated battery pack.
- It's a pain to start and stop the video with confidence. The included wrist strap controller has a strap that is too short to be worn over gloves or a coat, and the one that came with my set appears to be non-functional anyway. The battery was nearly dead the first time I used it, but even after swapping with a fresh, identical-type battery, the wrist strap didn't work for me at all once I was on the ski slopes; I simply left it at the hotel the remainder of my ski trip. This meant I had to remove my helmet (where I had mounted the camera) to view the screen and ensure I had successfully started the video for each run.
- Photos had excessive compression or something; I only tried taking actual photographs with this camera a couple of times, but both images came out looking extremely pixelated and with visible artifacts. I would not rely on this for any sort of print-quality photos.
- While I listed the wifi feature in the "good" list above, it was also bad, as it was a pain to use. I had hoped I'd be able to check via my phone quickly to ensure I had the camera angled correctly, but switching the wifi on to do so was so cumbersome that I didn't bother. Also, the wifi is extremely slow for transferring the video. Obviously not the ideal way to transfer the large files, but I had forgotten my card reader and figured I'd try doing it wirelessly. It took an hour to transfer about 3 GB. Obviously it's running with a pretty slow wifi protocol.
- It was difficult to reliably stop and turn off the camera without looking at it. Hitting either the power or video start/stop button once only illuminates the screen. I found I had to hit the button once, then press and hold the power button again to actually succeed at turning the camera off to save battery during the ski lift rides where I didn't dare remove my helmet.
- Some of the included mounts have insufficient-length screw handles, such that the screw handle itself impacted the bottom of the camera case while trying to tighten it. Also, the mount I decided to use with my helmet-mounted clip did not stay as snug in the clip as I would have expected, so there was some movement in it. Luckily it didn't cause too much jitter in my video as my helmet wasn't vibrating that much due to the shock absorption provided by my neck ;)
- It would be nice if a curved mounting clip were included; I purchased one separately to affix to my helmet.
- All the footage I took on my 3rd and 4th days of my trip had date modified stamps on the files for the year 2000; somehow, my settings on the camera had been lost. I don't know if it was because my batteries died too early in the day during day 2, or because perhaps I left the batteries out of the camera too long while charging both simultaneously that evening. Either way, it would be nice if the chosen date/time settings would not have been lost so easily. At least it didn't appear to lose my other settings.
- The screen interface was a bit busy, and I had a little difficulty easily seeing that I'd successfully started the video recording on the first day; I mistakenly thought the constant ticking clock on the lower right was the indicator that the video was running, when it was actually another clock that is in the upper right corner. I'm not sure why the current time (what I realized was counting by, to the second, in the lower right corner) is even shown on the interface at all; it seems unnecessary and distracting.

I know I have far more negatives than positives, but, other than the blown-up battery and the non-functional wrist remote, most everything is minor and, in my opinion, not a show-stopper when you're looking to buy a more budget-friendly camera such as this one. The overall price/performance is very good. Hopefully my experience with the blown up battery from the get-go and the dysfunctional remote is not common.

4 people found this helpful

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Jobany

1080p max otherwise everything is choppy

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2022

Verified Purchase

Camera is what is expected for the price range. It offers 1080p/2k/4k video recording. However everything over 1080p is 30fps or less and super choppy. You have to leave it on 1080p to get decent video recording. The light sensor some times doesn't always auto adjust properly. If you turn it on inside a building where there is less light then move to a brighter location like outdoors the adjustment doesn't always happen and the footage is all washed out and over exposed.

If you are fine recording 1080p/60fps then this is a pretty decent camera for the price. Time lapse feature is pretty cool as well. I have used that a few times and it does very well.

2 people found this helpful

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Vicki

Fine, I could do that

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought this to take on vacation so I could take pics under water. When I tried it out before leaving, it worked okay, but when you turn it on, it is automatically set on video and you have to push the mode button for pic. Fine, I could do that. After less than a week, as soon as it was turned on, the video started recording, I would have to stop the video, then go to camera. I have a LOT of 2 second videos of the ground, trying to get to camera. Then the mode button would not work right. I am very disappointed. The pictures I did manage to get were good, but I ended up buying a waterproof case for my phone for the whole vacation. Also, the Wi-Fi did not connect, so I had to wait until I got home to transfer to my laptop. Update: Customer service replied immediately to help me. Please see below. I may eventually come back and give it a 5 star, we will see.

11 people found this helpful

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L.M.

Pretty good for the price

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

I used this camera on the ski hills with my kids. It worked pretty well and I wasn't afraid to damage it. Even after wiping out several times it still worked great. The menu takes a lot of getting used to, not easy to use. My son loves using it.

Update: The seller contacted me repeatedly to offer a refund or 2nd free camera in exchange for a 5 star review. They said that they just wanted to make it right but are insistent on my changing the review. While the customer service may be great, this changes nothing about the function of the actual device and does not warrant a 5 star review. If you want a better review, make a better camera.

4 people found this helpful

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Phonda

Plastic breaks easily but customer service extremely responsive

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2020

Verified Purchase

My son got this for his Birthday with grand plans to film his mountain bike adventures. He got one test run in before the plastic tab that locks it on to the bike helmet broke. You should also know that there is no app for Apple devices. To top it off we can’t return it because we are outside of the return window. That will teach me to buy Birthday gifts early.

Update: I was contacted by customer service and was sent several replacement clips. So far the new clip had held. Akaso customer service has been very responsive and has worked hard to make sure the issue is resolved.
Update 12/28/2020: Akaso customer service continues to contact me asking me to update my review to 5 stars or delete it. While their customer service is extremely attentive the clips still break easily.

3 people found this helpful

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Amy

solid hardware, software can be a deal breaker

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

The hardware meets the expectation of a ~$100 budget camera. The software (firmware + phone app) is flawed.

- difficult to operate when out of sight . The camera lacks "one-press capture" function as GoPro. When you mount it on helmet or chest and want to start/end recording, you will have to press buttons in a sequence (by memorizing it) and listen to the audio feedback. It can be error prone due to ambient noise and the insulation of the waterproof case. e.g. I found myself shooting 20 min of burst photos instead of a video as I intended. Too bad.

- flawed remote control. The remote is a good idea poorly executed. When the "screensaver" is on (screen is dim), pressing remote buttons won't start/end recording but just light up the screen. You will have to manually swipe on the screen to unlock it! But isn't the remote supposed to free you from touching the camera? The lack of remote control exacerbates the out-of-sight operation described above.

- volatile date/time. They reset whenever swapping batteries -- no matter how fast I tried to be. The only way to retain date/time is to use a USB cable powering the camera during the swap, which cannot be done in the field.

- poor phone app. awkward connect and sync videos. You can check out the Play Store or App store reviews (2 star rating).

CONCLUSION. The problem seems that AKASO spends too low budget on firmware and app. And I doubt if they will change the behavior. (despite their friendly and responsive customer service). As a result, although the hardware is OK for ~$100 price, the software weakness badly hurts the camera's usability for many outdoor and vlogging uses. Perhaps as a secondary, beater camera? But then why not a used GoPro.

One person found this helpful

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MDC

Difficult to download pictures and video

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2022

Verified Purchase

My main complaint is that it's difficult to download pictures and video from this camera to your computer. You have to remove the microSD card from the camera and plug it into an card reader adapter in your computer to download it directly. Repeatedly doing this to a microSD card will shorten its life. You can also download it via wi-fi to your iPhone, but you have to set the iPhone up to connect to the camera's wi-fi, and there's a fixed 1-2-3-4... password in the camera that can not be modified, so it's a security risk. Also, your iPhone will not download 4K or 2.7K videos, so you have to transfer your microSD card to your computer to download those files. There's a micro USB port on the camera, but apparently it's just for charging. I tried connecting it to my computer's USB port, but could not see any stored files that way.

The camera comes with a waterproof housing for use underwater, and that is probably it's best feature. I haven't had the opportunity to use it underwater yet, but the housing is easy to use. There's also a bunch of mounting hardware for mounting on a bicycle handle bar or on a helmet, but it's trial and error with how to assemble the mountings, as the instructions are only pictures, no text.

Overall, there's a significant learning curve to using this camera, but once you get past that, it's a good value for the price.

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LARRY ROBERT JONES

Some good things and some not-so-good-things.

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

After using it only two times, I accidentally dropped it, while in it's protective, waterproof case, from a height about about 2.5 feet onto the asphalt, and it still works, so it's pretty tough.

The video recording quality is excellent, as is the video stabilization function.

On the downside (thus my 3-star and not a 5-Star rating) like other action cameras, for lengthy recordings, it saves the recording into multiple files, but this one doesn't create files with a clean break between between the ending frame of one file and the beginning frame of the next file. Instead they'll be duplicate frames in the next file in the sequence of files, so one is forced to find the end frame of the previous file and join it to the next sequential frame in the following file. It really slows down the editing processes when one has to join together the multiple files into a seamless video.

Another shortfall is the difficulty in determining if the camera is in record mode when it is in it's holding bracket. When it is the red recording light is very difficult to see as is the power-on light.

2 people found this helpful

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Owl-iver Designs

Camera works : app doesn't

Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

So I've set it up, charged the battery, and got my systems locked in place for my video. We shoot the video, downloaded the app and the app would not work and we have not been able to get any kind of app to work with this camera; which means we have to take it down off of the tripods bring it over to the computer plug it in download and blah blah blah, in the description it specifically says that you can transfer the files via Wi-Fi and your phone I had no problem with that it's a little bit of an extra step but no big deal, having to take the camera down and bring it over to the computer every time we want to download video makes this camera pretty much useless for us. But I will admit this: it takes great pictures/video and it's a very simple unit to use if the app worked or if you could just hook the Wi-Fi up to your computer via some sort of app just an easy way to get the file off of the camera and onto a laptop/PC would be great.

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5 star		65%
4 star		19%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star		5%

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AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera Ultra HD with EIS 30m Underwater Waterproof Camera Remote Control 5X Zoom Underwater Camcorder with 2 Batteries and Helmet Accessories Kit

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AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera Ultra HD with EIS 30m Underwater Waterproof Camera Remote Control 5X Zoom Underwater Camcorder with 2 Batteries and Helmet Accessories Kit

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