Action cameras are all the rage nowadays, especially at the budget end of the market. You can’t turn a corner without someone trying to sell you a camera to capture your sky-diving, surfing, or BMX biking adventures. Because that’s what we all do right? Joking aside, these little cameras are definitely useful for things like dashcams in cars, for security or even general mobile photography. So we recently took a look at one of the budget models to see whether they are worth the price.

The Amkov AMK5000S WiFi Sportscam is a typical example of the genre. It features 20 megapixel, 1080p video resolution, a 170 degree lens for all round capture, the ability to connect with your smartphone via WiFi to act as a monitor, a waterproof case and TV out. Oh it comes with a 150 minute record time at 1080p, which is superb for a camera this size and price. It’s a nice pack. Take a look at our video below to get an idea of how it performs.

First impressions
The camera ships in a standard package, which lets you see the camera and waterproof mount front and center. Inside the box there are the usual bits and pieces (aka accessories) but what’s nice is the selection is wide enough to cope with almost any mounting needs.

A head strap, numerous clips, pads for mounting onto helmets or smooth surfaces, the waterproof box and even cable ties for those really awkward mounts. It’s all included. As well as the necessary battery, USB charge cable etc. Considering the price, this is a very generous selection.

In use
The camera itself is the typical GoPro clone shaped/sized affair we’re used to by now. One compromise we’re actually happy to see is the use of a front mounted LCD screen for control and settings, instead of a larger rear one. This leaves plenty of room for that 1150mAhh battery, and also means less power drain during use which extends record time.

The really impressive thing about the camera is the video quality, which is easily some of the best we’ve seen out of a camera at this price point. The 170 degree lens takes a bit of getting used to, but if you’re comfortable with a fair amount of close up distortion, then the added vista afforded by the wide angle is neat. As you’ll see from our video above, the resolution, exposure and detail is really good, even when compared with a generic phone camera. Our only complaint is the fact that the audio is definitely sub-par, although with this kind of camera good audio usually means you’re capturing lots of annoying wind noise, so no great loss there.

The other nice surprise is the WiFi implementation. We’ve had instances before where the connectivity is less than robust, but in this case it turned out to be fast and easy. Just install the relevant AMK-iCam app, press the tiny WiFi button on the side of the camera, find and connect to it on your phone and fire up the app. It’s a no-frills app, but it gives you all the control you need to start/stop video, switch to stills shooting, and adjust some settings. The only downside is you need the app to adjust some of the settings, because the camera LCD is too small, so if you don’t have a smartphone, you’re going to be frustrated.

Conclusion
The Amkov AMK5000S WiFi Sportscam won’t win any style awards, but then it doesn’t have to. As a plain old vanilla working action and general purpose roaming camera it offers a lot of things to applaud. The video quality is excellent, the WiFi implementation works with no hassles, and we very impressed with the battery life, although we didn’t run it down completely in our tests. The size and shape of the camera also means it’s very close to standard GoPro dimensions, which makes it easier to use it with generic accessories such as chest mounts, which is an added bonus. And did we mention we like the price a lot? All in all, definitely a worthy contender for your action cam shopping list.

Price: $69.89 / £47.54

Specifications:
Sunplus 6330M Chipset
? WiFi remote control, support Android and iOS system
? 20MP CMOS sensor for better image capture and quality
? Noise remova, more clear images at night
? 4X digital zoom keeps you close to the action
? Sports design, stylish and matches your GoPro accessories
? Ultra compact and lightweight design
? IP68 waterproof up to 30m for capturing water action
? Multiple video formats: 1080P, 720P and WVGA
? Multiple photo modes: Single shot and Snapper
? Video recording while charging
? TV-OUT function for aerial videos
? Crystal clear HDMI output and Motion Detection
? SD card up to 32GB (not included)
? Package includes waterproof case, helmet mount, bike mount and more