This is a very neat and portable mini camera. In terms of look and design it has strong resemblance to the GoPro camera, and it seems that it can be used with most of the GoPro accessories and attachments. Its highest resolution (full HD 1080p) is lower than the 4K resolution of the current generation of top action cameras. However, it does cost 4 to 5 times less, so if you are in the market for an inexpensive waterproof action camera, then you should definitely consider the Soocoo camera.

As already mentioned, the camera is very small and portable. It can be easily attached to a helmet, a selfie stick, or any other piece of equipment. It is natively waterproof, so you don’t need to encase it into a separate protective case for water environments. I have not gone swimming with it, but have used it in light rain and it has performed to my satisfaction.

The video quality of this camera is pretty good. It’s not quite as good as the video on my iPhone 6 plus, but in bright light and in outdoors settings it performs on par with my iPhone. I have taken it on a couple of bike rides, and the camera was able to handle the motion footage quite well. For really rapid motion I recommend using the 720p 60fps recording mode. The resolution is not quite as good as with the full HD 1080p recording, but the higher frame rate helps smooth out the shaky motion.

The camera requires a micro SD card for file storage. The card is not included, but these cards are really cheap these days – I recently bought several 16Gb micro SD cards for $5 each. The camera also has a micro HDMI port that allows you to play the footage directly on your TV or monitor. There is also a micro USB port which can be used for file transfer to your computer, or for charging of the camera. The included 1050 mAh internal battery allows you to continuously shoot for about 100 minutes, and it takes about two to three hours to charge it fully.

The camera features a small 1.5″ monitor, which can be used to review the footage. It’s way too small for any meaningful overview, but it comes in handy to make sure that you roughly got what you wanted to capture.

One of the camera’s best features is the wrist mounted bluetooth remote. It allows you to control the camera even when it’s positioned in less accessible locations, such as the top of your head. It’s a good feature, albeit the controls are not always 100% reliable.

The camera is fairly well built, and it seems durable. The included instruction manual leaves a lot to be desired, but overall it’s adequate.

This is probably the best budget action camera that I’ve come across. If you are looking for a more than adequate alternative to GoPro than you will not go wrong by choosing the Soocoo.

**** Product provided for review purposes. ****