Review of the new Activeon action camera

Action cameras have always been a must have for anyone who wants to capture extreme sports, but this is an industry that’s really branching out. I’ve seen action cameras everywhere: on beaches, attached to kids on ski hills, flying through the air on drones, and even hooked up to dogs as they go for a daily run in the park.

More and more people are adding an action camera to their personal lineup of cameras, so it’s not surprising that competitors have come in to go head to head with the original action camera GoPro. Case in point? Activeon has come out with two action cameras that look like a GoPro, they record and take photos like a GoPro, but they’ve got some great features and a lower price point that make them a sure bet for anyone picking up an action camera or upgrading their existing camera.

My husband and I took the Activeon CX and the Activeon CX Gold out for a spin for two weeks. Here’s the lowdown on both of these amazing action cameras.

Features

The Activeon CX Black is the entry level model and is perfect for anyone just getting into action cameras, while the Activeon Gold has all of the bells and whistles you’d want if extreme sports are your thing.

The Activeon CX Black has a 2-inch LCD display that’s not touchscreen but is very easy to scroll through and lets you simply frame shots and video. Other features include:

• Captures video at 1920 x 1080p Full HD with a frame rate of 30 fps
• 5MP CMOS sensor and aspherical glass F/2.4 super wide angle lens for the best wide angle shots you can capture
• Integrated Wi-Fi so you can connect to the Activeon app and share your videos and photos
• Has time lapse and editing capability right on the camera
• GoPro size and shape, and it fits GoPro mounts
• Packaged with waterproof case that’s airtight up to 196 feet under water
• 2 hour battery life and battery is removable so you can swap out another and keep going

The Activeon CX Gold also has a 2-inch LCD screen, but the Gold offers you a touchscreen that’s very responsive. It also has these features:

• 920 x 1080 video capture at 60fps
• 16MP CMOS sensor with F/2.4 super wide-angle lens for great photos
• Four different field of view options so you can switch between super wide, wide, medium, and narrow
• Digital image stabilization so you have smooth video on bumpy trails
• Integrated Wi-Fi to share all of your photos and videos
• Quick record mode lets you start recording as soon as you turn it on or you can set it for time delay up to 5 seconds
• Same size as GoPro and is compatible with GoPro mounts
• Includes waterproof housing that’s good for up to 196 feet
• Program mode lets you set your camera up for a certain activity. If you go mountain biking, you can set it for mountain biking so it’s always ready as soon as you go

Testing the Activeon CX

I’m a huge fan of action cameras, and usually when you test them out you find positive and negative points for all of them. It’s hard not to hold every camera to the GoPro standard and find it lacking in some way, but we’ve had the Activeon CX and the Activeon CX Gold for two weeks and we can’t find a single negative or way that they wouldn’t go head to head with GoPro. I only have my GoPro Hero3 to compare to, but I’m seriously impressed with these cameras.

The ActiveOn CX is the entry-level model, and it records 1080P video at 30fps. The video it shoots is crystal clear, and there’s very limited amount of bounce when you’re going over trails. My husband took it to the mountain and captured some amazing footage while mountain biking, and because it fits all of his GoPro mounts, he was able to strap it to his chest and take off.

It might not have a touchscreen but the 2-inch LCD viewfinder is a much-needed addition to an action camera. You can use it to frame your shots and capture photos, so you never have to guess at what you’re shooting or be surprised like we were with other action cameras.

When I add a filter to my photos I usually do it through Instagram, but you can add filters right on the screen of the Activeon CX. The button on top is very simple to use and it’s easy to get the hang of scrolling through the screens. There are various options you can choose or settings you can change right on the camera.

Integrated Wi-Fi is a huge plus with the Activeon cameras, and it was ridiculously simple to add my phone to the camera’s Wi-Fi network. It took under a minute to get on the network, and it maintained a strong connection while downloading photos. The Activeon app was simple to use too.

Take a look at my video to see the Activeon CX in action and watch the footage my husband took while mountain biking.

Testing the Activeon CX Gold

Tablets and smartphones have made us all tappers by nature, and it’s hard to have an LCD screen in front of you that you don’t instinctively move to tap. That’s why I found the Activeon CX Gold much easier to navigate. You can use the buttons on the top of the camera, but having the ability to touch to scroll through the options is a nice touch.

You can change your perspective on the Activeon CX Gold, so if you aren’t a fan of the fish-eye style you can tap to choose super wide, wide, medium, or narrow. We tested these out but stuck to the standard as it produced great video.

The Activeon CX Gold captures video at 920 x 1080p at 60fps. My husband rode with it on a rainy, foggy day and it captures well in low light. With a 16MP camera, the images it shoots are beautiful.

Like the Activeon CX, the Activeon CX Gold has integrated Wi-Fi that’s really handy and easy to set up. Because the network is built into the camera, you can connect anywhere. Whether you’re on the top of a mountain or spending the day diving in the ocean, you can easily share your photos and videos using the Activeon app.

The Activeon CX Gold and the Activeon CX should have a two-hour battery life, and my husband clocked the battery running out on the Gold at an hour and 25 minutes and running out on the CX at an hour and 45 minutes. He thinks the battery life was affected by how much he was tapping and scrolling through the LCD screens, so it could last longer if all you’re doing is shooting video. If you run out, it’s very easy to swap out your battery for a fresh one and keep going.

Just like the Activeon CX, the Activeon CX Gold fits all GoPro mounts, so if you’ve invested heavily in GoPro helmet, car, and chest mounts, you’ll be happy to know you can use them with the Activeon CX.

Take a look at my video overview of the Activeon CX Gold.

Overall thoughts

The Activeon CX and the Activeon CX Gold are amazing action cameras that go head to head against GoPro. With LCD screens, cool editing features, and integrated Wi-Fi, they’re a sure thing for anyone who wants an action camera.

My husband works in the action sports industry and he shared the cameras and footage with a few of his coworkers. They were impressed at the price point and the capability of the Activeon, so I think you’ll be seeing a lot of them out on the ski hills and mountain bike trails this summer and winter.

Take a look at Activeon products available right now on Best Buy.

ACTIVEON CX Waterproof HD Sports & Helmet Camera

CX Gold with 2 inch touchscreen

ACTIVEON Solar XG Waterproof HD Sports & Helmet Camera