AKASO Brave 8 vs SJCAM C400
In short: The SJCAM C400 costs $30 less; the AKASO Brave 8 collects light over 31 mm² against 28, which is 1.1× the area; the AKASO Brave 8 is waterproof to 10 m bare and the SJCAM C400 is not waterproof on its own at all; the SJCAM C400 claims 7 h 17 min at 4K30 with the 3000 mAh handle attached; 172 minutes on the 54 g camera alone.
| Spec | AKASO Brave 8 | SJCAM C400 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$279 | ~$249 |
| Year-one cost | ~$279 | ~$249 |
| Type | Budget action | Budget action |
| Sensor size | 1/2-inch | 1/2.3-inch |
| Sensor area | 31 mm² | 28 mm² |
| Max resolution | 4K @ 60fps | 4K @ 30fps |
| Reframed resolution | n/a — already flat | n/a — already flat |
| Max fps at 4K | 60 | 30 |
| Max fps at 1080p | — | 120 |
| Max bitrate | Not published | Not published |
| Colour depth | Not published | Not published |
| Log profile | None | None |
| Stabilisation | SuperSmooth 2.0 | 6-axis gyro EIS |
| Horizon lock | None | None |
| Aperture | Not published | Not published |
| Waterproof | 10 m bare, 40 m cased | 30 m in the case only |
| Claimed runtime | 1 h 30 min at 4K60 continuous | 7 h 17 min at 4K30 with the 3000 mAh handle attached; 172 minutes on the 54 g camera alone |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | 1550 mAh | 1250 mAh |
| Cold rating | — | — |
| Weight | 115 g | 54 g |
| Screens | 1.3-inch front + 2.0-inch rear touch | Rotating screen on the handle |
| Mount | GoPro folding fingers | GoPro folding fingers |
| Replaceable lenses | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Voice control | Yes | No |
| Storage | microSD | microSD |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
AKASO Brave 8
- +10 m of bare waterproofing is unusual at this price — most budget cameras need the case
- +Two batteries and a full mount kit are in the box, which the big brands charge extra for
- +Takes standard GoPro folding-finger accessories
- +Largest sensor AKASO fits to anything, and the difference from the Lite is visible
- −No horizon lock, so any rotation of the mount shows up in the footage
- −Stabilisation handles walking but breaks down on vibration
- −$279 puts it against a DJI Osmo Action 4 with more than double the sensor area
- −AKASO publishes no bitrate, bit depth or cold rating
- −No log profile and no published bit depth, so the footage grades poorly
SJCAM C400
- +Over seven hours at 4K30 with the handle, the longest figure in this catalogue
- +54 g module is lighter than a GoPro HERO and close to an Insta360 GO 3S
- +Rotating screen makes it usable for talking to camera
- +Half the price of the DJI Osmo Nano and Insta360 GO Ultra it copies
- +The camera module drops into the handle without a cable, so the changeover takes seconds
- −1/2.3-inch sensor — roughly a quarter of the Osmo Nano's imaging area
- −No bare waterproofing at all
- −4K30 only, no horizon lock, no log profile
- −The module has no screen of its own; framing needs the handle