Amkov AMK5000S WiFi Action Cam - Great Price, Great Cam [Review]

The Amkov AMK5000S WiFi Sportscam is a typical example of the current action cam 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.

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.

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.

s 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.

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

[Novashadow]

for such a small device, I'm pretty satisfied with the quality

[lindalou]

Just bought this little action cam and completely stumped trying to play back videos I've connected to Samsung android phone + tablet and downloaded clips but when I press the "play" icon I get a message saying unable to play the video. Same on both phone and tablet, I can't find any instructions on how to playback and edit footage, any suggestions please?

[sirin]

whats is the default password for the wifi?

[tomhud]

looks like a copy of the go pro

nice review by the way