I took the AKASO EK7000 on a weekend hiking trip, and it surprised me at every turn. The 4K footage captured crisp details of mountain trails, and the 170° wide-angle lens didn’t distort edges like cheaper cameras do. Switching to narrow FOV for close-up shots of wildflowers? Game-changer.

The waterproof case felt sturdy—I dunked it in a river (accidentally, oops!) and it emerged unscathed. But fair warning: the battery door’s flimsy plastic had me nervous. Pro tip: Always pack the spare battery; recording drains it faster than my phone on Instagram.

Mounting options were a highlight. Strapped it to my bike handlebar using the included gear, though I missed a dedicated helmet mount. The wrist remote was clutch for solo shots, but Wi-Fi drops mid-hike forced old-school button presses.

For editing, the AKASO GO app was decent—transferred clips quickly, though color correction needed extra tweaking. Not GoPro-level polish, but at this price? I’ll gladly trade perfection for versatility.