Three different products share this ranking: action cameras you strap to things, 360° cameras that film everything and let you choose the frame later, and one gimbal camera that is neither. They are scored together because they record video in small bodies, and that is about all they have in common.
Every figure below is the live computed Mars Score.
Highest score in the catalog: Insta360 Ace Pro 2
Mars Score 85.5 at $449. 8K video, 4K at 120 fps, a log profile, horizon lock, gimbal-class stabilisation, 12 m waterproof without a case, and a replaceable lens — the cover glass unscrews, so a scratch costs a few dollars rather than a camera.
At 180 g it is the heaviest conventional action camera here, which is the cost of the larger sensor behind that 8K.
The GoPros
HERO13 Black (81.0, $399) is 5.3K with a log profile, a replaceable lens and 10 m depth at 159 g. HERO11 Black scores 81.2 at $299 — marginally higher than the HERO13 — because the only specifications separating them are the log profile and the removable lens, and the HERO11 is $100 cheaper.
If you do not colour-grade your footage, the HERO11 is the better buy and our model agrees. HERO12 Black (77.2, $349) sits below both on "advanced" rather than gimbal-class stabilisation.
Best waterproofing: DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
Mars Score 81.0 at $349. 20 m without a housing — twice the GoPros' depth — 4K120, log, horizon lock, gimbal-class stabilisation, at 146 g.
For diving, snorkelling and anything around water this is the clearest pick on the page. Its 4K ceiling against the GoPro's 5.3K is the trade.
Osmo Action 4 (80.8, $299) is 18 m and 145 g for $50 less, and Osmo Action 3 (76.5, $329) is the older model without a log profile — do not buy it over the Action 4.
Who should buy the DJI: water people, and anyone who wants the lightest camera with the best stabilisation.
The one that is not an action camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
Mars Score 77.9 at $519. A 1" sensor on a mechanical three-axis gimbal, 4K120, log — and 0 m water depth, because it is not waterproof at all. That zero is accurate, not missing.
It produces better image quality than anything else here and it cannot be strapped to a helmet, dropped in a river, or taken surfing. It is a vlogging camera that happens to be pocket-sized, and it is the best one made.
The 360° cameras: DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X4
The Osmo 360 scores 77.0 at $549 — 8K, log, gimbal-class stabilisation, 10 m, 188 g. The Insta360 X4 scores 76.4 at $499 — also 8K, 10 m, and 203 g, the heaviest camera here, without a log profile.
Both cap at 4K60 rather than 4K120, which is why they sit at the bottom of this page. That is the wrong way to read them: nobody buys a 360° camera for frame rate. You buy it to film without aiming and to reframe afterwards, and no specification on this page describes that.
How to choose, in four questions
- Which of the three products do you want? Strap-on, 360°, or gimbal. They do not substitute for each other.
- Water depth, 0 m to 20 m. Only the DJI Action cameras go deep enough for diving without a case; the Pocket 3 goes nowhere near water.
- A replaceable lens is on the Ace Pro 2 and HERO13 only, and it is the difference between a scratched camera and a scratched $15 part.
- Log profiles only matter if you grade. If you upload straight from the camera, the HERO11 at $299 does everything the $399 model does.
All action cameras in the catalog are ranked on the action cameras page, and the full dataset behind these scores is open data.
Turn this reading into a better product decision
This buying guide is a decision framework, not a substitute for checking the exact variant, regional price, availability, and warranty that apply to you. Use the linked catalog data to separate published facts from personal priorities, then compare the final shortlist directly rather than relying on a generic ranking.
Verify the fit
Open the Action Cameras category page to filter the relevant field, then inspect full product profiles and the score methodology.
Keep the recommendation current
This article references 10 catalog products; use the live product pages for current specifications and comparison links.
vsMars keeps editorial judgment, normalized Mars Score inputs, and affiliate links separate. If a detail is missing or out of date, report it so the catalog and this article can be corrected.