REVIEW: Apeman A66 Action Camera

Posted by DJ Roodz on February 19, 2018

This post contains affiliate links.

GoPros and other action cameras are becoming ubiquitous among DJ’s. Not only are they ultra portable, but good ones can take a beating and still capture great quality footage. The newer models claim that they can shoot in 4K. One advantage is because action cameras are so small, you can place them in unusual areas to get unique shots. As a matter of fact, the folks at Red Bull 3Style use multiple action cameras to capture live footage during their finals. Check out this clip of Jus Jay’s set in Krakow at this year’s world finals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5DBQt0CCUU&feature=youtu.be

While having an action camera can be a useful addition to your DJ Bag (especially if you vlog or record sets), there is one major drawback. Not everyone can shell out hundreds of dollars for a GoPro. However, there are literally hundreds of cheaper alternatives on Amazon. So, I decided to put one of the more popular cameras to the test: the Apeman A66.

Let’s get started!

First Impressions

The A66 is a pretty standard sized action camera, measuring at 2.3″ x 1.6″ x 1.2″. In real-world terms, it’s about the size of two camera batteries stacked on top of each other. So, it definitely fits the bill in terms of ultra-portability. Right out of the box, the A66 comes with a pre-charged battery, waterproof case, and a bunch of mounts. But, THERE’S NO SD CARD! While I get that this is likely a way to keep the cost down, I’d be pretty frustrated if I didn’t know this ahead of time and get a card while I was buying the camera. The A66, like other action cameras, uses MicroSD memory. I grabbed this 32GB Sandisk card for mine.

Before reading on, check out my video review below:

The Good

The A66 is pretty simple to operate. Since there’s only 4 buttons, it’s not hard to record a few clips before looking at the manual. For the most part, video quality is good in daylight and brightly lit situations. The A66 shoots at a 170° field of vision, which is pretty typical for GoPros and other action cameras. There’s an internal microphone, too, that records pretty decent audio. The waterproof case doesn’t cause a noticeable change in image quality, which is nice because the plastic is decently thick. The A66 seems pretty durable, too. I’ve already knocked it around a bit and there aren’t any noticeable scuffs or scratches. It’s pretty easy to get accessories and extra batteries on Amazon, too. (Shop those here).

The Not-So-Good

The A66 does shoot pretty decently at night, but video quality can really suffer at times. It doesn’t take much before the video gets grainy and noisy. The internal mic isn’t great by any means, but for the price I guess I can let that slide. I’m also spoiled because of my Tascam DR40. Unlike newer GoPros and action cameras at a higher price tier, you can’t adjust the field of vision when recording. That is, you’re stuck at the 170°. At first this didn’t bother me, but I wanted to use the A66 for more B-roll type shoots and not being able to shoot at a narrower angle got irritating pretty quickly. While having a bunch of mounts is awesome, the manual doesn’t tell you much as far as how to use them. To be honest, I didn’t find the manual terribly helpful at all. This can make navigating the menus the first time tedious and frustrating. While this is great incentive to get out and just play with it, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m a manual reader, I like to see what I’m working with and dissect it.

*The Apeman A66 comes with a bunch of mounts right out of the box. | ApemanElectronic.com*

Worth It?

For $35, I don’t necessarily see a reason not to pick up the Apeman A66. At the end of the day, video quality did exceed my expectations at a low-risk price point. It’s a great little camera to just toss into my DJ bag before I head to a gig. As a first step into the world of action cameras, or as a backup to an actual GoPro, the A66 would definitely not let you down. Personally, if I had the chance to do it again, I’d save up to go one model up and get the Apeman A80. But, I’m not miserable; I know I’ll get my money’s worth – and more – out of the A66.

Shop the Apeman A66 here on Amazon.

Do you have a “budget” action camera? Let me know what kind, and what you think of it, in the comments!