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What’s the deal with single action vs double action handguns? Well, it’s all about the trigger and exactly what happens when it’s pressed. The only thing the trigger of a single action (SA) handgun does is release a cocked hammer to fire the gun. With a double action (DA) handgun, pressing the trigger cocks and releases the hammer. We could leave the explanation there, but as they say in calculus class, it gets complicated. It gets complicated because both revolvers and pistols come as either single or double action, and because within these two distinctions there are variations that require some explaining. So, here is a full breakdown of single action vs double action handguns.
Single Action Revolver
How it Works
The single action revolver is the classic cowboy six-gun, epitomized by the Colt Single Action Army or the Ruger Blackhawk or Single Six. With a single action revolver, the hammer must be manually cocked before the gun can be fired. So, the trigger of a SA revolver has a single function; when pressed, it releases the hammer, allowing the gun to fire. Once you have fired a SA revolver, you must manually re-cock the hammer to shoot it again. If you’ve cocked a SA revolver and decide not to shoot, you can press the trigger while holding the hammer back and manually lower the hammer to a safe, half-cocked position. But you’ll have to cock the hammer again when you decide to shoot.
Single Action Pistol
How it Works
The trigger of a single action pistol works the same as the trigger of a SA revolver. But because the slide of a SA pistol must be manually retracted to load the handgun, and because the slide cycles to the rear after every shot, in both instances it cocks the hammer. So technically, you never really have to cock a SA pistol. But, if at some point you decide to manually lower the hammer, then, just like with a SA revolver, you must re-cock it to shoot it. Because most SA pistols are carried cocked, a manual thumb safety that “locks” the pistol and prevents it from firing, like on the Colt 1911, is generally part of the package. Because some shooters are nervous about carrying a “cocked and locked” pistol, they either avoid SA pistols or carry them with the hammer down, which means they must thumb-cock the pistol before they can shoot it.
Double Action Revolver
How it Works
For many years, double action revolvers like the Smith & Wesson Model 686 were the most popular sidearms for law enforcement. With a DA revolver, you have options, because the trigger has two functions. If the hammer is manually cocked, the DA revolver trigger works just like a SA revolver trigger; when pressed, it releases the hammer. But if a DA revolver is not cocked, you can pull the trigger and it will cock and release the hammer. This makes the double action revolver faster to shoot and better suited to law enforcement or for self-defense. Also, just like with a SA revolver, you can manually lower the hammer on a DA revolver after it has been cocked.
Double Action Pistol
How It Works
If a DA pistol is not cocked, a single trigger press will cock and release the hammer. You can manually cock a DA pistol for the first shot, but after a DA pistol has been fired, the pistol’s slide cycles and cocks the hammer for you. Many DA pistols have a de-cocker, a lever that un-cocks the hammer allowing it to safely fall and return the pistol to double action mode. The difficulty with managing DA pistols is that the first trigger press is long and hard because it has to cock and release the hammer, subsequent trigger presses are lighter and crisper because after the first shot the hammer remains cocked. Also, with some DA pistols, if the cartridge fails to fire, you can pull the trigger and try to fire that same cartridge again.
Double Action Only Revolver
How It Works
Complicating the single action vs double action conversation are double action only handguns. They are a little different—but only a little. Let’s start with DAO revolvers. The only difference in a double action only (DOA) revolver and a DA revolver is that the hammer cannot be manually cocked because it has no “cocked” notch, because it’s been bobbed, or because it’s shrouded or concealed. A bobbed, shrouded, or concealed hammer is less likely to catch on clothing during the draw stroke, and that’s really the only advantage a DAO revolver offers. The inability to cock the hammer on a DAO revolver circumvents the lighter trigger action associated with firing a revolver in the SA mode, and some believe this makes DAO revolvers safer. The truth is, it’s well-trained humans that make guns safe.
Double Action Only Pistol (DAO)
How It Works
The trigger of a DAO pistol it cocks and releases the hammer—every time—and since there’s no “cocked” notch on the hammer you cannot manually cock it. After you fire a DAO pistol, the slide recoils and pushes the hammer back, but as the slide goes forward, the hammer follows it to a “safe” un-cocked position. Like some DA pistols, most DAO pistols have re-strike capability. If the cartridge in the chamber does not fire you can pull the trigger for another attempt. It’s debatable if this is an advantage or a drawback. In most cases if a cartridge fails to fire, it will not fire in subsequent attempts and that can waste time. A better approach is to get the dud out of the gun as quickly as possible. As with DA pistols, DAO pistols have been largely replaced by striker-fired pistols.
Once upon a time, countries protected their domestic industries with tariffs on imports. This gave the home side a price advantage over companies operating overseas, but the practice has somewhat fallen out of fashion in the past few decades.
These days, governments are altogether more creative, using fancy export controls to protect their interests. To that end, the United States enacted an export restriction on high-powered computing devices. In response, Chinese designers are attempting to artificially slow their hardware to dodge these rules.
Continue studying “Chinese Chips Are Being Artificially Slowed To Dodge US Export Regulations”
PR Newswire
HOUSTON, July 27, 2023
HOUSTON, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas certified a Settlement Class Action today related to financial losses suffered by attendees at the November 5, 2021 Astroworld Festival which resulted in multiple deaths. The class action lawsuit was originally filed in December 2021 by four concert goers seeking class action status to reimburse over 5,000 concert goers for unredeemed merchandise tickets that were purchased online after the two-day concert was cancelled after the first day. The concert goers brought the lawsuit against multiple defendants including Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., Ceremony of Roses, LLC, COR Merchandising, LLC and Magic Money, LLC. At a hearing today, the Court certified the settlement class, appointed Derek Potts of Potts Law Firm, LLP in Houston as Settlement Class Counsel and set the case for a Final Settlement Approval Hearing on December 1, 2023.
"We are gratified after several years of litigation to have reached an agreement with the Defendants to compensate the concert goers who suffered such a traumatic experience for at least some of their financial losses. We are pleased that the Court has certified the settlement class action today so that we may now move to the next stage of settlement approval and hopefully obtain compensation for all of the impacted concert goers in the coming months."
The case is, Brenda Wong, et. al. vs. Magic Money, LLC and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. et. al., Civil Action No. 4:21-cv-04169, USDC, Southern District of Texas.
SOURCE Potts Law Firm
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After 121 years of operation, Chattanooga's oldest family-owned foundry plans to cease operations by the end of September, leaving a handful of foundries in a region that once had more than 50 metal castings and foundry operations employing thousands of local workers.
Eureka Foundry Co., which has operated continuously near downtown Chattanooga since 1902, gave its 41 remaining employees notice Wednesday of the plant shutdown. Fred Hetzler Jr., the fourth-generation president of the family-owned company, said he and his brothers were unable to find a buyer for the business, and maintaining the aging factory at 1601 Carter St. is proving increasingly challenging.
"We had hoped to find a buyer and we had a couple that were interested last year, but for various reasons, they decided not to buy," Hetzler said in a telephone interview. "Both of my brothers and I are getting up in years, and we ultimately felt that the only option left was to close the foundry down."
Eureka submitted the required 60-day notice of the business shutdown Wednesday under the requirements of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which triggers a number of state and local efforts to help displaced workers find other jobs or qualify for retirement or jobless benefits.
Foundry shutdowns
— Wheland Foundry, once the largest independent automotive foundry in the nation, whose parent company once employed more than 2,000 employees, closed its plant on the Southside in 2003 after operating for 129 years.
— U.S. Pipe & Foundry, which traces its roots to the Chattanooga Pipe and Foundry Works started in 1877, closed its Southside plant in 2006 and sold its operations to Mueller Water Products, cutting nearly 350 jobs.
— Waupaca Foundry cut 540 jobs last year when it idled most of its 21-year-old automotive foundry in Etowah, Tennessee.
Surviving foundries
— Lodge Manufacturing in South Pittsburg has expanded three times in the past 12 years and now employs about 600 workers.
— Mueller Co., which purchased the former Columbia Iron Works in Chattanooga in 1933, continues to operate local foundries and plants in East Chattanooga and in Cleveland, Tennessee.
— Athens Plow Co., founded in 1921, continues to produce 22 different models of tillage tools.
— Acheson Foundry & Machine Works, founded in 1899, continues to operate a foundry on 38th Street.
— Chattanooga Pattern & Foundry, founded in 1959, still operates on Stuart Street.
Seventh closure
Eureka is the seventh manufacturer to either close or announce plans for a plant closing in the Chattanooga region so far in 2023. Collectively, the plant shutdowns this year will end up cutting almost 1,000 jobs and come just a year after the Waupaca Foundry cut 540 jobs in Etowah, Tennessee, in June 2022.
"We are sad to see a plant closure in our region," Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce President Charles Wood said in a statement Wednesday. "Economies are fragile, and situations like this serve as reminders that economic development should be a continuous commitment by our community's leadership to constantly build a resilient economy for Chattanooga area residents."
Despite the plant closings, unemployment in Chattanooga hit a record low in April and remains below the national jobless rate with nearly three job openings listed for every unemployed person still seeking work, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor.
Area plant closings in 2023
In Southeast Tennessee, seven manufacturing plants have closed or are planning to close so far in 2023, collectively cutting 933 jobs.
— Shaw Industries in Decatur, Tennessee, is closing by Aug. 29, cutting 336 jobs.
— Volkswagen provider ThyssenKrupp closed in May, cutting 156 jobs.
— Beiersdorf Manufacturing in Cleveland, Tennessee, closed in April, cutting 140 jobs.
— National Seating & Mobility is closing this week, cutting 108 jobs.
— Arcade Beauty in Chattanooga is closing by Aug. 31, cutting 84 jobs.
— Volkswagen provider Grupo Antolina closed in May, cutting 68 jobs.
— Eureka Foundry in Chattanooga will close by Sept. 2, cutting 41 jobs.
Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, WARN notice filings
Union shop
Hourly foundry workers at Eureka are represented by the U.S. Steelworkers Local 53. The company has been a union shop since it was founded by Fred Hetzler's great grandfather, Patrick Delaney, who was a member of the molders union in Cincinnati.
Delaney first came to Chattanooga in 1886 for a general manager job at Ross Meehan Foundry and 18 years later decided to start his own foundry.
As a railroad hub and manufacturing-based city, Chattanooga developed as a leading foundry town, and Eureka became one of more than 50 foundries and machine shops that ultimately operated in Chattanooga by the 1950s.
Foundry cutbacks
But as many manufacturers moved overseas, air pollution rules tightened and many automotive and consumer products shifted away from heavier metals in favor of lighter plastic and aluminum, most of the iron and steel foundries that once operated in and around Chattanooga have shut down.
Wheland Foundry, which once operated the nation's biggest independent automotive foundry, shut down its South Chattanooga plant two decades ago, and other major foundries — U.S. Pipe & Foundry, Waupaca Foundry and Rockwell International — subsequently closed or consolidated their local plants with other facilities.
Ross Meehan also shut down its Southside foundry in 1980, but Eureka bought the shuttered foundry and has operated the 215,958-square-foot complex ever since, making primarily water valve parts and other specialty products for U.S. Pipe & Foundry, Tyler Pipe and other manufacturers.
Aging plant
"This is an old plant, and just the upkeep on this facility puts us in a relatively poor competitive situation," Peter Hetzler, vice president and plant manager at Eureka, said in a phone interview. "We're spending all of our money trying to keep the roof on this building and keeping everything wired together."
The roof of the sprawling plant at 1601 Reggie White Blvd. covers most of the 7.5-acre site and was damaged and subsequently repaired after a wind storm a couple of years ago, Hetzler said.
With all three of the Hetzler brothers who own the company now in their 70s and none of their children still working in the business, Fred, Peter and Chris Hetzler decided it was time to proceed with an orderly shutdown of the aging foundry.
The current generation of owners grew up working at the foundry when their father, the late Fred Hetzler Sr., who was married to Delaney's granddaughter, Mary Margaret, was in charge. Fred and Mary Margaret Hetzler had purchased the foundry from her brother, Joseph Delaney, and sister, Ann Mahoney.
Lasting legacy
Over the years, Eureka has made castings for a variety of customers across the nation. One hometown customer is the National Park Service, which depended on Eureka to make the raised-letter signs that chronicle Civil War action throughout the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park.
"You can still see the name Eureka Foundry on stormwater drainage grates along many of the streets in older sections of Chattanooga," Hetzler said.
As an essential business, Eureka has operated continuously through its history, including during the pandemic.
Once Eureka completes its final foundry orders and shuts down the plant, Hetzler said the owners will look to sell the 7.5-acre downtown plant site between Reggie White Boulevard and Highway 127.
Forged in metal
According to government figures, metal castings are found in 90% of durable goods, including motor vehicles, aerospace, trains, mining and construction equipment, oil wells, appliances, pipes, hydrants, wind turbines, nuclear plants, medical devices, defense products, golf clubs, office chairs, cast iron pans and even toys. But with lighter-weight materials and greater automation and production efficiency, the number of foundry workers continues to decline in the U.S.
Four decades ago, there were more than 3,400 ferrous and nonferrous foundries employing 444,827 workers across the United States. But by 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the number of foundries had shrunk in the U.S. nearly in half to 1,811 foundries. Employment in the industry was down by 73% from 1984 levels to just 120,919 workers in 2018, and layoffs since have further reduced that number.
With the closing of the Eureka Foundry, only a handful of foundries will still operate in Southeast Tennessee. But the region still stamps out valves and water products at Mueller Co. and is home to the oldest and longest-running cast iron manufacturer in the United States at Lodge Manufacturing Co. in South Pittsburg. In 2021, Lodge began a $59 million plant expansion that added nearly 240 jobs.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.
Whether it's playing catch with cars, running from robots or mastering martial arts, few things can get your adrenaline pumping as much as a good action movie.
Of course, there are plenty of action movies to choose from. There are the classics like Enter the Dragon and Top Gun, superhero films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Shazam! Fury of the Gods and spy movies like Casino Royale — which all promise thrilling story lines, intense fight scenes and nonstop excitement.
Looking for something a little more mind-altering? Tune into The Matrix. How about a flick that's just as comedic as it is action-packed? Leave it to David Harbour in Violent Night.
Whether it is explosions, muscle cars and mayhem or treasure hunts you are after, you're sure to find an action movie you love. Here are the best action movies you can stream right now.
The Bourne Ultimatum
In the heady third installment of the Jason Bourne film series, Matt Damon returns as the titular former CIA hitman grappling with psychogenic amnesia. As he faces the danger of a new assassin program, Operation Blackbriar, Jason plunges into a globe-trotting quest to outsmart formidable enemies and unlock memories from his past.
Watch The Bourne Ultimatum on Max
Nobody
Bob Odenkirk — best known as self-sabotaging attorney Saul Goodman on Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad — may seem like an unlikely action hero, but he makes it clear in Nobody that even an Everyman has his limits.
Odenkirk revealed that the film was partially inspired by his personal experience. "I think most people watching this movie will not realize the level of autobiography there is in it," he told Jimmy Kimmel in 2021. "I had two home break-ins in Los Angeles... Nobody is very related to my actual experience of having someone in the house, threatening my family, trying to keep the damage to a minimum."
Watch Nobody on Amazon Prime Video
V for Vendetta
Based on Alan Moore, David Lloyd and Tony Weare's graphic novel of the same name, V for Vendetta stars Hugo Weaving as V, an anarchist vigilante who rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) and enlists her in his chaos. The themes of fascism and authoritarianism are both timely and timeless, and the action is nonstop. As dark as the film can get, its ultimate message is one of hope.
Medellín
Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett
In a high-stakes mission, boxing gym manager Réda (Ramzy Bedia) recruits his friends, Stan (Franck Gastambide) and Chafik (Anouar Toubali), to rescue his kidnapped brother from a dangerous narcos cartel in the titular city. With a simple and reckless plan, Réda brings his team on an action-filled adventure — involving conflict with drug ring leader El Diablo (Raymond Cruz) — that none of them could have anticipated.
Watch Medellín on Amazon Prime Video
Kick-Ass
Marv Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
Nerdy outcast and comic-book buff Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) takes it upon himself to become a real-life superhero despite lacking any superpowers. Going by the pseudonym “Kick-Ass” and sporting an internet-thrifted suit, the namesake hero fights crime alongside father-daughter vigilante duo Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), which catches the attention of opposing forces in New York City. This 2010 black comedy also stars Evan Peters, Garrett M. Brown, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elizabeth McGovern and more.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
StudioCanal/Shutterstock
All of the Terminator movies have killer action scenes, but Judgment Day is a nonstop ride with high stakes and state-of-the-art special effects that blew its 1991 audience away and still holds up today. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and a young Edward Furlong deliver stellar performances, and James Cameron's sci-fi flair will keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire 136-minute runtime.
Watch Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Netflix
Enter the Dragon
Bruce Lee delivers the performance of a lifetime in Enter the Dragon, both for his acting and for the inimitable fight scenes he choreographed himself. This was Lee's final completed film before his tragic death in 1973 at just 32 years old. Widely regarded as the best martial arts film of all time, Enter the Dragon is also one of the most profitable movies in history, making 400 times its budget at the box office.
Fast Five
If you like your "family" movies to have muscle and muscle cars, you're in luck. The fifth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise is a departure from drag racing in the streets, instead leaning into heists, gunfights and government agents, the latter led by none other than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in his Fast debut as Luke Hobbs.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
When idling musician Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) meets the woman of his dreams (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), he has to defeat seven of her evil exes through arcade-style battles in order to be her boyfriend. Packing punches left and right, this 2010 action-filled adventure features an ensemble cast including Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza and more.
Watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on Amazon Prime Video
Avatar: The Way of Water
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett
Dive into the phantasmagorical depths of James Cameron's Avatar universe with this 2022 sequel. Following a decade after the first film's events, Way of Water sees the Sully family fleeing their home to reside with the oceanic Metkayina clan, where they have to defend themselves and their hosts against brutal aggressors through a flood of action-packed battles.
Watch Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+ on June 7
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett
Directed by David F. Sandberg, this 2023 DCEU sequel to Shazam! (2019) finds teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and members of his "Shazamily" — who all can transform into their superhero alter egos just by saying "Shazam!" out loud — fighting against a trio of ancient gods who've come to earth with a vengeance for those who stole their magic powers. Fury of the Gods stars Zachary Levi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Rachel Zegler, Adam Brody, Ross Butler, Meagan Good, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren.
Watch Shazam! Fury of the Gods on Max
Gangs of Lagos
Being Amazon Prime Video's first original movie from Africa, this 2023 Nigerian action-thriller is worth a watch. Jade Osiberu's Gangs of Lagos follows a group of three best friends who witness their father figure's murder, and join the gang led by his cold-hearted partner Kazeem (Olarotimi Fakunle). The film stars Tobi Bakre, Iyabo Ojo, Adesua Etomi, Chioma Akpotha and Demi Banwo, among others.
Watch Gangs of Lagos on Amazon Prime Video
Blue Thunder
Directed by John Badham (Saturday Night Fever), this 1989 action flick stars Roy Schnieder as Frank Murphy, a Vietnam War veteran and Los Angeles police officer who is assigned to trial a technologically-advanced helicopter called the "Blue Thunder." While giving the chopper a spin, he quickly learns its role in a government conspiracy, as it's designed to spy on others and destroy the masses.
Furies
This 2023 Vietnamese action thriller — and prequel to 2019's Furie — follows three women who bond over shared traumas and are trained to defeat a '90s Saigon gang that traffics and assaults other women. Filled with rip-roaring violence and dynamic fight sequences, this film is a tough yet heady watch.
Violent Night
Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett
You better watch out, you better not cry! Stranger Things' David Harbour ditches his Hawkins police uniform and slips on Saint Nick's suit in this 2022 holiday action thriller. When Santa Claus comes to town, delivering presents to a Connecticut mansion, he discovers that mercenaries are holding the residing family hostage and comes to their rescue with brutal force.
Watch Violent Night on Amazon Prime Video
Black Panther
Black Panther brought much-needed Black representation to the superhero genre. Chadwick Boseman's indelible mark on cinema as T'Challa cannot be overstated, and Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger is as sympathetic and complicated a villain as they come. The supporting cast's performances, especially Angela Bassett and Sterling K. Brown, are just as moving.
Enhanced by its stunning actors, the movie's action is a blast to watch. Whether you're watching Okoye (Danai Gurira) tossing her wig in a fight scene, Shuri (Letitia Wright) showing off her genius or a mixed martial arts battle, every element works.
Watch Black Panther on Disney+
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Eli Ade/Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett
Securing Marvel its first Oscar win (three, in fact) with the first Black Panther film, this 2022 sequel earned another for Best Costume Design — yet there is so much more to take in, including the feature's eye-catching thrills. Following King T'Challa's (Chadwick Boseman) death, the mourning Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Princess/scientist Shuri (Letitia Wright), fellow Wakandans and allies strive to protect the kingdom from outside (and underwater) forces. Former War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and CIA agent Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) are back to help ensure the continuing legacy of the Black Panther.
Watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Disney+
Die Hard
Welcome to the party, pal! Whether or not you think Die Hard is a Christmas movie, the 1988 thriller is easily one of the best action movies of all time. Bruce Willis' introductory jaunt as John McClane has all the makings of a classic: a working-class hero, a hard-to-get love interest (Bonnie Bedelia), a dangerously charismatic villain (Alan Rickman), earnest sidekicks Alan (Reginald VelJohnson) and Argyle (De'voreaux White) and some of the best catchphrases in the game. Did we mention McClane saves the day while barefoot?
Godzilla vs. Kong
What do you do when one monster attacks? Unleash another one, of course. In Godzilla vs. Kong, the real monsters aren't Godzilla or Kong — they're conspiracy theorists and technology. While the action is stellar when the larger-than-life creatures go after each other, the excitement is unstoppable once they team up.
Watch Godzilla vs. Kong on Max
Devotion
Eli Ade/Sony Pictures Entertainment/Courtesy Everett
Based on Adam Makos' book — Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice — this aerial war drama revolves around the real-life friendship between U.S. Navy fighter pilots Jesse Brown (Creed III's Jonathan Majors) and Tom Hudner (Top Gun: Maverick's Glen Powell, who's also an actual licensed pilot) and their time served together during the Korean War. With a supporting cast including Serinda Swan, Joe Jonas and more, Devotion honors the bond of a brotherhood forged in the early 1950s among racial and global tension.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022, this German anti-war drama — adapted from Erich Maria Remarque's 1929 eponymous novel — tells the timeless story of a young man named Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) who eagerly joins the German Army to fight in World War I. But when he and his comrades find themselves amid unforgiving and inhumane violence, their once-patriotic notions of war are shattered as they make every effort to survive.
Watch All Quiet on the Western Front on Netflix
The Woman King
Inspired by real events, this AAFCA-winning historical action flick centers on the Agojie, an all-woman army of the West African kingdom of Dahomey. In a dazzling performance, Viola Davis stars as highly-trained General Nanisca, who has to prepare a new generation of warriors to fight a foreign invader threatening their civilization.
Watch The Woman King on Netflix
Top Gun
If you feel the need for speed, Tony Scott's fighter pilot action flick should be your first choice. In 1986's Top Gun, Tom Cruise soars as smug hotshot Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell," who strives to be the top naval pilot in his class — causing friction between him and rivaling classmates such as Iceman (Val Kilmer) — and swoop the flight instructor (Kelly McGillis) off her feet. From its classic soundtrack to its iconic beach volleyball scene to its fast-paced thrills, this blockbuster will "take you right into the danger zone."
Top Gun: Maverick
Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy Everett
Thirty-six years after Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) graduated the TOPGUN Naval aviation program, he's invited back as an instructor for a new generation of fliers, including Miles Teller's Bradley ("Rooster") and Glen Powell's Jake ("Hangman"). Earning over $1 billion dollars at the global box office, 2022's Top Gun: Maverick is not only a triumphant sequel to its iconic predecessor, but is also a "love letter to aviation," as it impressively cranked up the action without VFX and filmed stunts with real U.S. Navy pilots flying top-quality fighter jets.
Watch Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+
Free Guy
From Deadpool to Red Notice, Ryan Reynolds is a bona fide action star who never fails to bring the laughs. Also starring Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi and more, the 2021 action comedy follows a bank teller named Guy (Reynolds), who discovers he's a trivial background character in a violent multiplayer video game and strives to be a winning hero when faced with conflict.
Black Adam
He kneels before no one. In this 2022 Shazam! spin-off Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as the eponymous DC Comics character, who's freed from imprisonment and uses his almighty powers "born out of rage" for revenge, but is intercepted by heroes from the Justice Society, such as Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell).
The Maze Runner
Based on the first book in a YA dystopian series, The Maze Runner follows 16-year-old Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), who wakes up in an elevator with zero recollection of his past and finds himself among a group of boys (and one girl) trying to form a community on an area of land they call the Glade. And if they want to escape, they have to run through a constantly-shifting maze that's patrolled by killer cyborg creatures.
Bullet Train
Famous faces like Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sandra Bullock and Bad Bunny were all on board for this off-the-rails action comedy. Based on Kōtarō Isaka 2010's novel, Maria Beetle, 2022's Bullet Train follows five cutthroat assassins, who are all assigned individual missions that are somehow connected, on a Japanese high-speed train.
Shadow in the Cloud
In this 2022 war fantasy, Chloë Grace Moretz stars as a WWII flight officer who battles with an evil creature on her mission. Also starring Taylor John Smith and Nick Robinson, Shadow in the Cloud is a bumpy ride with several jump-scares lurking in its shadows, and tells a wildly complex story about female strength.
Watch Shadow in the Cloud on Hulu
Zombieland
This 2009 post-apocalyptic action comedy follows a group of surviving humans — played by Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin — who have to avoid becoming "human Happy Meals" for bloodthirsty zombies while making their way to an alleged safe haven.
The Other Guys
If you like your action with a side of belly laughs, tune into Adam McKay's The Other Guys. The 2010 buddy cop comedy is a send-up of the entire genre and pairs Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as clumsy wannabe detectives. They're backed by a seriously star-studded supporting cast, including Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Keaton and Eva Mendes, plus cameos from Derek Jeter, Tracy Morgan and Ice-T.
Watch The Other Guys on Amazon Prime Video
Pearl Harbor
From quintessential action movie director Michael Bay comes a romantic war drama that fictionalizes the historical Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This 2001 feature follows two childhood best friends (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett), who enlist in the military as pilots during WWII and a love triangle unfolds between them and a nurse (Kate Beckinsale).
Salt
Though Salt was originally written with Tom Cruise in mind as the title character, the 2010 film was reworked for Angelina Jolie. The spy thriller has high tensions, high stakes and endless twists, plus great supporting performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Liev Schreiber. Of course, the action and fights are ferocious, especially one scene involving handcuffs.
Captain America: Civil War
Marvel movies always have a ton of great action sequences, but Captain America: Civil War brings together major characters in conflict with each other in exciting ways — and the questions raised about surveillance and the police state continue to resonate. Chris Evans' fight as Captain America with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark was instantly meme-able, and the introduction of Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther and Tom Holland's Spider-Man make Civil War a fan favorite.
Watch Captain America: Civil War on Disney+
The Avengers: Endgame
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Marvel Studios/Courtesy Everett
Avengers, we love you 3000. Bringing back fan-favorite characters and ending several beloved MCU story lines, the epic conclusion to the Avengers saga chronicles the titular superhero group's final battle with Thanos, the demigod who destroyed the universe in Infinity War. Shattering box-office records, the 2019 superhero film became the second highest-grossing film of all time next to 2009's Avatar.
Watch Avengers: Endgame on Disney+
The Matrix
In addition to its prescient themes of machines distracting, subjugating and feeding off of human energy, The Matrix revolutionized action movies thanks to two words: "bullet time." Keanu Reeves dodging bullets became an iconic image, and the visual effect has been used in countless action and superhero movies since.
Road House
Road House might not have been an immediate hit with critics or audiences at its theatrical release, but it developed a cult following in the cable TV and streaming eras. The 1989 film has absolutely no frills — but with Patrick Swayze serving roundhouse kicks to curb corruption, do you really need any?
Prey
David Bukach/Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection
A prequel to the original Predator, Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a fledgling fighter trying to protect the Comanche Nation from the extraterrestrial hunter. Set 300 years before the events of the 1987 classic, the film features an almost entirely Native and First Nation cast and is available to stream entirely in Comanche. At its debut, Prey became Hulu's biggest streaming premiere ever.
The Northman
With a cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård (who gained 20 pounds of muscle for the role), Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Björk, The Northman is a take on the Norse folk tale of Amleth — the very legend that inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet.
When King Aurvandill (Hawke) is murdered by his own brother (Claes Bang), Prince Amleth (Skarsgård) vows to avenge his father's death — but there's far more to the treasonous slaying than meets the eye. With elements of Norse mythology and killer battle scenes, The Northman is a must-see.
Watch The Northman on Amazon Prime Video
Sin City
The 2005 action anthology Sin City is as much an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novels as it is a love letter to classic film noir. Visually stunning thanks to its mostly monochromatic palette, director Robert Rodriguez deliberately stayed as close to the source material as possible. With standout performances from Mickey Rourke and Elijah Wood, Sin City paved the way for the later comic book movie revival as a whole.
Gladiator
Are you not entertained? Russell Crowe won an Oscar for 2000's Gladiator, which also won Best Picture. Inspiring speeches (one of which Crowe penned himself) and rousing colosseum battles abound, and Joaquin Phoenix delivers an understated and nuanced performance as the corrupt Commodus.
Watch Gladiator on Amazon Prime Video
The Dark Knight
Christian Bale is a great Bruce Wayne, but it was Heath Ledger's final completed performance as the Joker that brought The Dark Knight its critical acclaim and commercial blockbuster status. From the opening bank heist to the impossible choices the Joker thrusts upon both Batman and Gotham City, Christopher Nolan's sophomore outing for the caped crusader raises resonant questions about the nature of man.
The Batman
Matt Reeves' The Batman, released in 2022, is less like a superhero epic and more of a detective thriller. Robert Pattinson plays a tortured Bruce Wayne and a brooding Batman equally well, while Zoë Kravitz brings Selina Kyle to life as a sensual, cynical Catwoman. Paul Dano is chilling as the Zodiac Killer-inspired Riddler, and he worked very hard to get there: He was such a perfectionist that Reeves said Dano filmed 200 takes of a single scene.
Casino Royale
Daniel Craig, with his grizzled demeanor and blonde hair, seemed like an unlikely James Bond at the outset — but once audiences saw him as 007 in 2006's Casino Royale, all doubts dissipated. Riveting from the opening bathroom brawl to his final heartbreak at the hands of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), Craig brought out a side of Bond never seen before: vulnerability and the ability to feel shaken (if not stirred).
Skyfall
Alexa, play Adele's Oscar-winning song "Skyfall." After Agent 007's assignment exposes undercover spies around the globe and forces supervisor M (Judi Dench) to relocate the agency that's now under attack, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is entrusted with tracking down the threat, no matter how dangerous. Javier Bardem plays Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent–turned–cyberterrorist Bond baddie out for personal revenge on M.
The Old Guard
The Old Guard examines a power granted to many superheroes that often goes unquestioned: the loneliness and boredom associated with immortality. Charlize Theron and the rest of the cast kill it in hand-to-hand combat scenes, and it brought some long overdue LGBTQ representation to the superhero genre.
Watch The Old Guard on Netflix
Uncharted
Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg make an unlikely but delightful pair in Uncharted, based on the video game of the same name. Nathan "Nate" Drake (Holland), a bartender-turned-pickpocket, sets off on an adventure to find his lost brother. (Holland worked as a bartender in real life to prepare for the role.) Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Wahlberg) takes Nate under his wing to find a treasure left by Ferdinand Magellan, and it turns out that Sully and Nate are connected in more ways than they realize — and even when their friendship gets tenuous, they need each other to survive.
The Gray Man
Oscar winner Ryan Gosling stars as the titular Gray Man, an assassin on the run — with the help of some chewing gum, a precocious child and Ana de Armas — from a former CIA colleague.
After nearly a decade as Captain America, Chris Evans takes a villainous turn — but it's a role he plays so well. Evans chews the scenery as the bad guy in The Gray Man, brothers Anthony and Joe Russo's first Netflix project (they previously directed Evans in four Marvel movies). The film was successful enough to greenlight both a spin-off and a sequel.
The Kid Who Would Be King
A kid-friendly option, The Kid Who Would Be King is as heartwarming as it is adrenaline-pumping. Patrick Stewart is a delight as Merlin (perhaps taking notes from his real-life bestie, Ian McKellen, and his turn as Gandalf) and Rebecca Ferguson is enchanting as wicked sorceress Morgana.
Watch The Kid Who Would Be King on Disney+
Zack Snyder's Justice League
While 2017's Justice League — taken on by Joss Whedon partway through production — had an obviously similar story, the stakes immediately feel higher in Zack Snyder's lengthy rendition of the superhero team-up. In the Snyder cut, villain Steppenwolf's motives are clearer, and his defeat of the Amazons proves that he is a force to be reckoned with. Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne is perfectly pensive, Ray Fisher's star turn as Cyborg is fully realized, Jason Momoa's Aquaman makes a splash and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman shows her tougher side.
Watch Zack Snyder's Justice League on Max
Taken
Released in 2008, Taken is a thriller brought to life by Liam Neeson and his "particular set of skills." The film, which follows Bryan Mills (Neeson) on a mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter, launched a full-blown franchise, making the Irish actor an action star in his golden years. "I like doing it," Neeson said of being an action hero. "The scripts are good. I'm kind of like a kid in a candy store."
"Options Action" features option traders from some of the top firms on Wall Street. Each week, they gather for a fast-paced, half-hour show that focuses on how to increase profits and limit losses using common option techniques. Fresh from the trading desk, the "Options Action" panel will demystify the daunting terminology often used when talking about options, and simplify this fast-growing and crucial corner of the market.
The right denounced it as “reverse racism,” while the liberal center hailed it as the endpoint of egalitarianism. But as a limited measure in the fight against discrimination, it has never been either.
What does the US Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions have in common with proposals for eliminating the “racial wealth gap”? Neither will have any impact whatsoever on the lives and material circumstances of the vast majority of Black Americans. It’s little wonder, then, that the group that cares most passionately about both is the upper middle class. Why do they care so much? Because neither is even supposed to have any impact on the lives and material circumstances of the vast majority of Black Americans. Wealth and income differentiation have increased greatly among Black Americans since 1967, when the percentage earning the equivalent of $150,000 a year or more was negligible. By 2018, 7 percent of Black Americans earned more than $150,000. Similarly, more than three-quarters of so-called Black wealth is held by the richest 10 percent of Black people. Over the course of a half-century of widening national inequality, the goal of affirmative action has not been to combat that inequality but to diversify its beneficiaries.
For that reason, I was reluctant to write about the Supreme Court decisions in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina and have not followed the cases closely. I’ve long supported affirmative action, even as I’ve long understood that its interventions might produce only narrow forms of egalitarianism. At its core, affirmative action is a technique in the implementation of antidiscrimination law, based on an understanding that overt prejudice is too limited a standard for identifying redressable discrimination.
It was a recognition of that limitation that underlay early notions of institutional racism. Affirmative action was not, historically, a product of Black activists operating in their own interests. The term first appeared in a provision of the 1935 National Labor Relations Act that directed employers to redress discrimination against union organizers. President John F. Kennedy echoed the terminology in Executive Order 10925, issued in 1961, which required government contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” President Lyndon B. Johnson used the same language in Executive Order 11246, on Equal Employment Opportunity enforcement, issued in 1965, and had articulated the notion more extensively three months earlier in his Howard University commencement address. The sociologist Frank Dobbin has examined affirmative action’s roots in the private sector, as well, tracing its growth as a pragmatic policy in corporate human resources departments, rather than as the spread of radical egalitarian social theories.
It is the right that is responsible for much of the attempt to elevate affirmative action to the level of high moral principle, like so many of its bogus misdirection campaigns. Ideologues have denounced affirmative action with a lofty rhetoric of “colorblind ideals” or “merit,” shifting attention away from the prosaic fact that it is a technique of antidiscrimination enforcement. Anti-egalitarians have a long history of concocting formalist “principles,” whether by advocacy or denunciation, to perfume their ugly and ultimately anti-popular political agendas.
This was at play during the good cop/bad cop choreography that Southern elected officials crafted in their campaign of “Massive Resistance” to the Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed school segregation. The good cops contended that they were not so much opposed to desegregation as they were concerned with defending the hallowed principle of “states’ rights.” I still recall North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin passionately playing the good-cop role, styling himself as a constitutional “strict constructionist,” which later became the basis for his rise to folk-hero status as a “country lawyer” protector of the Constitution during the Watergate hearings—not to mention his 1977 American Express commercial.
In the years since its implementation, affirmative action has been a useful instrument in the enforcement of antidiscrimination law. In the 1970s, it significantly informed efforts to open access for nonwhites and women in occupations and job categories—notably in police departments, fire departments, and air traffic control, in part because all are in the public sector—from which those groups had previously been largely excluded. Perhaps its most important victory came in the Supreme Court’s 1971 Griggs v. Duke Power ruling, which mandated that only tests related to actual job performance can be used to screen job applicants. (Those who have plowed through Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray’s odious racist tract The Bell Curve will recall that Griggs was its main practical target.) As Dobbin shows in his book Inventing Equal Opportunity, the greatest evidence of affirmative action’s success is its routine incorporation into human resources management practices. That success also underscores its key limitation.
As an instrument of antidiscrimination enforcement, affirmative action is not equipped to address broader economic inequality, which has steadily intensified throughout American society since the 1970s across race, gender, and sexual orientation. The court’s 1978 ruling in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke shifted affirmative action’s justification from combating inequality to the pursuit of “diversity.” This provided a workaround to address the complaint that affirmative action constituted “reverse discrimination,” but an unintended effect was to obscure its inadequacy as a remedy to rising poverty and the increasing concentration of wealth.
Equal opportunity in a diverse society is an unobjectionable ideal. However, within a regime of ever greater economic polarization, in the absence of a vigorous commitment to egalitarian economic redistribution, the pursuit of equal opportunity has come to center on facilitating access to the upper reaches of wealth, status, and power for individuals held to embody previously underrepresented groups. Technically, this is as defensible a standard of equality as any other. In practice, however, it depends on a mystified, essentialist understanding of the relation between individual and nominal group: That Kamala Harris is vice president does little for any Black woman not named Kamala Harris. Diversifying the upper class can be an ideal only for a “left” that is totally embedded within neoliberalism. It’s the sleight of hand that Barbara and Karen Fields call “racecraft,” which permits the presumption that benefits conferred on upper-status people of color will trickle down to all the rest. And that presumption, by the way, is the quintessence of racism.
The Best Action Camera Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Action cameras are small, lightweight, and sometimes even waterproof. They're useful because you can mount them to pretty much anything—from skateboards, surfboards, and bicycles, to helmets, body parts, and even your pets.
They have all but replaced traditional camcorders in the marketplace. Family historians and budding cinematographers now use a GoPro or similar camera for wide shots and vlogs, while smartphones and newer mirrorless cameras are the tools of choice for home movies.
Action cams also have a place in professional work. You should use a camera with a big sensor and interchangeable lenses when you can, but modern action cams capture video that's good enough to intercut. Think about shots that show the interior of an exploding car, for instance—a GoPro likely recorded the event.
Below, we highlight our favorite action cams across a wide range of budgets. And if you're not sure where to begin, check out our buying advice after the list.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
GoPro Hero11 Black
Best Action Cam Overall
Why We Picked It
The GoPro Hero11 Black is, bar none, the best action cam you can buy today. It's the latest version of the camera that defined the concept and the most technically advanced. It supports 5.3K60, 4K120, and 2.7K240 frame rates and matches them up with best-in-class stabilizaton and horizon-leveling. A nearly square image sensor boosts picture quality for creators pulling vertical 9:16 frames for TikTok, while its rugged and waterproof build means you don't need an add-on case.
Who It's For
The Hero11 Black is as versatile an action cam as you can find. Surfers, skateboarders, and other X Games participants can strap the camera to their person or board to get first-person views of stunts. Vloggers should appreciate its front-facing color display and Media Mod accessory system. And 10-bit video, new to this model, is a plus for use in cinema projects.
PROS
- Great-looking 5.3K60 video
- 4K120 and 2.7K240 slow-motion
- 10-bit color sampling
- Numerous time-lapse modes
- Waterproof to 33 feet
- Solid touch interface and voice command support
- Subscription service with useful features
CONS
- Not ideal for long-form recording or macro work
- One battery won't get you through the day
Insta360 X3
Best 360 Camera for Creators
Why We Picked It
The Insta360 X3 is the camera to get for dual-lens, 360-degree video. It captures an all-around view of the world and gives you the software tools to do interesting and creative things with the video. The camera is waterproof and can survive rough handling too, so it's suitable for mounting and capturing action.
Who It's For
Creators who want to try their hand at 360-degree capture and the editing techniques that go with it should find a lot to like about the X3. Its HDR video profile handles mixed lighting well and you can use the camera for special effects shots like Matrix-style bullet time and time lapse with motion.
PROS
- 5.7K30 HDR video
- Slim, waterproof build
- Big touch screen with straightforward interface
- Robust desktop and mobile editing tools
- Loads of capture modes
CONS
- Video must be processed before editing
- A bit of a learning curve to grasp 360-degree editing
- Mobile editing app limits resolution
DJI Action 2
Most Innovative Design
Why We Picked It
The DJI Action 2 rethinks the action cam design. It's modular and has magnetic mounting points that let you place the camera in tight spots that can't quite hold a GoPro. You can even use the camera as a wearable body cam with the included pendant necklace mount. Video quality is strong too, with 4K120 recording available for action and slow motion.
Who It's For
If you're looking for a small, wearable camera for travel logs and adventures, the Action 2 is a good choice. The camera's video features are competitive with GoPros and the industrial design is a winner for style-conscious influencers.
PROS
- Tiny, go-anywhere form factor
- Magnetic mount and snap-on accessories
- Effective digital stabilization
- Up to 4K120 video
- 12MP photos
- Waterproof to 33 feet
- Works as a webcam
CONS
- Front screen option pushes price high
- Overheating is a concern
- No card slot or charging port on main camera module
- Front screen and battery aren't waterproof
DJI Osmo Action 4
Best Low-Light Action Cam
Why We Picked It
The DJI Osmo Action 4 uses a big Type 1/1.3 format image sensor to produce crisp video in dim light, better than what you get from the GoPro Hero11. The Osmo's pixel count isn't as high as the Hero 11's, but it still supports up to 4K120 or 1080p240 video and takes 10MP snapshots. We also like its 75-minute battery life, dual touch screens, and 59-foot waterproof rating.
Who It's For
The Osmo Action 4 is worth a look if you like to explore the world after the sun goes down. The front touch screen is handy for self-recording, and the camera's tough build quality means you don't have to worry about it breaking during rough-and-tumble use.
PROS
- Wide-angle lens with excellent digital stabilization
- Front and rear touch screens
- Up to 4K120 slow motion
- 10-bit D-Log color
- Waterproof to 59 feet
- Works as a webcam
CONS
- Smartphone-based product activation
- Quick-release mount is easy to lose
- Rear display isn't visible through polarized sunglasses
GoPro Hero9 Black
Best GoPro for Budget Shoppers
Why We Picked It
Now two generations old, the GoPro Hero9 Black remains in the lineup as the budget-friendly option. Its 5K30 and 4K60 video modes aren't as good for slow motion, but the camera captures sharp video with effective stabilization at those frame rates. It also works with the same Media Mod accessories as its pricier Hero10 and Hero11 siblings.
Who It's For
This is a good pick for action cam fans who don't want to break the bank. At around $300, it undercuts the price of other GoPro and DJI models and gives you access to some GoPro-exclusive features, such as automated video editing and direct upload from camera to cloud.
PROS
- Up to 5K quality at 30fps
- Front-facing color LCD
- Exceptional video stabilization
- Up to 240fps HD slow motion
- Time-lapse, buffering, and HDR imaging
- USB-C charging
- Strong app support
- Compact and waterproof
CONS
- You'll likely want to carry extra batteries
- Subscription service adds recurring costs
GoPro Max
Best Audio in a 360 Cam
Why We Picked It
GoPro's dual-lens action camera uses two lenses to record the entire world around it, but can also function as a single-lens action cam. The Max's strengths as a 360-degree camera are its sharp video quality and software reframing tools. That's not to mention the six internal microphones that grab the best in-camera audio of any action cam we've tested. As you might expect from a GoPro, the Max is also tough and waterproof (though only to 16 feet).
Who It's For
The GoPro Max is a top pick for creators who want a dual-lens 360 camera and care a lot about audio quality. Travel vloggers and others who present to the camera won't have to fiddle with an external mic with this one, and the Max is waterproof to boot. GoPro offers reframing tools for creative edits too, though they're not quite as polished as what you get with the Insta360 X3.
PROS
- 360-degree capture
- Also works as a single-lens camera
- Intuitive software tools
- Strong stabilization
- Good in-camera audio
- Waterproof without a case
- Integrated mounting clips
CONS
- Effective resolution is really 1080p
- Single-lens capture tops out at 60fps
- Requires more editing time to get the best results from spherical footage
Insta360 Go 3
Best Wearable Action Cam
Why We Picked It
Cameras don't get much smaller than the Insta360 Go 3. The capsule-sized model records 2.7K30 video, is waterproof, and works well for point-of-view captures, an aspect that video creators are sure to like. The included Action Pod housing turns the Go into a standard action cam with a flip-forward touch screen, so it's not a one-trick pony.
Who It's For
The Go 3 should appeal to creators who want a wearable camera or adventurers who want something they can mount in interesting places to capture unique perspectives. Make sure you are comfortable with video editing tools, however, since the Go 3 requires you to run footage through its app to create time lapses or apply digital stabilization.
PROS
- Stabilized 2.7K30 video
- Versatile, ultra-compact design
- Waterproof to 16 feet
- Action Pod attachment has flip-forward touch LCD
CONS
- Action Pod housing isn't submersible
- Non-removable battery and no storage expansion slot
- Some video modes require post-processing
- Wearable footage looks unsteady
Insta360 One RS
Best for Mixing 360 and 4K Footage
Why We Picked It
The Insta360 One RS is an action cam that supports swappable lenses, a unique capability for sure. When we tested a basic kit with a 4K main lens for 16:9 footage and a dual-lens 360 module for all-around recording, we appreciated the versatility and creative features. For higher-quality recording, Insta360 even offers Leica-branded modules for both single-lens and dual-lens recording, thus making the camera upgradeable.
Who It's For
If you can't quite decide between a standard single-lens cam and a dual-lens 360 model, the Insta360 One RS might be the camera for you. It records pleasing 4K60 video with stabilization and supports extra-wide 2.35:1 recording. The dual-lens module does 5.7K30 and works with Insta360's excellent editing tools.
PROS
- Compact design
- Swappable lens modules
- Waterproof to 16 feet
- Stabilized 4K60 and 5.7K 360 video
- HDR available at 4K30
- 2:35 wide-screen mode
- Mobile and desktop app support
CONS
- In-camera mics disappoint outdoors
- Modular design can get in the way
- Small touch LCD
- Battery only good for 75 minutes of 4K
- Heat can limit long-form recordings
Buying Guide: The Best Action Cameras for 2023
Do Action Cameras Need 4K?
The first thing to consider is a camera's video resolution. 4K is a minimum requirement these days, and the best models offer more than double that resolution. The GoPro Hero11 Black, for instance, supports 5.3K.
Next, take a look at the available frame rates, expressed as frames per second (fps). Some action cameras offer up to 240fps recording, whereas ultra-budget options may only offer 30fps. The latter is perfectly fine for standard playback, but the frame rate matters more when you want to slow footage down in editing to create dramatic scenes. You can slow 240fps recordings down and play them back smoothly at one-quarter speed, for instance. If you want a cinematic look, pick a camera that has a 24fps capture option; that's the same speed that most Hollywood productions use.
The best action cams put fast frame rates and high pixel counts together—the GoPro Hero11 Black pushes 240fps at 2.7K, for example, better than the 1080p240 you get from the DJI Osmo Action 4.
Left to right: GoPro Hero11 Black, DJI Osmo Action 4 (Credit: Jim Fisher)
If you're more serious about video, look for a model that offers a flat video profile that grades easily. We've not yet seen Raw video support in an action cam, but you can get that feature from larger models, including the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K. Some sort of stabilization is important as well, as it can help you get smooth footage without a tripod or gimbal.
The Best Action Cameras With Wide Lenses and 360-Degree Video
Most action cams have a lens with a wide, wide view of the world. You are thus likely to encounter some fish-eye distortion, especially if you mount it really close to what it's filming, but newer models remove that effect automatically. A few cameras also let you select a narrower angle for recording to avoid distortion at the outset.
Some entries have two lenses for spherical video capture, though not as many as during the height of the 360-degree video fad. The cameras that survived serve a dual purpose, leveraging software so you can use video for both VR headsets and flat screens. Software tools allow you to manipulate video in interesting ways, as you can see in the GoPro Max clip above.
There are also outliers in the design department. The DJI Pocket 2 has a gimbal-stabilized camera—it's not rugged, but vloggers should take a look.
How to Mount Your Action Cam
You should also consider your specific needs. Not all cameras are suitable for every sport and certain designs lend themselves better to particular activities. On top of that, different shapes allow for different mounting accessories and possibilities. If you want to catch a unique perspective, like an under-skateboard shot, pay close attention to a camera's size. If you're already invested in a system, like GoPro, which uses a proprietary mount, then sticking with what you've got can help you save money on accessories.
GoPro Hero10 Black (Credit: Jim Fisher)
Waterproofing is an important aspect to consider if you plan to record underwater or even around water. Some waterproof cameras can go deeper than others or even have built-in waterproofing so you don't need to worry about an extra housing.
Recommended by Our Editors
Longtime editors might be happy working with desktop editing software, but adventurers might want to cut footage on a smartphone or tablet. Look for a model with built-in Wi-Fi at a minimum if mobile editing is important.
Mobile editing in the GoPro app (Credit: GoPro / Jim Fisher)
You get better software support from name-brand options. GoPro and DJI include full-featured smartphone apps for on-the-go editing. Both automatically create an edit from your shots, a plus when you just want to get a quick social post out.
If you go with a brand that doesn't supply an editing app, you have to bring your own. It's easy enough to use iMovie or Adobe Premiere Rush to cut clips together on your phone, however. If you need software for your desktop or laptop, check out our top video editing recommendations.
Which Action Camera Should You Get?
We've filmed hours of footage with many of the major contenders to determine where each device stands in the field. Ultimately, your choice should come down to performance and ease of use.
