Usually, people who used these tiny, indestructible cameras were associated with extreme sports, but lately we see many tourists with these cameras and smartphones on selfie sticks. So if you want to stand out from the crowd and film your vacation in wide angle, perhaps it is time to try an action camera. It is probably wiser than waving your expensive smartphone around on a $5 stick and breaking it (breaking the phone, not the stick).

It all started back in 2006 when California-based GoPro released its first Digital Hero camera and created a whole new product segment for inexpensive digital action cameras. The basic requirement for these products are: fast and wide lens with fixed focus and zoom, water- and shock-proof housings, very small and lightweight camera body, loads of accessories and different camera mounts for a range of shooting scenarios.

Fast forward to 2015, and many companies are offering this type of device. A few big players like HTC and Xiaomi are getting on board as well, and we are seeing a flood of Chinese action cameras, promising advanced features at entry-level prices.

This applies to the Blackview Hero 2 RF, with a price tag of $139 for the complete package, which is coincidentally the same price you would pay for the current GoPro Hero entry level model. Blackview is already a familiar name in the smartphone segment and now they are entering the action camera race as well.