SJCAM SJ4000 Action Camera

[cyjo]

I was wondering if any of you guys have tried this camera? It is similar in format to the gopro but way less expensive. $70 here at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1072775-REG/sj4000_sj4000_action_camera.html

Looks like it uses the same mounting stuff as the gopro. A few comparisons on youtube also look good. Any thoughts?

[Sport-Touring]

[miles]

That's the pricing and feature set that the GoPro should have.  Odds are it's made in the same factory in China as well.

[cyjo]

Wish I had seen this before I got my gopro. I just don't have a need for a second cam yet.

[MidLifeMike]

There are many, many comparisons available online of the SJCAM units vs GoPro vs Mobius (as a popular 3rd option). The one I am looking at is the Mobius.
The cheap ones IMO are a great way to try out the whole bike cam thing and decide if it's something you want to pursue. If the novelty wears out for you, like I've seen often, you won't have tied up hundreds of dollars in a GoPro that just got made obsolete by yet another "best one yet" model.

It's hard to overlook that the latest GoPro units stay ahead in resolving shadow detail in difficult lighting, but by such a slight margin, I don't think it justifies the 4x cost difference.
They all seem to put their own distinct color shift/saturation on the results. If you are just going to shoot and share, it's which hue you can live with. For myself, any video is going to be edited with frequent cuts, changes in angle and a few sound tracks, so I can tweak it then.

Just my preference, I'd sooner own 4 Mobius cameras for the same money and mount them in different places around the bike and I would blend the clips later.

[adurbin]

My best friend and riding buddy uses the SJCam. After seeing it, and seeing the video quality, there is NO WAY I would pay the premium price for a go pro. I actually think the video quality on the SJCAM is better than most GoPros I've seen.

[R Doug]

Depending on what you want to do, the SJ4000 may be the best choice for you.  It does cost 1/2 as much as the cheapest GoPro model and you can get decent video quality for the price.  

I'll stick with my GoPro for now and if I'm in the market to replace the GoPro today, I'd get another.  It's been 100% bullet proof and the video quality is still better than its competition.  Plus, if you're ever into editing and adding any slow-motion playback, the detail of the GoPro and it's FPS capability make it a better choice.

[cyjo]

I see what you mean. I like my gopro and in the last couple years I have had no issues. Except my inept ability to edit. My videos always seem to have some pixelation after editing and uploading to youtube. Can't seem to get the settings right when exporting.

[Virginian]

I've been using a SJCAM SJ 4000 for about a year now and love it. No issues but i should note I didn't get the wifi version. I didn't want it actually. I use it for kayak fishing, quads and on my bike. Cheap, gets the job done and I'm not out a ton of $$ if something bad happens to it. I ordered mine through banggood.com.

Eric

[RBEmerson]

Necro posting in the extreme but...

As I'm sure most of you know, there are a ton of GoPro clones from China Inc. Most are, to be kind, crap.

SJCam, however, is competitive in this market space. There are shortcomings, but consider this: the idea is to faithfully record what's going on in front of the lens.

I bought an SJCam SJ7 Star prior to a trip to the Alps. I had been using a Sena Prism prior to the SJ7. By comparison, the SJ7 blows the Prism out of the water - violently.

First, the SJ7 is capable of 4k @ 30 fps. It shoots 1080p at 120 (slow mo) fps, 60 fps (normal speed), and 30 fps (normal speed but not good for active use). It shoots time lapse, photo sequences, and single photos - ditto for the Prism. The Prism can be controlled from the SMH-10, 20S, and (presumably) later Sena intercoms. The SJ7, of course, hasn't clue one about any of these devices. But...

The SJ7 can be operated by a wrist-worn remote control. It's kinda hokey, but it works. The other choice is an Android or IPhone app that gives control and... real-time video. The SJ7 can display real-time video on a built-in screen, too. And play back through that screen.  The Prism simply has no hope of doing any of that. And it gets worse for the Prism.

The SJ7 uses a far superior video sensor and processor. Again, the Prism is simply out of the game. The SJ7 has a menu of options that, truthfully, is a bit too long, but better more control over the camera than less.

The SJ7 can use 128 Gb SD's. The Prism can be fooled into using 64 Gb SD's if you know the needed magic spell. The limit, otherwise, is 32 Gb. Both cameras can shoot with external power, which great for shooting extended rides. The SJ7, unfortunately, shuts down if the external battery pack goes flat or the cable disconnects. The Prism is at least weather-resistant. The SJ7 camera itself will probably drown in a heavy dew or fog. But... SJCam includes a waterproof case, suitable for scuba dives, not just snorkeling. They now offer a motorcycle case, which is rain-proof and comes with an external power cable. Stuff the camera into the case and the unplugged battery issue goes away. NTL, remember to care a spare external battery and change batteries about every 4 hours. With a 128 Gb SD, shooting 1080p @ 60 fps, change the chip at the end of the day. BTDT

The SJ7 uses standard GP mounts, etc. The Prism uses Sena's proprietary hardware, but it's a good kit, with lots of options. The camera has a small frontal area, while the SJ7 is like every GP camera. The camera package is one of the few distinct wins for the Prism.

Sena has not, AFAIK, released a single firmware update for the Prism. It's still at V1.0. Despite some obvious problems. Sena customer relations are... almost non-existent.  Aside from the first-tier customer support reps, Sena simply doesn't talk to customers. Not even in their own corporate forum.

SJCam is positively yacky. There are at least two rep user names in heavy use. I suspect more than one person posts through those names. They listen, they respond meaningfully. Firmware updates show up about every 6-8 weeks. They don't just tweak things, there are new features added (V1.19 upgrades from vertical "gyro" stabilization to full EIS - electronic image stabilization, and adds real-time fisheye correction).

Overall, as I said, the SJ7 makes the Prism obsolete. And it sells for about $200. 'Nuff said. Almost. I've included a video I shot at 1080p @ 60 fps. It's been transcoded to 4K (and can be viewed at 4K). That doesn't improve the raw images, of course, but it keeps YouTube from effin' up the imagery. What's in the video is maybe 90% as good as the raw footage. The vertical gyro feature can be seen - watch the top of the windscreen motion relative to the scenery. Now it's 'nuff said.