Category: SJCAM

SJCAM SJ4000 is by far the most popular action camera that SJCAM produced. Do not let you its price trick you, its feature rich and better then most big-brand cameras. This post will be an ultimate review of this Chinese brand action cam.

Note : Due to problems with fake SJ4000 appearing on the market, here are some links where you can get official product.

• Buy on Amazon from SJCAM official store

The first time I heard that there is a decent under 100$ action camera, I must say I was a bit suspicious. Hearing that it was made by the fairly new company based in China… Well, I am sure you are feeling the same right now. That is why you are reading this article, right?

The SJCAM SJ4000 is a multipurpose action camera which can record video at 1080p x 30 FPS and take photographs. It is also water-resistant up to 30m when used with housing. It is action-packed with lots of additional gadgets. Camera has been released in two variants :

• Non WiFi
• WiFi version

There is no need to mention that the only difference between the two is built in WiFi. I will clarify why you might or might not need a WiFi. Since the version I bought has a built in WiFi this article will cover the SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi version. But I assure you everything said here applies to non WiFi variant as well.

Specifications

Bellow is a table which shows all the specs of SJ4000 WiFi. Same specs apply for the non WiFi version, except for the WiFi mode obviously.

[go_pricing id=”sj4000specs”]

Design

The first thought everyone gets after seeing this action cam for the first time is : “Is this a GoPro?”

Enough said. The design is very very similar to a GoPro.

Camera dimensions are 59.3 x 41.1 x 29.3 mm. It weights  approx 58g with and 44g without a battery inside.

Cam is pretty lightweight and much smaller then you expect it to be. The first time I opened the box, my first thought was “Wow, can this tiny thing really make videos?”. One thing I particularly like about it is variety of colors to chose. For the SJ4000 model, there are 7 different colors.

Video Features

Though its not a high end DSLR or expensive camcorder, SJ4000 provides fantastic video for its price which will do more then a good job for most of the users. The wide angle f= 2.99mm F= 2.8 lens enables you to capture large field of view. With this action cam you can shoot  high definition video in different modes and resolutions.

Both SJ4000 and SJ4000 WiFi can record videos in the following resolutions :

• Full HD: 1920*1080P 30 fps
• 720P: 1280*720P 60/30 fps (double frame, not true 60fps,records each frame twice)
• 640 x 480P 60fps
• 848*480P 60fps

It should be mentioned that the sj4000 does not support true 60 fps, though it is mentioned in the specification. So if you really need 60 frames per second in your video, you should go with their latest SJ5000 or some other camera such as Sony AS100V. The more frames per second your camera has, the more realistic video looks. The more does not need to mean the better. All Hollywood movies have been recorded in 24 fps for instance, and most of the YouTube videos in 30 fps. All of my videos are done in 30fps as well.

Download Video and photograph samples

In the lengthy video above , you will see my entire review of this camera which includes sample footage. Since YouTube encodes videos and reduces their quality, download these sample videos I have taken to see how original non-encoded videos look.

Video quality might vary depending on monitor calibration, codec you have installed on PC and video player. My recommendation is Apple´s QuickTime player or VLC Media Player.

Video Time Lapse

While I was playing around with the camera, making videos for my YouTube channel, I realized that I haven’t upgraded firmware. Since my camera was original, I was not afraid to make an upgrade by following instructions on SJCAM website. To my surprise one of the features included in the 20150126 version is video time lapse. This option enables you to create creative videos, just like those in movies.

How SJ4000 time lapse works?

Camera has an option to set time lapse to 3, 5, 10, 30 seconds and a full minute. What does that mean?  Basically this is how it works. If you select lets say 10 seconds, this means camera will capture a frame every 10 seconds. If you leave your camera for an hour (60 minutes), camera will take 6 frames per minute or in total 360 frames in hour. Lets say you are recording at 30 fps you will get 360/30 = 12 seconds of video in time lapse.

Photography Features

You probably heard that video and photo do not go well together in one device. Either its a device for photography or video-making. On rare occasions if one gadget can handle both well, its bloody expensive.

With video content becoming more important and widely used then ever before, companies are making models that can do great shoots and video at the same time. Still, if you need this camera just for a sake of taking photos, then I recommend you to go with a digital camera or a DSLR.

While taking shoots with this camera, you will be able to chose between different modes such as color, sepia or black and white. Additionally, changing white balance will make your photos look different as well, which is extremely useful if you want to make your shoots a bit warmer or colder for instance.

Photos taken with SJ4000 are not bad, but they are not fantastic either. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the resolution of the photos. Though the manufacturer claims that the highest photo res is 12mp, few other reviewers confirmed that it is definitely bellow that.

Manufacturer claims that photos can be taken in :

• -12 mp, 4000 x 3000
• -8 mp, 3264 x 2448
• -5 mp, 2560 x 1920
• -3 mp, 2048 x 1536
• -2 Megapixel, 1920 x 1080
• -1.2 Megapixel, 1280 x 720

In the reality 12mp and 8 mp photo look exactly the same as the 5mp ones. When you zoom the photo it quickly blurs and the details are not easy to spot. Bellow are few more photos I have taken with my SJ4000.

As you can see its not Nikon or Cannon, but makes decent shoots that are better an average smartphone. The photos have been resized to load faster, so I recommend you to download original unprocessed photos I have taken. (Download, do not watch them via Dropbox)

On the other hand, on my travels, I find SJ4000 quite handy because of its size and weight. It fits into my pocket, and for quick photos it did great job for me. Also you will not look like a tourist when you carry a device of this size, which decreases the possibility of being  pickpocket victim abroad.

SJCAM SJ 4000 equipment

The camera comes packed with enormous amount of mounts and accessories. Here is what you get inside the box (nope, I am not exaggerating, you really get all these) :

• 1x SJ4000 camera with battery
• 1x waterproof housing
• 1x bicycle stand
• 2x base stands
• 1x clip
• 1x fixed base
• 3x switch supporters
• 1x adapter
• 2x helmet base
• 1x bandage
• 3x ribbon
• double coated adhesive tape
• 1x wire rope
• 1x data wire/usb charger
• 1x usb to AC adapter
• 1x manual
• 1x wiper

As you see the list is enormous. Some of these base, bandages and stands may be used in combination with other branded action cameras such as GoPro or Sony. Basically when you combine these, you will be able to put your action camera and create flexible stands for your bicycle, waist or car (in order to be set on a window requires additional car bracket which is sold separately). Illustration above shows how you can set up and combine accessories and mounts.

Additional (optional) equipment

Well you cant get everything with the camera. There are few gadgets that you can purchase additionally on the SJCAM website, which are not included in the box. Here is a list of additional accessories:

• car bracket
• HDMI Outlet line
• waist bandage
• car charger

Waterproof case

Both versions of SJ4000 come with a separate waterproof housing which allows your camera to go up to 30m in water making it water-resistant. I haven’t tested the camera in the deep water, since I am not particularly good at diving. I used waterproof housing under a heavy rain taking both videos and photos and my SJ4000 WiFi was completely save.

Additionally the case does not influence the quality of the video or photo significantly but it will make audio sounds really bad. Camera has an option to switch to waterproof mode, which allows better shoots under water.

Camera can be easily inserted into the housing. Buttons on the case are really hard to press which was my only problem with this piece of equipment. Though I understand that stiff pressing makes housing safer, it really is annoying sometimes that you have to use full force to turn camera on/off. That can also make your photos shaky a bit until you get used to it. One additional problem when using housing is that it reduces or in some cases completely overkill the sound quality.

If you are interested in some under water testing, check out this neat video taken in the Indian Ocean, Maldives. This one shoot in Long Beach is also worth watching.

Camera without housing is not splash or water resistant, so do not try to use it that way.

Multipurpose Action Cam

This tiny little fella is a definition of multipurpose. I am not sure why, but in addition to its indoor, outdoor and underwater purpose, you can use this camera as :

• Dash-camera (car camera)
• Web cam (for your PC, talking on Skype, etc)
• Home surveillance

Car Recorder

Probably the most useful option besides standard ones, is dash-cam option. You can use this camera to record while you are driving your car. It can be pretty useful if God forbid, you find yourself in a situation where you might need a proof for your insurance. In case you are interested in performance and quality of video, check out my YouTube review which has few minutes of recording traffic.

How to activate Dash-cam mode?

To activate SJ4000 car mode, turn on your camera. Once turned on, press the menu/power button two or three times (depending on your firmware) until you enter Settings. Press the down arrow button until you see Settings<Car Mode. Press OK button on your camera and turn car mode ON.

Web Camera

I must admit that I use my SJ4000 WiFi cam as a web camera quite a lot. It became an essential to me since it records so much better then the old Genius i300 I had. Unlike most of the web cameras out there, this one will record in really, really wind angle, so it might be difficult to get used to it at first. Camera has a built in microphone, so basically you do not need an external  mic. You can talk on Skype all day long without any issues.

How to setup your SJ4000 as a PC camera?

Unlike the car mode, to activate your SJ4000 as a web cam, you only have to plugin it into your PC with a micro USB cable you received with it. Camera will then automatically turn on. On the camera screen you will see two options : mass storage and PC camera. Mass storage should be selected when you want to access videos you recorded. So, select PC camera and click OK.

If its your first time to plug it into a computer, it may take few seconds for your PC to automatically find a driver for it if you are connected to internet.

A driver is tiny software that allows your PC to recognize and communicate with your camera. For my Windows 7 it took a minute. Depending on your PC operating system, it can be only plug and play. Just make sure you are connected to the internet.

Home Burglar (Motion Detection)

In my opinion this option is something most of us do not need their action camera to do. Personally, if I needed to secure my property, I would not rely on action cameras. I would buy something far more serious. Well, it does not hurt to have additional function, right? Home burglar option enables the camera to turn on  and start recording once it detects a movement.

This camera is pretty unreliable when it comes to detecting a motion. Sometimes it will record on a slightest movement and sometimes it wont detect anything even if you come really close to it. My advice, do not use it as a security camera. One idea is to use it for hunting where you can record animals when they move or yourself when skating and you need a b-roll footage.

How to turn on motion detection?

Similar to the web cam option, you can turn on the movement detection by entering Settings<Motion Detection. Select ON and press OK. Just make sure to turn it OFF when you do not need it since your action cam might turn on and drain your battery. That would be a shame, would it?

SJCAM SJ4000 battery and charger

The same battery that is in M10 and SJ5000 is also in SJ4000 camera – Li-ion rechargeable 900mAH. Approximate battery life while recording in 1080p 30 fps with WiFi off is around 100 min which is not bad at all for such camera. This means 100 minutes is the time you can get recording continuously without turning camera on/off. For my needs of taking lots of shorter 2-3 minutes videos in a day, it did the job.

However if you plan to make lots of videos and do not want to worry about battery, it is highly recommended that you buy a spare battery. You can get one on Amazon for a very decent price.

Battery can be powered (camera can be charged) via USB cable plugged into your PC, AV Cable or the car powered adapter. The fastest charging is via AV cable, but this sort of charging. I always used AV cable for charging because I did not want to wait. But USB is much safer way to charge your camera if you have the time. Sometimes you can get an awkward smell when charging this cam via AV.

Original AV charger that you get with your camera can be used for US wall plugs. However most of the sellers will ship small EU converter together with the pack. Make sure to ask them if they have one to send to you. They will do it free of charge most of the times. I got my converter without even asking since they seller saw I live in Europe.

If you prefer charging via car adapter, you´ll have to purchase, since its not included in the original package. On manufacturers site, you can get car charger + car mount for only 9.99$. If you still haven’t bought the cam and need a spare battery, SJ4000 + battery pack is good thing for you.

WiFi

In case you read this article from the top, you are already aware about two types of SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi and non-WiFi. Since I already said that the only difference between the two is built in WiFi, it is time to clarify what that means to you and what are the benefits of having WiFi in your camera.

The WiFi in your camera enables you to connect and control your camera remotely from your Android or iPhone. The range for the WiFi is around 10-20m.

In my case, since I am using my cam for taking lots of B-roll footage, having a remote control is essential. I have one SJ4000 on a tripod really high, and it would be really hard to turn it on/off by pressing button on it. In addition to remote with WiFi you can look videos or photos from your smartphone device and download it from there without a USB cable. This however means that transferring will be slower then when using a cable. To use all the WiFi functions, you need to have an app installed. Lets now talk more about the SJCAM HD app in bellow.

Free SJCAMHD APP

SJCAMHD is an official app. You might be asked to update your camera to latest firmware.

Turn on the WiFi on your smartphone. Turn the camera on and press UP arrow on the right side of the camera. Now if you done everything right, you will see orange light flashing above the OK button. LCD Screen will also show some info about WiFi. Press UP once again. You will need to enter a password to connect both devices. Password by default is 12345678 (check in settings). Now the devices are pared, enter the SJCAMHD app and click connect your camera. If you have having troubles connecting, watch this video.

The app enables you to : Control your video from a smartphone. Record, take photos, change all possible settings, import/export. Do not forget to turn off WiFi when you are not using it, as it drains the battery. Orange light flashing means WiFi is on.

Firmware

One thing you should always be careful with this camera is upgrading the firmware. Make sure to install firmware which appears only on official SJCAM website. Read the installation instruction carefully. Firmware upgrade crash can mean that you did not install it properly, the firmware does not apply to your version of camera or that your camera is not genuine one.

New software upgrade can bring improvements to your video, photo, app functions and introduce some new features (like time lapse).

On this link you can download latest firmwares for SJ4000 and SJ4000 WiFi. For now, SJCAM releases firmware updates regularly.

Best Memory card for SJCAM SJ4000?

By default, camera supports Micro SD memory cards that have capabilities no bigger than 32 GB. SJCAM recommends to use reliable, big brand MicroSD cards to get most out of your video. Believe it or not, the quality and the speed of that tiny thing card memory card can have a influence on your video. It is highly recommended to use Class 10 card.

I tried these 3 Micro SD cards, and two of them worked :

• Sony 16GB High Speed microSDHC Class 10 (worked perfectly)
• Transcend 8GB MicroSDHC Class 10 (worked perfectly)
• Sony  64GB (Did not work for obvious reason – it has 64 GB!)

Some smart guys at RC forum can help you out with making your larger size memory card working as well. There is also a list of other cards that worked well. Since I tested only these 3, I do not guarantee their suggestions will work.

If you would like to know more on memory cards and their speed, quality etc, guys at Techfunology made a nice article.

Where to buy SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi?

Weather you decided to buy a WiFi or non WiFi version, you should be aware that there are lots of fake copies of SJ4000. The reason for this is because the earliest release of the product was not patented. To learn dirty tricks on how to recognize a fake vs real read this in depth post.

Note : Due to problems with fake SJ4000 appearing on the market, here are some links where you can get official product.

• Buy on Amazon from SJCAM (official store)

Your experience with this camera? Do you have one or intend to buy it?

I hope you found this review useful and that it helped you decide weather this action cam is right for you or not. If you are the owner of this camera, please let me know in the comments bellow. I would really like to hear your experience with it. For any additional questions, feel free to ask, I will do my best to reply to each and every comment.

You can also check comparison of this camera vs later SJ5000 model. or the full review of SJ4000+ (Plus) version which is an upgraded model of this one. Also make sure to check all SJCAM models compared side by side to determine which one suits you the best.

This review here is meant to give you an insight in the upgrade to the SJCAM’s SJ360 which has already been reviewed by us; I’m talking about the Sj360+. The main difference from its little sister SJ360 and this model is that it has grown up. This is a REAL 360° camera because it has 2 lenses; one in front, and the other on the back. Together these create a full view all around.

As with many other 360° cameras, its “pro” side lies a particular “stick” shape which improves the ergonomics, making it easy to hold in your hands, but the “con” is that SJ360 is not quite a real action camera, but rather simply a camera to use in certain situations.

Let’s take a deeper look at what the SJCAM has released this time!

Specifications

Table below shows the technical specs for the SJ360+ model.

[go_pricing id=”sjcam360_plus”]

Accessories

This camera comes with very few accessories. In its box we won’t find any waterproof case, nor any particular mount because, as I said before, it’s not exactly an action cam we are used to reviewing on this site.

So we will find only the strictly necessary:

• 1 x SJ360+
• 1 x Manual
• 1x Manual for the software
• 1 x Mini Tripod
• 1 x Cloth Bag
• 1 x Hand Strap
• 1 x USB Data / Charging Cable
• 1 x Lens Cleaning Cloth

This is also one of those refreshing cases where a tripod is right in there with the camera – very useful to shoot perfectly stable videos or photos. It is well built, and it seems really strong. Another good feature is the cloth carrying bag. It is a must, as it enables you to carry the camera without ruining the lenses.

Design and Build Quality

This camera is not made for using on a bike, neither on a boat nor underwater! One just runs it like any other normal camera: in your hands. In fact, the shape suggests the one-handed use. The anti-slip textured plastic makes it easier and safer to grip.

The cam features a clean, simple stick with two buttons, two lenses and one little screen.

One button is located in the middle of the camera, naturally accessible with your thumb. Its function is just “Select” and “Start” recording, or “Shoot” a photo.

The other button is located on the left side of the camera. Its functions are to “Power On / Off”, and to navigate various Menus and Settings. Both buttons are backlighted – and it is a beautiful, and very useful thing!

The tiny screen is well made as it is very bright and perfectly visible in every situation.

The only thing I find quizzical is the place chosen for the SD card:

I can’t quite grasp why they had to put the SD card behind the battery! To access the card you are forced to dismantle half of the camera and it’s just… hm. Technology reasons? Hardly believable. One thing speaks for this though: when you are removing the SD card, the camera is sure to be Off…

Menu Overview

The Menu on this camera is very simple. It hasn’t an awful lot of choices, and everything is clear.

The Menu begins, as always, with the fast modes:

1. Video mode
2. Photo mode
3. Wifi – On/Off
4. Settings

The Settings section is composed of:

• Language – English/Chinese/Japanese/French/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/German/Polski/
• Video Resolution – 1920×960 / 1472×736 / 960×480
• Loop Recording – Off / 1min / 3min / 5min
• Record Audio – On / Off
• Photo Resolution – 5M / 3M
• Key Tone – On / Off
• Auto Sleep – Off / 1min / 3min / 5min
• Format
• Reset Camera – Yes / No
• Version – v0.6
• Quit

See? There is not much to explain, this camera has just a few settings, nothing peculiar about it!

Video Quality

First I want to say that this camera has good colors and works really good in different lighting conditions. It can manage everything greatly, though the quality of the video is not exactly fantastic. As I’ve said in other reviews, 1080p is not enough resolution to reach good quality.

I also have to say that there is a lot of difference between the videos just out of the SJCAM program and the videos uploaded on Youtube, because this one uses very strong compression… and a lot of compression ditches a lot of data.

In these videos I used the tripod as a handy grip extension, so to hold the camera better.

Here is my classic driving video:

This camera works great in the night because it can capture all the light around to make the scene perfectly visible

In general this camera records pretty good quality video – but higher resolution would have been welcome.

Photo Quality

The quality of the photos is a little bit better than the video, but only because another compression process is used for the photos, so there is a smaller loss of data. Personally I think that 360° photos are among the most interesting and immersive things these days, because with just one click you can show and share the ENTIRE view all around you without cuts or narrow panoramas!

Audio Quality

The quality of the audio is good. Not super sensitive, but it allows you to hear everything. No problems!

Software

This is the first time I find a dedicated software for a 360° camera. Fortunately, SJCAM thought it could be useful to use software to edit this kind of videos. However, it’s nothing new as I have already used it before. For it is exactly the same software I recommended to you when I reviewed the Andoer A360l. They just re-branded it.

But then… why not, if it works?

Basically the program allows you to perform some straight editing, like cutting the clips and choosing the quality. If you want to do anything more complex, you want to first render your recording with this program and after that, you can import the results into any program you prefer (I usually use After Effects). The final step is to inject the metadata with this last program.

WiFi and App

As already known, SJCAM can develop a good App with a good WiFi quality. Both are perfectly stable and immediately ready for use. This App is very intuitive, and the camera responds great – within 10 meters.

I’ve had a beautiful day’s walk in the city of Bologna. When I came home, I had in mind to share my 360° photos taken with the Sj360+. I turned on the WiFi and transferred some photos to my phone. And then I found that, once uploaded, the images were not really 360°! So I tried the same thing via PC but again – nothing. The results were something like this:

Two image circles next to each other. I don’t need to point out how I was quite frustrated and worried. After several minutes of discouragement I found the button “Share” into the app and… it worked!

This is the fastest way to share real 360° photos with your socials!

Battery life

These are the results of my battery tests:

• 1920×960 – 154 minutes (7,8 Gb)
• 1472×736 – 147 minutes (6,7Gb)
• 960×480 – 180 minutes (6,7Gb)
• Recharging time – about 3 and a half hours

This camera has so much battery life! I can’t hide it: sometimes I plain forget the camera is still recording…

Summary

This camera is perfect if you want to experiment with the 360° technology. It is easy to use, and you can have good results with a minimum of effort. It is well built, and it arrives with just a few, but proper accessories.

The only flaw with these kind of cameras is their relatively low resolution but you can’t really ask for more, considering the price.

Sjcam announced some interesting products recently, so make sure to check out those articles as well : SJCAM SJ8 announced, SJDash and M10 body worn camera.

Pros:

Ever since the SJCAM SJ8 release information got leaked to the public in August this summer, the community has been speculating on the camera specification, pricing and features quite a lot. A few days ago, we got some more inside information about the SJCAM SJ8.

First of all, like most of us speculated, SJ8 will be released as a series of cameras. Similar to their SJ6 series (which had S6 Legend and SJ6 Air), the latest series will include several models. For now, these SJ8 variations have been revealed :

• SJ8 Pro
• SJ8 Air
• SJ8 Plus

While this article will be based on rumors and speculation, I am pretty sure that we are getting more and more accurate with our information and that soon we can expect SJCAM to reveal the final specification and products features.

SJCAM 2017 Recap

Before we dive into the specification and reveal some quite exciting features, let’s quickly recap what SJCAM has been doing in 2017. The company has been expanding quite rapidly. Recently they acquired the sjcam.com domain over which there was quite a lot of controversy.

Even though I do not have an insider info on what was going on, I know that in 2014 sjcam domain was used by SJCAM distributor, who pretty much made their SJ4000 model a world-famous camera.

Somewhere in 2015 SJCAM wanted to establish themselves as a brand and began their own marketing efforts. They grew from being a factory to becoming an affordable action camera brand. They registered their own domain name under sjcamhd.com and opened their own store. Furthermore, they invested quite a lot into marketing.

These investments came at a cost. Some of their products were just not as good as their previous models. On Pevly, we covered nearly all of the SJCAM models ever made in past, and some of them were rated pretty poorly by our team. Their SJ7 series had some serious heating issues for instance. Lately, the situation has been improving. We were very satisfied with their SJ-Dash and the SJ6 Legend Air.

What is more, they have been expanding their offer of affordable video cameras. The Shenzhen based company got into body-worn cameras with their SJCAM A10 and into virtual reality devices with SJ360.

A few weeks ago, I began to notice that sjcamhd.com, which was an official company website, now redirects to sjcam.com. This can only mean that the distributor who owned the domain finally decided to sell it to the manufacturer. This is one more proof of how serious this Chinese company is about the expansion.

SJCAM SJ8 Series

It is pretty obvious that with SJ8 models, the company wants to challenge some quite established mid-range action camera names in the industry like Yi Technology, Xiaomi and even the highest end ones like GoPro. When we first released the news on this series, I was personally expecting that there will be only one model called SJ8, however as I mentioned, the SJ8 is actually a product series consisting of SJ8 Air, SJ8 Plus, and SJ8 Pro.

SJCAM SJ 8 Series Technical Specification

We did our best here at Pevly to provide you with an early version of specs table so that you know what to expect from these cameras. Please understand that specs table is compiled and based on rumors and unofficial info. Even though I am pretty confident that it’s quite accurate personally, take it with a caution.

We will, of course, do our best to test these models out for you and verify the specs. Tables will be updated once more info is available to the general public. If you happen to have more additional information on the specs, please leave a comment below.

[go_pricing id=”sjcam_sj8_series”]

SJCAM SJ8 Air

Powered by 1200 mah battery, NTK96658 processor, and a Panasonic MN34110PA, SJ8 Air model is the most basic one from the series. Its main selling point will probably be a lower price compared to the other two cameras.

It comes with some standard mid-range features like video stabilization, remote control compatibility, and external microphone support. Unlike the other two, this one does not have a front display, only an LCD 2.33″ retina, touch-screen at the back.

The only advantage of the SJ8 Air is 14-megapixel image resolution. The other two can capture still images at 12 megapixels. According to the information we have, the highest recording resolution which supports Gyro Stabilization will be 1080p/60 fps.

SJCAM SJ8 Plus

The SJ8 Plus version tries to get the best of both worlds. It’s in the middle when it comes to both price and performance. This model has a dual screen. Front LCD display is 0.96 inch, whereas the back is 2.33-inch touchscreen. It’s biggest selling point is that it can record in 4K at 30 frames per second.

It is possible that the gyro video stabilization will work in 4K @30fps. The SJ8 Plus is powered by a boosted Novatek NTK96683 chip and Sony Sony IMX117 image sensor. I was unable to find more information on NTK96683 chipset.

SJCAM SJ8 Pro

The most advanced of all, SJ8 Pro version is the only model from the series which can record in 4K at 60 frames per second. This camera arrives with a powerful Ambarella H2-2S85 chip and improved image sensor over the plus version – Sony IMX377. The Pro has all the features and compatibility of the two cheaper models but arrives with a voice control support. This is the first SJCAM camera which will implement such feature.

Even though there were rumors that SJ8 will support a GPS, according to the information we have now, this won’t happen. I was personally very excited about the GPS.

Summary

While the information is still pretty unconfirmed and scarce, we hope we managed to present the upcoming SJ8 series by SJCAM in the most comprehensive way possible. If you have more information or leaks about the cameras, please let us know in the comments. We will keep this article up to date and additional information we discover. Make sure to bookmark us and re-visit the article for updates.

While we wait for more information on these, check out our SJCAM category for more news and reviews, and do not forget to take a peek at our Editors’ choice – Best Action camera list.

The images from this article come from this source.

If you’re familiar with a Chinese brand SJCAM, you’re aware that lately they’ve been focused on broadening their production range to dash-cameras, virtual reality cams, and video stabilizers. A few days ago, this Shenzhen based company announced – SJCAM A10 or M40 – their first body-worn camera – bodycam.

Bodycam is a wearable camera with the main purpose to be attached to your body and record action. These cameras have been around for quite a while. In some countries, the law enforcement uses them. A recent report shows that the usage of body-worn cameras by the police officers decreased the complaints against the police brutality.

Hunters and outdoor enthusiasts also use this type of recording devices. While these are, in essence, similar to an action camera, since a body camera records an action from the first-person view, the bodycams have slightly different shape and features.

Throughout this article I will try to do an overview of the SJCAM M10 or M40, and also explain to you how a body worn cam works; also what we can expect from this particular model.

SJCAM A10 or M40?

First of all, let’s talk about the camera name. It’s obvious that A10/M40 is a completely different camera model, so it has to differentiate from their SJ4000, SJ5000, M20, SJ6 and S7 series.

Quite frankly, I am confused with the product naming and not really sure why it is marketed as A10 aka M40. A while ago, we had the same level of confusion with their first ever car camera – SJ-Dash, which some retailers called the M30.

My personal assumption is that this model will be marketed as SJCAM A10 in order to differentiate the model from their cube-shaped action camera series M10 and M20. Through the article, I will refer to the camera as A10/M40.

SJCAM A10 / M40 Specification

Before we take a look at the camera features and shape, let’s take a quick glance at the announced specs of the A10 / M40 body camera. Please understand that the final specifications may be subject to change.

[go_pricing id=”scjam_a10″]

Field marked as “-” in a table means we do not have information on it. We will update those blanks as more info becomes available.

An overview

The first thing that caught my eye about the A10 also known as the M40, besides its shape is the LEDs around the lens. In theory, this will enable way better low-light and night performance. The specs also show that there is an IR (infra-red) mode. And that’s huge for people who would use this camera in extremely dark conditions at night.

Even though the camera is meant to be mounted on a shoulder, the inclusion of a 2.0″ LCD touchscreen will give more options to whoever will be using it. With an LCD you will be able to preview your recordings right away and also change the cam settings.

However, that was not the most surprising feature. The biggest surprise came from a fact that this body camera can be used as a car camera thanks to an adapter clip it has. With the adapter, you can transform this camera into a dash-camera, and record traffic. That special feature adds the A10 / M40 an important multi-purpose adjective.

Moreover, according to the first release of technical specs, this camera is compatible with a remote controller.

Front of the A10 has an ON/OFF button, whereas on the side there is an USB-C port and a HDMI port.

On the left side of the A10 we have a recording button on top, the LED button which activates the light and something called IR CUT. I assume that the IR button activates infrared for enhanced night video recording.

Even though there is no information about the chipset and the image sensor, specs claim that camera can record in full HD 1080P at 30/60 FPS. That can be a deal-breaker for users who prefer 4K or 2.7k. Our opinion is that for an average user, this will be more than enough.

Camera can capture still images up to 12 megapixel.

One thing that is missing is EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization), which, for a camera attached to a constantly moving subject, should be very important. We were unable to confirm if there will be some sort of video stabilization in this camera. Our recent article explains features that can make a difference in a cheap camera.

According to some comments on SJCAM Facebook page, this camera does not have a waterproof case, instead the camera itself is splash-proof, which is a huge must-have advantage over some of their previous models.

Pricing and release date

At the time of this article writing, the release date and pricing for the A10/M40 body camera have not been officially announced.

Summary

It’s great to see SJCAM expanding and experimenting with different cameras. We’re excited to see the final specification for this model and more of its features. No matter whether marketed as a SJCAM A10 or M40, this camera will be particularly appealing to a certain group of people.

While most of the features like a touch-screen, infrared, LED light and multi-purpose usage are great, I would personally like to see a video stabilization feature included in the final version of this camera. We will update this article as more information gets out.

What do you think about body-worn cameras?  Is it a good sign that SJCAM is diversifying their offer?

Let us know in the comments.

In today’s review, I’ll be taking a look at SJ-DASH, the first ever dash-camera by SJCAM. We announced a release of this car camera a while ago and I’m excited to share my experience with it. First of all, let’s clarify some things about the camera name.

Some retailers call this camera M30, whereas some call it SJ-Dash. If you are a regular here, you know that we covered most of the SJCAM products so far, including a cube-shaped M10 and M10+, together with M20. Official SJCAM website lists this model as SJ-Dash so there are no doubts that that’s the official name for it. SJDASH is not M30, end of story.

What is the difference between an Action Camera and a Dash Camera?

The answer is easy. Action Cams are created to be rugged, waterproof, and be used prevalently in sports situations. However, people also have them for everyday use, as well as on holidays. A Dashcam, on the other hand, is made exclusively for creating car records. It’s main purpose is to record a traffic. Unlike the action cam which is dynamic, dash camera is static, for it is mounted on your windshield and records traffic.

This article has the good explanation on what to expect from a car camera. Furthermore, our friends over at Dashcamtalk have a good resource and a forum where you can get more information on these type of cameras.

In my experience, these cams are meant to record bad drivers, or in the worst situation, use them to keep evidence record of an accident. Here are some examples of what happened to me:

After this little intro, let’s talk about the camera in more detail. I’ll first guide you through the technical specs of the SJ-Dash and we’ll move to unboxing it and showcasing its design. Later we will move on to video, audio and performance testing.

SJCAM SJ-DASH Specifications

[go_pricing id=”sj-dash”]

Unboxing

To find out what the SJ-Dash package contains, take a look at the unboxing video I made.

Accessories

As I said, this camera is not an action cam, so it doesn’t need a lot of accessories. It is not built to work underwater or mounted on a helmet, surfboard or a bike. Its main purpose is to stay fixed, looking through the windshield of your car and record. So its few accessories are minimal but functional. What it requires (and what you get with it) is:

• Sucker mount
• 3,5 meters of USB cable
• Double USB car charger (1A + 2.4A)

These few accessories are of great quality. I was a tad skeptical about the sucking mount, but after 10 days under the sun and the rain it is still firmly holding on to my car’s windshield and that’s incredible. It also has a fast mount; just put the camera lens into it and the camera will clip automatically onto this small accessory. Couldn’t be more practical.

Then, there is 3.5m USB cable. This fairly unusual length is there because the cable is meant to be placed behind the car plastics, like in this picture:

The cam’s USB power/charger adapter is fantastic because with the 1A output you can keep the camera powered on and with the 2.4A (fast charge) you can charge your phone, or anything else in the adequate voltage range you might have.

Design and Build quality

Design of the camera and its accessories are incredibly good and, above all, functional. The camera is very light and small. It is elegantly black with chrome edges, like its charger.  I also really like the “Reflex like” feature, it is very original!

Fun fact: all the glass around the lens in the middle is just fake – empty plastic.

The screen is wide and very visible, things are easily readable. It works well against direct sunlight.

Under the screen, there are 4 touch buttons. When you view the video screen their functions are:

• Mic – On/Off
• Wifi – On/Off
• Lock – It locks the current file to prevent accidental deletion
• Settings

Conversely, when you are into the setting section the touch button functions are:

• Back button
• Move Up
• Move Down
• Select

On the left side, there is the only button on this camera: the power button. Topside is the USB port and on the right side, there is the SD card slot.

Menu Overview

This camera has very few menu options and it’s quite easy-to-use. There is just the main settings and nothing more. You can reach it with the button on the screen:

The menu is divided into two parts, Playback and Setup (Settings):

In the Playback section you can access all the videos made:

In the Setup section there are these settings:

• Loop Recording – Off/3min/5min/10min
• WDR – On/Off (WDR stands for Wide Dynamic Range)
• Motion Detection – On/Off
• Time Stamp – On/Off
• Gravity Sensing – Low/Medium/High
• Languages – English /Dutch /French /Italian /German /Spanish /Portuguese /Chinese/Japanese /Russian /Romanian /Czech /Polish /Slovenian /Hungarian /Danish /Turkish and some other languages which, to me, belong in the “incomprehensible” class.
• Date/Time
• Keypad Tone – On/Off
• Screensaver – 30s/1min/3min/5min/Off
• WiFi SSID
• WiFi Password
• License Nr Set
• Format
• Default Setting
• Version

I like to say that this camera is Plug&Play because there are no particular settings, just one resolution, and no shooting the photos. You just mount and use it 2 minutes after pulling it out of the box. It’s quite user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Video Quality

The video quality is good. Thanks to the wide angle of view (140°) you have a great vista of what’s in front of you. This camera has just one resolution,  1920 x 1080 at 30fps. The quality is good but not quite the best, because it has pretty low bitrate of 15.000kbps and, to make a fast comparison, the usual action cameras have around 30.000kbps.

For this camera, it means low details. Taking into account that the camera has a small sensor (only 2Mp), it does a great job.

I was amazed of how good this camera can handle difficult light! It’s just incredible how good it manages light and colors with the sun directly into the lens.

In an average daylight situation, this is the result:

It would have been better if there was a stabilizer on this camera, like SJCAM’s usual gyro. Sometimes it shakes quite badly, in part just because Italian roads are horrible. Still, the problem exists, and at times very notably so.

In the night this sensor can pull out its best, because it captures a lot of light for a clear view of everything:

As it was also a rainy night, so I think this camera solved it better than many other.

I have just one little thing to report:

On the video margins there is a little bit of “motion blur”. Somewhat hard to explain, but it probably comes from the relative object speed at the edges of the wide field of view. A photo can help you see what I mean:

In other words, this camera is good for its price. Maybe it could do even better by dint of some clever twists in its next firmware?

Audio Quality

The audio quality is not quite the best. It’s enough to record a conversation, but not if you want to record something in high quality. Audio record sounds like listening through a pillow. This is an example of conversation:

And this is an example of high volume music:

At least it doesn’t distort the sound, but high frequencies are missing and everything seems muffled.

I also noticed that it can capture too much wind noise when high speeds are reached, and this is an example:

I was driving between 70 and 80km/h then, not that it was overly high speed, but you can still hear it.

Sj-dash WiFi and App

Yes, this camera has the WiFi, but the app is minimal – just like the menu. It consists of 3 pages:

Would you need something more than a HUGE button in the middle on the screen to start the recording?

Jokes aside, the App (as all other Sjcam apps) is perfectly stabile and very fast. Nothing to grumble about. It works just how every app should work, and that’s good.

Battery

This camera has no battery, it has a capacitor, which is standard for a dash camera. Capacitors are more durable and can withstand longer periods of recording without getting overheated. This means that camera can’t operate when disconnected from the power supply; in fact, you have to attach the charging cable for power. By the way, with a 32Gb SD card, you can record about 5 hours of videos.

Summary

This camera is one good camera, and for the price can’t ask for much more. Its accessories are simply great. Its design is beautiful. Everything works well. I wouldn’t say no to a better video quality, or maybe just a 60fps resolution, it would surely considerably increase the marks and the pleasure of using this camera every day.

SJCAM: if you are reading this, consider it a tip for your future models!

The rest of the camera is great as it is. This is one good product for all who want to try a Dashcam for the first time. Even though we don’t review dash cameras much on this website, it was interesting to experience for a change.

I hope I’ll have a chance to try other Dash cameras, so as to be able to make a comparison.

Pros:

Cons:

Where to buy it?

Here are some stores where you can buy this car camera if you decided it’s right for you.

Check Prices

Amazon.com