SJ4000 vs SJ4000+ Plus Standard and Gyro difference

You found this article on Google or Facebook. And since you are here, allow me to be a bit of a psychic.

Hmmm, you are because :

• You are so confused on what is the difference between SJ4000 and SJ4000+ (Gyro and Standard)?
• You want to buy one, but can not decide which one is better?
• It is so confusing that you want to pull your hair out? (do not do it please, unless you are bold).

I am not bad at these fortunetelling things, right?

Do not worry!

In this article, I will provide you with detailed clarification on differences and side by side comparison of all these models. When you finish reading the article, I assure you will understand how are these action cameras different and which one is the best option for you.

Before we dive deeper into how these cameras differ, let me give you a brief history on how these cameras were released.

Somewhere in 2014, a Chinese company SJCAM released tiny action camera called SJ4000. Just to be sure we are on the same side here, bear in mind I am talking about non WiFi version. The idea behind this was to create a cheap action camera, similar to a GoPro.

Their previous cameras SJ1000, 2000 and 3000, had some success, but SJ4000 broke all records. Due to fraction of Hero 3 price and pretty good performance for the money, people around the world, especially the ones on a budget started buying it.

Along the way SJCAM made some mistakes. One of major ones was failing to properly brand the camera which lead to tons of copycats trying to rip people off. Luckily with a proper guidance it was possible to detect fake and real SJ4000.

SJCAM learned from their mistakes, and relaunched a new model : SJ4000 WiFi, which had proper SJCAM logo and from then, hence it was quite hard for copycats to infringe their copyrights.

For quite a few months both SJ4000 and SJ4000 WiFi were making good progress in terms of sales. For around 70$ you really got a good value for the money, reviewers were happy with it as well.

Encouraged by the success of SJ4000 series and failures of SJ5000 series, manufacturer introduced a new model called SJ4000 Plus. Even though it was expected to be a huge success, SJ4000 Plus proved to be a total flop. I was quite harsh on this model in my SJ4000+ review as well.

Luckily manufacturer reacted quickly and discontinued the initial SJ4000+ version. This first version of SJ4000+ is now known as SJ4000+ standard. Just a few weeks after, SJCAM engineers relaunched the SJ4000 plus by including some new features and bug fixes.

Most importantly, the new sj4000+ model has a built in Gyro video stabilization. Because of the Gyro stabilization, this camera is known as SJ4000+ Gyro.

To sum up, SJCAM released four SJ4000 models so far :

1. SJ4000
2. SJ4000 WiFi
3. SJ4000+ (Standard)
4. SJ4000+ (Gyro)

Specs comparison

First and foremost, lets put these 3 cameras side by side and evaluate their differences in terms of product specification. I created a table which emphasize not only the differences, but also similarities between the cameras.

[go_pricing id=”sj4000vs4000plus”]

Even though at first glance there might not be a huge difference between these models, allow me to clarify major ones.

Sj4000 vs SJ4000 WiFi

Since differentiation between SJ4000 and SJ4000 WiFi have already been covered in SJ4000 review, this article will not include the non WiFi model.

Just in case you are curious, the only difference between SJ4000 and SJ4000 WiFI, is in built in WiFi. With the WiFi model of SJ4000 you can connect to an app and control your camera remotely within 15m range.

SJ4000 WiFi vs SJ4000+ Gyro vs Standard

The main difference between SJ4000+ Gyro vs Standard is in video stabilization together with few more menu features that will be covered in the next few paragraphs. What makes SJ4000+ different to SJ4000 is improved chip set and different image sensor. All of these things have influence on photo and video quality.

Built quality

All three cameras are made out of the same materials. SJ4000 WiFi weights 3 grams less compared to both plus models. They all have same size 59.27*41.13*29.28mm and fit same accessories. The battery is 900mah for all of them and they have same 1.5″ LCD screen at the back.

Officially all of them support up to 32gb memory card (MicroSD, MicroSDHC), but my Sony 64GB sdhc worked without any need to re-format on Gyro edition. It did not work on other two.

Hardware

In terms of inside components of the camera, or the hardware, there is difference between the Gyro and standard.

Compared to SJ4000 WiFi plus cameras have slightly better chipset. SJ4000 WiFi and Non Wifi use Novatek 96650 where as SJ4000+ use Novatek 96660. The chipset provides better video quality in low light and gives a bit more features. However bitrate was higher in SJ4000 WiFI.

Even though SJ4000 WiFi uses 3.5 megapixels Aptina AR0330 sensor, more expensive plus versions use 4mp Omni Vision OV4689 which in my tests proved to be even inferior in terms of image sharpness (quite slightly though. Check image part of the article for results), though colors were more vivid and natural looking in plus versions.

Video quality

Ability to create good quality video is something important for every action cam. I have done side by side tests in various conditions, and if you are seriously interested in any of the trio, I highly recommend you to watch a video that I made, so that you can follow along easier.

Video stabilization

Stabilization is what makes these cameras different. If you watched the video above, you can see how Gyro edition stabilizes video, where as the other two do not. SJ4000+ Gyro is the only one from the trio that has built in gyro that enables smoother videos.

It is quite encouraging to know that SJCAM finally started to implement stabilization in their products.

Obviously even the best image stabilization in the world can not help if you violently shake your camera. But for some normal bumps and shakes, I was quite satisfied with how Gyro handled them.

It should be mentioned that all 3 cameras have an option that is called either : Stabilization (SJ4000 WiFi), Stabilization (SJ4000+) or Gyro Stabilization. Only the SJ4000+ Gyro stabilizes video. In other two models this feature does not work for video and only reflects photos according to manufacturer, though I personally have not noticed it works with photos as well.

What is interesting is that when Gyro is turned on, camera has much narrower field of view. Take a look at the photo below.

If you need wider FOV, just turn off the Gyro in SJ4000+ Gyro.

If you are interested in learning how digital (electric) image stabilization works, check this article at Wikipedia.

Besides tiny difference in the low light and even smaller in a daylight, major difference is that Plus versions (Gyro and Standard) can record 2K videos at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 frames per second.

For those of you who like slow motion videos, Gyro has an option that slows down the footage right out of the box. SJ4000+ editions also have 120 fps video in 720p, which is pretty decent if you like to slow down videos in post production.

Daylight video

In proper light conditions, plus versions have a bit more vibrant colors. But overall, in daylight there is no huge difference and plus versions barely justify higher price tag when it comes to shoots during the day.

Low light video

Lets be honest, none of these little cameras is not perfect at night or low light situation. They are quite average and justify the price in that segment. Low light situations is where SJ4000+ both Gyro and Standard give a bit warmer video. It is probably a matter of personal taste, but I prefer colors that SJ4000+ creates at night.

Sound

Even though at first I was not hoping for sound improvement, both Standard and Gyro have better sound in terms of volume. This is possibly because their firmware is better optimized. Sound comparison can be heard here.

Image quality

If video stabilization and better low light videos were something that was enough to make you get SJ4000+ models, photography can re-assure you. Even though Plus versions have twice the price tag, they completely disappointed me when it comes to image sharpness and quality.

In my tests, when cropped, SJ4000 WiFi has slightly sharper image, even though its cheaper and has “worse” image sensor. You must understand that none of these cameras is perfect in terms of photos.

If photography is essential to you, you should check Xiaomi YI, Blackview Hero 1, or Dazzne P3. Those are some of the cameras I reviewed so far and have quite decent photo quality. Make sure to check all action cameras I tested so far, as new ones might pop out, depending on when you are reading this article.

Features

With cameras being so similar it was quite hard to find any resonable difference in the menu. First of all, let me tell you that menu can depend on firmware version that camera has.

Current test was performed with these firmwares :

• WiFi G20150126V01
• Standard Jul 9 2015 V1.6
• Gyro – Sep 10 2015 V2.2

With that in mind here are some things that are different in terms of features offered. All these features can be seen in comparison table at the beginning of the article, I will just briefly clarify the differences.

• Timer : Gyro has 2/3/5/10/20 sec where as WiFi and Standard do not have 2 sec interval.
• Video Time Lapse : Gyro and WiFi have Video Timelapse, Standard does not have it.
• Burst mode : Burst mode allows your camera to capture multiple images with a single press of a shutter button. Gyro can capture 3/5 or 10 images. Standard can also capture 30 images, where as the WiFi has 2/5/10.
• Slow motion video – Only Gyro model has right out of the box slow motion video.
• Web Camera – In my tests on Windows 10, even though Plus versions have PC camera function, they do not work as web cameras on Win 10. SJ4000 WiFi works perfectly on both Win 10, Win 8.1 and 7.

Which one is the best?

In my opinion, SJ4000 WiFi still provides good value for the money. It is the camera that I would recommend to beginners who want an action cam with display with tons of accessories for under 100$.

On the other hand in my tests SJ4000+ Gyro proved to be better. Its major advantage is video stabilization. It also has nice slow motion feature which provides less shaky videos. The sound in Gyro is better compared to SJ4000 WiFi. You should also have in mind that Gyro is nearly twice as expensive as SJ4000 WiFi.

Speaking of SJ4000+ Standard, no wonder why it was discontinued. I would only recommend this one if you can get a good deal on it. It does not provide much value for the money, and does not differ a lot from cheaper SJ4000 or more expensive SJ4000+ Gyro.

Where to buy?

Here are few links where you can get these cameras. While both versions of SJ4000 can be found in thousands of shops, Gyro and Standard seams to be a bit harder to find.

• Buy SJ4000 WiFi |Buy on Amazon| Buy on eBay |
• Buy SJ4000 Gyro |Buy on Amazon|
• Buy SJ4000 Standard

Hopefully I managed to clear out the confusion. If you have any sort of question or idea, feel free to leave a comment below.

Do you own any of these 3 cameras? What is your experience? Please let me know, I would really like to hear your opinion.