Action Camera SJ4000 SJCAM WiFi: Features, Overview and Feedback

Gone are the days when only one manufacturer attended the video equipment market for extreme rest. Action cameras quickly found their fans, so it's no surprise that many manufacturers are interested in this market segment. For the end user, this was a real gift, because healthy competition always leads to improved functionality and a significant reduction in the market price.

In the focus of this article - the camera for extreme recreation SJ4000 SJCAM WiFi. Features, reviews and reviews of the owners will introduce the reader closer to the wonderful product created by the Chinese craftsmen. The potential buyer will get acquainted not only with the original device, but also with a fake, which is very often found in the domestic market and slightly different from the certified product.

Features of the market

It should immediately be noted that there are two modifications to the action camera, which, having the same marking, are significantly different in price. The fact is that there is an original version of the product SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi, the price of which is within 7000 rubles, and there is also a fake, which has a cost of about three thousand rubles. In fact, these are two different devices, since there are significant differences between them both in quality and in functionality.

Both versions of action cameras are in demand among potential buyers, and it's not at all in price. In their responses, many owners assure others that the non-original modification is more advanced in terms of functionality, albeit in a loss of security. But about everything in order.

First meeting

To please potential buyers is rather difficult, especially when it comes to bundling. So, fans of the gadget Hero GoPro complained that there are too many bindings in the box, which many of them remained unclaimed. But when the Xiaomi Yi camera appeared on the market without the means for installation, users pounced on the manufacturer with charges.

The Chinese manufacturer did not disappoint the future owners and provided all the necessary accessories for shooting. For SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi this is a nice addition, since the installation kit, including the underwater box, costs more than one thousand rubles. Accordingly, the user has a chance to save a lot.

Complete the original

In an ordinary-looking box at first glance, in addition to the camera itself, the owner will find many interesting things: a charger, a small instruction manual and a wide range of various fasteners. Plastic box for underwater shooting, locks, fasteners, straps - all for easy operation in extreme conditions.

Confuses only in the complete set of device SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi instruction. It is written in Chinese. Yes, the guide has color pictures and all kinds of schemes, having studied which, you can easily perform the necessary actions, but the lack of translation causes a lot of questions. The fact is that in the US market, action cameras are supplied with guidance in English, so why should the Russian market provide Chinese instructions?

Interesting fake

Nobody calls for purchasing non-original products on the domestic market, but it's still worth getting acquainted with the bundle. In the box, the owner will find the same fasteners that are present in the original version. The manufacturer did not economize on this, providing the user with a full range of accessories for SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi. Counterfeits are also supplied with an additional battery, which pleases all customers.

There are modifications with memory cards with a capacity of 32 gigabytes - this is also considered a pleasant gift from the manufacturer. But with instructions, the Chinese are also bringing Russian-speaking users here, which looks very strange from the outside.

Build quality of a certified device

The original SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi looks like a monolithic plastic brick, which does not have any assembly defects. Without a magnifying glass, even joints of faces can not be detected, and this really pleases all users, judging by their feedback. You can find fault with the battery compartment, which is much larger than the battery. The charge, of course, is not lost when shaking, but the carcass itself causes concern.

But accessories can cause discontent with the owner. For example, the charger is impulse and in the process of operation it seems that it is about to crumble. They are also embarrassed by plastic fasteners - it's not easy to break them, but when they deform they make strange creaks. Only a plastic box for underwater shooting is made soundly and does not cause a negative.

Camera Specifications

Conducting on the camera SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi review, I would like to note the excellent functionality of the installed components. The 12-megapixel Aptina AR0330 CMOS 1/3 "is equipped with a high-aperture lens (F = 2.8) with a viewing angle of 170 degrees, which already guarantees excellent shooting quality in poor lighting conditions.

But the mode of exposure a little failed - ISO within 100-400 units looks very poor. At least, you can forget about the night shooting forever. Liquid crystal display size of 1.5 inches looks also very strange, but its presence causes positive emotions for users.

As for the survey itself, there are no questions: a customizable self-timer, continuous shooting, the possibility of changing the resolution - everything, like in a digital camera from an expensive class. Even autofocus can detect faces and copes with a large number of objects in the frame.

Working with video

Most buyers are interested in the video capabilities of the SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi device. The characteristics of the camera work are respected by even demanding users. The video can be shot in three modes:

• FullHD (1920 x 1080 dots per inch), 30 frames per second.
• HD (1280 x 720 dpi) with a choice of 30 or 60 FPS recording speed.
• Easy (848 x 480) at a speed of 60 frames per second.

It should be noted that these indicators are enough for most types of shooting. Yes, in the reviews there is a negative about the absence of the 120 FPS mode, as it is implemented by competitors, but the media does not have many videos with such characteristics. Users prefer to shoot in good resolution in speed. And you can not forget about saving the space on a removable drive, because the higher the recording speed and resolution, the more the footage takes places.

Functionality of the device

The action camera in its marking is not in vain has the symbols "WiFi". This is a clear hint that the device has a built-in wireless module. Naturally, the owner opens a lot of opportunities, which certainly worth talking about. Start better with a built-in motion sensor, which you can adjust at your own discretion. Some users prefer to turn on the camera on their own, while other owners use the device as a surveillance camera.

The footage can not only be recorded on removable media, but can be transferred to a mobile device via Wi-Fi. Present USB and HDMI connectors on the body of the device perfectly complement the functionality of the camera. When connected to a computer, the gadget turns into a WEB-camera, and the HDMI-connected TV becomes a full-fledged monitor for a miniature device. In general, with the device's functionality, the manufacturer guessed - many useful features open up new opportunities for the owner to use the action camera.

When it comes to quality

Having studied the technical characteristics of the device, many users imagine an unsurpassed quality of shooting with such interesting equipment. What is their disappointment when the first day of video recording reveals oddities in the work of SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi. 1080p (FullHD) format looks unnatural on the screen of a huge TV. And with different lighting completely changes the color scale of the image. The same problem is subject to photography, regardless of the resolution chosen.

It's all the fault - the white balance , which automatically attempts to give the image a natural halftone. In fact, this factory marriage, which was ignored by the manufacturer. The manual mode will help correct the problem - the user must select the necessary lighting in the camera settings (day, cloudy, incandescent lamp). In the complete set with the device there is a special napkin for rubbing the lens. In their reviews, many users recommend that it be used continuously, eliminating the contamination of the optical device.

Not stopping at the achieved

The problem with the quality of shooting can eliminate the firmware of the original SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi device. The feedback of the owners, who are present in the mass media, recommend to all users without exception to get acquainted with the possibilities of updating the software more closely. The fact is that the firmware produced by the manufacturer is a real designer - the owner can assemble the modules necessary for him and fill them in the device in the form of a standard firmware.

The range of modules is large. Day after day, users create and post new forums for the owners of action cameras on the forums. In this way, many enthusiasts have expanded the camera's capabilities in working with a white balance - additional settings (tungsten, twilight and similar kinds of lighting) are available in the menu. Thanks to programmers, the problem with the range of Wi-Fi has been solved - the signal power has increased significantly (though in proportion to the battery consumption).

Manual modification of the video camera

It does not happen that everything was good. The original SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi camera has problems with the sensitivity of the microphone. It is not necessary to say that in an underwater box it does not work at all as it should. The problem is well-known, and many users will find out about its elimination even before buying an ekshn-camera. However, to modernize the microphone, the owner will have to completely disassemble the miniature device.

Enthusiasts offer to take the built-in sound sensor outward, providing it with a directional action mechanism. From the side it looks more like a plastic tube that covers the microphone with one end on the chip, and the second edge is displayed on the front of the device. Yes, you will need to drill a hole in the lid. From the ingress of moisture inside the tube, the opening must be closed with Plexiglas, which is easily glued to the plastic housing.

Remove the protective cover easily, but to reach the controller itself is problematic. Chasing the compactness, the Chinese placed in a small box circuits interspersed with cables and trains. Therefore, the entire process of disassembly is best accompanied by photography, otherwise it will be problematic to assemble the device.

Problems and solutions

One of the reasons why users prefer to purchase an unoriginal version of the SJ4000 SJCAM WiFi camera is the lack of support for larger memory cards. The original device has a limit of 32 gigabytes. To date, this is a very small amount. But a fake, in addition to a spare battery, makes a gift to the user in the form of a modern card reader, which supports the work in memory cards microSD 128 Gb.

Only many potential buyers overlook the possibility of flashing the original action camera. Enthusiasts have long found a solution to this problem. Installing the necessary module in the firmware, you can make the device work with storage capacity of 64 gigabytes. Yes, this is half as much as for a counterfeit, but it is 2 times more than for a factory version of a certified device. There is a possibility that the problem will be eliminated by the manufacturer by releasing a new firmware, because this is not a hardware error, but a software error.

The Pursuit of Happyness

No need to think that the non-original SJ4000 SJCAM WiFi camera has no problems. In the media, users often discuss the solution to the problem of peeling the liquid crystal screen in the body of a miniature device. Apparently, the problem is not in the quality of the assembly, but in the component itself, which is responsible for displaying the image. The problem can be eliminated with help of hand tools, but this will be a temporary solution, since the air inside the matrix will continue to delaminate the screen.

And you can leave everything as is. After all, in fact, the image on the screen does not disappear, but only the color rendition and brightness deteriorates. To configure the device, the quality is quite acceptable. It is not necessary to count on replacing the screen under the guarantee, since the manufacturer of non-original products is not certified in the territory of the CIS countries.

Owner feedback

In most reviews, the action camera is referred to as a completely new device, without comparison with other competitors in the market. This is also a concern for many potential buyers, judging by their feedback. After all, in the electronics world, it is customary to compare a new gadget with a legend.

To the merits of all users include primarily low cost (7000 rubles) and a rich bundle. Judging by the numerous reviews in the media and feedback from owners, such an abundance of accessories can not boast even Hero GoPro (it's about cables, scotch tape and other elements for reinforcing fasteners). The advantages were attributed to users and the simplicity of the settings - the menu is really small, but its functionality is enough to perform all tasks in the process of filming.

But the negative is more true for non-original devices - delamination of the monitor, weak batteries (main and optional), control complexity and poor microphone quality. Therefore, it is not always clear where the buyer won, who decided to save on buying a counterfeit.

Finally

Inexpensive action camera with a decent set of fastenings and simple functionality - that's how briefly you can describe the device SJ4000 SJCAM WiFi. And then everything depends directly on the buyer, who decides what is more important to him - the price or ease of operation, functionality or the ability to modify the software part of the gadget. Ideal device in the segment of cameras for extreme conditions at the moment does not exist. The user has to choose, constantly being in search of important criteria for him.