SJCAM Original SJ4000 WiFi Action Camera 12MP 1080P H.264 1.5 Inch 170° Wide Angle Lens

Great little camera. Only main complaint is that we received a "open box" unit. The battery had been removed from its separate packaging and had been inserted into the camera when it arrived. The battery had protective plastic on the contacts when it has been inserted into the camera, however we were able to easily remove it, reinsert the battery, and camera seems to work fine. I assume this was why it was returned - previous purchaser couldn't get it to turn on with the plastic on the battery contacts. The camera does record audio, however only when it is outside of the water tight plastic case.. in addition to the case being water-tight, it is also "sound-tight". In my opinion, the camera should be operated while inside the case as often as possible to protect it from drops, dust, spills, etc. Additionally, the camera lens slightly protrudes past the lens opening and seems like it could be easily scratched if the camera is accidentally set face down or even in a pocket. We have a relative who owns a Go Pro and he seemed to like the SJCAM better because it offered a built-in viewing screen at an affordable price. Not sure of the build quality difference between the GP and SJCAM and I do not have experience with the GP, but the $300 price difference you gotta pay to get a GP with a built-in viewing screen would be hard to justify, especially for the amateur use for which the camera was purchased. This camera was purchased for a 10 year old and I'm sure the hard-core sports enthusiasts would appreciate the GP over the SJCAM, but the SJCAM exceeded my expectations. I am a true believer in you-get-what-you-pay-for, but for $15 more get the 2-year square-trade protection plan from Amazon - not sure how you could go wrong. Definitely recommend.

Ok, so I'm gonna have to update my previous review since everything changed (for better) from one day to the other! The initial performance of the camera was terrible but I still decided to give it a shot so I left the batteries charging all night and next day the camera was like a new one! I just couldn't believe it, now I can confidently say that it performs like a GoPro Hero 2. The video quality is good in daylight, during the night is not so good but I could see that coming. I just had a kayak fishing trip and the videos were great, very detailed and with good transitions between over and under the sea. I do have a few objections: - One of the buttons is dead, it's the only one with no important function but it makes me worry about the future. I think the problem is that you have to press very hard the buttons when using the waterproof case so maybe I pushed it too hard. Even so it's a shame. - The audio is almost muted, I know the case has to muffle the sound but it really can't get the sound of a person talking right next to you, only the sounds of the waves hitting the case itself. This was my previous review: I bought this camera based on other reviews. I just can't believe how bad it performs. I just tested the camera indoors with the lights of the apartment on and the video is like the one from any crappy $50 phone. It's all pixelated, maybe it's ok for a facebook video but you surely won't want to play it at full screen in a Full HD monitor. BTW, the camera doesn't come with a manual so you have to figure by yourself how to use it, it's no big deal because you will learn how to use it in 10 munites but there should be a manual. There are no instructions on how to setup the wifi feature and the included hardware is just a bunch of straps and small plastic pieces so you have to try them all to find the correct one for your application. Now I ordered the SJCAM 4000, 2 extra batteries and a 32GB micro SD so I just lost around $160 that could have been used for any of the branded action cameras from JVC, SONY, GOPRO, or any other known manufacturer. BTW, I review most of the articles I buy in AMAZON and almost never write such a bad review so go figure.... One more tought: underwater recording is a joke, I live in Venezuela and we have very good visibility in our sea, you won't be able to do anything worth showing with this camera.

This was a genuine SJ4000 camera. There are a lot of knock-off's being offered on Amazon, so buyer beware. I have this as a supplement to my GoPro Hero 3+ Silver. Spend some time online reading some of the very extensive reviews of this camera. I like the lower price option since I mount this outside the airplane and worry less about loosing it. The expensive GoPro stays nice and secure inside the cockpit with me. So far I have no regrets at all and would recommend buying one of these to anyone who either wants a good second camera, or doesn't want to spend the money on a GoPro.

The camera has stopped working completely after less than a month. It worked quite well when I first received it and I was pleased with the quality of the video taken. However, during one session of filming the screen blacked out and now will not switch on. I am now in the process of returning the camera under the warranty

Currently seeing if I get a full refund on another version not SJCAM Original SJ4000 WiFi from Amazon. It had a power plug on the charger with two round pins that do not connect to the AC wall socket in USA. I wish not to have to pay return shipping and they are checking on it now. As for the Original SJCAM I am so far getting used to it and seems worth the price. I did get the refund and have used the SJCAM Original SJ4000 WiFi with success. Finding ways to mount it so it does not get bumped or broken off a helmet is something to get creative with. It comes with a lot of ways to attach. I got some extra hardware from the local hardware store to custom make it bolt to one of my helmets. Waterproof case is good! Be careful to not use the extra door to the cover case with the slots in it. It is good for dry conditions where you would like the camera microphone to record the sound better. The two slots in the extra door are actually also for webbing to attach to though it. Note this, or you could ruin the camera as it is not water proof only the case when with the door without the slots. They both have orings, but an oring is of no use to keeping water out of the case if you do not use the door that is solid with out the cut slots in it. Just saying.

I purchased this camera for use with an FPV (First Person Video) setup on my quadcopter. I already have a GoPro HERO 3 black, which I use to not only record video during flight, but to also perform as the camera for the live video feed to my 1.2GHz video transmitter giving me a "pilot's eye view". The GoPro has a special USB port that - with the use of a special cable, feeds composite video to the transmitter. The WiFi capability of the GoPro is not nearly good enough - I need a 2+ mile range. I was going to buy a second GoPro for another quadcopter, but when I saw the price of the SJCAM, I thought I would try it. Unfortunately, the SJCAM has a standard USB port and the only live output is via HDMI, which my transmitter cannot deal with. I suppose that I could buy a HDMI -> composite adapter, but that would just add weight and take up space that I don't have. Even if I found a small, lightweight converter, the HDMI cable itself is not flexible enough to deal with my motorized gimbal mount. I need a composite video (usually delivered through 1 RCA connector) output. So, this unit seems to be a good camera, but will not work for FPV use. Before I purchased the SJCAM, I even asked others on this forum if it had a composite video out, and got answers like "I believe it does". My answer to those people - it DOES NOT.

Ok so first off, the LCD display helps a ton when recording for obvious reasons. The build quality is pretty good although it shouldn't be thrown around either, which goes for any GoPro as well. I'll go with the pros and con's. Pros: Built in LCD, 1/3 the price for basically the same video/photo quality of a GoPro Hero 3 Black, mountable on GoPro Accessories, User friendly interface system, WiFi use, always commented on by GoPro users stating that they wish they didn't spend 2/3 more the price for their GoPros. Con's: Mic is located on the bottom of the camera, when in the actual waterproof housing audio is not recognizable at all, battery life is only 70ish minutes straight use(thankfully battery spares are cheap).

I gave it 4 stars just because I do not believe this camera is truly 12MP, more like 2MP scaled to 12MP which is a bit pointless. That being said the video comes out good. Though you might also note that the 720p 60fps is just 720p @ 30fps duplicated. The still images are a bit pixelated and even grainy at times. Overall though, I wanted something to take underwater to record an upcoming scuba trip. I think this will do the trick without having to spend $500. I am satisfied with the money spent but just wish the still images came out better.