PSA – GoPro alternative (sj4000) less than 40 quid!

Here’s the link for the batteries I bought!.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251768064558

After being told on Monday that my AccMart-via-Amazon purchased camera for £33.48 was being shipped by China Post (including tracking number!) it turned up today (3 days later!) with GB post-marks etc. Not sure whether I was just lucky or whether this would happen for everyone!

Camera looks and feels fine. Menu suggests it is SJ4000 with firmware dated 20140818V01. All feels good so far. Not entirely sure what some of the accessories do (the wire cable, the cable ties, the velcro bands, the arm bands), but will hopefully get a chance to try it out this weekend.

This was the link from which I purchased it AccMart Amazon link

It was nicely retail packaged

Here’s the firmware screenshot

I’ve just taken the plunge and ordered this one – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blueskysea-SJCAM-Camcorder-unterwasser-Helmkamera/dp/B00R74JMEM

I can’t work out if it’s 1080 or not. It doesn’t say so, but I don’t think that there is a wifi version which isn’t 1080.
It’s on prime, so if it’s not 1080 I’ll just send it back.

Fingers crossed.

Geoffj

That’s v cheap Geoff If that’s genuine sj4000 !

Cheapest I’ve seen anyway,as none wifi ones are normally £20 dearer than that ..

Geoffj – same as my original one – which developed an issue, so I sent it back, got a replacement and that had an issue, so I;m waiting on the replacement to that coming (should be today) – paid £34 delivered and it came from China, however my return and replacements are coming from somewhere in the UK (being returned to Croydon).

Whilst witing on the replacement I ordered up a Wifi version from Banggood – arrived 2 days later and cost me £54 (I think as they were doing a discount deal on first time buyer plus a January sale discount) – works very well, similar settings to the non-wifi I had but a later firmware. Like all wifi-enabled cameras, the app isn’t awesome but is plenty usable but the lag between the camera and what is on the screen is very apparent (all my wifi-enabled camera devices suffer from this though, none are real-time, they tend to have a 1-3 second delay (and not consistently!)).

Lot is reviews of the WiFi one on banggood being fake though http://m.banggood.com/SJcam-SJ4000-WiFi-Car-DVR-Camera-Sport-DV-Novatek-Waterproof-p-939976.html

Dick – I looked at the banggood website, but the latest reviews on the wifi one suggest its not an original SJCAM. Have you updated the firmware or didn’t you need to? It might be a good alternative if the one I’ve ordered isn’t all its supposed to be.

Edit: What paulwf said

Just used mine for the first time, and all the colours look washed out, do I need to change a setting?

some footage from my banggood wifi sj4000 – seems legit going by the online pictures of real vs fake ones and not bothered to check the firmware. note not sorted the angle out just yet so mostly footage of a garmin dakota bouncing about & got stuck in a massive rut buy hey ho ok for first attempt

Did you use a chest strap gazc? Funkydunc try setting white balance to cloudy instead of auto

Geoffj that looks cheap if it’s genuine. Otherwise is it worth spending 70 odd quid on one of these when the gopro hero is £99?

As far as I can tell, my Wifi is a genuine SJ4000, not tried doing anything with the firmware, seemed to be the latest or very recent one so just left it as it is. Works very well.
My replacement non-wifi arrived today, that seems to the same as larkim’s…as far as I can tell it is also legit.

Even if it/they aren’t, they seem to take good quality footage so I’ve no complaints.

The 5 quid chest mount on Amazon (cheapest one there) is very good. Mounting the camera upside down sits it at the right angle without needing additional mounts between camera and chest plate.

+1 for cloudy white balance setting, recommended on many sites.

Mine came unboxed, passes the “genuine” tests but dubious given it wasn’t boxed, but most importantly I’m pleased with it, it works well and was a bargain.

and as we’re posting test-ride vids for comparison here’s mine with the view from the chest mount (with no editing in WMM so lots of shots of me fitting it…).

And this is the chest mount on Amazon.

yes i had the cheapo gopro copy chest mount but dont think i had it tight enough. its a really rocky trail mind. have it mounted upside down with the curved arm mount

@CTM: that’s recorded in non-HD mode, yes?

If anyone’s looking for a case for them, this looks like a good deal.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JG4UR3G

so where to get a genuine one? surely if they are circa 60-70 quid youd be better off getting the basic go pro?! at 90?

especially if theres a chance its fake

can anyone link to a guaranteed genuine one please?

Wheres the cheapest for a genuine wifi version? I fancy taking a punt on one, or should i just get the non wifi model?

so where to get a genuine one? surely if they are circa 60-70 quid youd be better off getting the basic go pro?! at 90?

especially if theres a chance its fake

can anyone link to a guaranteed genuine one please?

The suggestion is that the sj4000 is better than the cheap gopro. Removable battery, housing etc and higher resolution (?) so even at £70 it might be a better deal.
The other point is that even the fakes appear to be good vfm, and only problematic if you need to upgrade the firmware.

To minimise risk, I’d buy from one of the eBay or Amazon sellers offering the sjcam name in the description and then check it against the guides when it arrives. If it’s a fake, you’ll easily get your money back.

Mine is due to arrive on Monday – I’ll post here once I’ve had a play.

yes i had the cheapo gopro copy chest mount but dont think i had it tight enough. its a really rocky trail mind. have it mounted upside down with the curved arm mount

I mounted mine with the simple clip directly into the chest mount, no other mount used.

@CTM: that’s recorded in non-HD mode, yes?

720p (not 1080HD) setting on camera, and didn’t specify HD on Youtube upload so no idea how much compression they’ve applied.

is there any/has anyone got any actual mtb footage of 1080p hd for reference?

also crashtest which one did you get? tempted to take a punt if the 1080p hd is decent

also crashtest which one did you get? tempted to take a punt if the 1080p hd is decent

one from the original link which turned out to be some Amazon affiliate referral so not sure which actual seller it was (was an Xmas pressy).

My 32″ TV is 720p not 1080, and Youtube generally compresses, so 1080 quality was never a concern for me.

Here you go – but it isn’t good. Front-mounted is a Drift HD Ghost; rear is the non-wifi SJ4000 – http://vimeo.com/115511396 – I’ve now got a wifi and non-wifi version – both appear to be genuine SJ4000 products.

The wifi version I got from Banggood; non-wifi was from an Amazon seller – AccMart) – which was linked to from the first link on this thread.

Given the footage these are capturing, I’m not sure why I’d want a GoPro – I’m guessing the battery life is going to be comparable so I see it as a saving of cash.

My Drift HD Ghost is a very good unit, but it is heavy compared to these, the battery life on it is very good…about 3 hours constant, the GoPro’s that I have had experience of don’t have that good a battery life either – however, if you have money to throw at it, then go for a big name.

Well it’s here

It is 1080 and wifi. The firmware (December 14) suggests that it is a a genuine SJCAM.

All functions seem to be working as they should – even wifi to an iPhone 5.

I’m pretty sure you don’t want to see footage of me spinning on my chair in my study, so I’ll post up something appropriate once I’ve been out – probably snow related. 😀

nice one geoffj – just post up a quick random vid please 🙂

interested to see the footage and if its decent ill order one right now!

do they just take standard go pro mounts? ie if I bought a gopro chest mount would it fit ok?

infact sod it – ill order one now

so I then need a SD card, any recommendations?

I tried ordering the silver one they sell but i keep getting an error. Might as well get the blue one.

oscillate – remember its a micro sd card – not the standard size one…. Sandisc 32GB class 10 with SD card adapter was around £12 from play.com if i remember correctly…

the camera i received from accmart won’t update to the latest firmaware on teh SJ website and won’t do timelapse so think its a fake – although housing etc appear to be legit….anywho going to send it back and might take a punt on another one as was looking for the timelaspe function…

£35! Eeek!
My fingers are burnt after the Belkin bib short debacle, but I am very tempted to get one of these!!

I succumbed! On the £5 chest mounts, it is this one?

Also, any recommendations on cheap places for SD cards (micro or normal?)?

I’ll admit to being really tempted but I’m aware that I don’t really have anything to film beyond my usual speed mince (or not even speed, really, these days 🙁 )

http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/31619604/SanDisk-Mobile-Ultra-Android-microSDHC-UHS-I-Card-32-GB-with-Adapter/Product.html?searchstring=Sandisc+32GB+class+10+with+SD+card+adapter&searchsource=0&searchtype=allproducts&urlrefer=search

is this a good card then mau00149??

im gonna try one, if its genuine then it does look a bargain

I’m using this card – http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D9OQ1JS

I’m going to have a look at the time lapse function now.

cheers geoff, let us know as im awaiting your testing now before ordering, got them hovering in the basket 🙂

EDIT : Geoff is that sc card only class 4? i thougght you needed class 10 to get the best out of these cameras?

Time lapse function works too although you can’t adjust the time-lapse settings from the phone app over wifi.

Are there issues with maximum clip size? Review seemed to suggest that the files were limited to 4Gb each so recording would stop once you hit that size.

just ordered one! 54quid all in with a 32gb card class 10 and a chest mount

will see what its like hopefully pretty good 🙂

geoffj do keep reporting back as ive gone off your recommendation 🙂

I have 2 spare batteries and a charger for these .as my camera was faulty . £5 posted if anyone wants them

Are there issues with maximum clip size? Review seemed to suggest that the files were limited to 4Gb each so recording would stop once you hit that size.

Dunno – not filmed anything that long yet, but 4 gb would be about 30 minutes (at 1080). The 4gb limit may be a file system restriction, but I’m not sure I’ll be filming clips that long anyway.

Yes the card is class 4, but I’ve just ordered a class 10 now 😀

I may be able to take something not completely dull tomorrow.