I had ordered a "GeekPro 2.0" early today before watching your reviews on the "SJ4000 Wifi." I immediately canceled my order and ordered the "SJ4000." These are incredible reviews of a product and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to do this. I am very impressed with the performance of the camera based on your excellent review. Can't wait to get my camera.
In the last couple of weeks I've had a few people ask if the camera works without WiFi. That's one heck of an odd question. The answer is *of course* it works as normal *until you turn the WiFi on* at which point it works with WiFi on. See 11:45 to 12:30 where I use the camera functions including turning the camera on, start and stop recording and changing modes - all without turning WiFi on. If you don't need WiFi I'd recommend the Dazzne P2 over the SJ4000 (with or without wifi) ruclips.net/video/rDsuMd26wUI/видео.html
+Techmoan I downloaded the wifi app to my smartphone, but when I try to install, it says can not open file. I downloaded the app to my desktop pc. I just downloads a video file, that it says can not be opened.
Thanks SOOO much for all your reviews. I must have spent 7 hours looking through all of them to figure out which camera I wanted and finally decided on this one. And I am glad you provide the links as well because there seems to be quite a few people making cheaper copies of these SJCAM's as well! I had to search through 7 pages just to get to one with the correct markings. None the less I look forward to getting it in and again I thank you a ton for all the hard work and very thorough reviews!
What an amazing review. I've spent a number of evenings recently watching Techmoan s camera reviews. It was only this detailed series of videos that gave me the confidence to purchase an SJ4000 wifi. I'm very pleased with it. Thank you very much!
Hello dear friend, we are the seller of ebay store and amazon store. we are also the manufacturer. we develop the sport action camera. we have a new product recently. This is the link: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=391653002640&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT if you are interested, pls contact with us. Thank you very much
I bought my Sj4000 after your video! For $89 US. I have used it for wood working and for fishing videos. Has a hard time filming inside as there was not enough light! Absolutely love my sj4000! Thank you!!!! I like the wifi... But I may wait for one with higher resolution before I go for another new purchase... Great review!
I noticed you have one of the new iOS devices. Do you plan to do a review? I know there's thousands out there but I always find your reviews to be the most honest and useful.
reddragon27284 There's not much to say, it's like my old phone but bigger and with a fingerprint reader. I bought it because my eyesight has been deteriorating over the last year and I needed an IOS phone with a bigger screen. One additional benefit is that it will look better when I'm demonstrating an app (as in this video).
I bought one of these after watching your review. I just received it today. I am very pleased with it. A great camera for the price. I am very satisfied.
Alfred van Kuik Most of my deals start off with a very high rate of interest at the beginning, but then this starts to reduce quickly after the first couple of minutes and then the interest levels drop off towards the 30 minute point and I usually get a very low return on my investment.
Thank you for this comprehensive review (and the one for the non-WiFi SJ4000). the details you give and samples you show are a great help for many people. your work is greatly appreciated. i'll check back to your channel from time to time in hope of a review for a possible successor of the SJ4000.
Techmoan Yeah, I should have waited to the end of the vid to comment -- but I still love the fact that the camera inflicts bad spelling even on the things you correctly type in. Brilliant! :-)
LOL. saw the techloan spelling error as well.. but decided to wait if there was an explanation in the video. And of course there was! really weird bug indeed.
Techmoan, I just wanted to say I've purchased two cameras based off of your reviews and I haven't had any regrets. You have the best reviews on the interwebs. Thank you for you knowledgeable video reviews.
Thanks for the review, I've just ordered one after downloading the raw footage. Can't believe I have never come across this brand before as I have been trying to keep an eye on action cameras for about a year. Cheers
A bit of a sweeping statement there. There are lots of different English accents. Techmoan has a rather nasally Mancunian accent as you would expect when you see where he shoots all his videos. James May is definitely not from Manchester. He is originally from Bristol but I worked there for 20 years and can't really detect a Bristolian accent in his accent. He is just generally well-spoken with no real discernable accent.
xXMaxpaynaXx Looks like the gopro entry-level has a decent 1080p30 and 720p60 video, but 5MP photos is ridiculously low compared to any current camera or even smartphone. No WiFi, but who cars about it and what's the real use of WiFi on a action cam?
Just an FYI. There IS an SJ5000 that is made by SJCAM. And it is an upgraded camera to the 4000.. I recently purchased a pair of SJ5000 WIFI cameras and the ARE SJCAMs they even have the SJCAM logo on them. And they are a brilliant upgrade of the 4000. AND the anti-shaking DOES work in video mode. If you notice when he has the camera on the handlebars of his motorcycle there is noticeable vibration. Well, I use mine regularly on my ATV and with the anti-shaking on there is virtually no noticeable vibration, even when riding extremely aggressively. Both the SJ4000 WIFI and the SJ5000 WIFI are excellent action cams.
Your reviews are exceptional, informative, refreshing and funny. Great job. Even though this is over 2 years old, it helped me to make a decision on today's product. Great tip on the SJ5000. I had no idea. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this together.
I was SO on the fence about buying a GOPro then I saw these Budget action cameras on Amazon.com Thanks to your video I am absolutely sure I made the right purchase! Thanks so much for posting this it really helped me out!
Thanks once again for a fantastic review. You've become one of the few places where I can be certain to get an accurate, thorough, enjoyable review. I've been noticing more sarcasm lately than in your reviews from a couple years ago, which is totally understandable and actually adds a bit to the entertainment factor. I can't imagine the sheer volume of stupid comments you have to wade through on a daily basis. Keep up the great work!
Good job! Thank you... I just bought one. My boys took it to the pool with them, they were jumping, diving, swimming, etc I'm not too worried unless I spend a bomb on the action cam. So yeah..great review! I've watched your previous videos too (before I made my purchase) I bought the wifi version because( I'm impatient) I prefer to straight away transfer the videos and pics my phone and edit with iMovie and upload into my instagram/fb account while I'm still at the pool or cafe.. And then later I transfer the whole video to my computer when I'm at home. Hahaha! The Techmoan to Techloan was hilarious!! Your videos makes me wanna visit Manchester. Been there once back in autumn 1998, visited the Old Trafford. Anyways, have a great weekend!
I bought the original SJ4000 after watching your reviews and use it for kayaking I love the thing and would rather loose £70 than the price of a gopro if something went wrong. Keep the reviews coming
I saw also in previous vid that you're not sure about the longer leg. I found myself that its for chest harness, where the clicky side of te leg goes backwards and then turns up to attach the camera to the harness.
Great little cam, got the regular no wifi version. Surprised by the quality of image, night time recording, even microphone exceeded my expectations. People, just make sure its really SJCAM, trusted sellers only.
Thank you for this extensive review! Thought there were a couple of comments that I disagree with, I still find your video to be very good knowledge base for someone, who intends to buy this little camera. I also would like to add my 2 cents to your review - my JS4000 wifi arrived yesterday, so I can share my first impressions. 1) I noticed that output files have fixed bitrate - 5min 1080p sample weights about 585.5MB +/- 0.5MB. In practice it means that in certain scenes image will be very sharp (small amount of detailed objects like trees and relatively high areas of smooth surfaces like sky or car body), while in others there will be clearly visible compression artefacts (your helmet view while passing among the trees). 2nd thing - wifi functionality. I'm not fully satisfied with that - video transmission is not continuous, even if the camera literally touches my phone. And it looks like it's not the problem with range - video have been transmitted across my entire apartment (signal passed 4 reinforced concrete walls). I suppose the problem may lie in my phone (LG L7). Oh- and I also noticed a problem with downloading samples through USB to Mac - it looked like an empty storage. Windows 8 works perfectly fine. Besides that I'm very happy with my purchase and do not regret it! Cheers.
Hi there I've just received my SJ4000 WiFi edition (EKOO version) and I'm pretty impressed with it to be honest, the clarity is more than adequate for my needs (as a recording cam for a quad copter)
I just want to say thank you for the work you do. I received a SooCoo S20 to use on my motorcycle mainly because it is supposed to be waterproof, it loop records, has a G shock sensor, and it records with 12 volt power applied. Anyway, it has a WiFi feature and I have been trying all day to connect with the supplied password: 0000000. I decided to search your website for "SooCoo" and I watched this video (again). You briefly mention the password 12345678...and it works on my S20. Brilliant! Thank you again, I really enjoy your reviews. Cheers from the US.
i didnt understand what happened at 21:20 when one clip finished and another one started. can u explain a bit more? how and why did this happen? thanks.
Bought this after your review and the video quality is great. Editing software fixes the interesting colour issues very well, and Adobe software comes with a GoPro preset that deals with the lens issue if you don't like fisheye. My only complaint about this is the sound; it's pathetic. Fortunately I intend to record this separately, but the onboard mic isn't up to much. Take a lot of creative editing in something like Audacity to get anything vaguely worthwhile, which is a shame. Highly satisfied with the purchase, but when I can budget an SJ5000+ I'll upgrade; your review suggests the audio capture on that is significantly better and the 60fps in 1080 appeals to the geek in me. Considering you can get five of these for the cost of a decent GoPro, it's a no-brainer. Excellent review, thank you.
Nathan Baxter Help me! Adobe software comes with a gopro preset that deals with the lens issue? How do i go on about this? Where can a find this preset exactly.
Jono T No that's why is i exactly need to know this. If it was a fine camera i wouldn't need to search for stuff to adjust it. Something called doing your research. I'm not a fan of the camera because of some minor flaws in my opinion. So i search ways to work around these flaws and than i might purchase it. Moron, think before you speak
Sorry, how do you put the back on the watercase proof? minute 21:01. I am actually curious on how to make sure I can record sound even when I use the waterproof case. tq
Gr8 vid. I'm from Manchester myself though live in USA now. Nice to see some shots of it. Good description of the camera and it's functions. Been thinking about getting one of these and making some better videos for my channel. Thanks for the info!
Got my SJ4000 WiFi today and I was particularly looking for that unexpected film applied inside the case in front of the camera, as described around 10:20. I found nothing. Then I watched the video again, and realized that that film actually was attached on my camera, not inside the case. They might made a small mistake for your camera, to cover the camera with the sticky side of film facing outside, and after they pressed the camera into the case, the film will stick to the case, not the camera. Just my own piece of experience. And as always, thanks for the great video :)
@techmoan thanks for your reviews. I'm new to the action camera thing and looking for one for my 4 year old daughter and your videos on the sj4000 and go pro are very informative and answered every question and more with video for our own judgement. thanks heaps.
Techmoan Can you please tell me if the camera only records in clips of fixed amount? I am making reference to the section in the video which starts at 21:35. For example, if I am recording for 1 hour, does this mean that my video of 1 hour recording will be broken up into shorter video clips? If so, does this only happen with cyclic recording? I just want to make sure that if I record for one hour it will be seamless. Many thanks.
Could anyone tell me how I turn the volume up on the camera? When playing back videos the volume is so low and the side buttons only fast forward and rewind the video, and I can't find anything in the menus regarding volume. Thanks
Thanks for the review seen both and nice to see there is a difference between videos even though no huge changes in the camera, thanks for the tip about lighting change and firmware updates
Hey Teachmoan - im a bit curious in how to adjust the curves in the cam - my cam is from 2015 and i can't seem to change the curves - like here in your video at 26.05 where the saxman is playing ...notice the electric pole or lightstand or whatever that is ..is benting over ..it is not a straight line. That irritates my eyes when i use the cam to record a game of backgammon, cuz my backgammon board does not have straight lines in my recordings but curved ones - what to do about that? - ahh hm i think you just explained that in your video at approx. 28:28 - it´s because the linse is wide angled ... right? and no adjustment for that I guess..
Wow you're review is very helpful. Covered all the details and confusion. Well for me at least. I ordered one of these. It should be here tomorrow. Thanks.
1) can you please tell me how long can 1 video clip be at 1 time ? 2) is it limit to a length ? 3) can you remove the stamp completely, No time name or date ?
superb review m8 , had mine now for 1 month on strength of this review , love it , anybody else thinking of buying 1 , I would say get 1 with extra battery and don't bother with the extra expense of the wifi version its a waste of time and battery life
Just received mine and it seems OK except for one thing. When I press the front button for the third time for the review mode, it sometimes locks up with the picture on the screen and to escape I have to pull the battery out and re-insert. Maybe it's a software bug or I may be doing something wrong. Your video presentation is very good by the way.
I bought my sliver SJ4000 unbranded from Fox Offer around the time you done the first review on the SJ 4000. I think your wrong saying at the end of the review that the price has went up considerably. I ordered one last week from fox offer, and looking at my account with them I paid less for this Wifi SJCAM than my original ? I certainly wont be looking at the bigger brands. I can have five of these SJCAM for the price of the class leader. And I don have to fork out for a add-on LCD screen. Thanks for another great review.
Mega, thanks for all your help Techmoan. On the verge of getting the Dazzne P2 from Amazon with all the accessories we need, BUT then I see there's a 2015 model out with wi-fi, but I can only find one review where the focus was useless. Dilemmas! What d'you think?
Rachel as far as I can see, it will be the exact same camera but with wifi. I don't need wifi. If you do then get the wifi model. If something is out of focus that will be a manufacturing fault. That can happen with any of these cameras, the wifi won't have anything to do with it.
I was wondering if I can recorded without wifi then review the clip after once I get home by connecting the wifi and watching it on my phone? and if the gopro mounts fit into the sj4000 wifi
Nice review and thanks for taking the time out, I just got mine in the mail today, bought it at Amazon for $119.00 shipped, Its a Steal and a great Camera for 98% of People who just want a nice Sports Camera that shoots great 1080p video at 30Fps, Compared to. $400.00 GoPro I can buy 4 of these SJ4000 and have a 4x's the Fun. But for a Professional and wants Top of the line a GoPro 3+ Black Edition is a must, but not for the Average Person thanks wants a good Priced Excellent video Camera the SJ4000 is it. Thanks again for your review 👍
HI Techmoan, I just got my SJ4000 wifi that just arrived on the proverbial slow boat from China. I downloaded the app. for my iOS iPhone and iPad. Went to settings, entered what I was to entered, stayed on that wifi channel, and No connection. Or as the apps says, " Connection Failure" . I checked all over the camera and everything is the same as your model in video, except one thing. No vents/holes on the bottom side, and looks identical to the non wifi model. Do you think they just labeled the non wifi model with a wifi label. But how would that explain on the camera sending the wifi channel to my iPad iPhone settings and the passwords etc. And the signal coming from the camera? Or is there some step I may have missed? I am making no connection. Thanks Techmoan, you are great!
I don't have vent holes either! I wonder if I got a fake..oh and the Wifi thing. You're supposed to press the up button on the side of the camera and it should show up in your Wifi connections on your phone/tablet. Then go to the app and press "Connect to camdra"
Hi Techmoan! Kudos on the informative review! I've seen quite a few good deals of this camera & I'm considering buying one. I'm looking for a budget action cam to use when mountain biking, something with multiple mount compatibility, so this fits the bill. However, I'm a little turned off by some other sample SJ4000 videos here on youtube when comparing to the Gopro Hero 3+. Now, I'm not expecting the same quality at this price range of course, but I find that the videos tend to have "dark spots" in them. I'm referring to the way the shadowed/darkly lit areas are rendered -they appear as indistinct dark patches. Even when ISO is adjusted for light conditions. For example, you're taking a video of an outdoor park on a sunny day & you have a stand of trees in your shot. Some parts of the tree are lit by sunlight while some parts are in shadow. On the "leading manufacturer's action cam", you can still make out the shape of the individual leaves/branches that are in shadow. On the sample vids of the SJ, it just appears as a dark patch of color & you can't make out the shapes of the leaves within that patch. I observed this happens even when videos are recorded on 1080p. I just want to know what particular component of the camera causes this effect. Is it the lens.. the microchip that processes the video capture.. or maybe the conversion of the video file to a youtube-playable format was done incorrectly? If its simply a matter of poor conversion of the raw file, I'm sold on this camera. But if the hardware is what causes this, I guess there's no remedy for it. Please enlighten me when you can. Hope to see more reviews! Cheers!
Yes, you can download the latest Firmware and install it on the "old" (non-wifi) SJ4000 and it will have the same menu as the WiFi version! Very good videos. I must say I like the WiFi option, but personally I don;t think I will use it that often. Thank you kindly for sharing.
Techmoan Have you had any issues with videos being scrambled? try to do some videos and when I finish recording, it says "No file" in the preview zone. Plug it into the PC, open it, there is a video file there and all that comes through on media players is like a horrible scrambled white noise and no video footage, tried latest firmware update, formatting the card and it still does it every now and again. Any ideas?
Well well well. I have watched lots of vids on lots of items. Is this vid and review a good one?? Oh yes it is. Excellent from start to finish. Lots of information. A steady filming. Answers all your questions. Great. I have ordered one on eBay for use on my motor bike. I am also going to Greece in May 2015 and will certainly use it under water. Again great review and vids. Thanks.
Hey techmoan, i heard you talking about the sj5000 and that it is not of the same brand but at 4:21 you can see at the bottem of the screen compatible with sj 5000...
Will the wifi default back to off when the camera power cycles off and back on? Also, will the iPhone use 3G even when it's connected the the cameras' wifi?
Hi Techmoan, I saw your video of the WIFI version, and I just got the same, but I having issues with the video recorded, I used a 32gb SDHC Samsung SD Card, and couldn't see the video recorded for some reason, looks like file corrupted, then I used a 2 GB SD Card ( unknown Class ) and on my last test took away the first 3 Minutes of video. please help! please let me know what to do. Camera & Version is the same as yours, settings are as default, didn't change anything. thanks
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I spend the last 2 hours watching a bunch of your cam reviews...all very well done, very informative, and really a pleasure to watch.
Lee Sagi Thanks - but too much of me can get irritating - just ask the missus.
I had ordered a "GeekPro 2.0" early today before watching your reviews on the "SJ4000 Wifi." I immediately canceled my order and ordered the "SJ4000." These are incredible reviews of a product and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to do this. I am very impressed with the performance of the camera based on your excellent review. Can't wait to get my camera.
In the last couple of weeks I've had a few people ask if the camera works without WiFi. That's one heck of an odd question. The answer is *of course* it works as normal *until you turn the WiFi on* at which point it works with WiFi on. See 11:45 to 12:30 where I use the camera functions including turning the camera on, start and stop recording and changing modes - all without turning WiFi on.
If you don't need WiFi I'd recommend the Dazzne P2 over the SJ4000 (with or without wifi) ruclips.net/video/rDsuMd26wUI/видео.html
+Techmoan
Do you think the Dazzne P2 will come with WiFi sometime soon?
+Mark Kanzler I got my SJ4000 from: www.gearbest.com/car-dvr/pp_60637.html?vip=76434 Right now you get 50% DISCOUNT and FREE SHIPPING!
+Techmoan I downloaded the wifi app to my smartphone, but when I try to install, it says can not open file. I downloaded the app to my desktop pc. I just downloads a video file, that it says can not be opened.
+Techmoan can you live stream it from camera over wifi, so you can view the stream online with your computer?
My sj4000 won't connect to my MacBook Pro, any ideas?
Thanks SOOO much for all your reviews. I must have spent 7 hours looking through all of them to figure out which camera I wanted and finally decided on this one. And I am glad you provide the links as well because there seems to be quite a few people making cheaper copies of these SJCAM's as well! I had to search through 7 pages just to get to one with the correct markings. None the less I look forward to getting it in and again I thank you a ton for all the hard work and very thorough reviews!
Wow, this is 10 years old 😮
What an amazing review. I've spent a number of evenings recently watching Techmoan s camera reviews. It was only this detailed series of videos that gave me the confidence to purchase an SJ4000 wifi. I'm very pleased with it. Thank you very much!
Ordered an SJ4000 Wifi because of this review. Thanks!
Dagley Media how is it
It's great. I now own 2 of them.
Hello dear friend, we are the seller of ebay store and amazon store. we are also the manufacturer. we develop the sport action camera. we have a new product recently. This is the link: cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=391653002640&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT if you are interested, pls contact with us. Thank you very much
I bought my Sj4000 after your video! For $89 US. I have used it for wood working and for fishing videos. Has a hard time filming inside as there was not enough light! Absolutely love my sj4000! Thank you!!!! I like the wifi... But I may wait for one with higher resolution before I go for another new purchase... Great review!
I noticed you have one of the new iOS devices. Do you plan to do a review? I know there's thousands out there but I always find your reviews to be the most honest and useful.
I agree would love to see a phone review👍😎
Yes I happened to see that iPhone 6+ humm
reddragon27284 There's not much to say, it's like my old phone but bigger and with a fingerprint reader. I bought it because my eyesight has been deteriorating over the last year and I needed an IOS phone with a bigger screen. One additional benefit is that it will look better when I'm demonstrating an app (as in this video).
I bought one of these after watching your review. I just received it today. I am very pleased with it. A great camera for the price. I am very satisfied.
So what kind of interest rates do you charge, Techloan?
Alfred van Kuik Most of my deals start off with a very high rate of interest at the beginning, but then this starts to reduce quickly after the first couple of minutes and then the interest levels drop off towards the 30 minute point and I usually get a very low return on my investment.
Techmoan ((xD hahahaha
Thank you for this comprehensive review (and the one for the non-WiFi SJ4000). the details you give and samples you show are a great help for many people. your work is greatly appreciated. i'll check back to your channel from time to time in hope of a review for a possible successor of the SJ4000.
LOL... "successd"
However, I noticed "Techloan" on the overlay as well (ROTFL)
***** You'll see this issue explained in the video.
Techmoan
Yeah, I should have waited to the end of the vid to comment -- but I still love the fact that the camera inflicts bad spelling even on the things you correctly type in. Brilliant! :-)
***** It's the weirdest bug I've seen in a camera - but not the most serious.
LOL. saw the techloan spelling error as well.. but decided to wait if there was an explanation in the video. And of course there was! really weird bug indeed.
antiekeradio
Les, it's a Lery strange eLLor indeeL :-)
Techmoan, I just wanted to say I've purchased two cameras based off of your reviews and I haven't had any regrets. You have the best reviews on the interwebs. Thank you for you knowledgeable video reviews.
"There's a lot of nutbags out there on RUclips" never a truer word spoken, thanks for keeping it sane in this corner at least :)
Thanks for the review, I've just ordered one after downloading the raw footage. Can't believe I have never come across this brand before as I have been trying to keep an eye on action cameras for about a year. Cheers
Matt you have the new iPhone
joshua cutting Really?
yes
Bro, you have by far the best English(if not all language) review of this camera, helped my decide what camera to buy, Thanks!
does anyone else thinks he sounds like James May? 😀
All english sound likes this you fool.
A bit of a sweeping statement there. There are lots of different English accents. Techmoan has a rather nasally Mancunian accent as you would expect when you see where he shoots all his videos. James May is definitely not from Manchester. He is originally from Bristol but I worked there for 20 years and can't really detect a Bristolian accent in his accent. He is just generally well-spoken with no real discernable accent.
+Claudio Diaz Excuse me, I'm British, and I know a lot of British people. we don't all sound the same you dummy.
@@DrLoverLover You're three years too late boss 😂
@Terry Carter - I already reviewed it Transcend Drivepro 200 Car Recorder Dashcam - Full Review
Can you tell me the best variant for a GoPro? (arround +-120€)
xXMaxpaynaXx gopro is going to release an entry-level GoPro about 130usd
The entry-level is better than this one?
not sure because it will release in oct 5.We Have to wait someone to do a comparison video.
xXMaxpaynaXx
Looks like the gopro entry-level has a decent 1080p30 and 720p60 video, but 5MP photos is ridiculously low compared to any current camera or even smartphone. No WiFi, but who cars about it and what's the real use of WiFi on a action cam?
Just an FYI. There IS an SJ5000 that is made by SJCAM. And it is an upgraded camera to the 4000.. I recently purchased a pair of
SJ5000 WIFI cameras and the ARE SJCAMs they even have the SJCAM logo on them. And they are a brilliant upgrade of the 4000. AND the anti-shaking DOES work in video mode. If you notice when he has the camera on the handlebars of his motorcycle there is noticeable vibration. Well, I use mine regularly on my ATV and with the anti-shaking on there is virtually no noticeable vibration, even when riding extremely aggressively. Both the SJ4000 WIFI and the SJ5000 WIFI are excellent action cams.
You are a great presenter and reviewer and funny! Made me want one so I ordered it. We shall see. Thanks for taking the time to create this.
Thanks very much for taking the time to produce such a comprehensive guide. I can't wait to get out on the slopes next week and try this out!
Alan Price Have fun.
Man you are GOOD. A lighthearted video with a lot of helpful information. Better than any Chinglish manual...
Your reviews are exceptional, informative, refreshing and funny. Great job. Even though this is over 2 years old, it helped me to make a decision on today's product. Great tip on the SJ5000. I had no idea. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this together.
Thankyou for the in depth review, I was able to watch the entire clip without nodding off like I often feel like doing with some reviews, nice one :)
I was SO on the fence about buying a GOPro then I saw these Budget action cameras on Amazon.com Thanks to your video I am absolutely sure I made the right purchase! Thanks so much for posting this it really helped me out!
Thanks for taking the time to create an excellent and comprehensive review. Much appreciated.
Finally, a light hearted yet informative review of the SJCAM .. and in ENGLISH! :D .. Excellent viewing!
Thanks once again for a fantastic review. You've become one of the few places where I can be certain to get an accurate, thorough, enjoyable review. I've been noticing more sarcasm lately than in your reviews from a couple years ago, which is totally understandable and actually adds a bit to the entertainment factor. I can't imagine the sheer volume of stupid comments you have to wade through on a daily basis. Keep up the great work!
Good job! Thank you... I just bought one. My boys took it to the pool with them, they were jumping, diving, swimming, etc I'm not too worried unless I spend a bomb on the action cam. So yeah..great review! I've watched your previous videos too (before I made my purchase)
I bought the wifi version because( I'm impatient) I prefer to straight away transfer the videos and pics my phone and edit with iMovie and upload into my instagram/fb account while I'm still at the pool or cafe.. And then later I transfer the whole video to my computer when I'm at home. Hahaha!
The Techmoan to Techloan was hilarious!! Your videos makes me wanna visit Manchester. Been there once back in autumn 1998, visited the Old Trafford. Anyways, have a great weekend!
Nice to meet you in WH Smith on Friday. Excellent review, as always.
Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you too.
I bought the original SJ4000 after watching your reviews and use it for kayaking I love the thing and would rather loose £70 than the price of a gopro if something went wrong. Keep the reviews coming
I saw also in previous vid that you're not sure about the longer leg. I found myself that its for chest harness, where the clicky side of te leg goes backwards and then turns up to attach the camera to the harness.
You are really good at this. I guess that's why you get to test all these wonderful toys. Keep up the good work.
Great little cam, got the regular no wifi version. Surprised by the quality of image, night time recording, even microphone exceeded my expectations. People, just make sure its really SJCAM, trusted sellers only.
Thank you for this extensive review! Thought there were a couple of comments that I disagree with, I still find your video to be very good knowledge base for someone, who intends to buy this little camera. I also would like to add my 2 cents to your review - my JS4000 wifi arrived yesterday, so I can share my first impressions. 1) I noticed that output files have fixed bitrate - 5min 1080p sample weights about 585.5MB +/- 0.5MB. In practice it means that in certain scenes image will be very sharp (small amount of detailed objects like trees and relatively high areas of smooth surfaces like sky or car body), while in others there will be clearly visible compression artefacts (your helmet view while passing among the trees). 2nd thing - wifi functionality. I'm not fully satisfied with that - video transmission is not continuous, even if the camera literally touches my phone. And it looks like it's not the problem with range - video have been transmitted across my entire apartment (signal passed 4 reinforced concrete walls). I suppose the problem may lie in my phone (LG L7). Oh- and I also noticed a problem with downloading samples through USB to Mac - it looked like an empty storage. Windows 8 works perfectly fine. Besides that I'm very happy with my purchase and do not regret it! Cheers.
Hi there I've just received my SJ4000 WiFi edition (EKOO version) and I'm pretty impressed with it to be honest, the clarity is more than adequate for my needs (as a recording cam for a quad copter)
Fantastic review! Thanks a lot! Just got the SJCAM SJ4000 without Wifi, going to test it out this weekend when we go to the Philippines.
@BikingJaz
Yes.
you are american?
kilzone17 i don;t think so. he sounds funny. must be british
rahulmaron i am braziliam ;)
rahulmaron like mr.bean? :)
I just want to say thank you for the work you do. I received a SooCoo S20 to use on my motorcycle mainly because it is supposed to be waterproof, it loop records, has a G shock sensor, and it records with 12 volt power applied. Anyway, it has a WiFi feature and I have been trying all day to connect with the supplied password: 0000000. I decided to search your website for "SooCoo" and I watched this video (again). You briefly mention the password 12345678...and it works on my S20. Brilliant! Thank you again, I really enjoy your reviews. Cheers from the US.
Great review buddy. Contemplating getting it coz of this review.
One thing though. That's the design on the Tram (the circles)
i didnt understand what happened at 21:20 when one clip finished and another one started. can u explain a bit more? how and why did this happen?
thanks.
Quick questions, does the camera has a settings using which the recording continues by deleting old footage unless i stop it?
You're the N°1 reviewer ... Keep it going and greets from Portugal.
Bought this after your review and the video quality is great. Editing software fixes the interesting colour issues very well, and Adobe software comes with a GoPro preset that deals with the lens issue if you don't like fisheye.
My only complaint about this is the sound; it's pathetic. Fortunately I intend to record this separately, but the onboard mic isn't up to much. Take a lot of creative editing in something like Audacity to get anything vaguely worthwhile, which is a shame.
Highly satisfied with the purchase, but when I can budget an SJ5000+ I'll upgrade; your review suggests the audio capture on that is significantly better and the 60fps in 1080 appeals to the geek in me.
Considering you can get five of these for the cost of a decent GoPro, it's a no-brainer.
Excellent review, thank you.
Nathan Baxter Help me! Adobe software comes with a gopro preset that deals with the lens issue? How do i go on about this? Where can a find this preset exactly.
BananaBread you're not a fan of the camera right? Why would you need to know this LOL, hypocrite.
Jono T No that's why is i exactly need to know this. If it was a fine camera i wouldn't need to search for stuff to adjust it. Something called doing your research. I'm not a fan of the camera because of some minor flaws in my opinion. So i search ways to work around these flaws and than i might purchase it. Moron, think before you speak
yahoo
I recorded a half hour gig and the audio is excellent.
Excellent video! This changed my mind away from buying a go pro for nearly 3x the price. Looks like a very capable little camera
Thanks very much for this. Excellent review and I'm a fan of the dry humour! I'll be getting this for Xmas so looking forward to trying it out.
Sorry, how do you put the back on the watercase proof? minute 21:01. I am actually curious on how to make sure I can record sound even when I use the waterproof case. tq
I've just bought one of these and looking forward to using it. Like your review by the way.
Gr8 vid. I'm from Manchester myself though live in USA now. Nice to see some shots of it. Good description of the camera and it's functions. Been thinking about getting one of these and making some better videos for my channel. Thanks for the info!
Such a great in depth video! Answered all the questions I had, seriously considering on picking one up.
Got my SJ4000 WiFi today and I was particularly looking for that unexpected film applied inside the case in front of the camera, as described around 10:20. I found nothing. Then I watched the video again, and realized that that film actually was attached on my camera, not inside the case. They might made a small mistake for your camera, to cover the camera with the sticky side of film facing outside, and after they pressed the camera into the case, the film will stick to the case, not the camera.
Just my own piece of experience. And as always, thanks for the great video :)
@techmoan thanks for your reviews. I'm new to the action camera thing and looking for one for my 4 year old daughter and your videos on the sj4000 and go pro are very informative and answered every question and more with video for our own judgement. thanks heaps.
Can the go pro use like a selfie video? Sorry for my lame question coz i have not using it his gadget yet
Just bought one without wifi, and this guide helped a lot :)
U wot m8?
I'm impressed with the work you put into this review. Thank you!
Techmoan Can you please tell me if the camera only records in clips of fixed amount? I am making reference to the section in the video which starts at 21:35. For example, if I am recording for 1 hour, does this mean that my video of 1 hour recording will be broken up into shorter video clips? If so, does this only happen with cyclic recording? I just want to make sure that if I record for one hour it will be seamless. Many thanks.
For ages I thought your channel was called Technoman. Think i'm not drinking enough coffee :S. Love the channel
James Sharkey-Arthur it would probably make more sense...but the other name has stuck now.
Could anyone tell me how I turn the volume up on the camera? When playing back videos the volume is so low and the side buttons only fast forward and rewind the video, and I can't find anything in the menus regarding volume. Thanks
Thanks for the review seen both and nice to see there is a difference between videos even though no huge changes in the camera, thanks for the tip about lighting change and firmware updates
Hey Teachmoan - im a bit curious in how to adjust the curves in the cam - my cam is from 2015 and i can't seem to change the curves - like here in your video at 26.05 where the saxman is playing ...notice the electric pole or lightstand or whatever that is ..is benting over ..it is not a straight line. That irritates my eyes when i use the cam to record a game of backgammon, cuz my backgammon board does not have straight lines in my recordings but curved ones - what to do about that? - ahh hm i think you just explained that in your video at approx. 28:28 - it´s because the linse is wide angled ... right? and no adjustment for that I guess..
Really enjoy your videos, especially the comments. I may need a techloan in the future.
Such a unique design, can't think of any other cameras that look like that XD
Wow you're review is very helpful. Covered all the details and confusion. Well for me at least. I ordered one of these. It should be here tomorrow. Thanks.
1) can you please tell me how long can 1 video clip be at 1 time ?
2) is it limit to a length ?
3) can you remove the stamp completely, No time name or date ?
superb review m8 , had mine now for 1 month on strength of this review , love it , anybody else thinking of buying 1 , I would say get 1 with extra battery and don't bother with the extra expense of the wifi version its a waste of time and battery life
Your reviews are the best! Great humour.
I just bought an sj4000 wifi and it won't connect to wifi.my camera doesent say Sj cam and it looks like the normal sj4000 is that a problem
Just received mine and it seems OK except for one thing. When I press the front button for the third time for the review mode, it sometimes locks up with the picture on the screen and to escape I have to pull the battery out and re-insert. Maybe it's a software bug or I may be doing something wrong. Your video presentation is very good by the way.
I bought my sliver SJ4000 unbranded from Fox Offer around the time you done the first review on the SJ 4000. I think your wrong saying at the end of the review that the price has went up considerably. I ordered one last week from fox offer, and looking at my account with them I paid less for this Wifi SJCAM than my original ? I certainly wont be looking at the bigger brands. I can have five of these SJCAM for the price of the class leader. And I don have to fork out for a add-on LCD screen. Thanks for another great review.
Your humour cracks me up, it's great, keep it up.
PERFECT, BRILLIANT video for a newbie like myself being new at the mounts. Much thanks indeed for the help on software as well! Cheers !
Mega, thanks for all your help Techmoan. On the verge of getting the Dazzne P2 from Amazon with all the accessories we need, BUT then I see there's a 2015 model out with wi-fi, but I can only find one review where the focus was useless. Dilemmas! What d'you think?
Rachel as far as I can see, it will be the exact same camera but with wifi. I don't need wifi. If you do then get the wifi model. If something is out of focus that will be a manufacturing fault. That can happen with any of these cameras, the wifi won't have anything to do with it.
I was wondering if I can recorded without wifi then review the clip after once I get home by connecting the wifi and watching it on my phone? and if the gopro mounts fit into the sj4000 wifi
I dont own a gopro, but ive gotten my hand on its accessories, and they seem identical to my Tronsport, which is just another sj4000 3rdparty model
hi, one of the most enjoyable and informative videos ever, no ummms and errs, top job
Nice review and thanks for taking the time out, I just got mine in the mail today, bought it at Amazon for $119.00 shipped, Its a Steal and a great Camera for 98% of People who just want a nice Sports Camera that shoots great 1080p video at 30Fps, Compared to. $400.00 GoPro I can buy 4 of these SJ4000 and have a 4x's the Fun. But for a Professional and wants Top of the line a GoPro 3+ Black Edition is a must, but not for the Average Person thanks wants a good Priced Excellent video Camera the SJ4000 is it.
Thanks again for your review 👍
Thanks for this long reviews :) love them!! is there more coming soon?
Helo Techmoan, can you please make a video comparisson between the SJ400 with the new GoPro Hero 2014
HI Techmoan, I just got my SJ4000 wifi that just arrived on the proverbial slow boat from China. I downloaded the app. for my iOS iPhone and iPad. Went to settings, entered what I was to entered, stayed on that wifi channel, and No connection. Or as the apps says, " Connection Failure" . I checked all over the camera and everything is the same as your model in video, except one thing. No vents/holes on the bottom side, and looks identical to the non wifi model. Do you think they just labeled the non wifi model with a wifi label. But how would that explain on the camera sending the wifi channel to my iPad iPhone settings and the passwords etc. And the signal coming from the camera? Or is there some step I may have missed? I am making no connection. Thanks Techmoan, you are great!
I don't have vent holes either! I wonder if I got a fake..oh and the Wifi thing. You're supposed to press the up button on the side of the camera and it should show up in your Wifi connections on your phone/tablet. Then go to the app and press "Connect to camdra"
Mine didn't come with a battery cover too and its kinda frustrationing ._.
Michael any luck lol?
A quick press on the up button should show a wifi symbol all over screen at the beggining of the connect process.
Love you're content! Such an original reviewer👍
How long can i record with a 16gb card?
2.488887 Seconds.
gamerato8
Is it enough for recording few hours in 1080p?
***** I would say about 45mins to an hour continuous at maximum quality on a good quality card
Thanks... That's what I suspected
***** Jokes on you, this camera has a max of 32GB.
The camera has a zoom feature . If you zoom in about half way you do away with the fish eye distortion. Use the up and down buttons on the right side.
Cheers plenty
great review very thorough and humorous banter which is always a must
you did really good review, its help me a lot to choose the right action cam for me
Hi Techmoan! Kudos on the informative review! I've seen quite a few good deals of this camera & I'm considering buying one. I'm looking for a budget action cam to use when mountain biking, something with multiple mount compatibility, so this fits the bill. However, I'm a little turned off by some other sample SJ4000 videos here on youtube when comparing to the Gopro Hero 3+. Now, I'm not expecting the same quality at this price range of course, but I find that the videos tend to have "dark spots" in them. I'm referring to the way the shadowed/darkly lit areas are rendered -they appear as indistinct dark patches. Even when ISO is adjusted for light conditions. For example, you're taking a video of an outdoor park on a sunny day & you have a stand of trees in your shot. Some parts of the tree are lit by sunlight while some parts are in shadow. On the "leading manufacturer's action cam", you can still make out the shape of the individual leaves/branches that are in shadow. On the sample vids of the SJ, it just appears as a dark patch of color & you can't make out the shapes of the leaves within that patch. I observed this happens even when videos are recorded on 1080p. I just want to know what particular component of the camera causes this effect. Is it the lens.. the microchip that processes the video capture.. or maybe the conversion of the video file to a youtube-playable format was done incorrectly? If its simply a matter of poor conversion of the raw file, I'm sold on this camera. But if the hardware is what causes this, I guess there's no remedy for it. Please enlighten me when you can. Hope to see more reviews! Cheers!
There is no suction mount included with the camera? If there is one do you think it would hold the camera if i place it on the roof of a moving car?
Yes, you can download the latest Firmware and install it on the "old" (non-wifi) SJ4000 and it will have the same menu as the WiFi version!
Very good videos. I must say I like the WiFi option, but personally I don;t think I will use it that often. Thank you kindly for sharing.
26:06 Spot the old faithful 'Dancing Flower' . Great video as always very helpful thank you.
I see a heavy blue cast is that added after, or just bad color expression in the camera?
Techmoan
Have you had any issues with videos being scrambled? try to do some videos and when I finish recording, it says "No file" in the preview zone. Plug it into the PC, open it, there is a video file there and all that comes through on media players is like a horrible scrambled white noise and no video footage, tried latest firmware update, formatting the card and it still does it every now and again. Any ideas?
Well well well. I have watched lots of vids on lots of items.
Is this vid and review a good one??
Oh yes it is. Excellent from start to finish. Lots of information.
A steady filming. Answers all your questions.
Great.
I have ordered one on eBay for use on my motor bike.
I am also going to Greece in May 2015 and will certainly use it under water.
Again great review and vids.
Thanks.
Hey techmoan, i heard you talking about the sj5000 and that it is not of the same brand but at 4:21 you can see at the bottem of the screen compatible with sj 5000...
Great review...you also helped me set up and learn the basics on how to use it. Thanks so much
how many minutes will it take to finish one clip and go to the second clip? (before the jumping part happens)
Will the wifi default back to off when the camera power cycles off and back on? Also, will the iPhone use 3G even when it's connected the the cameras' wifi?
Hi Techmoan, I saw your video of the WIFI version, and I just got the same,
but I having issues with the video recorded, I used a 32gb SDHC Samsung SD Card,
and couldn't see the video recorded for some reason, looks like file corrupted, then I used a 2 GB SD Card ( unknown Class ) and on my last test took away the first 3 Minutes of video. please help!
please let me know what to do.
Camera & Version is the same as yours, settings are as default, didn't change anything.
thanks
Hey Techmoan, what are your settings for those night scenes? I use my SJ1000 for filmmaking and I want to get one of these real soon instead Thanks.
I already watched it. So for vacation video and some scenery and visiting museum in Madrid, is iphone 6 plus good enough?
Nice review... I'll get one to film my bicycle rides... SJ4000 should pay you for the honest review..