Imitation GoPro Cameras from China. Any Good?

[JamesBon92007]

Wow, thanks for posting those videos! I was on Dalila Reef last Tuesday. I wonder if we were there at the same time(?)

Is that a "genuine" SJ Cam sj4000? Someone on the airplane coming back from Cancun on Friday showed me his GoPro Session and the videos were very good.

I was looking at the filter sets for GoPros etc and don't quite get what all of the other colors are supposed to be for. The red one I understand.

 

[DesertEagle]

Other colors are useful for diving in green water or fluorescent diving with special lights.

All of these cameras have good sensors. Whatever you do, get something with a monitor.

Last year I posted footage from my SJ4000. There is a thread down in this forum from that time.

 

[Pao]

Found a fix for the shutoff problem at depth. I just stuck a portion of the backing sheet of one of those little silicone "feet" that you stick to your furniture bottom to keep them from moving around. This way I had a self adhesive silicone washer/spacer. I used one from the 7/16" diameter feet.

Sent from my Underwood typewriter

 

[Pao]

Just tested it to 30m for 30 minutes in my DIY chamber and no problems. It used to turn on and off at 15 meters with the yellow light continuously lighted meaning that the power button was continuously being depresed. I noticed that the metal pin pushing the power button was a bit long. I thought of using a Dremel to grind it down but metal filings and O-rings do not play nice together

Sent from my Underwood typewriter

 

[diver0008]

I bought an SJ400. Not functional at depths of approx 100-ft. Flooded once. Repaired a wire that didn't like the salt I suppose. Flooded again, and when attempting a repair, it just started falling apart. Very cheaply made. When it worked, video quality was good. Photos, not so much. Your money would be better spent on an entry level GoPro in my opinion.

 

[CT-Rich]

I bought an SJ400. Not functional at depths of approx 100-ft. Flooded once. Repaired a wire that didn't like the salt I suppose. Flooded again, and when attempting a repair, it just started falling apart. Very cheaply made. When it worked, video quality was good. Photos, not so much. Your money would be better spent on an entry level GoPro in my opinion.

Did it have "SJCAM" written in the right corner under the lens? The really terrible knock-offs will sell the "SJ-4000" that looks very similar but is terrible quality. I would go back to the seller and tell them what happened. The good ones will tend to make it right, and if not, they earned a crappy review.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[DesertEagle]

It could be an original. The sensor on the SJ400 is something like 3MP. The manufacturer's rating of 12 MP is some sort of interpolation. I found the photos fine for web usage but not much more. The video quality pleasantly surprised me. My only complaint about video is that the camera does not react well to quick changes in lighting. I ended up giving my camera to a friend so I never bothered to try the manual white balance settings.

 

[diver0008]

I bought it directly from SJcam in China. I inquired about return/repair/replace. Trying to get them to agree to anything was a fight. After dozens of emails and week long waits for replies, the logistics and costs of what they finally accepted to do made no sense. They wanted me to ship it back to China at my cost, and they would evaluate and in the event of a repair or replacement (no guarantees), ship it back by boat (a month long journey).

They repeatedly stated that the warranty does not cover water getting into the case, even though they advertise it's waterproofness.

I would classify their customer service as shallow and stubborn.

I bought a GoPro which works very well, and am preparing to buy a Canon G16 with the Fantasea housing before my next dive trip.

 

[CT-Rich]

I bought mine with the assumption I was buying a disposable camera. I lost my first Gopro when the lanyard came undone and the second one had seawater get in through a seal. At that point I really had enjoyed making movies, but I couldn't see spending $300 over and over again every time something happened. What I like about the SJcam cameras is that I will not get upset about its untimely demise. My Gopro 3+ was a gift and I only got one season out of it and I felt terrible when it flooded because of a mistake in replacing a scuffed lens port. I like that I can afford to buy a couple of the cameras and be okay with leaving one outside a critter hole and swimming off and able to afford a second or third one. The SJ5000 is suppose to have the same sensor as the Gopro and still costs less than half as much. I think in the future I will look for someone who sells the SJ's in the US so I can at least let them deal with the Chinese.

 

[diver0008]

Agreed. Disposable. For $80.00, I won't get too worked up. It does suck however when you have a few days of diving left on a trip and a dead camera.