SJCAM SJ20 - Do NOT Buy this Dual Lens Action Camera

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I would steer clear of this action camera, and I would advise SJCam to keep working, as it's possible with a lot of hard work it might be up there with GoPro, Insta360 and DJI one day.
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[@СергейСущук-х2я]

As the owner of SJCAM 8 Pro, I can say one thing - there is no point in buying, very weak functionality, sometimes menus hang, inconvenient navigation, etc. As an entry-level toy and a device that can be broken and it won't be a pity, then you can take it. But no more than that. It is better to save money or take an outdated cheaper model, such as GoPro or Osmo Action, than to contact SJCAM.

[@PhillipSkraba]

After using this SJCAM I couldn’t agree more, in face I need to pin your comment. People, go buy a DJI Action 2 for the same price, it is 1 million times better!!! Save your money and your time.

[@СергейСущук-х2я]

@@PhillipSkraba 😁

[@IanWheldale]

The last SJCAM I bought was the 8 Pro. The screen locked up and I couldn't use any touchscreen functions. I contacted SJCAM who said I had to send it back to China but not to send record as they wouldn't accept it. No thanks. I have just bought the Ace Pro after a few years of using the Osmo Action.

[@PhillipSkraba]

@@IanWheldale I have no idea how SJCAM exists to be honest. The Osmo Action was great and the Ace Pro is fantastic, it's an excellent camera!

[@EternalSummer]

My SJcam 8Pro restarts many times for no reason

[@damonhicks5776]

I have the SJCAM. I'm not sure if that was an earlier model, but my camera is more than serviceable, especially in low light. It can't compete with significantly more expensive cameras (I paid $160), but for the price, it's pretty good. I also got way better sound even before I got the additional mic.

[@PhillipSkraba]

I think you can pick up the DJI Action 2 for that price nowadays, which is far superior to the SJCam.

[@damonhicks5776]

@@PhillipSkraba may be used or refurbished but new is still considerably more. I definitely agree it could be better, but I also think it is more than capable, would I use it to shoot a movie no but online content and vlogging. it's sufficient

[@PhillipSkraba]

I disagree. I do not think it is sufficient, I feel it's a waste of time filming anything on this. The phone you have in your pocket is no doubt much, much better in quality.

[@damonhicks5776]

@@PhillipSkraba I can see your perspective I think there are other uses, and when the suggested cameras can be a large percentage of a person's salary, you have people who think it is set too high and don't participate, as for phones if you are dealing with a high-end to mid-level yes, but, Im personally not of fan of using my phone for video other then the unexpected, or at most b roll, tho I know and appreciate there is a subculture who live by the phone, I also didn't get the sound quality or video of your test camera, if I had I'd definitely feel like you do.

[@yourstubo]

177€ con palo selfies 😁

[@Lasse_Johansen]

The microphone on the SJ20 is… Nostalgic 😂

[@PhillipSkraba]

Lol very 😂

[@basschurink]

Hahaha yes!!

[@EternalArrow]

Nostalgic is a good word here :-D

[@xenay911]

To me it sounds exactly like when you’re filming with your phone in pouring rain and get a water drop on the mic. EXACTLY that sound quality xD

[@DemonicGoblin-mv4ob]

I really like it when you get out and put the gear through its paces

[@PhillipSkraba]

Sometimes I feel like a walk when the weather is okay out there, thanks!

[@TaskSwitcherify]

Thank you for your honest, unbiased and thorough review! Manufacturers should see more of these so they can improve their products.

[@SherwinIRL]

Appreciate your raw honest review. Shame the SJ20 quality isn't great. But on the other hand, Ace Pro looks and sounds very nice especially in low-light

[@PhillipSkraba]

The Ace Pro is hard to beat. You're welcome!

[@janikbxyz192]

Thank you for the review! I will not get the SJ20. I‘ve got a SJ10 Pro. It’s okay and not too expensive if it breaks. Anyway the image quality on the 20 seems not to be better or even worse.

[@PhillipSkraba]

Yes, I'd steer clear of it.

[@TheDroneCreative]

18:11 😂😂 it’s been a few years since I've seen you so excited about a product, and it’s a dishwasher.

[@PhillipSkraba]

I think it might actually be the most fun I've ever had!!

[@joeqin-z2o]

Obviously the Ace Pro looks better in daytime, but SJ20 is brighter and clearer at night

[@PhillipSkraba]

Yes, it is brighter, but that means nothing to me if the quality is useless.

[@vidthreenorth4007]

@@PhillipSkraba The night quality was not "useless". There was significantly better detail. Even your beard color was better represented, as were your clothes. I would question whether the focus of the lens was well chosen. I found that on some "action cameras" the lens comes from the factories set to focus too close to the lens. I guess this is because children especially like to stick the camera close and think that if it looks sharp then in that case it's good. I won't describe how to adjust the focus (it isn't hard, but it is hard to describe), but if that is the problem then I don't count that as a "quality" issue. Focus distance is simply a choice, and as I said it is not that hard to change.

[@PhillipSkraba]

@@vidthreenorth4007 Trust me, its useless.

[@WiljanWiljan]

Thanks a lot for the review!

[@PhillipSkraba]

My pleasure! Thanks!

[@Ohgodmail]

Is it possible that there will be a night shooting comparison between SJ20 and Osmo pocket 3?

[@PhillipSkraba]

No, I really don’t want to spend any more time with the SJCAM, I have packed it back up and put it in the part of my studio where things die.

[@yehang5117]

so it doesn't seen good enough during the daytime but looks much better at night.. it's good to have choices at the least, affordable action cam can be an ideal option for many people

[@PhillipSkraba]

So is the whole SJCam company going to be adding positive comments here or what? You guys should at least introduce yourselves and tell us what part you had in designing this camera.

[@miketrou6071]

I would like to ask if the recording on your sj20 will also be blurry on the left and right sides?

[@PhillipSkraba]

Everything about the image from that camera is wrong. I have no idea why anyone in the world would ever choose to part with their money and buy it to be honest.

[@alkaid7805]

the night vision is better than Ace indeed, only $200, I am fine with it given this price

[@PhillipSkraba]

It is not better, it is brighter. Well, when you buy it, get back to me and tell me what you think, as I personally wouldn’t give $10 for this camera.

[@tomaskiii1017]

been searching this sj20 review, some said with batt attached on it last for 8hrs, this would be great trade off,then the hero 9 heat battery and laging and i just sold it!!!

[@PhillipSkraba]

If it lasted for 50hrs it still wouldn’t make a difference, I prefer 10 mins on a GoPro.

[@tomaskiii1017]

i had the hero 9, not worth it. coudnt make to 10 min the body already heated

[@PhillipSkraba]

I’d personally pick up the DJI Action 2, similar price as this and one of the best action cameras out there.

[@PhillipSkraba]

I've lost all respect for the Red Dot award, either they didn't turn the camera on or they were blind drunk - www.red-dot.org/project/sj20-64760

[@mockmock-k7y]

Then I am lucky enough to have been using the SJ8 Pro since April 2023. Let me get a SJ20 for my brother's birthday. Hope he is lucky too.

[@PhillipSkraba]

My gosh, when you upgrade to a Nokia 3210 you won't know what year it is! Well, if you hate your brother, the SJ20 is a good gift.

[@MortonsReviews]

When you were in slightly better light, the instead 360 was way better. What's amazing is when it was darker conditions, SJ was better?

[@PhillipSkraba]

Sure, it was brighter, but much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much worse video quality.

[@MortonsReviews]

@PhillipSkraba I will stick with my gopro 12 only problem I have with it, it over heats a lot .

[@EspenJohan]

Interesting test Phillip, guess SJCam doesn't sell this camera. I wouldn't pay a penny for it. The sound was horrible, the picture quality is bad. I don't find anything positive about it. Maybe they can fix it with a firmware update

[@djmagicvnov]

Ночное видео отличное , если камеру установить на штативе то вполне будет класс

[@PhillipSkraba]

If I bought this camera it would go straight back, no second thought.

[@ZHAOLONGLI-w7b]

SJ20 does seem better at night...it isn't a bad choice with a price 50% lower than the Ace Pro😂

[@PhillipSkraba]

I believe in buying once and properly, and whilst the SJ20 is brighter at night that does NOT mean it is better at night. I would prefer to buy the DJI Action 2 or GoPro Hero 10 which you can pick up for similar prices and are far superior cameras. The SJ20 needs a lot of work to bring its image quality, sound quality, build quality and operating system to the point where it is acceptable.

[@IanKerry-ip6fx]

Great night vision. Going to purchase it

[@PhillipSkraba]

The Ace Pro, right?! 😂

[@gruntstyl393]

This is the review I was looking for. Thank you. Almost get carried away by my impulse purchase.. I already have insta360 one rs and love the interchangeable lens that fits my need in shooting

[@PhillipSkraba]

If I bought this camera with my own money it would go back instantly, no second thought.

[@regen2787]

What if i can get a second hand one for exactly half the price? Is it ok?

[@PhillipSkraba]

Buy yourself a nice DJI Action 2, used.

[@EternalArrow]

I'm not a big fan of Ace Pro, but it's low light capability is dang awesome. It's close to optically stabilized sony. Stabilization works goodm no jello, Nicely done, Wish my Action 4 could do the same.

[@PhillipSkraba]

It does an incredible job in low light, yes, the Action 4 suffers from the jitters unfortunately at night time. The SJCam however really can't hold it stable.

[@fafekdutkiewicz1]

Yes,yes .... ace pro is super !!!! And cost above 500USD , and SJ20 cost under 200USD .

[@PhillipSkraba]

SJ20 should cost $20.

[@fafekdutkiewicz1]

@@PhillipSkraba 😂😂😂😂😂

[@frankpiptypijp]

By the way, SJCam is just a Scam with a J in between 😊

[@PhillipSkraba]

I can’t argue with that.

[@frankpiptypijp]

The first GoPro was light years ahead of this “camera”. Can I call it a camera?

[@PhillipSkraba]

It was!! I remember’

[@AZventuresTV]

COMPARING CHEAP CAM TO HIGH PRIZING CAM is s2peedity! lol

[@PhillipSkraba]

It's not cheap. If it were cheap it would cost $50.

[@suprlite]

Compared to gopro its very cheap.

[@PhillipSkraba]

​@@suprlite There is a saying - I am not rich enough to buy cheap things.

[@suprlite]

@@PhillipSkraba there is also a saying; a fool and his money are easy to separate.

[@PhillipSkraba]

@suprlite hahaha trust me, this is NOT that situation 😂

[@jpandrews2791]

MSDOS! - You're not old enough to remember the old dos prompt

[@PhillipSkraba]

I am 42!! I used to MS-DOS like a pro.

[@djmagicvnov]

​@@PhillipSkrabaа программы с кассет загружали !?? :))

[@PhillipSkraba]

Those were the good old days!

[@BikePOV-PauloRodrigo-ow6hm]

The SJ8 looks better than this SJ20, in image quality and microphone. It seems that SjCAM has taken many steps backwards in recent years.

[@PhillipSkraba]

I have no idea what they're doing, it's madness.

[@citizenspeaksIndia]

Who feels sjcam more cinematic than insta 360 , thumbsup😂😂

[@PhillipSkraba]

Lol, very funny.

[@CanadianSyed]

It was like 90s vs 2024 comparison 😂 Could be good for my 10 years old to mount it on his bike. I think SJ20 could have done better with this lens set up, but it is clearly a missed opportunity. However, the night footage is still better than Go Pro (in my opinion), but this cam for sure cant beat Ace Pro.

[@PhillipSkraba]

The night footage was impressively bright, the stabe is pretty bad though, actually to think of it there wasn’t one part of this camera that I can talk about positively apart from the night footage being bright.

[@djmagicvnov]

Зачастую яркая ночная съёмка как раз и нужна! Если ее поставить стабильно и неподвижно и снимать ночные сцены например у костра то будет отлично , ее можно купить в дополнение к ace pro

[@PhillipSkraba]

Maybe that's something SJCam should concentrate on, night photography.

[@johnkilmerstone]

SJCAM surely knows the quality of their competition, so I'm dumbfounded that they would have you review this... let's be honest... garbage. It's sad; I'd be happy if they could have launched a viable contender to the other big three. Let's hope they get their sh#t together soon. Competition is always good!

[@PhillipSkraba]

Competition is great, and I think it makes other companies improve. SJCAM really need to put in a LOT of work to bring out a camera that can stand next to any of their major competitors, I have no idea why they'd even release a camera like this, I really honestly don't.

[@Arbigale]

I think the best cam for the buck is the insta360 one rs twin

[@grahamjones7070]

😂I take it your not keen on that new camera. It's no Action 4 or Pocket 3 is it. Even I could see a massive difference in quality, good test though 👍

[@PhillipSkraba]

Well I’m baffled by this action camera to be honest, it still needs a lot more work not to bankrupt itself, it’s miles away from the trio that rule the world.

[@ScottsReviews]

I think the Go3 is better. Ha and that’s saying a lot 😮

[@PhillipSkraba]

I actually love the GO 3, it makes sense for what it is.

[@eonwalk]

Wow new camera with 2 lenses.. hmm.. it follows like a phone camera with many lenses 😅

[@PhillipSkraba]

The lenses on a phone make sense, on this they really don’t.

[@RedMushroom23]

i have my sjcam before sold it after 1 day the quality sucks will never buy cheap camera ever

[@PhillipSkraba]

It's quite bad, I agree.

[@-Viceroy-]

SJCam still making action cams. I'm surprised. I've never had worse customer support experience than with sjcam. I have owned few of their products and i'm not a returning customer anymore. Always outdated quality & experience in many ways. Btw. sometimes with these cheap chinese cameras the audio can be little better if the mic is adjusted 1 or 2 steps below 100% Some cheapos amplify the mic way too much

[@PhillipSkraba]

I’m surprised too. The audio levels were basically at -40. The audio is terrible, it’s something they really need to work on or close shop.

[@krazed0451]

I know it's reasonably priced... But yikes 😬

[@PhillipSkraba]

I know, it needs a LOT of work

[@yohanesyohanes1871]

i think you're a bit subjective since you didn't get the prototype.. cmiiw

[@PhillipSkraba]

I think I’m just being honest.

[@wasinprison8003]

@@PhillipSkraba or upset 😁

[@korbovlog]

Damn that's not good 😬

[@PhillipSkraba]

Not really, no.

[@edmund9492]

Ten SJ20 ma strasznie denną dynamikę. Gdyby Insta 360 miał wąskokątny obiektyw, to by wygrał obrazem.

[@PhillipSkraba]

The SJ20 mialby problem wygrac z kalkulatorem.

[@RalphCunanan]

Thanks. Hahahahaha

[@PhillipSkraba]

You're welcome!

[@lezbriddon]

a 10+yr old sj4000 would be better

[@PhillipSkraba]

A calculator works just as well.

[@ailameidy7985]

Insta360 Ace pro, mode pure video, it's good

[@PhillipSkraba]

It’s very good!

[@Maxmay2011]

Как всегда у sjcam все те же проблемы-отвратительный звук, стабилизация не очень, достаточно низкий битрейт, слабенько раскрыт HDR. На самом деле сравнивая звук этой insta c gopro12, мне казалось, какой отстой, как плохо он звучит на insta, оказывается есть вообще дно в виде sjcam sj20

[@PhillipSkraba]

I think SJCAM should either concentrate on 1 good camera with 1 good lens with a good OS, or close shop. It seems like a waste of resources. If I had bought this camera I’d be so pissed off.

[@djmagicvnov]

Здорова бородатый друг!!! Сделай пожалуйста ночное видео этой камеры на весь экран, отдельный ролик ! А так же тебе нужно вести видео историю про дом который разбирают экскаватором:))

[@PhillipSkraba]

I would love to but I quite honestly don’t want to waste any more of my time on this camera. It goes into my box of dead things. Thanks!

[@kalytakoko171]

SJ20 sound very.....😅😅😅

[@PhillipSkraba]

Yes, the sound is horrific.