SJ4000 Technical Review

[@benstrasser6820]

While published in May, 2014, the SJ4000 I received in July is quite different in many ways, including 720/30fps and seemingly several other options not mentioned at all in this well-done review. Seems like they watched his review and took action to correct what he said needed to be done. Available to all on firmware updates?

[@mnemennth]

The manufacturer has indeed released updated firmware; as well as updated hardware. The firmware available here: www.foxoffer.com/blog/2014/06/16/about-sj4000-camera-firmware/ appears to be the latest. The FW BIN they list for the NEW PCB/LCD screen installed new FW on my SJ4000 without whitescreen; FW revision is N201405270ZV01. According to what I've read elsewhere, if it installs as "V1" it is the new hardware; if it installs as "V2" it is the new firmware revision for the old hardware. It has a different menu and some new graphics, including the 720P@30FPS mode and a new "TV Mode". I believe this is undocumented because it is still beta FW; so be sure to format another card IN THE CAMERA, then put the "Old LCD" firmware on it and set it aside in case your camera gets the "White screen blues" or something else doesn't work right on it.

[@whayo8217]

Hi Is this has a video mode to do video up side down? thanks

[@AndySuttonSESR]

Great video. I had mine for 2 weeks and then was recharging and the USB connector snapped and it would not re-charge and thought that the camera was always plugged in (car mode) and then would not re-charge and is now dead. I have tried a fully charged battery and it still won't power up so I think something went pop. Here's my video review of mine. Actioncam Roundup - GoPro vs Ion vs Qumox SJ4000

[@XZAYLO]

how do i delete videos directly from the camera? I have it but i cant do it. Whats the best settings to get the best color out of the unit?

[@suazzz3070]

I been trying to order the vented back door but nobody seems to be understanding what I'm talking about?

[@renaudpelissier]

Hello Mnemennth, what is the camera you are using to actually shoot this video? The quality is very good. Thank you.

[@kaywheeler8235]

Thank you. Could have zoomed in on the settings screens but otherwise well filmed and very good and helpful commentary.

[@siegecaviness3722]

Can You Use A Cell Phone Charger With A Mico USB INPUT AC 110 - 240V OUTPUT -DC 4.9 V- 5.5V ?

[@mnemennth]

I have no idea. I've always used the cable that came with it. I have used it with a number of USB power blocks; like the iPad one seen in the video and one of the cheap $2 car USB charger plugs. Both work well.

[@siegecaviness3722]

Ok Thanks For The Info

[@banan-ami6004]

hey. my cam just started to appear vertical lines on the screen and how do you fix it??

[@mnemennth]

These cameras are really not very repairable; the MFR doesn't market parts. You can scour eBay for parts, but really... they're pretty much at the "disposable like a Bic lighter" level on the food chain.

[@andrewangelo345]

Hey great video helped a lot! Thanks. And with the cover that you mentioned to help for audio does that allow the camera to be protected from water???

[@mnemennth]

Well, I suppose if you only dip it in a quarter of an inch or so... but otherwise no; it has huge slots in it to let sound in. See my response to the Paintball question...

[@andrewangelo345]

mnemennth Yes sorry I didn't see that comment until I had later asked you thank you and cheers!

[@leanorlando]

Thank you much for this indebted detailed review!

[@mnemennth]

You're welcome!

[@leot7247]

good review, where did you buy this package in US, and what price??

[@mnemennth]

As stated in the notes above, it was received gratis for review from TMart.com. Link is in the notes.

[@videoraver]

Thanks for review, how many minutes of 1080 video can I record on to a 32GB card?

[@Kevill]

Don't know if you care anymore, but about 3 hours, give or take 5-15 minutes.

[@kazz-mann5580]

Thanks for the review, Is this one not WiFi? I thought these SL4000s were all WiFi.. the one I ordered from Amazon for $67.00 prime is. Another Q? would you know the wifi range? thx, Kazz.

[@mnemennth]

No, this review was posted when the SJ4000 was still pretty new; They hadn't released the WiFi version or the SJ5000 yet.

[@rogermelloh469]

Here is the wifi version of SJ4000 plus.google.com/108281456274073334214/posts/afczbmYhxjQ

[@Focht08]

You are wrong on one thing, it does have analog video out thru the usb port. I'm using it all the time since I bought it several months ago.

[@mnemennth]

bambi I'm not sure you're right on that; I know mine doesn't have it. While mine was an early model and it's possible SJCam has released a newer version of the SJ4000 with this feature; I suspect yours may be a clone. Does yours have mini-HDMI out?

[@Focht08]

mnemennth I'm using mine for fpv mainly so I'm 100% sure analog video works fine and yes, it does have mini hdmi out. I bought mine on hobbyking and it is rebranded (as they do with all the things they sell) as Turnigy action cam, but in reality is real sjcam, original batteries fit, it can be flashed with sjcam fw, it has novatek chipset. Please check hobbyking and search for Turnigy action cam so you can see description and what other people say. ps, You are right about newer version thing, there was a revision of this cam more than half a year ago, apparently they improved pcb and replaced the lcd for some reason.- check the article "About SJ4000 Camera Firmware" at foxoffer, there are some info about that.

[@webheaddesigner6612]

is it possible to use this camera as a HD cctv camera? connect charger and HDMI cable at the same time and having it running all the time.

[@mnemennth]

Mine only outputs video from the Mini-HDMI while recording. Newer firmwares MAY allow HD video out while idling; I don't know.

[@danielniven9768]

From your honest point of view, which is the best product? and y? Thanks mate!

[@mnemennth]

It's comparing apples and oranges. They both are similar spec, but they're really not aimed at the same market. The SJ4000 is a better true "Action Cam", because it has the extra wide FOV people want for that, and it has an armored waterproof case. The Mobius is aimed at the FPV / Aerial Videography market; it is extra-light, and has a narrower FOV appropriate for a more cinematographic result. And of course, no armored waterproof box. Yet.

[@mnemennth]

Chris Leech Thanks for bringing this to my attention; however your post reads a bit like SPAM and was caught by KZbin's anti-spam bot. As this video is ABOUT the SJ4000, NOT the Mobius, try something less advertising-y like "In case you were unaware, TechMoan recently reviewed a waterproof case for the Mobius here: LINK" We ALL know who TechMoan is. ;) My video and Tech Teardown are aimed at a slightly geekier market. Cheers! mnem

[@chrisleech1565]

mnemennth Well in keeping with the theme, I shelled out for an SJ4000 due to your nifty review. And if I read like spam, well then it had been a long day as I recall. Seemed like a good idea at the time:-).

[@mnemennth]

Chris Leech Fair enough. I can tend to pontificate a wee bit when I'm in "Full Geek Mode" myself. I know how easy it is to slide over to the dark side. ;) mnem No, I would never do that; not unless it was absolutely, positively amusing.

[@up2wind81]

Is it Mobius Action Cam? The quality is real good for table review. How do you compare sj4000 and mobius in terms of video quality? Thanks

[@mnemennth]

See above.

[@vacateistheword]

Thank you for the breakdown Sir! That was helpful.

[@danmurphy8158]

Thanks for your review.... well done.... I helped me decide to purchase one...... Thanks again.....

[@mnemennth]

Glad I could help!

[@brkncng]

Hi thanks for the great video :) Can we use the video out while NOT recording? I mean I will use this for projection but its not really necessary to record however I definitely need the video out. Thanks.

[@mnemennth]

This is a mixed question; the only video out it has right now is Mini-HDMI. If you want to use it for an FPV camera, that's not going to work out too well.

[@brkncng]

mnemennth I see. I was actually going to use it in my lectures. Both projection and recording at the same time. Maybe I can do it via pc camera mode?

[@mnemennth]

I really don't know; I don't actually have the adapter. I use it mainly for action-cam, as it's intended. The fisheye effect would be something I'd find pretty unnerving in live TV.

[@k3ntris]

Hi mnemennth, so I looked at Techmoan's review on the SJ4000 WIFI regarding where he had one video which skipped back a few frames from the previous video, and then it stitched it to the current video (therefore repeating itself on a few frames). Is this due to the file size limitation of FAT32? As you stated in your teardown, will this be overcome if using exFAT on 32kb allocation unit size?

[@mnemennth]

Fat32 has a 4GB file size limitation; however the videos you're referring to may have come from a camera set in "DashCam" mode with fixed-time-segment recording. They do this so older files will be overwritten, always keeping room for the latest footage.

[@DarkManagerful]

mnemennth so they loop record? Right

[@DanteAguilarsilentfisherman]

Do they make chest mounts for this?

[@mnemennth]

Good question! The included kit has a clip-on frame for use on a belt; also included is a kit of straps which will fit through slots in that and the sound slots in the second back included with the hard case. So yes, several strap-on mounting options. Thanks, mnem *Mounted*

[@crazyharvey123]

It actually fits on to go pro mounts

[@mnemennth]

Yes, as I said in the video; the camera comes with various mounts and angle adapters; all compatible with GoPro Waterproof Case and mounts at the Pivot Bolt. SJ4000 clips will snap into GoPro baseplates, but GoPro clips will not snap into SJ4000 Baseplates.

[@booda4barca]

Great review thank you , i have a question if you may .. i got my SJ4000 this week and it was working perfectly till the moment i started to look for updates of the frimware , i look on the internet and i update it with other firmware without noticing which version is it , now i have a problem , OK button doesnt work anymore and the weird thing that is the "Down" button is the one i have to press to record , take a picture or select in the menu , which gave me only the choice of scrolling up :( .. i tried so many firmwares still with the same problem , OK button doesnt work or even peep , "down" button is doing the job :/ ,, any ideas ?

[@joseftesar1781]

Oh, I have the same problém!!! :-(((

[@joseftesar1781]

I solved it - I had found this website with firmware N20140806V01 and after update it worked just like before..

[@Bobster986]

How do you tell the difference between the real SJ4000 and the counterfeit one?

[@johnconnor2402]

Go to DashCamTalk forums and look for the SJ4000 sub forums. Very good information on distinguishing from the fakes to the real ones.

[@Bobster986]

John Connor Why can't you just tell us?

[@johnconnor2402]

Personally I think it's better that you get the information yourself since you will learn a lot more that way, like I did. But if you must know the easy way; the counterfeit ones will output .avi files in 720p instead of .mov files in 1020p, the counterfeit ones will have NT96220 cpu instead of a NT96650, the plastic case will not be flush with the camera, there's actually too many things to list here.

[@Trainboy64]

Good review!

[@mnemennth]

Thanks!

[@YuriyZubkov]

Hello, but Novatek NT96650 specification says: "Support real-time capability for 1080p30, 720p60, 480p120". I think not true 60fps - it's just a bug in the firmware?

[@mnemennth]

What I've read in other reviews indicates this is a limitation of the combination of the AR0330 Sensor and the NT96650 Chipset; true 720P/60FPS is unavailable due to the nature of the datapaths they have in common. As mentioned, see John Childs and Techmoan's Videos on KZbin for additional review material. I feel they should have 720P/30FPS as an available option ANYWAYS; most users will eventually want it and be annoyed that it's unavailable.

[@YuriyZubkov]

mnemennth Thank you for your response. Yes, I saw reviews. Just in case I leave here the link to the documentation for the chips: dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7199652/sj4000/NT96650%2BAR0330.zip I tried to contact the manufacturer of the camera, but they did not answer me :) I wanted to know if they can get access to the sources of the firmware. (sorry for my english)

[@mnemennth]

Thanks for your input! I have these documents myself, but it's nice to have them handy for others who would like to look for themselves. The bottom line is that right now, with the latest firmware available, the only 720P mode available is @ 60FPS w/ frame doubling. I really can't review "possible firmware in the future", and my experience with such products has shown me that it's best to adopt a "cautiously optimistic" attitude with regards to promises of improvement via firmware upgrade.

[@YuriyZubkov]

mnemennth I agree with you, the Chinese profitable to release a new version of the camera than to fix bugs in the firmware...

[@joeadlington262]

My screen will show what the camera is seeing but no menus or options on the screen

[@MuffinSlayer99]

I'm gonna use this camera for airsoft and FPV when i get it (ordered from amazon yesterday). Will the lens cover or any part of the case crack if it gets hit with a bb?

[@mnemennth]

I have no idea. The case is made of heavy polycarbonate, as is the lens cover. The paintball crowd tends to spend a lot of time Modding their guns; I can't say for sure it won't crack, although I would expect it to perform the same as a GoPro case in this respect. It is made of the same materials and similarly heavy-duty construction. I can tell you to expect poor sound quality; if you use the back cover with sound slots in it, Law of Irony says you can be sure to get at least a couple splats inside the very first time you take it out. ;)

[@MuffinSlayer99]

Ok thank you for your help and i will keep that in mind! And i heard when you upload a video to youtube it downscales the quality. What format should i put it in so it is in full 1080 p or 720?

[@mnemennth]

CharlesBass627 I have always either uploaded the raw footage or if it needed to be edited, I use AVIDeMux and repackage to H.264 in 1080P mode.

[@marshalcraft]

mine seems to not have come with sim card?

[@kingstonmike8927]

you mean microSD card?? :) no, you should get your own memory card

[@mnemennth]

Yeah; no. They don't come with a microSD card unless your vendor chooses to bundle with one to make the camera more attractive. I mean really; you can buy a 32GB card from Newegg for like $14. You really expect them to include it for $67 with a camera that can actually go toe to toe with a GoPro (Silver) ?

[@robbyyy5429]

All in all, are you satisfied with the camera?

[@mnemennth]

VERY MUCH SO. The fact that the MFR did release updated firmware to address the issues in my video shows a high level of commitment to customer satisfaction.

[@kjmitchell007]

how long can you record with this??

[@Geiskate]

Kenji Airsoft mine 95 minutes in 1080p, the same in 720p.

[@kjmitchell007]

ok cool thanks

[@janipatche8378]

Does it still work ?

[@mnemennth]

Mine? Yup. And I've beaten it up pretty bad, too. The hardcase holds up pretty well.

[@davidrogers192]

Great review. Thanks.

[@mnemennth]

Thanks; I try to keep up with it but alas, I'm a parent of two small children. ;)

[@MCAQUIN0]

Is the link you provided to buy legit? Because I know theres tons of fake sj4000 being sold so im not sure which site is secure.

[@mnemennth]

The link to TMart is where my SJ4000 came from; they are an authorized reseller. At the time I did the review, it was a new camera so there was very little chance of them being a counterfeit. However, TMart is a direct-from-China vendor; I cannot say with absolute certainty that anything they sell is 100% as described. I can only tell you what I knew at the time I did the review. :D

[@up2wind81]

Did you shot this video with SJ4000?

[@mnemennth]

No, I used my Mobius. My video review of the Jian Jian Toys 1000A micro-quad was shot with the SJ4000, however: Jian Jian Toys JJ-1000A Micro-Quad 1st Flight - A Tiny Phantom at a Tiny Price! Thanks for looking at my review!

[@x3merx3mer]

14:03 lol, 12 megapickles

[@mnemennth]

That's a lot of relish. I think you need more hot dogs. ;)

[@knwest2012]

Price dropped on eBay, one guys got em for 60 bucks.

[@mnemennth]

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. ;) This camera is now popular enough that it has cheap clones of its own... :p

[@michalnone3949]

Thats Fake SJ4000 not genuine. Look for differences.

[@mnemennth]

Not likely; when I reviewed this camera, they were a brand new item and the clones hadn't started yet. I was, at the time, in contact with the devs at SJ and reviewing their updated firmware as well.

[@AFG_MK7PP]

Good review!

[@mnemennth]

Thanks! I can't wait to see what they come up with next! mnem Mmmmm... WiFi...