You are currently viewing $50 Action Cam: REVIEW

$50 Action Cam: REVIEW

Action cameras are expensive, but they don’t have to be.

In reality, a $50 action camera can do most things a $300 action camera can do. Except maybe than have a fancy logo on it.

Dubious? Fair enough. I have taken the risk of ordering one, tested it and provided my unbiased opinion in hope that you will find it useful.

See my review below, and decide for yourself.


SJ4000-style Action Camera – REVIEW


Check the latest price of this camera on AliExpress

As I found out today when I checked the “more info” section of the image settings, the real model number for this camera is SunPlus SP5K.

SunPlus SP5K camera image specs
Specs of a picture taken with the SP5K

I’ve had this camera for about a year and a half now. We camped, rode motorcycles on and off-road, went surfing, visited Hong Kong together; and it has honorably served me through snow, rain, fog and hail.

SJ4000-style replica 1080 full HD action camera

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SJ4000-style replica 1080 full HD action camera-2

Besides the waterproof case, the camera comes with a number of different mounts.

There are curved (for helmets) and straight (for flat surfaces) mounts; a dash cam mount that lets you charge the camera while you are using it; a few joints to film at different angles; velcro patches for what I think is either a chest mount or some sort of helmet mount; and some extra sticky pads for mounts.

Missing from the picture: straight and curved mounts, and 1 buckle snap that I broke by accident
Missing from the picture: straight and curved mounts, and 1 buckle snap that I broke by accident

An example of video footage (watch in 1080p if you can).

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wall mount

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Initially, I bought this camera because I wanted to start a motorcycle Vlog. Due to work and other projects that I have, I did not spend too much time on creating a proper channel, but I still make videos here and there for fun and reminiscence.

Surprisingly, the camera appeared more able to film at night than I expected. Here is an example of night footage I took.

Filming at night and in the rain.

Example of a side helmet mount that I have used for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRXdgEGLtaw">this</a> video
Side mount that I have used for this video

Some people mount the camera on top of the helmet. I have used it like that for some time, and I was not a big fan of it because with the camera it added a lot of wind resistance at higher speeds; while the chin or side mounts do not have this problem.

Here is how the mounting on top of the helmet looks.

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Battery life.

There are 2 modes that I used: 1080p (15 fps) and 720p (30 fps).

From my experience, with the standard 900 mAh battery and the energy saving mode (where the display turns off after 1 minute) the camera can film for about 1 hour in 1080p mode, and about 1.5 in 720. I also noticed that the battery life has deteriorated over time, and the battery does not hold the charge for too long anymore; so I have to have it charge every time before I use it to get the maximum battery life.

Last week I purchased extra capacity batteries, which are 1100 mAh. That, and the fact that the batteries are new, should give me extra 10-15 minutes or more (people in reviews say 1.5 hours, but we will see when I get them).


Besides taking videos, this camera can also take pictures. Here are a few examples. I am not sure if it is all of them, just mine; or if it is caused by the memory card; but all of the pictures I take with this camera have a weird broken line a couple pixels thick on top (last picture was lightly edited, so the line was cut off).

SJ4000-style replica picture example 1

SJ4000-style replica picture example 2

Hong Kong shek-o example

Overall, I am happy with this camera.

Pros.

  • Price
  • Abundance of mounts and cases
  • Expandable memory

Cons:

  • Battery life
  • Unlike some higher-end cameras, it can’t be charged when it is inside the waterproof case
  • Lens sensitivity isn’t great in bright environments

Get this action camera on AliExpress

The last time we checked, the newer version of this camera was $50.37 on AliExpress.

Check out the latest price by clicking the link below!

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