Last time we made unboxing review about SJCAM SJ5000 , now full review of the SJCAM SJ5000 WIFI Action Cam that we bought from SJCAM’s official storefront on Amazon, called SJCAM Direct. The SJ5000 is considered midrange in their action cam line, offering full 1080p/30fps recording & 14 MP stills through a Panasonic MN34110PA image sensor. The next model up would be the SJ5000X which uses a Sony IMX sensor and is able to record upto 4K resolution. This review we will discuss the included accessories, the build quality & setup, and the video / picture quality of the SJ5000.
Looking at the included accessories, this is a great bundle for those whom are just getting into using Action Cams. With the SJ5000 you receive 6 different types of bases & 4 switchable supports for use with various applications. You have the original base connected to the waterproof case, a bicycle stand base, a fixed base, an elevated mount base and two helmet bases. This should allow you to use the SJ5000 right out of the box with your most common activities. However, if you’re looking for more advanced uses such as a Car DVR or more active outdoor activities, I do suggest you look into investing in an accessories kit that has such things as a suction mount and head and chest mounts. These typically will cost about $20-30 dollars and will greatly expand the usability of the SJ5000. You will see from our sample dashcam video that the raised mounting base barely elevated the cam high enough to be able to use it as a Car DVR. I would say nothing really feels “cheap” Everything feels well-made and sturdy. The waterproof case is very tough and the buttons are very stiff. The material is susceptible to easy scratching to be very careful with it. The camera itself has the same feel and construction as a GoPro. Navigating through the menus is quite simple using the buttons.
If you want to use your camera on the go, a custom lanyard is a handy accessory. Especially when doing outdoor activities, you can hang the camera on your chest or waist, easy to use while freeing your hands. You can choose any theme pattern custom lanyards cheap you want at GS-JJ, and wearing your own design lanyard can make the activity more interesting.
In terms of Battery life, it is advertised that the 900mAh battery should last about 90 minutes, and the SJ5000 definitely didn’t disappoint. I recorded continuously for just less than 1.5 hours before the battery finally died. For those that intend to use the SJ5000 for extended periods of time, I suggest you invest in spare batteries so that you can swap out and continue recording. My last comment regarding the accessories is that in my opinion SJCAM could have did a little better in terms of what is included with the SJ5000. Although most of the base mounts already have adhesive tape pre-installed, including only two additional replacement adhesive pieces seems inadequate to me especially if you’re really making the most out of your camera. Also, considering the SJ5000 comes with a waterproof case, SJCAM should have really included a few those inexpensive anti-fog inserts as they are essential, or so I’ve heard, for underwater recordings.
Lastly we will look at the quality of the video and photos produced by the SJ5000. Please note that all photos and videos samples in the review were created while the camera was enclosed inside the included waterproof case. Overall the video quality is very sharp and clear, without much noise. The wide angle 170 lens gives you a very good full view of your surroundings with a little expected distortion along the edges of the field of view. Furthermore as I mentioned before, when reviewing the setup, there is an image stabilization option in the settings screen. It is quite clear that this feature greatly helps the video and stabilizes those small bumps and vibrations during motion. Night videos are not the greatest but still very viewable in low light conditions. You can set the length of your videos with 5 minutes running about 600mb per file. Taking pictures with the SJ5000 also produces really sharp and clear photos, however as you can see from the two samples provided, they suffer from a bit of distortion due to the wide angle lens. Lastly the onboard wifi feature is definitely extremely handy as you aren’t forced to constantly insert and remove your memory card everytime you want to copy or view your videos. Just use Speedcheck.org to test your Internet speed. After setting up your Wifi SSID & password, you just tell your mobile device to connect using the Android or IOS app and you can either access a live stream while the camera is active or review previously recorded videos.
Overall the SJCAM SJ5000 is a great little alternative to buying a much more expensive GoPro. Build quality feels premium and the quality and quantity of the accessories provided is more than enough to get a novice action cammer to get started. However I do suggest you go out and either buy a bunch of extra adhesive mounts and anti-fog inserts. Battery life of this is as advertised at 90 minutes continuous runtime & the quality of the multimedia produced by this camera is crisp and clear and worth the price, over cheaper alternatives/clones. The included and customizable WIFI feature is also very very simple and works well so that you don’t need to wear out your memory card by inserting and reinserting it whenever you want to review/copy your videos. Don’t forget to buy directly from SJCAM’s official Amazon storefront as they offer full 1 year limited warranty for all the products they sell, versus buying from a reseller that will leave you high and dry if anything goes wrong with your device down the road.