- SJCAM’s new budget-friendly SJ30 action camera records 8K video, but only at 20fps
- There are many improvements over its mediocre predecessor
- It costs from $265 / £199
Do you want to try an action camera? SJCAM has just announced the SJ30, an affordable adventure-focused camera with a unique dual-lens design.
Following on from 2024’s SJ20, the predictably named SJ30 offers 8K video recording (but only for 20fps), 4K/30fps, and a host of other features that should appeal to beginning media creators.
The SJ30’s IPX8-rated body is waterproof to 17ft/5m, which is increased to 98ft/30m with the camera installed in an optional waterproof housing. It’s on par with some of the best action cameras on the market.
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It also has a battery life of seven hours – which isn’t a bad performance if it’s capable of achieving that figure in the field. The caveat to this spec is that it relates to pairing the SJ30 with the optional power grip, which can provide an additional 4,200mAh of juice. When used only on the body, the maximum listed battery life drops to 150 minutes, allowing 4K clips to be filmed under laboratory test conditions. This battery’s performance matches that of the most obvious competitor, the budget-friendly Akaso Brave 8 Lite, which costs about the same.
The camera has a 2.51-inch touchscreen, capable of rotating 180 degrees to take selfies and should be useful for everyday vlogging needs. This is an upgrade from the SJ20’s 2.29-inch rear main touchscreen, which was not articulating. Instead, on this previous model, users had to rely on a 1.3-inch front display with limited capabilities. There’s no denying that the larger rear LCD offers an advantage in both size and resolution, but I wonder what impact the articulation might have on the body’s rigidity and resistance to harder impacts during activities such as mountain biking.
That said, the press release highlights the camera’s ability to work “in extreme conditions”, in a temperature range from -20°C to 60°C. So, on paper at least, the SJ30 still seems designed to take a beating, or at least mild frostbite or sunstroke.
The main feature, however, is the dual-lens design. The reason behind this is that one lens sits in front of a 1/2.0-inch sensor and the other has a slightly larger 1/1.8-inch chip equipped with an af/1.8 equivalent aperture. The latter is called the “Starlight” sensor and the first, the “Daylight” sensor, allowing quality shots in all types of lighting.
Why it couldn’t just have a single 1/1.8-inch sensor and a brighter lens, I’m not sure. If the larger aperture had been paired with the smaller sensor, I would have understood that this was intended to allow greater light collection while reducing weight and cost, but surely having two pairs is even more expensive?
Regardless, the night camera actually features a smaller aperture than the SJ20, which could be opened up to f/1.3. In this review, we weren’t very impressed with the low-light image quality, so it will be interesting to see if a new processor provided superior noise control.
Good value for money?
The SJ30 also uses a six-axis gyroscope and improved stabilization algorithms, as part of the improved SteadyMotion 2.0 system. I hope this offers an improvement over the system used on the previous model, which did little to reduce camera shake in video footage. Another gyroscope-based feature is the 45-degree horizon lock, which keeps images level when riding over rough terrain.
Although the SJ30 allows 8K video recording, it’s only 20fps, an odd frame rate limitation that could cause problems if you’re hoping to insert clips into another video’s timeline with conventional frame rates of 24fps or 30fps.
No mention is given in the initial press material about photo resolution, although the SJ20 took 20MP photos, so I’d be surprised in a camera of this level if that drops for the next generation. This figure is lower than the DJI Osmo Action 4, which shoots 4K at up to 120fps and 1080p at up to 240fps and, being two generations old, is available for around the same price.
For improved sound quality, the new camera includes a removable wind shield and supports the SJCAM M4 wireless microphone, although we’ll have to test it independently to see if its performance measures up to that of the best wireless mics. A nice little feature is the quick-release magnetic mounting system for audio accessories, although only time and proper testing will tell.
When you think of action cameras, SJCam might not be the first brand that comes to mind, but that hasn’t stopped them from having lofty aspirations. The most appealing element of its action camera range is the price and the SJ30 remains in good shape, being available now for $264 / £195 (Australia pricing TBC). More information can be found on the SJCAM website.
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