amazon SJCam SJ7 Star reviews
SJCam’s high-end action camera features 4K resolution, beautifully designed and powerful anti-vibration.
SJCam is a famous brand in action camera line, with cheap products (only from $100 for a camera action) and quality is good. However, in the high-end segment, SJCam did not have many outstanding products until late last year, when it introduced its first 4K true-shot camera – the SJCam SJ6 Legend.
SJCam SJ7 Star is an upgrade of the aforementioned camera model, with a beautiful, high-end design and many component changes. Specifically, SJ7 Star uses the Sony IMX117 image sensor, 12.4MP resolution and Ambarella A12S75 processor chipset. The camera lens has a 166 degree viewing angle. In terms of features, the SJ7 Star has resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps, 1440p (1920 x 1440) and Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 60 fps, gyroscope It also supports external microphone for better recording.
Design
Appearance of the SJ7 Star can be said to be much better than previous products of SJCam, thanks to the frame of aluminum alloy monolith in silver, combined with smooth plastic cover on the front. This aluminum frame feels stronger, more secure, and also makes the camera more luxurious than the plastic used in the previous.
The size of the SJ7 Star is still very compact, easy to put in your pocket even when it is waterproof. While the SJ6 Legend has two screens, the SJ7 Star only has a 2-inch touch screen on the back. It has three buttons, quite enough to control when attached to the shell, but there is a touch screen makes it easier to familiarize and use. Of course, the display quality of this screen is just enough to control and review images and videos, but not the smartphone screen.
The camera’s connectivity ports are located on the left side, including Mini HDMI, Mini USB and a Micro SD card slot that supports UHS-1 speed cards. SJCam accessories are always very plentiful. In the SJ7 Star, the manufacturer offers a box of waterproof cases, as well as handles, hooks, and adhesive tape that can be attached to helmets, motorcycles, or bicycles.
SJCam’s waterproof casing uses hard plastic, with a very solid handle and, according to the manufacturer, is waterproof to a depth of up to 30m. In addition, the company also offers another piece of dorsal, in the middle is thin plastic layer allows the use of touch screen. If you install this back, the cover is only water resistant to more than 1m.
Overall, the SJ7 Star has a nice, eye-catching design and is more luxurious than previous models with a plastic cover. However, there is one obvious disadvantage when using waterproof casing. After a while using the cover, when pressing the button to shoot a lot, the top of this key will be peeled off a little.
User experience
With a range of accessories that come with a box, I can confidently carry the SJ7 Star on a trip with waterproof case and attach it to the “selfie stick”. If carried away swimming, diving for a long time, the waterproof case will feel more comfortable, but in return, do not use the touch screen.
The touch screen control is much more convenient, though the buttons also have enough features to adjust. The SJCam console is intuitive and easy to understand, although there are many options, but the most important ones are at the top.
Smartphone users can also download the SJCam application (which supports both iOS and Android) for control without touching the device. The connection is simple, the interface easy to use but sometimes a little flicker. In addition, the manufacturer also sells smart remote, handy bracelet accessory.
The speed of the camera, including speed, rotation or transfer mode is fast. This is a plus point compared to some cheap camera models of SJCam that we have experienced.
The battery capacity of the device is 1000 mAh (3.8Wh), enough to shoot video continuously for about 1 hour. During the test, I started to use the camera to shoot the film, taking pictures from the morning until midday, after about 5 hours of use, the machine is out of battery. So if you want to carry around all day, you’ll need a redundant charger and a cable, which will allow you to charge. However, the machine uses a Mini USB cable, so it will be a little inconvenient, as the smartphone uses MicroUSB cable and Lightning is the main.
where can you get a SJCam SJ7 Star online
SJCAM SJ7 STAR 4K 12MP 2″ Touch Screen Metal Body Gyro Action Camera BLACK: Buy it now
SJCAM SJ7 Star SJ7000 SJ7Star Action Cam Sports Camera 2.0 Inch Touch Screen 4K 30FPS Wifi Ambarella A12S75 Sony IMX117 Underwater Waterproof Digital Camera Gyro Stabilization Black: Buy it now
Newest SJCAM SJ7 Star 4K 30fps Ultra HD 1080P Action Camera 2.0″ Touch Screen Waterproof Remote Sport DV Camera: Buy it now
Original SJCAM SJ7 Star WiFi 4K 30FPS 2′ Touch Screen Remote Action Helmet Sports DV Camera Waterproof Ambarella A12S75 Chipset: Buy it now
The quality of filming, shooting real photos
During daytime shooting, the video clarity and detail are good. GYRO-based video-based vibration-free performance, but only supports a maximum resolution of 60 fps Full HD. Even when using the tripod handheld, riding a motorcycle like the video below, the image also has good stability, not too much jerk. However, when shooting in higher resolutions, this feature does not work, video recording at ride will be susceptible to jerky, low quality images.
At 4K max resolution, the image is beautiful and the picture is sharp, but in return it loses the ability to resist shake and also takes up more space. For those who have the ability to edit post-period, the large resolution is still working, because it can zoom / crop to edit to output Full HD video.
When shooting in low light conditions, the SV (SuperView) shooting modes will provide better illumination. This mode supports resolutions up to 4K, 25fps.
A weakness that has existed from previous generations, and continues to appear on SJ7 Star is poor recording capabilities. The videos on the road are subject to a lot of noise, wind … and the voice of the recorder not clear. This problem can be overcome with external microphones, but this is still a weakness that manufacturers should improve.
The maximum resolution when shooting is 14MP, up to 16MP but in interpolation mode. The machine supports up to 1 minute exposure, timelapse capture, white balance adjustment, brightness, metering points … quite detailed. Image quality is average, even in daylight, with good lighting. Snapshot is a little dark in comparison to reality, colors are not very fresh, but these weaknesses can be adjusted with software. SJ7 Star’s wide-angle lens suits landscape, architectural, or ordinary life shots for a rather strange viewing angle.
It can be seen that SJ7 Star is not the only appearance. The quality of the video recording machine, good vibration efficiency and resolution, rotation mode for post-adjustment. At $200, this is a sensible action camera option for users who need 4K video recording capabilities.