SJCAM SJ10Pro: Full Review

SJCAM is a camera brand known for producing affordable action cameras to compete with GoPro. The SJ10 Pro is one of their latest releases, offering a combination of advanced features like 4K video, electronic image stabilization, and a touchscreen display at a budget-friendly price point.

The SJ10 Pro shoots 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, providing high resolution, smooth footage for action shots and vlogs. It has an adjustable wide-angle lens with up to 8x digital zoom to capture more of the scene. Image stabilization helps reduce shakiness when recording on the move.

For photos, the SJ10 Pro can shoot 20MP still images. It also has slow motion, time lapse, and loop recording modes. The rear touchscreen allows you to easily control settings.

Overall, the SJ10 Pro aims to deliver great features without the premium price tag. This review will take a deeper look at the camera's design, video/photo quality, stabilization, and other aspects to see if it lives up to the hype.

Design

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro has a compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to take anywhere. It measures 2.3 x 1.6 x 1.2 inches and weighs only 4.1 ounces. Despite its small size, the camera feels sturdy and durable thanks to its high quality construction.

The body is made of plastic but has a metallic finish that gives it a premium look and feel. The materials seem solid and capable of withstanding bumps or drops. There are no loose or flimsy parts.

Overall, the build quality is impressive for an action camera at this price point. The thoughtful design allows you to comfortably operate the camera single-handedly. The compact form factor also makes it great for mounting on helmets, bikes, drones or other gear.

The SJCAM SJ6Pro is another excellent option from SJCAM, boasting a similar rugged design with a slightly larger touchscreen interface for easier navigation. It also features 4K recording capabilities and impressive image stabilization, making it ideal for capturing high-quality footage in dynamic environments. The SJ6Pro's durable construction and versatile mounting options allow you to attach it to various surfaces, providing ample flexibility for your action-packed adventures. If you're looking for a reliable and affordable action camera, the SJCAM SJ6Pro is definitely worth considering.

Display

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro features a large 2.33 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 640 x 360 pixels. The screen is bright, crisp and responsive, making it easy to navigate the camera's menus and preview your shots.

The capacitive touchscreen allows you to easily change settings, switch modes, review and playback footage, and more right from the screen. You can tap to focus or activate the shutter. The touch capabilities work even when wearing gloves or underwater.

Overall, the display is one of the largest you'll find on an action camera in this price range. The high resolution paired with touch controls makes the SJ10 Pro very user-friendly for controlling the camera and framing your shots.

For those looking for additional features, the SJCAM SJ11 is an excellent choice. The SJCAM SJ11 offers improved image stabilization, a higher resolution for both photos and videos, and enhanced waterproof capabilities without the need for an external housing. It also features a built-in GPS for geotagging and a more powerful battery for extended shooting times. With intuitive controls and robust performance, the SJCAM SJ11 is designed to meet the demands of adventure enthusiasts.

Video Quality

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro can shoot video at up to 4K at 60fps, delivering ultra high definition footage. It has a maximum bitrate of 100Mbps, allowing for high quality video even in 4K.

The camera uses the advanced H.265 video codec, which is about twice as efficient as H.264. This means you can record 4K video at high frame rates and take advantage of the extra resolution, without massive file sizes.

In addition to 4K, you can shoot in 2.7K at 60fps or 30fps, 1080p at 120fps or 60fps, and 720p at 240fps. This wide range of resolutions and frame rates makes the SJ10 Pro very versatile for different types of shooting. Whether you need silky smooth slow motion video or highly detailed 4K footage, this camera can deliver.

Overall, the video capabilities are at the cutting edge right now in terms of resolution and frame rates in a compact action camera form factor. The SJ10 Pro punches far above its weight class when it comes to high quality video.

Photo Quality

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro can capture photos at up to 20MP resolution. This allows you to take very detailed and sharp photos.

For action shots, the SJ10 Pro has a burst mode that can capture up to 20 photos per second. This high-speed burst allows you to capture fast moving subjects and choose the best moment later.

The image quality overall is quite good for an action camera in this price range. Photos are sharp and have accurate color reproduction. The camera can struggle a bit in low light conditions, but that's expected for the smaller sensor size.

Stabilization

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro features electronic image stabilization (EIS) on 3 axes, providing smooth and steady footage while in motion. The 3-axis EIS works in conjunction with the wide-angle lens to counter shakiness, vibrations, and bumps when recording video. This results in dramatically improved stability compared to a standard action camera without EIS.

The 3-axis system means stabilization occurs on the X, Y, and Z axes. The X and Y axes work to stabilize left/right and up/down motions. The Z axis minimizes vibrations along the axis of the lens. With stabilization on all three axes, the SJ10 Pro can achieve gimbal-like stabilization without the need for any extra accessories. This makes it easy to capture shake-free video while in motion - whether biking, skiing, skating etc. The EIS provides a major advantage for active shooting over basic action cameras relying on digital stabilization only.

Audio

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro has a built-in microphone that captures decent audio for vlogs and action videos. The mic picks up voices clearly when close by, but struggles with background noise.

For improved audio, the camera has a mic input so you can plug in an external microphone. This allows you to capture high quality audio by using a lavalier mic or shotgun mic. External mics help isolate the speaker's voice and minimize wind noise.

The external mic input uses a standard 3.5mm jack, so it's compatible with a wide variety of microphones. This makes the SJ10 Pro versatile for vlogging, motovlogging, interviews, travel videos and more. Just plug in a mic and you'll get clean, professional audio.

Overall, the built-in mic is serviceable for casual use, but the external mic support really boosts the potential for great audio with this action cam. This makes the SJ10 Pro a well-rounded option for video creators who value quality sound.

Waterproofing

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro has an IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning it can be submerged in water up to 30m deep without needing an additional housing. This makes it a versatile action camera that can be used for water sports like surfing, snorkeling, and diving without worrying about water damage.

The waterproof design works right out of the box, there's no need to put it in a separate housing like with some other action cams. The built-in waterproofing makes the SJ10 Pro very convenient to use in wet environments. Just make sure the ports are tightly closed before submerging.

Overall, the IPX8 waterproof rating to 30m depth is a great feature that expands the usability of the SJ10 Pro. You can capture underwater footage and action shots near water without fear of leaks or damage. It's one less thing to worry about compared to cameras that require a separate housing case for water protection.

Battery Life

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro comes with a 1350 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This gives the camera decent battery life for an action camera of this size.

You can expect to record up to 90 minutes of 4K/30fps video on a full charge. Dropping down to 1080p doubles the battery life to around 3 hours of recording time. The battery will last around 2 hours when recording in high frame rate slo-mo modes like 1080p/120fps.

For still photos, the battery is rated for around 160-180 shots per charge. This will vary depending on use of the rear screen, WiFi, GPS and other power-draining features.

The battery takes around 2-3 hours for a full recharge via the supplied USB cable. Quick charging can provide around 80% capacity in 1.5 hours.

Overall the battery life is fairly average for an action camera. You'll likely want to pick up a spare battery or two for all day shooting. The battery can be charged while inside the camera via USB which is convenient.

Pros and Cons

The SJCAM SJ10 Pro has several notable pros and cons worth considering:

Pros:

• Records video up to 4K/60fps for incredibly sharp, high-resolution footage
• Large 2.33" touch screen for easy control and previewing shots
• Built-in Electronic Image Stabilization 3.0 provides smooth, stabilized videos
• Super wide 170° field of view lens captures more of the scene
• 8X digital zoom to get closer to the action
• IPX8 waterproof rating allows underwater use up to 30m/98ft
• External mic support for improved audio quality
• Vlogging features like live streaming make this a great choice for content creators

Cons:

• Battery life could be better when recording in high resolutions or using WiFi
• No built-in flash for low light photography
• Struggles a bit in very low light situations
• No RAW photo capture option
• App connectivity can be glitchy
• Some bugs and small software issues to be expected

Overall, the SJCAM SJ10 Pro packs great video capabilities, stabilization, and a waterproof design into a budget-friendly action camera. Just be mindful of its limitations with battery life, low light performance, and software. Still, it's an impressive feature set for the price.