GoPro still remains the benchmark in the world of action cameras. But their high cost makes fans of extreme shooting to look at Aliexpress more affordable counterparts. To facilitate your search, we have gathered in this review the top five Chinese action cameras for every taste and budget. A small bonus: they all have enough functionality to replace not only the GoPro, but also the car DVR.
Content:
XIAOMI Yi 4K Plus - the most customizable action camera
One of the few Chinese cameras capable of delivering honest 60 frames per second with 4K resolution or recording Full HD at up to 120 fps is perfect for equipping a quadcopter.
The model works on the basis of a 4-core processor Ambarella H2 and has 12-megapixel IMX377 optics. All settings can be set via a 2.2 ″ touch screen or from your smartphone by downloading the appropriate application.
Pros:
- A wide choice of formats and shooting modes - all this is multiplied by the number of adjustable viewing angles;
- Automatic correction of distortion and stabilization up to 4K mode at 30 fps;
- Several options for continuous shooting - from 3 to 30 photos per second;
- The camera is able to take pictures in RAW format;
- Timelaps are available in photo and video mode, there is also a slow-mo;
- Hybrid mode, when during recording the camera also takes photos at certain intervals;
- Ability to broadcast online video directly from Yi;
- The touchscreen display is protected by Corning Gorilla glass;
- Capacious battery 1400 mAh;
- In the case - high-speed USB Type-C port, which speeds up the transfer of data from the camera through the cord.
Minuses:
- Poor equipment - in the standard version, they did not even put a protective box in the box;
- Voice control is practically useless, because it recognizes only English speech and often causes false alarms.
SJCAM SJ8 Pro - for professional shooting
The flagship of SJCAM promises to be the best action camera on Ali as soon as the manufacturer brings the software to mind. But even now the device has something to please. On board it has a processor Ambarella H22 S85 (the most powerful in the line of "eights") and proprietary 12-megapixel optics SONY IMX377. The case is equipped with two screens: Retina with a diagonal of 2.33 ″ and another one - monochrome. Although the color indicators from the front, too, have not gone away.
Pros:
- Rubberized plastic case with a soft-touch coating pleasantly lies in the hands and does not slip out;
- Record 4K-video with a frequency of 60 fps and the ability to get the effect of slow motion with a slowdown of 2 times;
- H.264 and H.265 codec support;
- The wide-angle lens is 170 °, and in the menu you can set the fisheye distortion correction;
- During shooting, even with high fps, no artifacts appear in the image;
- 6-axis gyro provides good stabilization without compromising quality
- Ability to turn off the factory color profile for self-correction images;
- Adjustable screen brightness so that it remains readable even in the sun;
- Supports dual-band Wi-Fi;
- Two built-in microphones record sound loudly and clearly, although with an external device, of course, they cannot be compared;
- A good battery capacity (1200 mAh) is enough for one and a half to two hours of work;
- Support for cards up to 128 GB, and the slot is hidden under the battery compartment cover.
Minuses:
- Unreliable mounting of the rubber plug of the USB connector;
- The mobile application is still damp - Russification is lame;
- Photos, unlike videos, are not of the best quality.
EKEN H5s Plus - the most complete
The action camera with a touch screen works on a powerful, though not very popular, Ambarella A12 processor.The device shoots video with a resolution of up to 4K with an indicator of 30 fps, but more importantly, it is capable of recording 720p at a frame frequency of 200.
The device supports memory cards with a capacity of up to 64 GB, connects to the included remote control via Bluetooth and to the phone via Wi-Fi. On board is a Sony IMX078 optics.
Pros:
- The aluminum case is durable and perfectly removes heat;
- There is a function of continuous shooting and TimeLapse;
- The presence of an additional display on the front, where all current information about camera operation modes, battery status and wireless networks is displayed;
- Good image stabilizer;
- Already able to work with exFAT flash cards;
- Ability to set the auto-off time of the display;
- Rich equipment even in the standard version of the delivery (aquabox, remote, tripod, bicycle and other more familiar attachments, etc.).
Minuses:
- The angle of capture of optics 110 ° - a good indicator, but in the characteristics of a manufacturer indicates 170 degrees.
GITUP G3 Duo Pro - action camera and DVR in one package
A functional device that can be used both in traveling and during ordinary car trips around the city - as a DVR. It works on the basis of the Novatek NTK96660 processor - a relatively inexpensive energy-efficient chip supporting shooting quality from HD with a frame rate of 120 fps to a non-standard 2880x2160 with fps 42.
Pros:
- Extensive external connectivity - the camera can be supplemented with a second lens, a remote microphone and a GPS module;
- The built-in Bluetooth will allow, if necessary, to bind and remote control;
- Adjustable G-sensor for automatic start of recording in DVR mode;
- Makes great photos in RAW format, and also knows how to shoot timelaps;
- High-quality night shooting;
- The aquabox in the kit is true, with it the whole sense of the touch screen is lost;
- Regular release of firmware updates.
Minuses:
- The hull is thick and breaks only into the native aquabox;
- Stabilization of the picture is not perfect, although frankly it can’t be called bad either.
SJCAM SJ4000 Air - a good low cost camera with zoom
One of the old successful models SJCAM this year was released in an updated version. Now she can record interpolated 4K video with a frequency of 30 fps or smooth Full HD at 60 fps. The device has the same 2-inch screen and a 170 ° fisheye wide-angle lens. Inside there is a good average budget processor NTK96650.
Pros:
- Case in plastic soft-touch;
- Well russified menu;
- Supports Slow-Mo and Timelapse;
- Connect to a smartphone via Wi-Fi;
- 4x zoom;
- Sports mode - the camera takes 3 shots per second;
- The function of cyclic rewriting, if you decide to use the SJ4000 in the car instead of the recorder;
- Support for memory cards up to 128 GB;
- Auto-off display in recording mode to save battery power;
- The complete aquabox allows using the camera at a depth of up to 30 m;
- Price, depending on the configuration does not exceed 3-5 thousand rubles.
Minuses:
- The battery capacity is small - only 900 mAh, so it is better to order an additional battery immediately;
- 4K resolution is not “present”, although it was not worth waiting for another for this money.
It will be interesting to friends too
