Best Action Cam in 2019 from China (under 200 AUD)

TerryClarke

Hello, guys (and ladies of course),
I would like to know your opinion about Chinese action cameras. Do you have any experiences with a camera from brands like Xiaomi Yi, SJCAM, Eken, etc.?

Can you compare it with more established brands like GoPro, DJI...?

I am searching for the best value for money. I am just an amateur that wants to capture some memories.

Thank you in advance.

stearman65

I have an SJ6 Legend. Bought 18 months ago, has performed faultlessly above ground, never fitted the W/P case.

12harry

You've not said what attracted you to this Action-Camera style...

GoPro is the mkt leader and over time has many followers.... but it's not cheap. The various Look-Alikes are half and quarter the price as you have found. I guess it's a matter of pays-yr-money.
You could join a local Film-making club as they will have GoPro users, esp. where any water/rain is involved.
I've borrowed a GP and while it works OK the Menu is difficult and knowing if it's recording is not that clear (to me). The battery-life is about 1hour, so plan for some spares.

Beware that "Action cameras" wide-angle lens means you cannot focus - just about everything is in focus.... and the wide-angle is not good for portraits, or any long-shots since there is mostly sky and ground present.
So-called 4K versions should allow a degree of "zooming-in" but I suspect this will degrade the image.
Plan also for software Editing to cut out any dross.
GP should allow 50-frame recording standard, but some don't   I've never understood why they can't offer this.

Unless your "Memories" are fun bike-rides ( or Skiing, etc.), I'd suggest a small compact "non-action" camera is far better, offering both stills and movies easily, with a large LCD to check what you have. They are in a higher price-band, but if your "memories" are to last decades, the camera-cost is relatively small.


Cheers.

Terfyn

I agree with this. My "Action Cam" is Danish and performs well for what it is. I find that it is useful for certain filming conditions but would not give up my camcorder for general recording.

It is rather like the "march of the phones". Once they were used to make phone calls but now seem to do everything except being used to talk with others.

TerryClarke

So you didn't experience any problems with that camera?

Thank you for an exceptional post. Well, my "memories" will include bike rides, maybe some shots that include water (like having fun in the sea), etc. so an action camera makes sense to me. For now, I don't want to invest a lot of money and I am not completely convinced about the price/value ration for a GP. 4K is useful but not necessary. I would prefer better Full HD than a bad 4K camera.
By the way, I am curious how long GoPro lasts as MKT leader. They struggle a lot.

Understand, well, let's say I look for the most universal solution. I don't need first-class image quality. I would prefer reliability, water-resistance, good image quality and decent battery life.

Terfyn

This all becomes available with many models. My own choice was biased by the kit made available with the camera including additional batteries. plus made by a Danish company.
So Chinese, Danish, USA etc. you takes your choice.

JabbaNut

Look for reviews on the internet and actual footage on YouTube.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/dtdeals/gopro-alternative/

TerryClarke

Yeah, I did. I was just curious about the personal feeling of the AVforums users. Thank you.