SJCAM is a popular Chinese brand that is known for its good yet affordable action cameras and a wide range of accessories for its products. Today we are going to review an interesting set – SJCAM C300 Pocket action camera and a large set of additional accessories for it.
The SJCAM C300 comes in two varieties: the C300 and the C300 Pocket. These are basically two completely identical action cameras. The only major differences are that the C300 has an additional display, a larger battery (2800 mAh vs. 1000 mAh), and larger dimensions (130.0×32.0×22.2 vs. 68.0×32.0×21.7 mm). All these differences are located on the detachable block of C300, which acts both as a grip and a battery at the same time. The same unit can be easily installed on the C300 Pocket, which means that the cameras are fully compatible. Other characteristics of the cameras are the same.
Special thanks to https://vlogsfan.com for providing the SJCAM C300 Pocket action camera for review
Only C300 Pocket came to me for review, so the main review will be devoted to this model. Well, let’s get started.
SJCAM C300 is positioned as a budget model. On the official website, the C300 costs $159, while the C300 Pocket costs $139. Considering the price and features, this camera can be safely recommended to both beginners and experienced action camera users. Also, the C300 can be an ideal gift for a child, for example, as a first action camera. C300 and C300 Pocket are suitable for vlogging, travelling, extreme sports and underwater shooting. You can also use them as a video recorder, a separate camera for PC, or a covert surveillance camera.
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The SJCAM C300 Pocket comes in a compact cardboard box measuring 176×107×51mm. The package includes:
There are no complaints about the content, the kit has everything you need to start using the camera fully. There are also no questions about the quality, the plastic is of good quality, fasteners and fixings look reliable. The protective box and frame close quite tightly, opening with a little effort. The rear covers are put on the camera without any problems, they fit tightly and do not loosen.
In addition to the standard kit supplied with the camera, I received additional accessories for review:
It’s a good kit, what else can I say. The quality of materials, clips, mounts and everything else is excellent, just like in the standard kit. The manufacturer has made sure that his cameras can be conveniently used in any situation by creating a lot of additional accessories. But that’s not all! On the official website of the brand there is a whole section with accessories. For example, there you can even find dog harnesses with an action camera mount.
I’ll leave a more detailed review of all the accessories for last, but for now let’s move on to the camera itself.
The C300 Pocket is probably one of the smallest cameras, and not only among SJCAM products. The camera itself without the protective box and additional mounts looks like a small rectangular box measuring 68×32×21.7 mm. The model is available in two colours – black and white.
On the front there is the camera itself (sensor), a 1.3-inch touch screen with the SJCAM logo and a camera control button responsible for switching on and recording.
There is nothing on the left and right sides. On the top you can see a small locking slot, which is used for some accessories. On the back there are microphone holes and another small slot.
The camera weighs only 31 grams without the protective box and mounts. The camera is so tiny that it fits in your hand or a small pocket without any problems. And if necessary, the camera can be hidden in the interior.
The materials here are the usual matte plastic, pleasant to the touch. There are no complaints about the build quality of the camera, everything is assembled firmly, reliably, monolithically. There are no creaks and backlashes, though it is not surprising, because there is nothing to creak and backlash here.
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The C300 Pocket features a 1.3-inch HD touch screen. You can easily operate the camera using the touch control. The response is good, no big delays were noticed during the whole testing of the camera. As for the image quality, for such a small screen it is excellent. It is more than enough for a small preview and menu navigation.
By default, the camera immediately starts in video shooting mode with 4K/30 FPS settings. Just press the record button and your first video is ready. The camera’s internal control menu is simple and intuitive. In fact, there are only 3 main sections, let’s take a closer look at them.
Responsible for switching camera modes: video, photo, timelapse video, slow motion, video recorder, live streaming.
Used for advanced settings for the selected capture mode. For example, for video mode, you can select: video resolution and number of frames, video codec, recording cycle, capture interval, vertical video, motion sensor, pre-recording, delayed recording, angle of view, WDR, gyroscope, audio recording, logo display, date and time, video bitrate, ISO, sharpness, saturation, contrast, noise reduction, exposure and additional effects. We won’t list all the settings for all modes, but we can say at once that there is a lot of room for flexibility and customisation.
Global camera settings. Here everything is expected, for example, you can select the language, set the date and time, connect to Wi-Fi, reset to factory settings, view the firmware version and so on. Speaking of languages, there are 20 languages to choose from.
You can also use swipes, like the ones we are used to using smartphones. Swiping from top to bottom opens a mini-menu where you can connect the camera via Wi-Fi to your smartphone, connect the remote control, and lock the screen. Swipe from left to right ─ to quickly switch between video and photo modes.
As I said before, everything is as simple and clear as possible, even a child can figure it out. And a large number of settings for shooting modes makes it easy to adjust everything to your liking. Even despite the small screen, it is convenient to switch and switch settings. In short, the C300 Pocket gets a well-deserved plus for its control menu.
There is also a proprietary app that can be used for all cameras from the brand ─ SJCAM Zone. It allows you to connect to your camera via Wi-Fi to control it and transfer videos and photos directly to your smartphone. Let’s take a closer look at it.
Android
iOS
The connection is quite simple: swipe the camera up and down and activate Wi-Fi, find the camera’s SSID on your smartphone (or manually enter it), or scan the QR code. The app itself has a hint, so it won’t be difficult to figure it out.
In terms of functionality, the SJCAM Zone app almost exactly repeats all the camera’s internal settings. However, it is still more convenient to control the camera from a smartphone than using the small built-in screen. It is also very convenient when you can immediately review and reset the captured video or photo. Also, the smartphone screen can replace the additional screen that is often present in larger action camera models.
From the minuses ─ lags and braking, yes they are there. Not that it interferes with the workflow so much, but still, it spoils the impression of using it. Most likely, the problem is in the application itself, I hope that in future updates it will be fixed. Otherwise, the app is not bad, in the end you should be thankful that it exists at all.
There is no information about the processor and sensor on SJCAM’s official website, as is often the case with Chinese manufacturers. Therefore, after a bit of surfing the net, I dare to assume that the C300 Pocket (and the regular C300) has a Novatek 96660 processor in conjunction with a Sony IMX335 sensor.
The camera can shoot video with a resolution of:
There is stabilisation that works in all resolutions except 1080 and 720P at 120fps. There is a video timelapse mode with the same set of resolutions, but without stabilisation. There is slow motion with a speed of -2X to -8X, also without stabilisation. Video recorder mode is similar to regular video shooting ─ the same set of resolutions with the possibility of video stabilisation. One of the interesting things that caught my eye is the motion sensor and, accordingly, the possibility to start recording if the camera detects some activity. As far as I know, this function is not so often found in action cameras and it further expands the scope of the device. All this is good, but let’s show the test videos that were shot on the C300 Pocket.
4K/30 FPS, a quiet walk, stabilisation on:
4K/30 FPS, calm walk, stabilisation off:
2K/60 FPS, calm walk, stabilisation enabled:
2K/60 FPS, calm walk, stabilisation off:
4K/30 FPS, flat road, stabilisation on:
4K/30 FPS, flat road, stabilisation off:
4K/30 FPS, off-road, stabilisation enabled:
4K/30 FPS, off-road, stabilisation off:
In my opinion, with stabilisation on, the image looks more washed out and sometimes the number of frames is lower. However, it reduces image shake, albeit slightly. With stabilisation off, the image looks sharper. All this applies to shooting on the move, for example, when you’re cycling. It’s better for quieter shots. Static shooting (if the camera is stationary) should not be a problem at all.
Optimal modes for video are 4K/30 FPS and 2K/60/30 FPS without standard stabilisation. It is better to buy a manual stabiliser or to adjust stabilisation with software already at the stage of video editing.
I really wanted to find a clean place with more or less clean water and bottom for underwater shooting examples. But unfortunately I have no access to the sea, and the river at this time of summer is very dirty and muddy. That’s why beautiful shots did not turn out, but as an example, these I think will do. In general, I expected the worst. I’m sure that in clean water, for example, on the sea, underwater shooting on SJCAM C300 Pocket will be excellent.
Timelapse ─ interesting and looks cool in my opinion. And so does slow motion. Here are examples of videos, judge for yourself.
The evening shooting of the video was disappointing. Perhaps if there was more lighting around, the video would have looked much better.
What else can I add about shooting video with the SJCAM C300 Pocket. In the process, I realised that I still miss the extra screen on the camera for previewing. A smartphone partially solves the problem, but an additional screen (which is available in the C300) would be much more convenient.
The following resolutions are provided for photos:
I can say that photos on C300 Pocket turn out to be generally good, especially in good light. Evening photos are also good, unlike video.
The SJCAM C300 Pocket has a built-in microphone. It is also possible to connect any TYPE-C microphone. By the way, the microphone on video recording can be turned off at all, by default it is on.
If you record just conversational videos, without extraneous noises, then with the built-in microphone in principle the sound is not bad. Something more complicated, for example, music, concert or street musicians, it will sound noticeably worse. In short, if you need really high-quality sound when recording on C300 Pocket, it is better to connect a normal separate microphone.
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The SJCAM C300 Pocket features a removable battery with a capacity of 1000 mAh. The regular C300 has a 2800mAh battery. By the way, they are fully compatible. You can install the battery from the regular C300 in the C300 Pocket and more than double the battery life.
SJCAM’s official website says “continuous recording up to 6 hours of HD video”. We are most likely talking about the model with 2800 mAh. But such a thing, of course, is very little to believe in, so we’ll test everything ourselves to see what is the real autonomy of SJCAM C300 Pocket during video and photo shooting.
Real tests showed that the camera with a full charge sits down in 3-4 hours of work. All this time the camera was switched on, the function of self-disabling the camera and display was completely disabled in the settings, periodic shooting in 4K/30 FPS, 2K/60 FPS, shooting test timelapse, slow motion, taking photos, immediately viewing the footage on a smartphone through the SJCAM Zone app. Seems to me, not bad autonomy, considering the fact that the battery here is only 1000 mAh.
I’ve already mentioned that SJCAM has a lot of cool accessories for their cameras. I’d like to finally take a closer look at them, and at the same time understand what, why and how they work. First, let’s look at the ones that come directly with the camera.
Designed to protect the camera from water, moisture and dust. The protection standard is IP68. Most likely, this box also protects from shocks. With its help you can shoot underwater at a depth of up to 30 metres (according to the manufacturer). It is made of durable plastic. There is a rubber gasket that provides complete sealing inside the box. On the front panel there is a record button, and at the bottom there is a thread to which you can connect a USB cable.
It can be used to fix the camera in the frame and attach it to another mount. For example, a helmet mount or a bike/motorbike mount. It is attached very easily, using a simple threaded screw, which is included in the kit. Convenient and universal accessory.
The purpose is the same as the frame ─ to fix the camera and attach it to something.
It can be used to secure the camera to clothing, such as a breast pocket or the neckline of a T-shirt.
Needed for connection to the helmet mount (curved or flat). The grooves are rather tight, but the construction looks reliable and fulfils its function perfectly.
It comes in two types, curved and flat. It is attached to the helmet (or any other flat surface) with an adhesive backing. By the way, two spare adhesive backings are included in the kit.
That’s it for the basic accessories, now let’s look at the optional accessories. They are not included in the set, you need to buy them separately.
The name speaks for itself. It allows you to fix the camera to the handlebars of a bicycle, motorbike or scooter. The girth of the mount is quite large if you turn the screws to the maximum. It is safe to say that for most handlebars the mount will fit perfectly.
To me, this mount looks more secure than the adhesive-based mount that comes with the kit. If I had a helmet, I would probably use this option.
It can be used to conveniently secure the camera to your clothes. This is more convenient than a standard clip-on cover.
Another neck mount option, more bulky and here you will need to use an additional mount such as a back cover. This can be useful if you want to swim underwater and take pictures.
Handy if you need to recharge your camera without taking it out of its protective box.
SJCAM C300 Pocket is not a bad budget camera for shooting in 4K and 2K, but only in daytime or in good light. The standard stabilisation works, but it’s better to shoot without it. There are cool shooting modes that can come in handy when creating content. A bunch of settings, not a bad branded application, good build quality. A separate attention deserves a complete set – for this price, I think, quite worthy.
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