go pro alternatives

wooke01

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Hello

the kids want a gopro but they seem a littlepricey and gimicky. They just want something for video diaries and travel and the odd you tube video (they are 6 and 10) . Can anybody recommend something else? I was loking at the HTE HE and that seems good but the build quality seems questionable.

Any ideas appreciated.

thanks
 
i was looking at this from gearbest
SJCAM SJ4000 WiFi 1080P

or the HTC HE

would either be ok? i just wondered if the SJCAM is any good, am a bit wary of faulty batteries and unintitive OS on the devices for the children.
 
I noticed I can get a sony AZ1 for 100 and that has replaceable batteries that might seem a good deal. It puts it still cheaper that a refurb go-pro silver
 
6 and 10-yr olds are likely to argue over the camera - So why not get two £50-models to solve the problem? . . . marking each one with (different colour) nail-varnish, so the parts/accessories don't start arguments . . .

That will calm the potential situation and maybe introduce a degree of Competition . . . which can't be too bad.
The "Quality" and the features are hardly a big issue at this price-point . . . with care, are all suited to tiny hands.

Good Luck. Let us know how it works out.
 
My suggestion of the Denver was not without reason. My ACT-5030 actually produces quality pictures as good as a camera at 5 or 6 times the price. Clearly it has limitations, no zoom for example. Denver also have cameras from £30.

Harry has a point. I let my grandchildren use my HC-V700 to teach them how to create good video. There are occasional arguments as to who uses the camera.
 
if it's a gopro your kids want, i wouldn't get them the az1.

the sj4000 looks my like a gopro. i'd go with that. at their ages, it's all about the looks of the actual hardware.
 
The several action-cams are nearly all identical - it's only when you get to some rather dedicated ones from Pana and Sony that things become individual . . . but I'm sure kids will be fine with the sj4000.
Having an LCD display will make things a lot easier, although I've used GoPro without one and it never seemed to be an issue, - although you don't know what you captured!

Perhaps Terfyn can say if sj4000's do 25/50 fps PAL . . . and if not, has that been an issue . . . I'm sure it's been reported here, but I don't know where.
 
Perhaps Terfyn can say if sj4000's do 25/50 fps PAL . . . and if not, has that been an issue . . . I'm sure it's been reported here, but I don't know where
My action cam is a Denver so can't help here. The ACT 5030-W has a LCD monitor and is a Go-Pro look alike.
 
I've been looking at go pro alternatives. The sjcam series (sj4000, sj5000 and m10) seem a good choice. They look decent quality video that records in up to 60fps 1080p, 120fps 720p and so on. They also come with a bundle of accessories including the mounts etc.

Another alternative is the xiaomi yi but the accessories come separate. Both cameras have very similar recording functions etc, quality similar from what I can see. And both priced around £50.

The sj5000 is more but is better. So depends what you want to spend. For the price they are all good and there is plenty of side by side video samples on YouTube. Just be careful not to get fakes if buying as there are plenty floating around
 
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More expensive models ( from same Mfr ) aren't always "better" - the increase in Pixels creates noise, which has to be supressed by software, so whilst sunny-day pics may be OK, there is a dull-day disadvantage. The use of different "Lens" by mapping the sensor, is likely to result in lost pixels, unless the lens is changed optically ( And that's difficult with extreme WA ). Some GoPros offer this.

+Watch out for 4K claims which are at slowed frame-rates - You can stretch this for aerial shots where the movement is slow, but IMHO it's useless for sports-action.

The GoPro has a trusted name and plenty of accessories. However, for our needs it might be more-sense to buy two cheaper cameras:- to provide back-up, or a second viewpoint - very useful for editing out "wobbles" . . . like folks walking across the field of view.!


I'm still not convinced we've settled the 50fps/PAL issue either. Nearly half the World does not use NTSC.
 
I bought an SJCAM 4000 WiFi last year mainly to use as a dashcam. It's been stuck in my Golf ever since and hasn't missed a beat. Video quality is good, sound quality is not great. The WiFi feature is handy for setting it up if you can't see the screen but it's very slow for video transfer so not really worth paying for IMHO.
It comes with a bunch of mounting options and a waterproof case - all of which are directly compatible with GoPro mounts and cases.
You'll need a decent sized micro SD card but it doesn't need a super fast one - class 10 IIRC.
I'd recommend it, but as others have said there are lots of fakes and clones out there which is ironic as it's a GoPro knock off.
Mine came Fulfilled by Amazon and checked out OK. You can buy direct from their website if you're not in a hurry.

FWIW I bought my daughter a Kodak ZX1 when she was small - its rubberised and reasonably shock and waterproof. While the SJCAM is waterproof in it's case, it has to be in the case. It may not be as durable as a real GP, I've never used one to know or banged my SJCAM around either.
 
I've (well the kids have) had the SJ4000 for quite some time now and they absolutely love them. For sure the audio quality is very poor but they just strap them to their bikes and scooters and tear around with them. Taken quite a few knocks over the last 9 months at the skate parks etc. and still going strong. I think I bought a bundle of accessories for something like 29GBP and a travel case to keep all the bits in. Batteries and chargers are readily available cheaply on E-bay etc. and never had a problem - so it's nice to have 3 or 4 charged and ready to go. Super value for the kids - mine are 9 and 12yrs.
I bought myself the same SJ4000 and it's in the car as a dashcam. Footage is perfect, smooth and clear - more than I'd expected to be honest. The price then it becomes disposable if it does break. We'll be taking them on holiday in a few weeks for some underwater shots - we'll see if the waterproof enclosures work... if not then OK we'll just buy another :)

My eldest has a Panasonic camcorder too and it just sits in the drawer - he much prefers this "Go-Pro" copy.
 
AMc - Sounds like a good plan - filling up the kitchen sink is on the list.
Cheers
 
Going to bump this rather than starting another thread with the same issues,

What did OP buy? What did you think of it?

I'm planning a trip to Florida next year with kids and would like a go pro type device but just can't justify the extreme prices for one so looking cheaper alternative...
 
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