[PetaWatt]

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

2. Do you get any 'recover video' sign on the Cam once you stop car and restart?

I used SJCAM SJ5000+ for around 3 years or so, I was getting 'recover video' whenever I was starting the car at a gap of 2-3 days after its battery went bad. It was happening because battery was not holding charge for more than 2 days and switching on the engine was causing a power fluctuation because of which on-going video recording was getting terminated abnormally.

Originally Posted by KK_HakunaMatata

Thanks for revert, there are many discussions and even the manual suggesting removal of battery while it is on dash cam mode to avoid over heating issues. Will try that way once.

My suggestion would be, don't use Action camera as Car dash-cam, because:

1. If you use it with battery and go against what is written in the manual, the result will be as shown below. Moreover, it might explode if you don't check it at all. This was my second battery to reach this state.
   
   
   
2. If you use it without battery, every time you switch off your car, a video recording will be terminated abnormally, you will get the 'recover video' next time it is switched on. Majority of time it wont be able to recover the video and your SD card space will be eaten up by these invisible bad format video files. Formatting card will free up space in this case.

[Samfromindia]

Very nicely written review on the most popular budget action cam out there ! I bought this as a gift for my brother (bike enthusiast) way back in 2016 from Aliexpress for $69.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/SJ40...27424c4d3wY7sC

My impression with the little time i spent with it:

+ Tried & tested budget option in the world of action cams.
+ Multiple accessories bundled by default in this economical price.
+ Good picture quality and wide capturing angle.

- Low light video quality leaves a lot to be desired. However its target audience is less likely to use it in low light.
- Lot of good budget offerings are there in market now.

The Cam


Updated the latest firmware minutes after turning on (in 2016)


In its natural habitat


Sample Videos

https://youtu.be/_SxI7EWfm5k

https://youtu.be/U2aYK7UR5O0

One thing i noticed many people buy action cam / dashcam and other items from Amazon re sellers at a much higher price. Don't do it ! Just order at the company store or any reputed store in aliexpress and wait for a few weeks. Not only you will get the latest model with a choice of additional accessories if required, but you will save a whole lot of money.

[francis_vaz]

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

I used SJCAM SJ5000+ for around 3 years or so, I was getting 'recover video' whenever I was starting the car at a gap of 2-3 days after its battery went bad. It was happening because battery was not holding charge for more than 2 days and switching on the engine was causing a power fluctuation because of which on-going video recording was getting terminated abnormally.

Thanks for the information.
I was thinking of changing the battery every 8-12 months, since it costs ~500 bucks it won't dent the pocket as much as buying a new camera due to battery damage.

[meetbadri]

Originally Posted by PetaWatt

[*]If you use it with battery and go against what is written in the manual, the result will be as shown below. Moreover, it might explode if you don't check it at all. This was my second battery to reach this state.
Attachment 1815477

[/list]

This is the same issue which I faced today. Battery was completely bulged which also bulged my SJ4000. Luckily I had another spare battery and camera is still working as it should.

The battery served for almost 2+ years for me without any issues. I had kept this battery without shooting it in discharging mode for more than 5 months and it caused a bulge. I would suggest we need to record everyday until the battery drains completely and then add power socket which will increase the battery life as well.