SJCAM C400 review: affordable vlogging camera with all the trimmings

The SJCAM C400 knows what creatives want: everything.

Loaded with accessories and boasting onboard features like 4K video, horizon stability enhancement, night vision and gyroscopic stabilisation, the makers of this action cam are clearly aware of both the incredibly competitive world of vlogging cameras.

And the kicker? The whole bunch, with a 64GB SD card thrown in for good measure is around $200 in the US, and under £180 in the UK. So, the question for all of us looking for action cams and vlogging equipment becomes: [suspicious expression] so what's wrong with it?

The answer is: not much. Not much at all.

In the box & design

The SJCAM C400 arrives in a large-ish box with a remote control handle, waterproof case, frame mount, base back clip, regular back clip, carrying bag, magnet pendant, lanyard, adapter, base mount, two curved and flat mounts, screwdriver, 3M adhesive stickers, USB cable, wipe cloth and mini-tripod all included. Oh, and a nifty 4K camera too.

The design ethos here is all about portability, ease of use and comfort in holding and manoeuvring when filming. There's a selfie screen underneath the camera lens so you can do pieces to camera yourself without guessing whether half of you is in frame or not, and then there's a flippable screen on the back for more conventional filming. Both are touch-enabled for on-screen control of functions and settings.

If, however, you want a bigger screen or need to see the view remotely from where the camera is, you can connect the camera to your phone and observe and control the recording from there.

The remote control handle is textured for an enhanced, firm grip and everything is built with durability in mind, with near-every element in rectangular or cuboid form to minimise any protruding bits being at risk of getting snapped off.

The SD card is inserted on the side, but due it being an open port, we don't have any native waterproofing or water resistance here. However, for the watersports enthusiasts and/or British among us, there's a waterproof case provided with the unit. There are clips and lanyards and mounts for all sorts of uses, from wearing around necks to strapping onto bicycles or tops of helmets, and more.

Features and performance

The SJCAM C400 is capable of up to 4K video capture at 30 frames per second, or 2K at 60 frames per second. While this lags behind market leaders like GoPro and the Hero13's 5.3K max resolution (or 4K at 120fps), I have found it captures really sharp outdoor footage that's ideal for any casual vlogging or social media content.

I've recorded bike trips and sports activities with my son, and obviously subjected my cat to an overabundance of close-ups and paparazzi-like chasing around the house and garden, and all of it looks good enough for me to be happy to share it with friends and family, and even consider for a personal content creation device for The Socials, should I choose to do that to myself at any point.

Where the C400 does show up its very slight compromises is extreme action content, slow-motion footage and underlit indoor shooting. Without the help of the sun (or special lighting equipment), indoor captures look at little flat and grey, and with 4K maxing out at 30fps, we won't be treated to any epic wall-sized projections of me wiping out on the (very easy) forest biking trail near my house Zack Snyder style...

Also, while SJCAM boasts of '6-axis gyroscopic stabilisation', this is not the same type of stabilisation you get from the likes of GoPro or DJI. For example, DJI uses dedicated algorithms in its hardware-accelerated stabilisation, such as RockSteady and HorizonSteady, while the stabilisation here is of a more basic ilk, and if there's lots of wobble to stabilise, there will be noticeable cropping to your video as a result.

However, as someone with hand tremors, I'm grateful for any stabilisation help I get. Especially if I'm also saving as much in costs as I am here...

Price

Here's my favourite bit: The SJCAM C400 bundle, with all the aforementioned accessories included, will only set you back about $206 in the US, and £185 in the UK at the time of writing. In addition, discounts are frequent, so if you can afford to stay patient, you can score at least 10% off this during peak trading events (such as Prime Day or Black Friday).

And even at full price, this is maybe half of what buying similar kit from DJI or GoPro will cost you, so if these specs and performance is enough and the (slight) limitations don't discourage you, this is a real quality bargain option.

Buy it if

• You like a bargain
• You need a good camera for vlogging and content creation on the go
• You aren't a surfer

Don't buy it if

• You need slo-mo video in 4K
• You need more advanced stabilisation
• You are a surfer