I have had it is with my SJ7 Star.

I am so disappointed in this camera. Up until I paid $160 for the SJ7 Star, the most I had ever paid for an action camera was $60, for the DBpower 12MP HD Action Cam. I have used the heck out of that camera, and while to video quality is not the best, it has been a reliable problem free camera. The SJ7 Star produces great quality video, but is a problem mine field. It has so many problems I can't even begin to list them. From the ridiculous 2 Minute cycle recording in Car Mode, to the incompatibility issue with some Micro-USB cables and non- SJCam external mics, to massive overheating problems. This camera has failed me, every single time I have tried to use it. I took it to Costa Rica, it overheated during a once in a life time tour of the the Manuel Antonio Nation Park. Fortunately, I had brought along my trusty DBpower EX5000 and used it, but lost a lot of vital footage before I realized the SJ7 Star (on my head) had quite working about an hour before. I took it to Nicaragua, it over heated again and I lost irreplaceable footage. Today, I was videoing a building project and doing an instructional video for my youtube channel. It glitched up so many times during the three project that I did not have enough footage to produce a video. It over heated and shut down completely about half way through the project, and today was a nice cool 60 degree day (Imagine how fast ti will over heat later on when it is 100 degrees). Loss of this footage cost me money.

I am producing a very lengthy exhaustive review for my youtube channel to warn my thousands of subscribers about this camera. I have had it for 5 months, and it has provided me with nothing but utter frustration. Every problem I have had with it, is not a defect, it is a common problem that many other users are experiencing, but SJCam does nothing about. I mean, how dumb do you have to be to hard fix a 2 minute time limited in Car Mode? That is just insane, and goes to show that the software engineers have no connection to reality. Maybe they had to give it a 2 minute time limit because that is as long as the camera can record without overheating.

I am want to contact SJCam and ask for my money back. I will never use this piece of junk again. It has already cost me so much money. I would rather have a little lower quality video from a reliable camera, then have high quality video from a camera that can never be trusted. Rant over.

 

@The Jungle Explorer , you show up here, not having made the effort to find if there are solutions to your problems, and deliver a rant about how awful the SJ7 is.

The SJ7 is in dashcam mode. There's a collision. Would you rather hunt through long files or jump right to the file(s) that show the collision happening? If you'd spent time here, you'd know the typical complaint is the reverse: I went for a ride and all I have are three minute long files. BTW, for looping, the SJ7 can produce 5 minute files. Read the manual. Ask the forum. If you don't ask questions, you won't find the answers.

Cables... Let's see... In action cams there are three different cable types in use. There's the USB C-type, the micro, and mini connectors. Not a lot of people have longer C-type cables handy if they want to use external power. Micro connectors are more comment, but it's relatively easy to pull the connector out of the socket. The mini connector, due to its size and configuration, is hard to accidentally pull out. Again, had you asked here, you might have an insight into the choice. Beyond that, if it bothers you that the SJ7 doesn't support the connector types, that's your problem.

SJCam has made a mistake in not offering a power and external mic cable. They've made a mistake in producing a mic only cable terminated in some sort of jack. Staying around and adding to the comments to SJCam about this oversight is more helpful than just ranting at the injustice of it all.

Anyone who takes any gear on a "once in a lifetime" trip, and fails to extensively test it before leaving is a fool. I consider even a day's motorcycle ride a "once in a lifetime" event. I've lost track of how many times I've done this ride. The morning I shot this video, the weather was perfect, there was no traffic in front of me for almost the entire ride, it was a "once in a lifetime" ride only 50 miles from home. And the camera worked just fine, as the video shows.


This little clip was taken from a full day of riding, which was one of 10 days on the road in the Alps. I started the camera when I got on the bike, I stopped it at lunchtime, and started it again.

See my channel for all of the extracts from the trip.

Did the camera work 100% of the time? No. I lost video of three different passes. Why? Camera failure? No. User error. Either I didn't change the battery pack, I didn't check the cable, or I forgot to check camera aiming after a stop and putting my helmet on. Of the three passes missed, two were singularly unremarkable. Losing one pass (Sustenpass in Switzerland) was regrettable. In all instances I have only myself to blame.

Not all of the weather was "board of tourism perfect" weather. The ride up the Ötztal road had the threat of a shower. Fortunately only a few raindrops showed up. Nonetheless, my SJ7 was hanging out there in the breezes, and nothing went wrong. The same thing happened climbing the Grossglockner road.

Temperatures varied from the high 80's F/ 30-32 C to about 45 F/ 4 C in a tunnel up in glacier country. The SJ7 didn't stop, didn't fog up, didn't fail.

The SJ7 does have problems. I've been very clear about them. If you'd spent some time reading posts, you'd see my thread about literally being burned by the camera being used in a case while in dashcam mode.

Firmware version 1.21 is often the cause of problems. Often returning to V1.20 clears up those problems. Reverting one version only means losing RAW support. Again, had you read threads here and at Dashcam.com, you'd know that RAW support is a near failure.

You'd also know that the firmware team went dark just prior to Chinese New Year. You could have added your voice to others, demanding that SJCam pull their finger out and talk with users again. Had you used the forum, you could have helped pressure SJCam to have a support structure worthy of the name. SJCam has QC problems. One more voice citing these issues is to the good. Instead, you show up just long enough to show us you're all in a snit, with your knickers in a twist.

The Internet, YouTube, any social area are filled with "this product is s***. I'm never going to use it ever again. I'm going to tell everybody in the world to never use this trash." Somehow the products are still bought. Somehow companies don't collapse at the merest appearance of a user temper tantrum.

Get over yourself. If you want to believe your video and press releases, knock yourself out. We'll still be here, laughing at you, Mr. Video Influencer.

 

First off, you should really do a search before making wild claims. I have been on here plenty of times looking for solutions.

Second, in spite of your defensive arguments and personal attacks on (why would you attack men personally when I said nothing about you), you pretty much agreed the camera has everyone of the problems I mentioned.

I have owned many actions cams that I am comparing the SJ7 to. I make money with them, so how they work is important to me. The SJ7 is totally unreliable. It is not just me saying this. Do a google search for "SJ7 Star overheating problem" and watch your computer melt with the results overload.

I understand why some people might want have a 2 minute Car Mode option, but why make that the ONLY option? That was utterly stupid of the software developers. It is just software, they could have easily added code to include other options to Car Mode. Not everyone is the same you know?

I was not talking about the usb style itself. I was talking about the proprietary pin configuration. Many of my micro-usb cords won't even work with the camera. Not only did SJCam choose to go with a this less popular usb style, they made it proprietary to them. Bad call. Every other action cam I own has the more popular miniUSB and I have never had a single problem with it. The MiniUSB is also nice because it is the same as my android phone, so I don't have to carry two different cords.

You are free to disagree, but make it about the product, not about me. Why would you attack a person personally when we are talikng about a product ? Makes no sense. Attacking a person personally is not a mature way to engage in conversation. Thank you.

 

11 posts to date - I stand corrected on the point.

RTFM - there is a 5 minute option for looping. If your cables don't work, that's your problem. Of the dozens of cables I've accumulated, the only cables that failed were dead for phones, GPS receivers, and other cameras, too. Maybe it's not the SJ7.

I stand by the rest of my comments. That includes having no patience with those who deliver rants, via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, ad nauseum, temper tantrums. Thinking their threats will cause a company to offer up, in abject shame and sorrow, their entire product line in hopes of appeasing the ranter is, to be kind, pitiable. Yes, I do think you're self-impressed. No, I do not suffer the self-impressed well if at all. Live with it.

 

The camera has serious problems and you know it. Your personal attacks on me is just your attempt to distract from the truth of what I am saying. It's called "Rock Throwing" and it is what people that have no argument do. I am actually happy that you went at me again. It just means that you know I am right. So thank you for proving me right. Further personal attacks will just strengthen my points.

My review will of the SJ7 will be an honest review based on 5 months of use. As with all my reviews, I will point out both strengths and weaknesses. I chose to buy the SJ7 because I feel that it produced very high quality 1080P video. (I forgot to mention that the overheating problems I am having are during 1080P recording, not 4K). I still feel that the camera produces very high quality video. I wanted the camera to be good and reliable. It just simply is not. Again, I am not the only one here. There are countless other people having the same problems I am. So, in spite of your protest and attempts to distract from this truth by presenting non-relevant information like "5 minute loop recording", which has nothing to do with the 2 minute max in Car Mode, I trust that intelligent people will see through your attempts to confuse the issue.

With each issue I have had, I have done research to see if it was a defect with my camera or bad engineering. In every case what I found was that the issue was caused by bad engineering. I also found that SJCam completely ignores it's customers cries for help and solutions. I found this very distressing for a company that is trying to present it self as a top of the line company. When I first bought my DBpower EX5000, I had some problems with exposure. I posted my problems online, and with in 48 hour a representative from DBPower contacted me directly to work on the issue. That is how a company acts that cares about it's reputation. I do not see this attitude with SJCam.

If your attitude is anything to go by when it comes to the SJCam company, then their method of approach when a customer has problems with their products, is to insult them and attack them personally. Do you really think you are making me like SJCam anymore by acting this way? But go ahead, Mr. "Legend in my Own Mind". Tell me again how I am "Self-Impressed".

 

The SJ7 is flawed. I burned my fingers on one. The camera, outside of its case(s), has little to no weather or debris intrusion protection. The firmware varies from not too bad but missing obvious changes to effectively unreliable (1.21). Changes include having true image inversion (v. only inverting titles), consistent FOV settings, and spending time on processor management to reduce the heat problem. SJCam QC, based on postings here, is sub-standard. First hand, SJCam tech support is neither 99% of the time. There was some access to the firmware people at one point. That's gone. There's no sign of any work on the SJ7 firmware. More than once I've been told that delays stem from Arabella being hard to work with. Maybe it's not just Arabella who's being difficult to work with. Despite promises and flashing users with a peek at the SJ8 housing, the SJ8 remains, for the public, just short of vaporware. Finally, I can only laugh and shake my head at the effort SJCam put into proclaiming their new logo and its sign of commitment to the future. Removing the serifs from a couple of letters is hardly the mark of a bold step forward. Now, does that sound like a "homer" or someone spouting the company line?

Again, the SJ7 is flawed. But, based on the anecdotal evidence here and my direct experience, if the camera isn't DOA or an infant mortality, it works. Albeit with needing some efforts to get around the heat issue. As I said before, I got the bulk of ten days of riding with few problems. Using 50K mAh battery packs and 128 Gb SD's, 10-12 hours of run time wasn't a problem. On a recent trip to Key West (the one where I burned my fingers), once I left the camera in a mounting frame, it worked non-stop during the day's driving. The camera shouldn't have to be used with work-arounds. But it does work and, in my experience, does so reliably. Assuming not using V1.21.

I've posted a comparison of the SJ7 and the GoPro Hero 5 - in summary, their package is superior, their heat management is superior, but the images are obviously inferior. Which matters more, a glitzy case and crappy imagery, or a hot case and superior imagery? If the Hero 5 had comparable image quality or better, I'd drop the SJ7 like a hot brick. GoPro's product looks great but can't deliver. I'll stay with the SJ7.

If you didn't test your gear fully, and trusted to luck, to get your (lost) footage, that's your fault. There's nobody to blame but yourself.

You like the DBPower EX5000. Fine. I give you joy of its use and hope you use it in good health. But droning on here about how that camera is so much better than the SJ7, whose manual you seem to be ignoring, is... why bother? You think the SJ7 is trash, that SJCam is a trashy company. Why are you still here?

 

I am not here, for me. I am here for other people. I am here letting other people know what my experience has been with it. That is why I am here.

You have to understand, I don't like making bad reviews. It is bad for business. My viewers know that I am honest, that is why they trust my reviews. Unlike most people that do product review videos, which are nothing more then unboxing videos where they just oooh and aah over a new shinny object and talk about the technical specs on the box, I never do a review on a product, that I have not personally used in the field. The reason I do reviews, is for other peoples benefit. When I make a review, I try to think about what I would want to see in a review.

I am not satisfied with DBPower EX5000. If I were, I would have never bought the SJ7. The main issue with it is video quality. Not that it produces bad video quality. It actually produces very good quality out of the box. The problem is what happens to that video quality after I edit it and upload it to youtube. When you upload a video to youtube, it is highly compressed by youtube. The higher the quality of the original 1080p quality video, the better the end product, once it is uploaded to youtube. This is a huge problem with wide angle action cameras style cameras. The quality of 1080p videos, once uploaded to youtube is horrendous, even out of the best Gopros.

I cannot tell you how many hundreds of videos I watched on youtube, before I decided to buy the SJ7. I pixel peeped the heck out of video from many different top of the line action cameras. I went with the SJ7 because I saw noticeable difference in the clarity of the fine detail and correctness in white balance, when compared to other cameras. In my opinion, the SJ7 produced the best quality 1080p video of any action cam on the market when I bought it. Hands Down. I am telling you this, because I want you to understand that, I WANTED this camera to do well. I did not buy it to criticize it. I did not buy it to run SJCAM down. I bought it because I felt it was the best 1080p action cam I could find. I bought it because I NEED super high quality 1080p video to survive youtube compression and come out looking great on the other side.

Let me ask you a question. This is what I need the camera to do. I need to plug it in to an external power source and I need to to record in one long video file until the SD card is full or I shut it off? I make LONG videos, not little 2 minute or 5 minute videos. I NEED long video files. I can cut them up in my editor as I need them. So far, every attempt I have made to get this camera to take long videos has result in it overheating and shutting down during the recording process. Is there a remedy for this that you know of?

 

After having owned a hero 6, hero 5, legend sj6 and a sj7 star. I think ppl are smoking good drugs to say these SJCAMS are in any way superior to the GoPro Hero 5 or 6.

Again I own two of each....it's insane to try to say the SJ cams are superior

Hell...the Hero 6 does 4k @ 60fps....and has gimbal like image stablization that ISN'T LIMITED to ONLY 1080weak. That's a verifiable fact; not subjective at all....it simply does things SJCAMs CANNOT

I wont even mention the difference in product support.....since it doesnt exist here

Also to be fair....I don't think the OP should be getting flamed for voicing his frustration. Believe it or not....it's topics like his that I look for before buying products that aren't proven.

 

The short answer to "This is what I need the camera to do. I need to plug it in to an external power source and I need to to record in one long video file until the SD card is full or I shut it off? I make LONG videos, not little 2 minute or 5 minute videos. I NEED long video files. I can cut them up in my editor as I need them. So far, every attempt I have made to get this camera to take long videos has result in it overheating and shutting down during the recording process. Is there a remedy for this that you know of?": If I don't have the camera in a case, the camera will do what you want. See my "10 days in the Alps" comments. Using V1.15 (latest rev. in July '17) I shot typically 4-5 hours, swapped the battery pack, and shot another 4-5 hours. The camera didn't get in the way. Not swapping the battery pack ("I've got enough charge for this bit" - wrong), or a loose cable (finally rigged a strain relief loop) stopped filming. Repeating myself, V1.21 is almost useless. "Pull the battery" crashes are inevitable. V1.20 crashes, in my experience, are very rare. As in I'm suppose at least one happened, but I can't say when it happened, if it did.

If you're using your camera in a case, heat buildup is going to be a big problem. Unless you're in the water. Anything else and, yes, the camera will probably have a heat stroke. More than any other issue, this one has me ready to leave the SJ7 for something else that shoots as well and doesn't cook itself when it's in a case on a dashboard, in full sun. The SJ7, as I've said repeatedly, flunks that test.

When my SJ7 cooked up big time on my last trip, I bought a Hero 5 Black (H5B). At some point I'll put it up on eBay, when I find the time to pull it out of the dark corner it's sitting in. Nice case, temps are fine, somewhat overly complex menu, image automatically flips when the camera flips, nice real time video app, GPS has its value, I guess, but I think I've only used it a few times. The case is waterproof for surface splashing and modest snorkeling. As long as a) all the doors are closed, and b) the seals are clean. Open the accessory door and GP says it's no longer even water-resistant. For hour(s) of video, the door has to be open. But...

The H5B imagery, compared to the SJ7, is noticeably inferior. (all with [email protected] fps) For example, riding past a telephone pole, the H5B loses the detail of the phone pole and colors it with large patches of slightly varied color. The SJ7 gives usable detail at the same distance and vehicle speed. High bushes or low trees remain pixelated blobs of color until close to the camera. The SJ7 shows detail sooner (further from the object). One of my checks for image quality is grass by the side of the road. Neither camera resolves to individual blades of grass, grass and leave clumps have more detail than the H5B, which again presents a "blobs of color" appearance.

ADDED: MediaInfo (PC app) shows the H5B 1080 videos have a video stream rate of about 30 Mb/s while the SJ7 video is consistently slightly higher, 35 Mb/s. More data means a higher streaming rate.

Until I can afford a 256 or 300 Gb SD, extended 4K shooting isn't going to happen for me. The SJ7 falls down in the frame rate at 4K. 30 fps may work for a drone or gentle boat ride, but much beyond a moderate jogging pace the image is too streaked. The lack of EIS is hard to miss. Overall, despite producing pretty time lapse and still imagery, as a video camera the SJ7's 4K isn't practical.

 

Just to enter the discussion I can say that the heating of the SJ7 star is not more than many other action cams. I have an AEE S70, a great action cam, and over long summer shots it overheated so much that it got stuck. What has never happened with the SJ7 star and I add that when they were inside the housing with strong temperature variations, I had problems with fogging only with the AEE S70. I repeat that the S70 is a quality action cam.

 

huge flaw in only comparing the SJ7 to the Hero on 1080p.....you purposely limit the capability of one camera to declare the other a winner lol.

That's like comparing speakers but having the competing set turned down to 60% lol

Hero 5 can film at 2.7k and 60FPS WITH image stabilization and FULL ROTATION. It's a known FACT that the Sj7 CANNOT do this...but in order to claim an SJ7 victory you handicap the Hero to 1080/60

Run each camera at it's limit....the SJ7 will fall behind the Hero 5 and 6 every time

 

I chose 1080 for a reason - it's what I use when shooting on motorcycle rides. Between that and as a dashcam when on trips in our VW, there it is. Why use lower resolution? I turn the camera on when I start rolling and don't stop it until I stop rolling. 4K fills SD's much sooner. Stopping to change SD's just isn't in my preferred mode of riding, or driving for extended periods to get from campsite to campsite.

EIS is "mission critical" for me. The SJ7 does not have EIS with 4K video . It doesn't have 60 fps frame rate. I've shot 4K 30 fps and it's simply not presentable. The slower rate means closer objects are streaked. If someone wants streaking, fine. I definitely do not. Lack of EIS means the scenery jumps around in the frame. For me, that's unacceptable. Therefore I wrote up what I and probably most riders/drivers shoot, I also said that 4K @ 30 fps probably works when shooting from a drone. I don't have a drone, so why would I make any comments about that mode?

I specifically said that the SJ7's image inversion is, briefly, useless. I said the H5B does this far better. However, useful as this is, if the imaging is inferior, it's wasted. Why shoot a true inverted image if the results give poor color definition.

The SJ7 is, in many ways, a flawed camera. The heat issue is the overall biggest problem. But, in the end, it's all about the image. It's my opinion that the SJ7 images excel. Strictly speaking, Choosing GoPro cameras versus the SJ7 is Hobson's Choice: a choice between two flawed cameras.

You like the H5/6B, I don't. That's what makes for horse races.

 

Honestly...

Whether or not you or I like a camera more or not....doesnt change those cameras capabilities.

Void of all OPINION....the Hero cameras have more horsepower behind them.

They both film in higher resolutions than 1080p WITH EIS.....the sj7 cannot.

1080/60 will never look as good as a native 2.7k/60 or a 4k/60. That's just a fact....

You like the sj7 more sure....but you should stop selling the lie that it is superior to the Hero line. A quick check of the specs can show it's not

 

"Lie" is a harsh word. I am not a liar. I take great exception to your statement that I am.

Once I get my van back, I'll shoot some footage from both cameras and put it up for people to make their choice. (Why not the motorcycle? It's grounded for repairs or replacement.)

Once again, and please stop ignoring what I've written about the H5B (don't have an H6B; no point in commenting about it). It has a lot going for it. It's cooler. It senses when it's inverted and inverts the image properly. It has GPS. The case is covered with non-slip material. It can be taken underwater without a case. I'm not so keen on the menu scheme, but it works. There is a lot to like about the camera. Except it doesn't give good image quality at the resolution and frame rate I use. Why would I use a camera that looks great, has great features, but has inferior imagery?

The SJ7 overheats, to the point of failure, when in a case. When it's used in the open frame it's "only" hotter than the H5B. In the open frame it has zero water protection and dust and dirt can get inside the camera through at least the SD port. It doesn't invert images properly. SJCam QC and support are below what it should be. GPS, menu style, camera skin are all a push. However, it's imagery is superior to the H5B in the resolution and frame rate I use. A camera's main function is capturing images. The H5B, for all it's good points, fails on the core reason for its presence in the action cam market. The SJ7, for all of its deficiencies, succeeds with the core reason for being in the market. If the H5B had the SJ7's image quality, I'd gladly use it and scrap the SJ7.

That's my opinion. Anyone is free to disagree with it.

 

Of course 4K and 2.7K @ 60 fps have better resolution than 1080 @ 60 fps. How can that not be the case? The SJ7 doesn't do 4K @ 60 fps. Why would I even consider making some comparison about that?

Short of spending time shooting something like the chart below, any comments can only be subjective. However, I set out specific places where the H5B does not compare favorably to the SJ7. As I said before, I'll shoot some footage with both cameras and post them on YouTube. I believe the comparison will confirm what I've written to date. Beyond that, I've repeatedly said there's much to like about the H5B. There's much to dislike about the SJ7. But the image is what this whole business is about, and the H5B simply doesn't get that done as well.


Beyond that, I give up. If you want to ignore what I wrote, I'm wasting my time.

 

sure thing man....

In the end....both Hero cameras can DEFINITIVELY produce a better image BECAUSE they are capable of HIGHER RESOLUTIONS and FRAME RATES than the SJ7. It's that simple....you don't put your 4k television on 1080p then declare it inferior to lower resolution televisions.

You are essentially requiring Hero cameras to "drop a weight class" (you run them at reduced resolutions than they are capable of) for the sake of your SJ7 comparison....then declaring the less capable camera superior lol

 

One last time... the comparison is head to head at 1080 @ 60 fps, period. It's what I use, so it's what I can comment on with solid confidence. At 1080 @ 60 fps, the H5B comes in second.

The H5B shoots high res at 60 fps, the SJ7 doesn't. I've shot both at 30 fps, to compare apples to apples. The imagery was close. Solely as a subjective opinion, I prefer the SJ7. The H5B's imagery seems a bit off. Anyone thinking the reverse is entitled to their opinion.

Again, the H5B has a number of good features. The SJ7 has a number of problems. When I shoot on the road, the H5B just doesn't produce images that equal the SJ7 at the same resolution and frame rate. Therefore I use the SJ7, despite its many flaws, because I think the end product is better. If you like the Heros, fine. Nobody's holding a gun to your head, demanding you use only the SJ7.

That's it. I'm done with this topic. I'm tired of repeating myself.

 

I am very frustated with my SJCAM, i really not expected this !
Last month i bought my SJCAM 7 Star and till that day,I should have used about 3 time. Today i went to record with her but to my surprise the screen was totatlly black !
When i power on my CAM your screen turn on but less then 1 second it turns black... i can see that screen is on but is totally black. How can I fix it ?