You’ve probably seen adverts for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 on social media. It’s an all-singing and all-dancing action camcorder with built-in stabilizer and a whole suite of tools for vloggers to use. The only problem is, it’s not cheap. It’s a handy piece of kit, but now there’s a new competitor launched by SJCAM. The company says its C400 offers similar functions but at a lower price.
The SJCAM C400 is a 4K pocket handheld camcorder that has a 7-hour battery, 6-axis stabilized action camera and a 2.29-inch touch screen. It comes bundled with lots of extras, including a waterproof housing that can see the camera submerged in water up to a depth of 30 meters. It’s designed for YouTubers, TikTok videos and almost any application that needs a rugged video camera to capture action.
With a resolution of up to 4K UHD, the C400 has a 154-degree, distortion-free, wide-angle lens offering a wide and almost anamorphic view, suitable for capturing landscapes and panoramic views. At the heart of the C400 is a 1/2.8″ CMOS image sensor and an f/2.0 lens for capturing stills and video in low-light situations as well as offering a shallow depth of field.
Electronic Image Stabilization
Equipped with 6-axis Electronic Image Stabilization and horizon correction, the C400 is designed to create smooth and clear videos even when used to capture action shots on a ski slope or under shaky conditions when on the move.
The C400 can be worn as a body cam but it doesn’t have PTZ-type stabilization like the OSMO Pocket 3, but it does offer multiple shooting modes like loop recording, slow-motion video, time-lapse photography, burst shooting and timed shooting.
Thanks to some innovative wireless video transmission technology, the C400’s handheld controller can be used separately from the camera. Users can instantly preview footage using the controller, eliminating the need to stay close to the camera. This can mean more freedom and flexibility when shooting. Even if the camera is some distance away, the controller unit can still be used to adjust details.
Seven-Hour Battery Life
The C400 includes a rechargeable battery that can provide up to 7 hours or 460 minutes of continuous shooting, which is enough power for the average days’ worth of location work. There is 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity built into the camera for high-speed transfer of photos and videos to a host device for editing.
SJCAM has also developed a dedicated app for the C400 with access to remote control shooting, precise parameter adjustments, real-time footage preview, live sharing, plus the ability to switch between the camera’s various shooting modes.
Pricing and Availability:
The SJCAM C400 vlogging camcorder is available from outlets like Amazon and comes with a range of kits with accessories, including a 30m waterproof housing, bodycam attachment and storage case. Prices start at $169.
Tech Specs:
- Image sensor: 1/2.8-inch CMOS.
- Video resolution: 4K UHD.
- Maximum focal length: 20mm.
- Zoom: 8x.
- Flash memory: microSD.
- Video format: MP4.
- Audio formats: AAC, MP3, PCM.
- Screen size: 2.29 inches.
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 5GHz.
- Video modes: Time lapse, slow motion, car mode, loop recording, pre-recording, delayed recording, motion detection and distortion correction.
- Battery: 7 hours.
- Weight: 189g.
