OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Action cameras Methodology v3.0
Action cameras Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Action cameras Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Action cameras Methodology v3.0

SJCAM SJ4000 Air review: 92 specs compared

Avg. price:~£60Video resolution:4KBattery life:90 minWaterproof depth:0 mElectronic image stabilization:yesMaximum 4K frame rate:30 fps

SJCAM SJ4000 Air Review: Compare 92 technical specifications and 2 expert and video reviews to see how this product ranks in the Action cameras category and whether it is worth buying.

SJCAM SJ4000 Air
6.5/10

Overall score

Score
6.5/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, best-of lists, expert reviews and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 35%, List score 30%, Reviews score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 69% of models
Score components

35%

6.2

Technical score

30%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

25%

6.2

Reviews score

10%

5.4

Sentiment score

▼Worse than 69% of action cameras
7.6

Value for money

Value for money
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the action camera's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you want to know how much overall quality you get for the price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 54% of models
Score components

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

▼Worse than 54%
6.2

Technical score

Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 35% of the overall score.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▲ Better than 53% of models
Score components

30%

6.7

Video

22%

6.9

Photo

14%

5.2

Ruggedness & Storage

13%

4.9

Battery

11%

5.7

Connectivity & Audio

10%

6.8

Display & Design

▲Better than 53%
6.2

Reviews score

Reviews score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.4 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 68% of models

6.2

Mark 7.1 is below the typical mark 7.9 of this category, so it cannot lift the score above the technical score

80%

7.5

Average grade

20%

5.7

Popularity

Grades by review (2)
2 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
▼Worse than 68%
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 30% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.

What owners say about the SJCAM SJ4000 Air

Based on 90 owners sharing their experience in online comments

12%positive12%mixed76%negative

Owners appreciate the low price and usable footage, but recording failures and poor audio make it a frustrating buy.

What owners dislike

  • Recordings often freeze or lag after a few minutes, or fail to play back properly, and some owners report black files.13
  • Owners say videos look soft, fuzzy and blurry at all resolutions, especially distant objects, so footage is disappointing.11
  • Owners report no sound or muffled, noisy audio in recordings, with some finding the audio fails to reach software like OBS.10
  • Recordings keep stopping and starting, often after about 2 to 15 minutes, so continuous recording is hard to get.7
  • Some owners cannot connect the camera to the phone app, getting device errors or no display, and say the official app does not work.6
  • The camera has no external microphone port, so owners who want better sound cannot connect a separate mic.5
  • Earlier recordings disappear or get overwritten when a new video starts, and owners cannot keep their old files.3
  • Owners say the camera does not recognise some cards, such as 64GB or 128GB ones, and needs formatting, which shrinks capacity.3
  • Owners say footage shakes noticeably, and the advertised image stabilisation does not work in practice.3
  • Green lines appear in dark footage, mostly at 1080p, while 720p120 avoids them but looks blurry.3

Points mentioned by at least 3 owners, most mentioned first.

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Technical Specifications of action camera SJCAM SJ4000 Air

Technical score
Technical score
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 35% of the overall score.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▲ Better than 53% of models
Score components:

30%

6.7

Video

22%

6.9

Photo

14%

5.2

Ruggedness & Storage

13%

4.9

Battery

11%

5.7

Connectivity & Audio

10%

6.8

Display & Design

6.2
Reviews score
6.2
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the action camera's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you want to know how much overall quality you get for the price.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
▼ Worse than 54% of models
Score components:

70%

6.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.6
Video resolution
4K
This action camera records video at 4K, which is higher than that of 30% of action cameras.
Maximum 4K frame rate
30 fps
Market range: <0 fps – >120 fps
This action camera has a maximum 4K frame rate of 30 fps, which is higher than that of 33% of action cameras and equal to that of 31% of action cameras.
Maximum 1080p frame rate
60 fps
Market range: <30 fps – >240 fps
This action camera has a maximum 1080p frame rate of 60 fps, which is higher than that of 20.9% of action cameras and equal to that of 33.7% of action cameras.
Video bitrate
15 Mbps
Market range: <19 Mbps – >130 Mbps
This action camera has a video bitrate of 15 Mbps, which is lower than that of 92.7% of action cameras and equal to that of 3.7% of action cameras.
Video codecs
H.264
This action camera supports the following video codecs: H.264. Its codec support is more advanced than that of 2.6% of action cameras.
Show more
Photo resolution
16 MP
Market range: <8 MP – >40 MP
This action camera has a main camera resolution of 16 MP, which is higher than that of 52% of action cameras and equal to that of 6.8% of action cameras.
Sensor size
?
Main camera aperture
f/2 f
This action camera has a main camera aperture of f/2, which is wider than that of 68.5% of action cameras and equal to that of 23.1% of action cameras.
Field of view
170 °
Market range: <128 ° – >360 °
This action camera captures a 170 ° field of view, which is wider than 46.9% of Action cameras and equal to 39.5% of Action cameras.
Adjustable field of view
?
Show more
Built-in display
yes
This action camera has a built-in display. 21.9% of Action cameras offer this.
Screen size
2 inch
Market range: <0 inch – >2.5 inch
This action camera has a 2 inch screen, which is larger than the screens on 29.2% of action cameras and the same size as the screens on 41% of action cameras.
Touchscreen
yes
This action camera includes a touchscreen. This feature is present on 64.6% of action cameras.
Secondary screen
no
This action camera does not have a secondary screen. 26.3% of action cameras have a secondary screen.
Flip-out screen
no
This action camera does not have a fully articulated screen. 2.9% of action cameras have a fully articulated screen.
Show more
Wi-Fi connectivity
yes
This action camera supports Wi-Fi connectivity. This feature is present on 93.4% of action cameras.
Bluetooth version
?
GPS
?
USB Type-C
no
This action camera does not include USB Type-C. 47.5% of action cameras use USB-C.
USB version
?
Show more
Battery life
90 min
Market range: <60 min – >162 min
This action camera runs for 90 min per charge, which is shorter than the battery life of 51% of action cameras and equal to the battery life of 19.5% of action cameras.
Battery power
900 mAh
Market range: <700 mAh – >1.9k mAh
This action camera has a battery capacity of 900 mAh, which is lower than that of 81.5% of action cameras and equal to that of 4.9% of action cameras.
Charging time
3 h
Market range: <0.95 h – >3.5 h
This action camera charges in 3 h, which is longer than the charging time of 75% of action cameras and equal to the charging time of 14.3% of action cameras.
Fast charging
?
Wireless charging
no
This action camera does not support wireless charging. 0.5% of action cameras support wireless charging.
Show more
Waterproof depth
Not waterproof m
This action camera is not rated for underwater use. 47.9% of cameras have a native waterproof depth rating.
IP rating
?
Maximum operating temperature
?
Minimum operating temperature
?
External memory slot
yes
This action camera includes an external memory slot. This feature is present on 95.8% of action cameras.
Show more

SJCAM SJ4000 Air vs the average action camera

246810TotalVideoPhotoDisplay & DesignConnectivity & AudioBatteryRuggedness & Storage
  • 0.5 f wider main aperture
    This action camera has a lower main camera aperture than the average action camera (2 f vs 2.5 f). The average action camera main camera aperture is 2.5 f.
    2 f vs 2.5 f
  • 40.8% lighter
    This action camera is lighter than the average action camera (58 g vs 98 g). The average action camera weighs 98 g.
    58 g vs 98 g
  • 3x cheaper
    SJCAM SJ4000 Air is cheaper than the average action camera (£60 vs £180).
    £60 vs £180
  • 3 years newer release date
    This action camera is newer than the average action camera (2022 vs 2019). The average action camera was released in 2019.
    2022 vs 2019
  • 4 mm shorter
    This action camera is shorter than the average action camera (41 mm vs 45 mm). The average action camera has a height of 45 mm.
    41 mm vs 45 mm
  • 1.5 MP higher main-camera resolution
    This action camera has a higher main action camera resolution than the average action camera (16 MP vs 14.5 MP). The average action camera has a resolution of 14.5 MP.
    16 MP vs 14.5 MP
  • 3x cheaper
    SJCAM SJ4000 Air is cheaper than the average action camera (£60 vs £180).
    £60 vs £180
  • 3 years newer release date
    This action camera is newer than the average action camera (2022 vs 2019). The average action camera was released in 2019.
    2022 vs 2019
  • 0.5 f wider main aperture
    This action camera has a lower main camera aperture than the average action camera (2 f vs 2.5 f). The average action camera main camera aperture is 2.5 f.
    2 f vs 2.5 f
  • 1.5 MP higher main-camera resolution
    This action camera has a higher main action camera resolution than the average action camera (16 MP vs 14.5 MP). The average action camera has a resolution of 14.5 MP.
    16 MP vs 14.5 MP
  • 40.8% lighter
    This action camera is lighter than the average action camera (58 g vs 98 g). The average action camera weighs 98 g.
    58 g vs 98 g
  • 4 mm shorter
    This action camera is shorter than the average action camera (41 mm vs 45 mm). The average action camera has a height of 45 mm.
    41 mm vs 45 mm
  • 75% lower video bitrate
    This action camera has a lower video bitrate than the average action camera (15 Mbps vs 60 Mbps). The average action camera has a video bitrate of 60 Mbps.
    15 Mbps vs 60 Mbps
  • 300 mAh less battery capacity
    This action camera has a lower battery capacity than the average action camera (900 mAh vs 1,200 mAh). The average action camera has a battery capacity of 1,200 mAh.
    900 mAh vs 1,200 mAh
  • 1 h longer charging time
    This action camera has a higher charging time than the average action camera (3 h vs 2 h). The average action camera takes 2 h to charge.
    3 h vs 2 h
  • 12.7% lower review score
    Reviews score
    6.2/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
    How we count it
    Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
    Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
    Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.4 for now.
    Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    Score distribution
    ▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    ▼ Worse than 68% of models

    6.2

    Mark 7.1 is below the typical mark 7.9 of this category, so it cannot lift the score above the technical score

    80%

    7.5

    Average grade

    20%

    5.7

    Popularity

    Grades by review (2)
    2 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
    6.2 vs 7.1
  • No remote control support
    This action camera offers weaker remote control support than the average action camera (no vs accessory).
  • 27.0% lower sentiment score
    5.4 vs 7.4
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This action camera has fewer microphones than the average action camera (1 vs 2). The average action camera has 2 microphones.
    1 vs 2
  • 5 min shorter battery life
    This action camera has shorter battery life than the average action camera (90 min vs 95 min). The average action camera offers 95 min of battery life.
    90 min vs 95 min
  • 12.7% lower review score
    Reviews score
    6.2/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
    How we count it
    Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
    Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
    Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.4 for now.
    Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    Score distribution
    ▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    ▼ Worse than 68% of models

    6.2

    Mark 7.1 is below the typical mark 7.9 of this category, so it cannot lift the score above the technical score

    80%

    7.5

    Average grade

    20%

    5.7

    Popularity

    Grades by review (2)
    2 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
    6.2 vs 7.1
  • 27.0% lower sentiment score
    5.4 vs 7.4
  • 75% lower video bitrate
    This action camera has a lower video bitrate than the average action camera (15 Mbps vs 60 Mbps). The average action camera has a video bitrate of 60 Mbps.
    15 Mbps vs 60 Mbps
  • No remote control support
    This action camera offers weaker remote control support than the average action camera (no vs accessory).
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This action camera has fewer microphones than the average action camera (1 vs 2). The average action camera has 2 microphones.
    1 vs 2
  • 300 mAh less battery capacity
    This action camera has a lower battery capacity than the average action camera (900 mAh vs 1,200 mAh). The average action camera has a battery capacity of 1,200 mAh.
    900 mAh vs 1,200 mAh
  • 1 h longer charging time
    This action camera has a higher charging time than the average action camera (3 h vs 2 h). The average action camera takes 2 h to charge.
    3 h vs 2 h
  • 5 min shorter battery life
    This action camera has shorter battery life than the average action camera (90 min vs 95 min). The average action camera offers 95 min of battery life.
    90 min vs 95 min
  • 96 GB smaller microSD limit
    This action camera has a lower maximum microSD capacity than the average action camera (32 GB vs 128 GB). The average action camera supports microSD cards up to 128 GB.
    32 GB vs 128 GB

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

7.0
Ed De Asis
≈ estimated
11/08/2021
Hands-on review · vlog, dashcam and wide-angle tests
Verdict
SJCAM SJ4000 Air's footage looked better than expected in vlog, dashcam and wide-angle tests.
5.0
FunElectronicsToday
≈ estimated
15/01/2020
Hands-on test · low light, slow motion and in-flight footage
Verdict
SJCAM SJ4000 Air left us wanting more; it is only usable when its footage is mixed with other cameras.
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Not graded
Overview video
Hands-on video, no verdict
Not graded yet

Third-party reviews

What customers like about SJCAM SJ4000 Air

  • At 58 g it is easy to clip on a helmet or bike.
  • The 170 ° lens covers a lot of the scene.
  • It records 4K at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 fps.
  • Wi-Fi lets you control it from a smartphone.
  • It works as a dashcam.
  • The touchscreen is easy to use.

What customers don't like about SJCAM SJ4000 Air

  • The 900 mAh battery gives only 90 min of recording.
  • Storage is capped at a 32 GB microSD card.
  • There is no microphone input, and built-in audio is unreliable.
  • Indoor footage gets dark and pixelated when ISO rises.
  • Waterproof depth is 0 m, so it should stay out of water.

Verdict

Its 58 g body and 170 ° lens make the SJCAM SJ4000 Air a simple first action camera. It records 4K at 30 fps and 1080p at 60 fps, and the picture looks best in plain daylight. It works as a dashcam, and the wide 170 ° view covers much of the road. The trade-off is power: the 900 mAh battery gives 90 min, and charging takes 3 h. Storage is capped at 32 GB, so a larger card will not help, and the 15 Mbps bitrate is modest for 4K. Vlog footage looks better than expected, and the 2 inch touchscreen is quick and easy to use. It suits someone who wants a light, simple camera for daylight and does not need clean sound.

Compare SJCAM SJ4000 Air with other products in the Action cameras category

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Graphic comparison of SJCAM SJ4000 Air and other products in the Action cameras category

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