The list of shame fake 4K cameras and CMOS size

Mtz

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We can win only if we will return back to sellers the false advertised products! More returns, more changes to win.

The golden rule: right now is not possible to buy a real 4K camera under $80.

Most of old members from this forum know how to look at cameras details to avoid a fake advertised camera, but I want this thread to help all people.
The old trick was bigger CMOS size, for example 12-16-20MP instead of real 2-4MP, but starting from 2015 a lot of cameras are advertised as 4K resolution. Most of the sellers are using the 4K in product names just for selling purposes and most of them are excusing their false information because of manufacturers

People are invited to report all cameras with false specifications, even is only in stores product name.

How they lie:

1. Fake 4K "video-picture". The recorded resolution is 3840x2160 but the video is obtained by 10 or 15 consecutive photos/second and by adding a PCM audio so you will watch a picture slideshow with sound. The quality is much much worse than next category, fake 4K resized.
Usually these cameras price is about $60 and overall quality is bad, no firmware support, avoid these cameras because their goal is low price.

Eken H9 4K original video download, thanks to @Pavle .
After analyzing the video with Mediainfo people should know that the video is obtained from JPEG pictures, there is no video codec used to create a Heken H9 „video”.
The FPS is low because the chipset can not create at least 24 JPEG consecutive pictures in one second.
So when you are watching a Eken H9 4K video in fact you are looking at a very fast pictures slideshow with audio. They are using this trick because chipset and/or image sensor is not supporting 4K video.

Here is a part of mediainfo information and with italic font I wrote my comments:

Video
Format : JPEG - picture, not video ( here must be AVC or HEVC for a 4K video)
Codec ID : jpeg - picture, not video (here must be something like avc1 or hvc1 for a 4K video
Bit rate : 49.1 Mbps (50mbps for such poor quality is wased space)
Width : 3 840 pixels (OK)
Height : 2 160 pixels (OK)
Original height : 4 320 pixels (original height captured by sensor but downsized to 2160 to match 4K resolution and obtain 16:9 aspect ratio)
Display aspect ratio : 16:9 (OK)
Frame rate : 10.000 fps (real 4K should be over 24fps)

Do you think that a real 4K is looking so bad?

Fake 4K video Eken H9 original screenshot.jpg

2. Fake 4K resized. The recorded resolution is 2880x2160 which means real 3K, but the camera is advertised as 4K just because the 2880 is interpolated by the player to 3840 resulting in 3840x2160 which match 4K. For example SJCam SJ5000X is advertised in product name titles on all online stores as 4K even on their gift box, but somewhere on a page is wrote that their 4K is interpolated.
Usually these cameras price is over $100 and overall quality can be good, search for people feedback before buy.

A 4K video recorded with SJ5000X analyzed by Mediainfo is showing:

Video
Format : AVC (OK)
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec (OK)
Codec ID : avc1 (OK)
Width : 2 880 pixels (OK)
Height : 2 160 (OK)
Display aspect ratio : 16:9 (Here is the trick: when a player see the 16:9 aspect ratio it will override the real 4:3 recorded resolution of 2880x2160 and will resize the 2880 to 3840 just to obtain the correct 16:9 aspect ratio)

SJ5000x fake.jpg

3. 4K cameras with not 4K sensors. There are 4K cameras which can record at 3840x2160 but with 4MP sensors which are not capable to offer 3840x2160 video. For example the OV4689 CMOS which have 2688x1520 active pixels, smaller than 3840x2160.

4. Fake CMOS size, this is already an old trick. Here is easy: if for example the camera is taking 12MP photos resized from real 4MP CMOS, the cameras CMOS is advertised as 12MP. For example
SJCam M10+ is advertised as 12MP even the sensor size is 4MP and at least one member of our forum is returning it because of false specifications. Everybody should do the same because now the laws are better for buyers.

Sj4000+ fake.jpg

5. Fake SONY CMOS advertised, which is usually the IMX117 used by GoPro. Instead of a cheap camera with Sony IMX117 CMOS you will pay for Omnivision OV4689 CMOS which is not bad, it is good for a chinese sensor, but is not a SONY.

SONY IMX117 camera made in China.jpg

7. Fake chipset: they can pretend or even print another name on original chipset.
For example the mysterious A12 chipset used in XiaoMi dashcam which in reality is the NT96660. Yi used the A12 code trying to make people believe they are using the Ambarella A12 chipset which is used by GoPro.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
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The list of shame 4K cameras:

1. Fake 4K "video-picture":
Eken H9 4K
H2 Ultra HD 4K (also fake 16MP CMOS size instead of 4MP)
X9000 4K (also fake 16MP CMOS size instead of 4MP)

2. Fake 4K resized:
SJCam SJ5000X 4K
SJCAM SJ6 LEGEND 4K
Ele Explorer PRO 4K
Eken H8R the 4K 30FPS is just 15FPS, 2.7K 30FPS is just 15FPS
Firefly 6S
2b. Fake SuperHD resized:
XiaoMi Yi dashcam, or XiaoYi dash cam or Yi dash camera which have 1296p interpolated from 1080p

3. 4K cameras with not 4K sensors.

Elephone ELE Explorer 4K (OV4689), also CMOS size 12MP instead of 4MP, the 4K is just 15FPS
F60 4K (OV4689), also CMOS size 16MP instead of 4MP, the 4K is just 15FPS
Q3H 4K (OV4689), also CMOS size 16MP instead of 4MP, the 4K is just 15FPS
Amkov AMK7000S 4K (OV4689), the 4K is just 15FPS

4. Fake CMOS size:

SJCam SJ4000+ (12MP instead of real 4MP)
SJCam M10+ (12MP instead of real 4MP

5. Fake SONY CMOS: All no-name cameras advertised with a SONY IMX117 CMOS are fake, for example:
M20 4K

6. The CMOS list of not capable for real 4K but used in some fake 4K cameras:
OV4689
AR0330
IMX078
IMX206

7. Fake chipset:

A12 chipset (like Ambarella A12 from GoPro) which in reality is the NT96660: XiaoMi Yi dashcam, or XiaoYi dash cam or Yi dash camera chipset.

8. The list of chipsets not able to offer at least true 4K/24FPS but used in some 4K cameras:

Sunplus 6350 (just 10FPS)
Allwinner V3 (just 15FPS)
NT96660 (24FPS but only 2880x2160). The best chipset from this list.

Of course, the chipset and CMOS manufactures are not involved in any way with the fake 4K manufacturers.

This list will be updated with your reports.

enjoy,
Mtz
 
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The list of shame and explanation preceding it are a big help to me. I continue to struggle with understanding technical specifications and manufacturers' claims. Thanks also to DCT member niko for referring me. As always thanks to Pavle as well. :):):)
 
The list of shame and explanation preceding it are a big help to me. I continue to struggle with understanding technical specifications and manufacturers' claims. Thanks also to DCT member niko for referring me. As always thanks to Pavle as well. :):):)

No problem !
... and thanks to @Mtz for his work on this thread ;)
 
It's a bit like when the Full HD cameras appeared. There were (and still are) a lot of 720p cameras advertised as being Full HD. :confused:
 
that goes well with the usual tactic, the fake processor, I know of at least 3 brands that screenprint different brand names on the processors they use
Don't you sometimes feel a little "unethical" when you disclose all this inside information? Not that I'm complaining or anything! :D
 
Don't you sometimes feel a little "unethical" when you disclose all this inside information?

not really, I do feel there is an oversupply of unethical people dealing in this product category though
 
there's the other one which is popular also, claiming made in Taiwan, made in Korea etc when it's actually made in China, plenty of that happening also
 
I am sure you know a lot of bad things from China manufacturers but you are not specific, not giving names, just because you are a gentleman. We can speak generally, I think is not a problem.

BTW, do you think that is possible that some big manufacturer wanted to erase the Novatek name from some chipset and print Ambarella (A12?) instead of it?

enjoy,
Mtz
 
I am sure you know a lot of bad things from China manufacturers but you are not specific, not giving names, just because you are a gentleman. We can speak generally, I think is not a problem.

BTW, do you think that is possible that some big manufacturer wanted to erase the Novatek name from some chipset and print Ambarella (A12?) instead of it?

enjoy,
Mtz

really they can print what they like, I have seen non Ambarella chipsets printed with Ambarella logo already, often they make new brand altogether
 
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Are there any real ones @Mtz?

My Galaxy S6 shoots 4k video and it's actually quite nice quality on a 4k TV - better than I expected from a phone anyway!

I'm testing the SJ5000X Elite next week - just waiting on some nice weather first!
 
Are there any real ones @Mtz?

My Galaxy S6 shoots 4k video and it's actually quite nice quality on a 4k TV - better than I expected from a phone anyway!
GoPro have one that can manage 30fps in 4K, but after using the Git2 with Gyro at 60fps I wouldn't be very happy with only 30 or 24fps any more! Much rather have 1080 HD at 60fps, and GoPro don't have a gyro.


I'm testing the SJ5000X Elite next week - just waiting on some nice weather first!
I was using the SJ5000X Elite today, its dashcam frame disintegrated when I went over a bump! The thin hard plastic around the brass thread looks like it has shattered.
 
Ouch - I've got to admit not tried it yet but that doesn't sound good if it's shattered like that!

I picked up a 4k TV at Christmas and noticed that they really show up bad sources - some of the Ultra HD stuff on Netflix is more noise than detail and makes me wonder if they're using cheap cameras at times. Good Ultra HD looks amazing but bad Ultra HD is awful.
 
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