SJCAM M10 review

tsk1979

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With SJ1000 going boom(things break when handled hard you see), I needed a replacement.
Well, there is my mobious, works great, stellar community support, and stellar image quality too... But you see, that I use for a special purpose.
Primarily, timelapses, and other funky stuff.

I still needed something which can be used underwater, and used as a backup cam.
To be frank, I wanted a SJ4000, without WIFI of course, but the bulk was putting me off. The SJ1000 was also pretty heavy, and this I do not like. So, enter the SJ M10.
Same chipset, similar mounts but lighter and smaller. Not as small as the polaroid cube, but then polaroid cube costs quite a bit more.

So how is the image quality?
Well, its quite good. It has to be, its one of the best chipsets in budget cams.
Sure, it tends to underexpose a bit, but you can up the exposure a notch if that's what you want.

Anyways, here are a couple of sample videos
First we look at how it performs as a Dashcam.
I have taken 4 different scenes
First is against the sun, second is normal, third is to show the slight vibration which might creep in, but its fixable, and last but not the least, the night shot capability.

Second, we will see how it does underwater.
As you can see, the white balance is handled perfectly, so is the exposure. Why would you spend over 250$ on a camera not even as capable?

The casing held up for many days of underwater use. No leaks at all.

Other things to note
  • You get waterproof case and action mounts, no car mount or charging cable
  • A car mount can be had for 2-3$, as for charging, your cell phone micro USB charger will do fine
  • When using the non waterproof mount, insert a small strip of paper between the mount and the camera at the bottom, and all the shake will go away
  • Increase exposure by one notch if you are using it for show off videos rather than documenting your driving. It makes the image brighter and more pleasing
Time for a few pictures

DSC03317-L.jpg



The full collection of mounts and sticky tapes. There are quite a few. For your helmet or handlebars, all you need is there. For your dash, however you got to buy the windshield mount separately. Do note that there is an additional waterproof case cover with the mount.
20141224_183431-L.jpg


And last but not the least, there is the cradle mount, which you will use to mount to a tripod or a car suction cup. Good to know that this is much much better than SJ1000. Side by side comparison.

20141224_184642-L.jpg


Where to buy?
I looked at ebay first, but with a couple of reputed sellers refusing to ship to India, it was time to turn to gearbest. The price of 89$ was higher, but then coupon codes to the rescue
smile.gif

CODE:GBM10LG
That said, I got it for much cheaper because of a dispute regarding a tablet I purchased which was broken in transit. They could not refund as I did not buy shipping insurance, but gave me credit for next order and also a few special coupon codes for tablets, flashlights and lasers. But that is OT here.
SO VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!
NOTE: Buy Shipping/Freight Insurance. Its 2-4$ only but is very very useful if your item breaks in transit!!
Due to some weird reason they do not advertise that you can buy this, but before placing your order email them or contact support and tell them to add insurance to your cart!! I repeat, do this because India post really mishandles packages.

Customs Duty : Postman will collect duty(usually less than 1000rs). No need to go to customs office. Many people report no duty being levied.
 
To be frank, I wanted a SJ4000, without WIFI of course, but the bulk was putting me off. The SJ1000 was also pretty heavy, and this I do not like. So, enter the SJ M10.
Same chipset, similar mounts but lighter and smaller.

Check out Techmoan's review on his website and YouTube, M10 may be narrower than SJ4000, but it is taller and thicker, so volume wise about the same. M10 is also slightly heavier than SJ4000.
 
Check out Techmoan's review on his website and YouTube, M10 may be narrower than SJ4000, but it is taller and thicker, so volume wise about the same. M10 is also slightly heavier than SJ4000.
You are right!
But I guess the cube form factor attracted me very much. I will also try out his recommended settings!
 
Nice info here guys,

I wanted to share my own experience and review of this camera. Feel free to ask any questions or bring suggestions on the review. I would be happy to help out if someone is considering buying the cam.

 
Did anyone manage to get the motion detection work for you? My M10 could only detect about withing a 0.5 metre range. Any motion more than 0.5 metre does not activate the camera, and it is not really sensitive, does not work all the time. I am wondering if there is any firmware that could make the motion detection work better, so I can use motion detection after I parked my car. 0.5 metre range is too short.

Older model SJ1000 motion detection could even detect a much longer distance
 
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