The list of shame fake 4K cameras and CMOS size

[JooVuu]

As a pretty good standard rule of thumb...anything with 1080p 60fps CANNOT do real 4k at 30fps. The sensors just aren't powerful enough.

 

[Sam Bartle]

Finally, I had to order another camera from EU. My decision was the cheapest fake 4K I found, and I guess it will have an acceptable HD video (that is my primary need). So I ended up in a Andoer 4K for £35 (around 45euro). Chipset and sensor: UNKNOWN.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262442218997

I have the Andoer '4K'.. It's a nice camera for that price (I Paid the same), the quality is ok..

It actually records what it calls 4K at 30FPS even though all the listings say 25..

It uses the XDV application for the WiFi control.

MediaInfo reports:
Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Codec ID : avc1
Width : 3 264 pixels
Height : 1 836
Display aspect ratio : 16:9

I'm not sure how it achieves that and what cheat mode it uses.. It may even just be upscaling 1080P internally.. It claims to have a 16MP sensor.. but again.. I havent got any way to check that, so it could just be printed on the box!

 

[gretl4]

I have the Andoer '4K'.. It's a nice camera for that price (I Paid the same), the quality is ok..

It actually records what it calls 4K at 30FPS even though all the listings say 25..

It uses the XDV application for the WiFi control.

MediaInfo reports:
Video
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Codec ID : avc1
Width : 3 264 pixels
Height : 1 836
Display aspect ratio : 16:9

I'm not sure how it achieves that and what cheat mode it uses.. It may even just be upscaling 1080P internally.. It claims to have a 16MP sensor.. but again.. I havent got any way to check that, so it could just be printed on the box!

There is a video comparing it to a 1080p gopro and it definitely looks to be above 1080p even though it has a narrower angle of view.

I can't find anything about the internals online, not even the manual and the only seller appears to be TomTop. A couple of places say that the audio is out of sync too.

£35 for an above 1080p action cam is a bargain if it lasts.

 

[Franz]

What about Excelvan cameras?
Has anyone tested one of those cameras, e.g. Excelvan Pro Cam 4K?

 

[TechTronic9000]

What about Excelvan cameras?
Has anyone tested one of those cameras, e.g. Excelvan Pro Cam 4K?

Looks like a copy of a fake copy of a fake 4K camera

 

[DrekiTech]

Saw this one on Gearbest today. Don't know if it's been mentioned yet. Pretty looking camera, but Fake 4K.

AT300

Also interpolates from 12MP to 20MP. I feel like it would sell better if the company listed it as 12MP Sony Sensor instead of going overkill with the upscaling...

 

[Pytha]

Some people think:
This world consists of TWO parts - FAKE cameras and NON-FAKE cameras!
Let's build two religions and fight!

Die or not die ... buy or not buy!

Buuuut: do not buy the fake of a fake of a fake of a fake camera!

 

[Gibson99]

Hey, you ain't can't not fool me with your quintuple negative contradictory statements!

 

[Franz]

Some people think:
This world consists of TWO parts - FAKE cameras and NON-FAKE cameras!
Let's build two religions and fight!

Die or not die ... buy or not buy!

Buuuut: do not buy the fake of a fake of a fake of a fake camera!

I 100% agree that cameras are in two groups: fake and not-fake.
But I noticed that within these groups there's a ranking: some not-fake cameras are better than some other not-fake cameras and some fake cameras are really low level compared with some other fake cameras.
When a fake camera has a 12MP Sony sensor and the same chipset of a not-fake (8MP sensor) camera , why its (video) quality should be worse?

 

[Pytha]

Video quality depends on CPU too. But for these small cameras video quality is full okay.
If you want better quality buy a Lumix camera or so ...

Nobody can say if 4K is NOFAKE ... often intern videos are pushed up to 4K ... haha ... and camera
is 3x more expensive.

 

[TeriTerryTarry]

Are these definitions correct?

2K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution measuring approximately 2,000 pixels horizontally. The only formal industry standard definition is the one offered by the Digital Cinema Initiative. They define 2K as 2048 x 1080 at a frame rate of 24fps or 48fps.

2.7K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution measuring approximately 2,7000 pixels horizontally.

4K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels horizontally. There are two formal industry standard definitions for 4K and both include a frame rate requirement. The Consumer Technology Association has branded their definition 4K Ultra HD. It calls for 3840 x 2160 resolution at a minimum 24fps frame rate. The Digital Cinema Initiative 4k is 4096 x 2160 at a frame rate of 24fps.

 

[Nigel]

Are these definitions correct?

2K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution measuring approximately 2,000 pixels horizontally. The only formal industry standard definition is the one offered by the Digital Cinema Initiative. They define 2K as 2048 x 1080 at a frame rate of 24fps or 48fps.

2.7K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution measuring approximately 2,7000 pixels horizontally.

4K - a generic term for video recordings and TV's/monitors with a resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels horizontally. There are two formal industry standard definitions for 4K and both include a frame rate requirement. The Consumer Technology Association has branded their definition 4K Ultra HD. It calls for 3840 x 2160 resolution at a minimum 24fps frame rate. The Digital Cinema Initiative 4k is 4096 x 2160 at a frame rate of 24fps.

First you should split them into the TV aspect ratio of 16:9 which is also used by most computer monitors and cinema aspect ratios which are normally wider and defined by different standards.

For action cameras we are normally only interested in 16:9 aspect ratio and for that we have:

Ultra HD resolution @ 3840 x 2160 also known as 4K.
Full HD resolution @ 1920 x 1080 also known as FHD.
HD resolution @ 1280 x 720.

plus there are some unofficial ones including:
2.7K resolution @ 2704 x 1524
2K resolution.

2K was originally around 2000 pixels horizontal which would include 1080 FHD but has come to mean something around half the pixels of 4K, typically it is now used for 2560 x 1440 and never used for 1080.

Also there is an 8K UHD standard @ 7680×4320 but currently no action cameras have 48 megapixel sensors so there is no need to worry about that!

 

[Gibson99]

Also there is an 8K UHD standard @ 7680×4320 but currently no action cameras have 48 megapixel sensors so there is no need to worry about that!

don't worry. SOME stupid company will slap an 8k (or even 16k!) label on their camera, sell it for $75 and then disappear from the market while they go swim in a vault full of gold coins. it will use an allwinner processor and if we're lucky, an ar0330 sensor, and will produce video files at an actual resolution of 1280x720@30fps, but it'll have a TINY time/date stamp to make it SEEM higher resolution.

before you go laughing saying nobody would do that... well, ,my old F70 dashcam does that. it has 3 resolution settings: VGA, 720p and 1080p. VGA and 720p really do produce files at the correct resolutions - 640x480 and 1280x720. but 1080p produces files that are also 1280x720, but with a smaller timestamp to make it LOOK like it's higher resolution. the irony is that the "1080p" files are recorded at a lower bitrate than the 720p files, so they're smaller there, too!

 

[wingzero]

the action cam X9000 4K maybe is not a real 4k cam but the others resolutions are ok? well for that price

 

[Nigel]

the action cam X9000 4K maybe is not a real 4k cam but the others resolutions are ok? well for that price

"OV4689 image sensor" - decent sensor for the price, but it is only 4MP so definitely isn't a 4K camera, that needs a 12MP sensor.
"Battery Capacity : 750mAh, Working time: 45 minutes at 1080P 30fps" = so is that only 30 minutes at 1080 60fps, or does it not do 1080 60fps?
"Video Resolution : 2.7K (3264 x 2448), 720P (1280 x 720), 1080P (1920 x 1080) " - what happened to the 4K

It's not going to be a great video camera and the photos will be pretty poor, but it is a decent sensor so FHD video may be OK for the price.

 

[action camera]

thanks for sample clips

 

[wingzero]

"OV4689 image sensor" - decent sensor for the price, but it is only 4MP so definitely isn't a 4K camera, that needs a 12MP sensor.
"Battery Capacity : 750mAh, Working time: 45 minutes at 1080P 30fps" = so is that only 30 minutes at 1080 60fps, or does it not do 1080 60fps?
"Video Resolution : 2.7K (3264 x 2448), 720P (1280 x 720), 1080P (1920 x 1080) " - what happened to the 4K

It's not going to be a great video camera and the photos will be pretty poor, but it is a decent sensor so FHD video may be OK for the price.

finally bougth the sj5000 wi fi maybe in the future will buy a 4k camera

 

[thegamut]

I've been looking for a cheap camera to put under my car to figure out a problem.
Ended up getting a camera claiming to be an SJ9000 for ~$60 USD.

Retail packaging looks like many others. UPC (and vendor) claims camera is Q3H-2 and some seller has stuck a different sticker over it.

The camera itself has no LED/IR. Claims 4K ultraHD 30FPS on the face with an Eyoyo (wtf?!) logo where those should be.

So far:
Sensor appears to be OV4689. Encoder/CPU claims to be Allwinner V3.
HDMI port turns off the screen but I get no video out.
Wifi is still untested but appears to fire up.
No manual ISO controls. NO 4M setting, only 5M... pics are bad.
Can't turn off the beep sounds.
Time will probably reset when battery is pulled.

Resolutions
4k - Interpolated, I'll see what is up with it.
2k - Matches OV4689 100% (Proving the sensor?)
1080P60 - It appears real but drops and doubles some frames
1080P30 - Real of course
720P120 - Videos are 30FPS, I really can't tell exact frame rate
720P30/60 - to be tested

Why is the sound bad?
The audio is 8000khz sample rate and 15kbs(!!), like a children's toy or cans + string


The manufacturer?
The camera firmware omits the manufacturer. Version is 20160505V03
I don't know who Eyoyo is but the camera drops some hints inside exif.

Maker is: HDKing
Model is: Q3H

The encoder might be real, sadly as its not the best.
This photo is taken by AllWinner's v3-sdv

So who is HDKing? They claim to be a manufacturer. Hopefully they are cool. I'd like to hack at this camera like the Xiaomi Yi.
Don't know why they didn't utilize the higher FPS of the sensor... I'd rather have 120FPS 1080P or 180fps 720P than the fake 4k.

On another note, I don't see anyone post motion tests to verify frames : http://www.testufo.com
If you have a 60hz monitor, obv that is your limit. 120 or 240 people can probably spot fakery at higher FPS.

Update:
After testing found out a few more things.
Sharpening/Noise removal + saturation is really excessive.
Comparing 720P webcam mode says its not the sensor. 1080P is over smoothed +saturated, 2k is over sharpened. Detail at far distances is hilarious.

The camera records in 15 minute blocks... at least it auto restarts recording. The wifi app can disconnect while recording but appear to still work while the camera goes to sleep. Of course the preview video doesn't move.

2.7K + 4K both fake? They have the same "look".

From: https://github.com/0x09/resdet

./resdet 2k.jpg
given: 2688x1520
best guess: 2016x1330
all width height
2016 (67.61%) 1330 (67.60%)
2352 (65.06%) 1140 (61.68%)

then again... take it with a grain of salt because

./resdet 4k.png
given: 3264x1836
best guess: 3264x1836 (not upsampled)

Allwinner cannot input >1080P image? But somehow encodes 2/4k? AllLoser?

 

[action camera]

 

[VouJa]

Hi !
Is this a Fake?? ( 2 print screens in attach )

Tks