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I have a GoPro, and I love it. But for a pet project I also bought a cheap sub-80 euros clone off of alibaba (found the same on amazon.fr a few euros more expe

by nolok 9y ago

I have a GoPro, and I love it. But for a pet project I also bought a cheap sub-80 euros clone off of alibaba (found the same on amazon.fr a few euros more expensive), and I have to say the quality of it was good enough for most usage I actually have, and it came with equipment to attach it, take it underwater, ... To the point I realized, if I had neither now for my need that cheap one with a good sd card would be enough. There is obviously a place for GoPro as a brand but given how the bazillion smartphone camera optics produced every years helped improve the field immensely in price/quality, their attempt to capture the market while having decent margins was doomed. Most people will prefer "good enough, third of the price". At least that's how I view it.

pookeh 9y ago
Do you have a link/make-model for the alibaba alternative?
- petre 9y ago
  I have the Eken H9 Action Cam. 46$ on AliExpress. Works just fine, battery lasts for about an hour and 20 min on a full charge at room temperature. I believe the GoPro lens has better distorsion correction and image stabilization for 7x the price, but otherwise the Chinese camera is good. It splits the recordings into 30 min files. I use it as a dash cam and to record Kendo training sessions from a fixed point. There's a video review of this camera and other cheap cams on Youtube by a user named redskull.
- nolok 9y ago
  Tried searching by name and can't find the one I bought specifically but there seems to be even more clones than before in the 30-60 range (euros)
- mattlondon 9y ago
  Many are rebrands of SJCAM models (I think at least). I call them "GoFaux" or "FauxPro" :-) A year or two ago I got a 1080p one from Hobbyking for about £40 and used it when snorkelling (the waterproof case came for free). It has been great and my only complaint are the buttons on the waterproof case are a bit stiff to press. Video quality is excellent. I dont have a GoPro to compare it against, but from what I've seen on YouTube et al, it certainly seems competitive (sorry I dont have any clips online). There are many, many, many on amazon - prices vary a lot though so with 10 minutes you can usually filter out the optimistically priced items and find the sensible zone. I'd not expect to pay more than about £50 for a 4K + Wifi one
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
simook 9y ago
Those cheap chinese knock offs are made with cheap components and I have no doubts that the factory conditions are terrible. I wouldn't be suprised if the supply chain for these cheap cameras will be shutdown with China finally being serious about pollution.
- nolok 9y ago
  I don't disagree about the conditions, but if that doesn't stop people from buying their 15 bucks t-shirt or their overpriced Nike, it's not going to stop them with their cameras
  - simook 9y ago
    True, but I still bring it up because it's a conversation worth having. And if one more person starts to realize the harm in buying cheap goods from China, hopefully we will eventually change this trend. I for one try to only buy goods that are made locally to me. Sure, it will cost more but I look at it as an investment.
    - icelancer 9y ago
      >>And if one more person starts to realize the harm in buying cheap goods from China, hopefully we will eventually change this trend. Textiles and clothing are already starting to be made in India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam because Chinese factories are too expensive for simple manufacturing. Globalism ensures that "harm" will be exported from rich countries to the poor ones. The economic incentives are extremely powerful, and a handful of well-meaning people won't fix that. What happened in China - and is currently happening - is that their industrial revolution occurred and they are now making increasingly better products with an increasingly more educated and skilled workforce, no different than what happened in the United States. As prices of labor and factories go up, the low-hanging fruit is exported elsewhere. Check your - or your friend's, since you try not to buy clothing like this - Nike shirts and see where they are made. Anything new is likely not to be made in China. The cycle continues.
- DanBC 9y ago
rconti 9y ago
I've got a Hero2 or Hero3, I think. I just don't know why I'd replace it. I mean, I wouldn't mind 4k video, I suppose (assuming mine can't do it, I really don't know). But it's a toy I rarely use, and I can't fathom why they needed Hero3/Hero4/Hero5/Hero6 Silver/Black/etc editions. I know the Sessions are smaller, but even after consulting charts on the matter, I'm confused about which one would be the best replacement for what I have -- and, again, a purchase I probably wouldn't repeat for another 8 years or so.

by nolok 9y ago

pookeh 9y ago

Do you have a link/make-model for the alibaba alternative?

petre 9y ago
I have the Eken H9 Action Cam. 46$ on AliExpress. Works just fine, battery lasts for about an hour and 20 min on a full charge at room temperature. I believe the GoPro lens has better distorsion correction and image stabilization for 7x the price, but otherwise the Chinese camera is good. It splits the recordings into 30 min files. I use it as a dash cam and to record Kendo training sessions from a fixed point. There's a video review of this camera and other cheap cams on Youtube by a user named redskull.
nolok 9y ago
Tried searching by name and can't find the one I bought specifically but there seems to be even more clones than before in the 30-60 range (euros)
mattlondon 9y ago
Many are rebrands of SJCAM models (I think at least). I call them "GoFaux" or "FauxPro" :-) A year or two ago I got a 1080p one from Hobbyking for about £40 and used it when snorkelling (the waterproof case came for free). It has been great and my only complaint are the buttons on the waterproof case are a bit stiff to press. Video quality is excellent. I dont have a GoPro to compare it against, but from what I've seen on YouTube et al, it certainly seems competitive (sorry I dont have any clips online). There are many, many, many on amazon - prices vary a lot though so with 10 minutes you can usually filter out the optimistically priced items and find the sensible zone. I'd not expect to pay more than about £50 for a 4K + Wifi one
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

simook 9y ago

Those cheap chinese knock offs are made with cheap components and I have no doubts that the factory conditions are terrible. I wouldn't be suprised if the supply chain for these cheap cameras will be shutdown with China finally being serious about pollution.

nolok 9y ago
I don't disagree about the conditions, but if that doesn't stop people from buying their 15 bucks t-shirt or their overpriced Nike, it's not going to stop them with their cameras
- simook 9y ago
  True, but I still bring it up because it's a conversation worth having. And if one more person starts to realize the harm in buying cheap goods from China, hopefully we will eventually change this trend. I for one try to only buy goods that are made locally to me. Sure, it will cost more but I look at it as an investment.
  - icelancer 9y ago
    >>And if one more person starts to realize the harm in buying cheap goods from China, hopefully we will eventually change this trend. Textiles and clothing are already starting to be made in India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam because Chinese factories are too expensive for simple manufacturing. Globalism ensures that "harm" will be exported from rich countries to the poor ones. The economic incentives are extremely powerful, and a handful of well-meaning people won't fix that. What happened in China - and is currently happening - is that their industrial revolution occurred and they are now making increasingly better products with an increasingly more educated and skilled workforce, no different than what happened in the United States. As prices of labor and factories go up, the low-hanging fruit is exported elsewhere. Check your - or your friend's, since you try not to buy clothing like this - Nike shirts and see where they are made. Anything new is likely not to be made in China. The cycle continues.
DanBC 9y ago

rconti 9y ago

I've got a Hero2 or Hero3, I think. I just don't know why I'd replace it. I mean, I wouldn't mind 4k video, I suppose (assuming mine can't do it, I really don't know). But it's a toy I rarely use, and I can't fathom why they needed Hero3/Hero4/Hero5/Hero6 Silver/Black/etc editions. I know the Sessions are smaller, but even after consulting charts on the matter, I'm confused about which one would be the best replacement for what I have -- and, again, a purchase I probably wouldn't repeat for another 8 years or so.