SJCAM SJ11 Active vs SJCAM C300
In short: The SJCAM C300 costs $30 less; the SJCAM C300 collects light over 28 mm² against 18, which is 1.6× the area; the SJCAM SJ11 Active is waterproof to 5 m bare and the SJCAM C300 is not waterproof on its own at all.
| Spec | SJCAM SJ11 Active | SJCAM C300 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$189 | ~$159 |
| Year-one cost | ~$189 | ~$159 |
| Type | Budget action | Budget action |
| Sensor size | 1/2.8-inch | 1/2.3-inch |
| Sensor area | 18 mm² | 28 mm² |
| Max resolution | 4K @ 30fps | 4K @ 30fps |
| Reframed resolution | n/a — already flat | n/a — already flat |
| Max fps at 4K | 30 | 30 |
| Max fps at 1080p | 120 | 120 |
| Max bitrate | Not published | Not published |
| Colour depth | Not published | Not published |
| Log profile | None | None |
| Stabilisation | 6-axis gyro EIS | 6-axis gyro EIS |
| Horizon lock | None | None |
| Aperture | Not published | Not published |
| Waterproof | 5 m bare, 30 m cased | 30 m in the case only |
| Claimed runtime | Not published | 6 h at with the 2800 mAh battery grip attached |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | Not published | 1000 mAh |
| Cold rating | — | — |
| Weight | Not published | Not published |
| Screens | 1.3-inch front + 2.33-inch rear touch | Dual touch screens |
| Mount | GoPro folding fingers | GoPro folding fingers |
| Replaceable lenses | No | No |
| GPS | No | No |
| Voice control | No | No |
| Storage | microSD | microSD |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Released | 2023 | 2023 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
SJCAM SJ11 Active
- +5 m of bare waterproofing, which several pricier budget cameras do not offer
- +Dual screens make framing to camera possible
- +Named Sony sensor and Novatek processor rather than an unspecified chipset
- +GoPro folding fingers rather than a proprietary shoe
- −Smallest sensor in the catalogue at roughly 18 mm²
- −The 20 MP figure is interpolated, not a native sensor readout
- −No horizon lock, and 4K caps at 30 fps
- −SJCAM publishes no battery capacity, weight or runtime for it
- −The 5 m bare rating is the shallowest of any camera here that has one at all
SJCAM C300
- +Six hours of 4K30 recording with the grip is a genuine all-day figure
- +Pocket format clips to a pocket or lapel where a GoPro shape will not
- +Dual screens at $159
- +Six-axis gyro stabilisation rather than software-only smoothing
- −No bare waterproofing; the case is required
- −4K30 only and no horizon lock
- −The body shape does not suit helmet or handlebar mounting
- −SJCAM publishes no weight or bitrate for it