SJCAM SJ11 Active vs SJCAM SJ20 Dual Lens
In short: The SJCAM SJ11 Active costs $40 less; the SJCAM SJ20 Dual Lens 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 SJ20 Dual Lens is not waterproof on its own at all.
| Spec | SJCAM SJ11 Active | SJCAM SJ20 Dual Lens |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$189 | ~$229 |
| Year-one cost | ~$189 | ~$229 |
| 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 | 60 |
| Max bitrate | Not published | 25 Mbps |
| 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 | f/1.3 |
| Waterproof | 5 m bare, 30 m cased | 40 m in the case only |
| Claimed runtime | Not published | Not published |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | 2 h 17 min (road.cc action camera group test) |
| Battery | Not published | Not published |
| Cold rating | — | — |
| Weight | Not published | Not published |
| Screens | 1.3-inch front + 2.33-inch rear touch | Front + rear dual 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 | 2024 |
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 SJ20 Dual Lens
- +The f/1.3 night lens is a real optical answer to low light, not noise reduction
- +Outlasted the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 by more than half an hour in a same-conditions drain test
- +Dual screens and dual batteries as standard
- +Mounts on the GoPro fingers every clamp and harness is built around
- −25 Mbps ceiling — a fifth of the flagships, and fast motion smears at it
- −4K caps at 30 fps and there is no horizon lock
- −No bare waterproofing; the 40 m case is mandatory near water
- −SJCAM publishes no battery capacity or weight