Soocoo S60 Camera: reviews

What if the action camera is not GoPro? What if this is one of hundreds of cheaper and easily accessible fakes that have flooded the market on the rise of the popularity of any wide-angle optics mounted anywhere? An example is the SooCoo S60. This is a waterproof high-definition action camera, the price of which does not exceed a quarter of the cost of GoPro. Comes with a good set of fasteners and remote control, which can be worn on the wrist.

SooCoo S60: Functional Overview

This wide-angle action camera is also called sporting, and it may even be tempting to call it a car registrar, given the current popularity of such devices. It is similar to GoPro, with the only exception that it looks not so beautiful and has several design flaws, which sin all the cheaper versions of successful products.

S60 at a price of 99 US dollars - this is not the cheapest device on the market. On Amazon you can buy ultra-budget action cameras for only $ 40, but they should not be expected to have remote control over Wi-Fi, reliable waterproofing or personnel worthy of participation in advertising Red Bull.

The SooCoo S60 differs from other GoPro simulations in that it comes with a wrist-mounted control panel that allows you to start and stop recording over a Wi-Fi connection. The device is waterproof to 60 m, and the manufacturer even claims that the remote control continues to work at this depth. But who will check this?

Another feature that represents the SooCoo S60 in a favorable light, user reviews call the lack of the need for an external waterproof case - even the GoPro does not. It is enough to make sure that the battery compartment and ports are closed with the enclosed seal. The lack of an additional housing makes the device much more compact than many sports cameras on the market.

What is in the box?

The kit, in addition to the camera itself, includes:

• remote control,
• Set of fasteners,
• Lens cleaning cloth,
• Standard USB-cable for charging the battery,
• Instruction manual in broken language.

For installation are provided:

• Helmet mount (fastened with a nylon strap and suction cups),
• Tripod mount,
• Fastening on a wheel of a bicycle,
• 3M-Adhesives,
• Devices for tilting by 90 ° for all fixtures.

SooCoo S60: overview of assembly and design

The camera is made of heavy hard plastic, although on its front panel there is a metal plate, and the lens is also metallic (judging by the weight, they are probably made of stainless steel). At the top of the device, at the usual place for the shutter release, there is a switch and a start and stop button for recording.

The back panel of the case is made mainly of bright orange rubberized plastic, which is held in place with the help of a heavy plastic clip. Under it, the battery and memory card are hidden. The back panel also has a tiny LCD screen (convenient for framing the subject) and six rubberized "snapping" buttons for interacting with the menu system.

On the front panel on two sides of the lens are two pretty powerful LEDs, which are activated with the button at the back. On one side of the camera there is a screw, which ensures the waterproofness of the ports of micro-HDMI and micro-USB. From below is a universal mount, which, unlike GoPro, is located directly on the camera itself. And this is the problem. The plastic from which it is made is more fragile than it should be. According to feedback from users, the bicycle attachment is often broken during driving . Probably, this happens because of the tightening of the screw. Some complain that after the undue use, the helmet mount connector has collapsed just during its detachment. The reason is too cheap plastic.

Mounting devices rather strongly bend when squeezing and stick out at a strange angle directly from the camera itself. It can be assumed that if the device falls from an even moderate height, there is a high probability that the mounts will be broken, and the camera will not be able to mount anything at all (without superglue, of course).

SooCoo S60 does not consider quality reviews of users. Although the body is made of durable plastic, the attachment and attachments are much less reliable. The removable rubberized plastic cover of the rear panel is shaky, and although the all-in-one design provides compactness, there is practically no protection on the back side.

Picture

The quality of the pictures is not worth mentioning, but, probably, it is enough for a photo to remember. Of course, the ultra-wide-angle lens tends to deform space. The frame rate seems to be stable, with a slight reduction in the shooting in low light conditions. The lens provides a fairly broad perspective, which will capture most of what is in front of the camera, regardless of whether it is mounted on a mountain bike or used as an automotive recorder. Under favorable conditions, the video looks grainy, but good enough, which can not be said when there is not enough light.

Under certain conditions, the camera simulates fog. This happens mainly when it is aimed at the sun or a bright white cloud. At the same time, colors and details are blurred, clarity decreases, and as a result, unsuccessful shots are obtained. In this situation, a self-made hood can help.

Using

S60 allows you to shoot video format 1080p at a frequency of 30 fps and take photos up to 12 megapixels. It can be used both as a webcam and USB drive, and even using the SooCoo application to connect your smartphone. The battery life is due to the 1050-mAh lithium-ion battery, and it is pleasantly surprising, allowing to shoot for almost two hours (with frequent on and off this time can decrease).

Communication with the smartphone allows you to preview the images from the camera, albeit with a delay of several seconds. You can start recording, take photos, change settings and even download videos and photos directly to iPhone or Android.

SooCoo S60 - inexpensive all-weather means for shooting high-definition video, and under favorable conditions the user will be very pleased with the footage. The camera comes with a decent choice of mounts for mounting on helmets, panels, steering wheel and tripods. Easy access to removable batteries and memory means that, if necessary, you can stock up lithium-ion batteries and microSD memory cards.

There are several useful functions hidden in the S60 menu. They include a cyclic recording, which automatically splits the footage into clips for 2, 5 and 10 minutes. It is worth noting that the S60 records videos for 30 minutes before creating a new file, so do not count on recording the hourly length.

There is a motion detection mode, standard adjustment of white balance and exposure during video recording. For photographing the available adjustable parameters a little more, there is even the possibility of frame-by-frame shooting.

Disadvantages of the model

Unfortunately, the camera is not devoid of shortcomings. In addition to some problems with the build quality and the duration of the SooCoo S60 shooting, user reviews call the unsuccessful location of the LEDs. Their proximity to the lens is the reason for discarding an unsightly shadow. In completely dark conditions, they give a V-shaped beam of light, which, although it does not spoil the picture, constantly reminds that the manufacturer could have thought about the location for longer.

Finally, the SooCoo S60 owner's manual reviews owners are confusing and useless. There are very few illustrations, and the language with which it is written is very difficult to understand. At the same time, it is not specified anywhere which memory cards or their maximum size are supported, there are many references to missing images. Owners recommend a site where you can fill in the gaps in the SooCoo S60 - 4PDA manual.

Is it worth buying?

If the user is willing to put up with the risk of not quite acceptable quality of shooting and a slightly dubious assembly, is able to figure it all out without resorting to guidance, then the S60 will suit him. This will save $ 300.

But if you need guaranteed high quality video and need a reliable and durable action camera, then GoPro or one of its analogs have no alternative. It's just not possible to rely on S60 in the same way, but it does not really matter when it's used sporadically.

Verdict

SooCoo S60 - "sports action camcorder," as it is called by Chinese sites, is an inexpensive all-weather means of shooting high-definition video under favorable conditions. It is not as high-quality as the 400-dollar GoPro, but it will cost a quarter of its price.