REVIEW – Most of us use our phones as our primary camera, but there are times when using a phone isn’t convenient due to its size. The SJCAM C110+ is a small thumb-sized 4K action camera that you can mount or wear to capture images and video without taking out your phone. Let’s take it for a spin.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $149.00
Where to buy: SJCAM (save 10% with code Gadgeteer123 expires 5/1/25) and Amazon
What is it?
The SJCAM C110 Plus is a 4K action camera.
What’s in the box?
- SJCAM C110 Plus 4K action camera
- Waterproof case
- Other mounting hardware including a wearable magnetic lanyard
- USB-C charging cable
- Polishing cloth
- User guide
Tech specs
Standard Recording –
4K 30fps – 16:9
2K 60/30fps – 16:9
1080P 120/60/30fps – 16:9
720P 120/60/30fps – 16:9
1080P 30fps – 9:16
720P 30fps – 9:16
Photo Resolution – 20MP, 16MP, 14MP, 12MP, 10MP, 8MP, 5MP, 3MP, 2MP
Video Format – MP4
Video Encoding – H.264
Photo Format – JPG
Photo Mode –
Single shooting
Interval shooting
Continuous shooting
Timed photo (App)
Video Modes –
Normal mode
Timelapse
Slow video
Car mode
Loop recording
Vertical screen
Webcam
Stabilization – 6-axis gyro stabilization
Digital Zoom – Not supported
Field of View (FOV) – 170° with distortion correction
Exposure Compensation – +2.0 ~ -2.0
White Balance Modes –
Auto
Daylight
Cloudy
Tungsten
Fluorescent
Underwater Mode
Battery –
Type – Li-ion
Voltage – 3.7V
Capacity – 1100mAh
Battery Life – Up to 130 mins
Remote Control – Not supported
Rear Screen – Not available
Front Screen – Not available
Memory – Micro SD, up to 128GB
Integrated Microphone – Yes
External Microphone – Not supported
Integrated Speaker – Yes
Waterproof – Up to 98ft with waterproof case
App Control – SJCAM Zone
WiFi – 2.4G
Ports – Type-C x1
Dimensions – 64 x 31 x 32.5 mm
Weight – 78g
Design and features
SJCAM says that the C110+ is thumb-sized. It’s a bit bigger than my thumb, but it is smaller than most traditional action cameras. The C110+ is available in white or black. The lens takes about half of the front surface with a large LED status bar and speaker/microphone holes between them.
On the right side is the power button that doubles as a start/stop video capture button, and a WiFi button below it that doubles as a mode selector.
The bottom of the SJCAM C110+ has a covered microSD card slot and USB-C charging/data port.
There’s also a reset switch next to the USB-C port.
SJCAM app
To get started with the SJCAM C110+ action camera, you will need to charge it and install the SJCAM Zone app on your phone. Since the camera does not have a built-in display, this app is required to change settings and install firmware. You also use the app to view and download images/video and set the mode.
Let me just get this out of the way… this app sucks. Is that harsh? Maybe. However, during my time testing the SJCAM C110+, I had nothing but problems using it. First of all, you have to connect to the camera’s built-in WiFi SSID, which isn’t too unusual, but you have to do it every time you start the app.
Then, when I went into the settings or live view recording screens, it would blip back to that home screen within a few seconds. It would barely give me any time to make changes.
Note: One important feature that you’ll definitely want to change as soon as possible is the loop recording feature. By default, it’s set to create a new video every 3 minutes. I found that the clips don’t line up perfectly; there is a short time gap between each one. Luckily, you can turn that feature off. I believe this is an option to use the C11o+ as a dashcam, but I don’t think it should be the default setting.
Luckily, you can make the settings changes (if you’re fast) and just get out of the app altogether. Then, use the power button on the phone to start and stop video capture. When you want to download the images/video, you can connect the camera to your computer (in my case, a MacBook Pro), and it will show up as an external drive from which you can copy files.
I later found out that SJCAM knows about the app issues, and they recommend turning off your phone’s cellular radio while using the app to fix the problem. Ugh, no thanks. I guess you can designate an old phone as the controller for this camera, or you can just do what I do and use the power button after you’ve made any settings customizations. Luckily, the camera does remember the mode – photo, video, slow motion video, burst, car mode, etc.
Let’s shoot!
As mentioned, the SJCAM C110+ comes with some mounting options. I did my testing with the magnetic mount, worn both as a necklace (shown above)…
And with the mount under my jacket and the camera magnetically attached to the front. One thing missing in the kit is a lens cap!
I also used the included threaded mount to attach the camera to a non-gimbal selfie-stick that I already had lying around.
Video examples
The video above is a compilation of several short clips where I demonstrate wearing the camera on the front of my jacket using the magnetic clip, while walking outdoors, walking indoors, a clip from a dark music concert where I hand held the camera, a clip where I handheld the camera while walking in the dark, and another clip walking outdoors with the camera mounted on a selfie-stick (with no built-in gimbal). This video is 4K straight out of the camera with no editing other than to add a couple of titles.
Final thoughts
I wanted to love the SJCAM C110+ action camera, but I was disappointed with the built-in image stabilization while walking around my property. You can clearly see each step I take. The dark footage of the concert wasn’t bad, but it didn’t blow my socks off. I really find it a bit difficult to frame a shot properly without a built-in display/viewfinder. Pair the mediocre video quality with the app problems and I don’t feel like I can recommend this camera even when it’s on sale for less than $90 like it is right now on Amazon. SJCAM, please do better; your last two products haven’t impressed me.
What I like about SJCAM C110 Plus action camera
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- Decent image/video quality in well-lit environments
What needs to be improved?
- Video stabilization needs to be improved
- App stability is poor and constantly crashes unless you turn off your phone’s mobile network
- A tiny built-in display for easy image framing and setting customization is much needed
- Include a protective lens cap
Price: $149.00
Where to buy: SJCAM (save 10% with code Gadgeteer123 expires 5/1/25) and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by SJCAM. SJCAM did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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I bought this camera and ran into bigger problems.
When I tried recording a video, by pressing the button on the camera, it would start recording and after a couple of seconds, stop by itself. When I pressed the button again, it announced it had taken a picture (instead of a video). very frustrating. I sent it back and hope to get my money back.
Shalom, I never had that behavior. I agree that it would be frustrating.