Campark V30: A Budget Action Cam with Real 4K and Great EIS

Categories Action Cams

Campark V30

$89
7.7

Video Quality - Day (4K)

8.0/10

Video Quality - Low Light

7.0/10

Image Stabilization

9.0/10

User Interface

9.0/10

Still Photos

9.0/10

Build Quality

7.0/10

Audio Quality

5.0/10

The Good

  • Excellent 4K with high detail levels
  • Great image stabilization
  • Easy to use
  • Lots of buttons
  • Good night video

The Bad

  • Audio quality could be clearer
  • Stabilization jolts around fast corners
  • Video can be too contrasty at times

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Campark for sending a sample of this camera for review.

The Campark V30 is one of the better sub $100 action cams, featuring native 4K at 30FPS with solid electronic image stabilization. This camera is easy to use, decently built and has acceptable audio quality. Of course, stepping up to a more expensive camera will net more customizable video and better build quality, but the next step up is nearly double the price and for an average user and those just starting out, something like this camera will be more worthwhile.

Build Quality

The V30 is made out of plastic, a mix of textured for grip and smooth for design flare. The plastic is assembled sturdy and the buttons are springy. It does feel a bit light weight and hollow but being lighter weight can be a benefit an action cam as it makes drone run time a little bit longer. As with most budget action cams it is not waterproof unless using the included waterproof case. On the front, top and sides of the camera are its buttons and on the back of the camera is a touch screen.

The camera comes with a standard set of action cam accessories that should be enough to get you started. Notable inclusions are 2 batteries and a charger.

User Interface

The user interface is probably one of the best things about this camera. It is functional, easy to use and works with both buttons and touch. There are a couple features that make it particularly simple:

  • The camera starts up with a guide on how to use it
  • Press and hold the shutter button for quick access to settings
  • Swipe left or right on the touch screen to change modes
  • Menus can be navigated with buttons when the camera is in the waterproof case or if you are wearing gloves

The menus are laid out in a way that is intuitive and settings all seem to be in places they should be. The camera has settings for ISO, EV, White Balance and a Normal/Sepia/Black and White colour mode, but notably there is no Flat Colour/Protune mode.

The user interface has many thoughtful tweaks making it easy to understand and navigate.

Video Quality – 4K

The V30 offers native 4K. This is the cameras best resolution it films at, with lots of detail, vibrant colour and a true 30FPS frame rate. In most situations the video this camera produces is class leading in the budget category. Since there is no protune mode or a way to tweak the contrast beyond using EV settings, the video is more a finished product. This means that the video quality is meant to appeal to the most consumers who will not be editing the colour of their video in post production. The contrast is very high and occasionally that makes scenes a little on the dark side. While setting the camera to +1/3 or +2/3 EV helped, a contrast setting would have allowed for more customization and given more room to edit without losing detail in shadows.

But that’s really the only little issue with the 4K video. The V30 handles most scenes very well especially those that involve traveling straight on. At times while running, riding motor bikes, or other situations without sharp turns the video looks like it is on a gimbal it is so smooth. The stabilization crops into the video a ton but the end result is worth it. The only time the EIS can be overboard is when turning left to right quickly. The EIS tries to hold the video centered and can occasionally skip if the camera is turned too quick.

At night and in low light, the high contrast tends to make dark areas even darker. This camera is best at shooting during the day as its small sensor produces some video noise. Despite this, the night video is above average in the budget class and the quality is more than acceptable under bright street lights. In the city at night, street signs are still readable and there is details on things like bricks and pavement. Where there is no light source, expect to see nothing.

Video Quality – 1080p and 2K

This camera also shoots at 1080p 90, 1080p 60 and 2K 60. Of those three settings, the 1080p 90 does not have EIS and the 2K 60 looks kind of smuged and blocky. The 1080p 60 is definitely the best high frame rate resolution, although due to the way the camera processes its high res sensor down to 1080p, some detail is lost.

Stick to 4K 30 or 1080p 60 with this camera.

Still Images

Stills from this camera have a good amount of detail during the day and can be surprisingly competent at night with the right settings. During the day colours and bright and the lens causes a fish eye effect. Some samples of still images are attached below.

Audio Quality

Audio quality from this camera is average. It is louder than competitors based on the same hardware, but it still is quiet overall and requires boosting in post production for the best results. There is no setting to adjust the mic volume on camera. Any tweaking must be done using video editing software. When holding the camera out in front and talking to the camera for the most part is is possible to hear what is said. The camera does support an external mic however one is not included in the box so we did not test it. Please watch the video above to hear mic samples.

Where to Buy

This camera is available on Amazon USA or Amazon Canada. Campark frequently posts coupons on the Amazon listing so watch out for those for the best deal!

Conclusion

Campark has made a decent camera as far as video quality and user interface goes. There are many sub-$100 action cams that have fake specification and poor quality so it is refreshing to see the Campark V30 offering a competitive package with good performance for the price. This camera should suit most beginners and people who want something cheap that performs overall well but do not want to do much colour adjustment in post.

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