Sencor action camera

Although the title given to the Sencor 3CAM 2000 may seem cliché, it is not. Basically, because the demand for a solid, high-quality, yet budget-friendly action camera is growing – nowadays, their constant presence mounted on vehicles, helmets, limbs is becoming more and more fashionable. The range of applications is inexhaustible, that's a fact.

We know that GoPro is currently the most popular and best-selling action camera. The technology is excellent, even allowing for 4K recording, but we have to take into account that quality comes at a price. And of course, our one-time larger investment will sooner or later pay off over the months and years, especially if we use the device a lot.

The Sencor 3CAM 2000 is aimed at exactly the target audience who do not want to spend over 100 thousand forints on such things, and whose primary goal is not professional use. The clear positive of the product in the test is the pricing, which means that the device can be purchased for a fraction of the most purchased and higher-priced action cameras. So that it is perfectly suitable for everyday, average (or above) use. Of course, there are also drawbacks, but let's go in order.

The Sencor 3CAM 2000 comes with a complete kit. Various joints, ends, bicycle mounts, fixed bases, and more can be found in the basic packaging. Here we already encountered a major flaw during testing: the package does not include a plastic (or rubber) base, which is usually attached to a metal or glass surface with a mounting bracket. When we first tested the Sencor 3CAM 2000 action camera, we were invited to a domestic test drive of an Autóaddikt.hu Ford Ranger, and we were faced with this shortcoming when we wanted to apply the device above the right front fender. Although after longer research and browsing the Hungarian-language guide, it turned out that there is a mounting base with a disposable 3M adhesive surface in the package, our feeling of lack remained throughout. The stand held the camera, and in the end it performed well, but its use was limited - for example, we wanted to record the events from multiple positions

The Sencor 3CAM 2000 action camera itself is very similar in design to its “big brother” original. It is rectangular in shape, and comes with a truly waterproof case (we even drove it into a puddle, so it got mud right away), so it can be used in many situations. The action camera weighs only 65 grams, so it is also fine as a head camera, for example, and a helmet mount was included in the package.

The Sencor 3CAM 2000 has a 1.5-inch color TFT display, its color fidelity and contrast ratio are adequate, the brightness is a bit dim, in direct sunlight it is difficult to tell whether the recording is actually going on. The image stream to be recorded appears on the display with minimal delay, which is acceptable, but we have to take this into account during use.

If we switch to HDR, we do not get a significant improvement, but the inconveniences resulting from possible color correction errors are eliminated, and we get a sharper, more lifelike final result. The Sencor 3CAM 2000 can record in 1920×1080 full HD, this is the highest resolution, and at a speed of 30 frames per minute. Of course, it is recommended to use a Class10 black micro SDHC card in order to create smooth and lag-free streams, the recording time varies according to the resolution.
In terms of dynamic range, the Sencor 3CAM 2000 is very sensitive to direct sunlight, the image burns in in this case, there is no correction. However, if we quickly move back from a direct light source (say, from a sunny place to a forested area), the CCD quickly corrects, and we already get an enjoyable image.

Although the Sencor 3CAM 2000 has a wide-angle lens of 120 degrees, it doesn't distort too much. The horizon line curves slightly downwards on both sides, but this is negligible, and anyway: users expect action cameras to provide as wide an overview of the subject as possible.

The Sencor 3CAM 2000 produces good equalization, it counterbalances well, although it is also prone to ripples. We experienced this primarily when the Ford Ranger was stationary during a test drive, with the engine idling, and the resonance was reflected in the quality of the recording.