Fstoppers Reviews the DBPOWER 620C, a 4K Action Camera for $70

I remember when GoPro first came out with their action cameras and owned that corner of the market for a while. Fast forward a few years, the action cameras have been reduced in size while being able to capture higher resolution photos and videos. Also, several other companies joined the action camera market with their own versions many sharing similar designs that of the GoPro action camera.

DBPOWER has entered the market with some very affordable 4K action cameras, their DBPOWER 620C 4K action camera comes in at $69.99 packaged with a case of goodies. When I first opened up the case, I was surprised with how many accessories were included, but let’s get to the specs of this action camera.

The Camera

The 620C action camera has four modes: video, photo, burst photo, and self-timer mode which doubles as a time-lapse mode if you turn on the continuous lapse feature under settings. Video can be captured in 4K at 25 fps, 2.7K at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps, 1080p at 30 fps, 720p at 120 fps, and 720p at 60 fps. The resolution for capturing pictures can be adjusted to 12 megapixels, 8 megapixels, 5 megapixels, and 4 megapixels. The camera's burst mode is set to capture three frames with no other options. The self-timer is able to be configured for seven different durations (2 s, 3 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s, 30 s, and 60 s) with the option of continuous lapse to dub as a time-lapse feature which doesn't stop until you manually do so.

Cycling through the menu on the back of the action camera can be a bit tedious, this is where the Wi-Fi app comes in handy. The free iOS or Android device app is capable of adjusting the main set of the options available but some of the features are missing like the ability to go past 10 seconds for the self-timer. The app also allows you to store up to three camera connections if you decided to pick up a few of these. The app is basic which is easy to use, but I wouldn't mind a few more features in the app. The app also allows you to edit the video and photos on the fly, but also share instantly on social media.

Real-World Experience

The action camera is packed with several accessories, but the majority of my uses would be car related. A suction cup mount isn’t included, but I already owned a few from my GoPro cameras and luckily all my accessories fit the DBPOWER camera case. The waterproof case stayed on the action camera for the majority of the time, and as you can hear in the sample footage, the sound is muffled by it, but I wouldn't be using sound from these anyway.

I loved the fact that a Wi-Fi remote is included along with straps so you can wear it on your wrist. It was easy to snap a photo or start and stop recording video without having to fumble with my phone or reach over to push the button.

The 620C action camera is small enough to throw into my camera bag for when I wanted to use it for capturing some behind-the-scenes footage. When traveling, I threw it in the hardshell case that was included with all the accessories and extra battery inside. It made it easy to keep everything together while being protected so I could just toss it around and not have to worry about it.

I didn't want to edit the photos or video in any way for the review, so what you are seeing is straight from the camera. The sample footage is compiled from multiple clips, just a few seconds for each section. I kept it short to prevent having several minutes of the same thing. For my review, I wanted to test different scenarios including low light situations versus bright sunny days with sun flare, walking with the action camera in hand, riding on a skateboard, or even mounted on a car. I did have it mounted on my chest for a jog but it was just too shaky so I left it out. For the skateboard, one pass was with the selfie-stick which wasn't a good idea as the camera just swivels halfway down the street. The second pass was with the chest strap on my daughter in the 1080p sample footage.

The 620C action camera features a three-dimensional anti-shake technology which I was hoping for more stabilization out of it, but it did help slightly. As you can tell in the sample footage, the video is a bit bumpy. Yes, you can edit it and make it smoother, especially if you capture the footage at 4K allowing more room to be cropped. If you did that, you could reduce the wide-angle look of your footage as well.

The side of the action camera leaves the ports and memory card slot open which had me worried dust and other elements might get in. With the waterproof case on, it’s designed to withstand extreme environments and up to 30 meters deep in water allowing you be adventurous without worrying.

The manual of the 620C action camera state it's compatible with a 64 GB memory card. The Amazon page lists 16 GB is the minimum recommended size and they recommend using at least a 32 GB card, but my 128 GB works as well as those sizes.

While the action camera is on, there's a red LED light that stays on located at the top by the shutter button. While recording, this turns into a flashing light to let you know you are now recording.

What I Liked

• The number of accessories that are included.
• Comes with a hardshell case.
• Wi-Fi app available for iOS and Android devices and Wi-Fi remote.
• Ease of use.
• Compatible with GoPro mounts.
• Integrated 2-inch LCD screen.
• Price.

What I Didn't Like

• 170-degree wide-angle lens.
• Image quality. The footage could get noisy or lots of artifacts even in well-lit conditions.
• No door latch to cover the ports and the memory card slot.
• Footage still pretty shaky even with the anti-shake technology.
• Would prefer higher fps for 1080p for better slow motion.

Conclusion

For someone starting off with action cameras, or even for a kid that wants their own action camera (like my daughter), this is a great budget action camera to get them started. It’s easy to use and comes with a good amount of accessions to mount the action camera in a variety of situations to capture the action. Having 4K is nice and almost expected on any new camera coming out in the market today. Not all 4K is the same, but it’s still a good quality action camera for the low price. The number of times I have actually used my GoPro action cameras doesn't even come close to making it worth my purchase. Just the fear of losing it prevents me from using it more often, and they have come close to camera death a few times. If you are like me and might only use this a handful of times, it’s a lot easier on the pocketbooks versus the more expensive action cameras that are available. More affordable to replace as well if something does happen to the action camera. At the same time, this isn't going to replace those higher-end cameras if that's what you're looking for. You can order the DBPOWER 620C 4K action camera on Amazon.