Campark V40  Camera Review

Reviewed Aug 09, 2021 at 10:18am
Test bench update Dec 21, 2022 at 12:41pm
Tested using Methodology v0.12 
Campark V40
6.0
Travel Photography 
7.2
Landscape Photography 
4.6
Sport & Wildlife Photography 
6.4
Vlogging 
5.0
Studio Video 
6.0
Action Video 
 0

The Campark V40 is a compact dual-screen action camera that's almost identical to the AKASO Brave 7 LE in terms of physical appearance. It's incredibly portable and does a good job of smoothing out camera shake, especially when recording in FHD. It feels well-built, with a rubberized grip around the body and a built-in tripod thread. It also has an IPX7 waterproof rating, and when you equip the included case, it becomes waterproof up to 131 feet, although we don't currently test for this. Unfortunately, its video quality is lacking, although that's fairly typical of an action camera, and its frame rates are limited, as it can only shoot in 4k at 30 fps and in FHD at either 30 fps or 60 fps. 

Our Verdict

6.0
Travel Photography 

The Campark V40 is a poor choice for travel photography. While it's incredibly compact and easy to travel with, it's designed primarily for action video, so its photo features and image quality leave a lot to be desired. It has a fixed lens with a wide-angle fisheye field of view that distorts the image. You can only adjust ISO, and the shutter speed changes automatically but has a limited range, leaving little flexibility for taking still photos.

Pros
  • Incredibly portable.
  • Waterproof.
Cons
  • Fixed focal length and aperture.
  • Image quality is lacking.
  • No autofocus system.
7.2
Landscape Photography 

The Campark V40 isn't for landscape photography. While it's easy to take to remote shooting locations thanks to its compact size, its primary use is meant to be action video. It has a fixed lens with a wide-angle field of view, which creates a fisheye effect that can distort landscapes. Its image quality is also lacking, and it doesn't have an autofocus system.

4.6
Sport & Wildlife Photography 

The Campark V40 isn't for sport and wildlife photography. It's primarily designed for action video rather than still photography. Its image quality is lacking, and it has a fixed focal length, so you can't zoom in on far-off subjects. Its shooting speed is also extremely limited, as it can only shoot burst photos at a speed of about 2 fps, though it behaves inconsistently.

6.4
Vlogging 

The Campark V40 is okay for vlogging. It's incredibly portable and can easily be mounted on a gimbal or handle for easy vlogging. It also has a front-facing screen to monitor your recording live and ensure you stay in frame. However, its overall video quality is underwhelming. Its lens is also fixed to a wide-angle field of view, creating a distracting fisheye effect. On the upside, it does a great job of smoothing out camera shake.

Pros
  • Good video stabilization.
  • Incredibly portable.
  • Front-facing live view screen.
Cons
  • Fixed focal length and aperture.
  • Poor video quality.
  • No microphone jack.
5.0
Studio Video 

The Campark V40 is inadequate for studio video. It's designed primarily for action video, so its video quality is sub-par. It also lacks a headphone or microphone jack. Its lens is fixed to a wide-angle field of view that distorts the image, and it doesn't have an autofocus system.

Pros
  • Incredibly portable.
Cons
  • Fixed focal length and aperture.
  • Poor video quality.
  • No headphone or microphone jack.
6.0
Action Video 

The Campark V40 is passable for action video. It's incredibly portable and comes with a built-in tripod and accessory mount, which is handy. The camera itself has an IPX7 waterproof rating and is advertised to be waterproof up to 131 feet with the included protective case, although we don't currently test for this. Unfortunately, its video quality is disappointing overall, especially in low light. It also lacks high-speed frame rate options suitable for generating slow-motion footage, as it can only record at up to 60 fps in FHD and up to 30 fps in 4k. On the upside, it does a good overall job of smoothing out camera shake.

Pros
  • Incredibly portable.
  • Waterproof.
  • Good video stabilization in FHD.
Cons
  • Poor video quality.
  • Limited frame rate options.
  • Stabilization is only decent in 4k.
  • 6.0
    Travel Photography
  • 7.2
    Landscape Photography
  • 4.6
    Sport & Wildlife Photography
  • 6.4
    Vlogging
  • 5.0
    Studio Video
  • 6.0
    Action Video
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Dec 21, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.12.
    2.  Updated Dec 20, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.11.
    3.  Updated Oct 03, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.10.
    4.  Updated Sep 02, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.9.

    Check Price

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    The Campark V40 comes in one color variant: 'Black'.

    If you come across another variant or your Campark V40 doesn't correspond to our review, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update it. 

    You can see our unit's label here

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    9.7
    Portability
    Height
    1.7" (4.4 cm)
    Width
    2.6" (6.6 cm)
    Depth
    1.3" (3.2 cm)
    Volume
    5.7 in³ (92.9 cm³)
    Weight
    0.28 lbs (0.13 kg)

    Note: With the protective case equipped, the camera is slightly less portable, measuring:

    • Height: 3.0" (7.7 cm)
    • Width: 3.3" (8.3 cm)
    • Depth: 1.6" (4.1 cm)
    • Volume: 15.9 in³ (262 cm³)
    • Weight: 0.42 lbs (0.19 kg)
    • Weight With Lens: 0.42 lbs (0.19 kg)
    8.0
    Build Quality

    • Materials feel solid, including a rubber finish around the sides for grip
    • Inputs and outputs are covered by sturdy hinged doors, although some of them can be hard to open
    • Inserting and removing micro SD cards is somewhat difficult due to the size and depth of the SD card compartment
    • Buttons feel stiff
    • Tripod mount is built-in, so you don't need an extra accessory
    • Plastic cover on lens feels somewhat flimsy and may scratch easily
    Body
    Body Type
    Action Cam
    Water Resistance
    Waterproof
    Mirrorless
    Yes
    Rugged
    Yes, with included case
    Hot Shoe
    No
    Customizable Button
    No
    Command Dial
    0
    Tripod Mount
    Yes
    Lens Mount
    No Lens Mount
    Built-In Flash
    No
    Fastest Shutter Speed
    1/7,845 s

    Note: The camera itself is advertised to have an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it's waterproof up to 1m for 30 minutes. Campark also advertises it to be waterproof up to 131 feet with the protective case on. That said, we don't currently test this.

    In The Box

    • Campark V40 action camera
    • Protective case
    • 2x 3.7v 1350mAh 4.995Wh battery
    • Battery charger
    • Micro USB cable
    • Remote control
    • 2x velcro strap
    • 2x strap
    • 2x helmet mount
    • 2x sticker for helmet mounts
    • 6x mount
    • 4x zip tie
    • Tether
    • Bicycle stand
    • Lens cloth
    • User manual
    6.0
    Ergonomics & Comfort
    Hand Grip: Small Hand
    No Hand Grip
    Hand Grip: Medium Hand
    No Hand Grip
    Hand Grip: Large Hand
    No Hand Grip
    Hand Grip: Extra-Large Hand
    No Hand Grip

    • It's intended to be mounted and used as an action camera, but it can also be used handheld to take photos/videos if desired
    • Menu is easy to navigate and settings can be changed using either the touchscreen or companion app
    • ISO can be adjusted but the aperture is fixed and shutter speed adjusts automatically
    • Shutter can also be activated using the included remote control
    • Buttons are hard to press
    • Output and battery door are hard to open
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Type
    No Viewfinder
    Advertised Coverage
    N/A
    Advertised Resolution
    N/A
    Advertised Magnification
    N/A
    5.9
    Screen
    Screen Articulation Type
    Dual Screen
    Screen Max Brightness
    409 cd/m²
    Advertised Resolution
    N/A
    Size
    2.0" (5.0 cm)
    Touchscreen
    Yes

    Note: The front-facing screen measures 1.4" (3.5 cm).

    8.5
    Menu System
    Guide Mode
    No
    App Name
    iSmart DV

    • Menu is simple and easy to navigate using the touchscreen or companion app, although the menu can be a bit sluggish at times
    • Two different menus for photo and video modes
    • Can swipe up on the screen while shooting to access shortcut menu
    • Holding down shutter button allows you to change the drive mode
    • No guide mode to provide additional information about settings
    6.7
    Built-In Lens
    Maximum Aperture
    2.8
    Max Aperture (Full-Frame Equivalent)
    N/A
    Minimum Focal Length
    N/A
    Maximum Focal Length
    N/A
    Max Focal Length (Full-Frame Equivalent)
    N/A
    Optical Image Stabilization
    No
    Luminance
    79.8%
    Light Falloff
    49%
    Sensor
    Sensor Type
    Unspecified
    Advertised Effective Pixels
    20 MP
    Sensor Size
    Unspecified
    Processor
    Unspecified
    Extended ISO Minimum
    N/A
    Native ISO Minimum (Base ISO)
    100
    Native ISO Maximum
    3,200
    Tested Firmware
    Aug 13 2020
    9.5
    Battery
    Battery Type
    3.7v 1350mAh 4.995Wh
    USB Charging
    Yes
    Use When Charging
    Yes
    Advertised Battery Life In Photo
    N/A
    Tested Battery Life In Video
    135 min
    Photo General
    4.0
    Photo Shooting Speed
    Low Speed Continuous
    2 fps
    High Speed Continuous
    2 fps
    Silent Shooting Continuous
    2 fps
    Raw Buffer Size
    N/A
    JPEG Buffer Size
    30 Photos
    Buffer Empty Time
    2 s

    Note: This camera only has a single burst mode that can be set to take bursts of 3, 7, 15, or 30 images. However, it can only shoot at a rate of about 2 fps, and it doesn't behave consistently.

    0.0
    Photo AF-C Tracking
    Autofocus Tracking ShotsN/A
    Perfect Focus Hit Rate
    N/A
    Usable Focus Hit Rate
    N/A
    0.0
    Photo AF-C Center Point
    Autofocus Center Point ShotsN/A
    Perfect Focus Hit Rate
    N/A
    Usable Focus Hit Rate
    N/A
    0.0
    Photo Image Stabilization
    Minimum Shutter Speed Achieved
    N/A
    In-Body Image Stabilization
    No

    Note: We weren't able to run our image stabilization test properly because the camera doesn't have a manually adjustable shutter speed.

    Photo Image Quality
    0.0
    Photo RAW Dynamic Range
    Dynamic Range At Base ISO
    N/A
    Dynamic Range At 1/500s Exposure Time
    N/A
    Dynamic Range At 1/2000s Exposure Time
    N/A
    Dynamic Range At 1/4000s Exposure Time
    N/A
    0.0
    Photo RAW Sharpness
    Vertical Edge MTF50 At Base ISO
    N/A
    Horizontal Edge MTF50 At Base ISO
    N/A
    0.0
    Photo RAW Noise
    SNR 18% At 1/8 Exposure Time (125 ms)
    N/A
    SNR 18% At 1/125 Exposure Time (8 ms)
    N/A
    SNR 18% At 1/1000 Exposure Time (1 ms)
    N/A
    SNR 18% At 1/4000 Exposure Time (0.25 ms)
    N/A

    Note: This camera doesn't shoot in RAW format.

    Pictures Sample Gallery
    The Skate Park Picture
    JPEG Skate Park PictureDownload
    RAW Skate Park PictureN/A

    Note: This camera doesn't have an adjustable shutter speed or aperture, so the results may not be fully comparable with other cameras we've tested. It also only shoots in a 3:2 aspect ratio, so we've cropped the photos. You can see the original here.

    The Polish Church Picture
    JPEG Polish Church PictureDownload
    RAW Polish Church PictureN/A

    Note: This camera doesn't have an adjustable shutter speed or aperture, so the results may not be fully comparable with other cameras we've tested. It also only shoots in a 3:2 aspect ratio, so we've cropped the photos. You can see the original here. The photo turned out darker than it appears in reality because the camera has trouble adjusting exposure with a lot of sky present in the shot.

    The Studio Picture
    JPEG Studio PictureDownload
    RAW Studio PictureN/A

    Note: This camera doesn't have an adjustable shutter speed or aperture, so the results may not be fully comparable with other cameras we've tested. It also only shoots in a 3:2 aspect ratio, so we've cropped the photos. You can see the original here. The photo turned out darker than it appears in reality because the camera has trouble adjusting exposure with a lot of sky present in the shot.

    The Stairway Picture
    JPEG Stairway PictureDownload
    RAW Stairway PictureN/A

    Note: This camera doesn't have an adjustable shutter speed or aperture, so the results may not be fully comparable with other cameras we've tested. It also only shoots in a 3:2 aspect ratio, so we've cropped the photos. You can see the original here.

    Video General
    Video Features
    Full HD Video
    Yes
    4k Video
    Yes
    6k Video
    No
    Clean HDMI Output
    Yes
    Advertised Max Chroma Sampling Over HDMI
    Not Advertised
    Advertised Max Bit Depth Over HDMI
    N/A
    Log Picture Profile
    No
    Recording Light
    No
    Audio
    Audio Test Sample
    Audio Recording
    Stereo
    Microphone Level Display
    No

    Note: According to Campark, this camera doesn't record sound when in its protective case; however, we don't currently test this.

    Video File Format And Compression
    MP4 H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
    No
    MP4 H.265 / HEVC
    No
    MOV H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
    Yes
    MOV H.265 / HEVC
    No
    AVCHD H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
    No
    All-I Compression
    No
    4k Video
    4.5
    4k Video Frame Rate
    240 fps In 4k
    No
    120 fps In 4k
    No
    60 fps In 4k
    No
    30 fps In 4k
    Yes
    24 fps In 4k
    No
    4k Crop At Max Available fps
    1 x
    7.9
    4k Video Internal Recording
    Bitrate Maximum In 4k
    59 Mbps
    Bitrate Minimum In 4k
    59 Mbps
    Chroma Sampling In 4k
    4:2:0
    Bit Depth In 4k
    8 Bit
    Record Time Limit In 4k
    N/A
    Overheat Recording Interruptions in 4k
    0
    0.0
    4k Video Autofocus Performance
    Object Tracking In 4k
    N/A
    Face Tracking In 4k
    N/A
    Face Detection In 4k
    No
    Eye Detection In 4k
    No
    4.3
    4k Video Quality
    Low Light Capability In 4k
    3.5
    Test Scene Extract In 4k
    5.0
    6.8
    4k Video Rolling Shutter Effect
    4k Rolling Shutter
    4.7°
    Full HD Video
    5.5
    FHD Video Frame Rate
    240 fps In FHD
    No
    120 fps In FHD
    No
    60 fps In FHD
    Yes
    30 fps In FHD
    Yes
    24 fps In FHD
    No
    FHD Crop At Max Available fps
    1 x
    8.0
    FHD Video Internal Recording
    Bitrate Maximum In FHD
    33 Mbps
    Bitrate Minimum In FHD
    22 Mbps
    Chroma Sampling In FHD
    4:2:0
    Bit Depth In FHD
    8 Bit
    Record Time Limit in FHD
    N/A
    0.0
    FHD Video Autofocus Performance
    Object Tracking In FHD
    N/A
    Face Tracking In FHD
    N/A
    Face Detection In FHD
    No
    Eye Detection In FHD
    No
    4.0
    FHD Video Quality
    Low Light Capability In FHD
    3.5
    Test Scene Extract In FHD
    4.5
    6.9
    FHD Video Rolling Shutter Effect
    FHD Rolling Shutter
    4.3°
    Storage And Connectivity
    Storage
    Card 1 Slot
    microSD Card UHS-I
    Card 2 Slot
    No 2nd Card Slot
    4.0
    Inputs / Outputs
    USB
    Mini USB
    HDMI
    Micro (Type D)
    Headphones
    No
    Microphone
    No Microphone input
    Wi-Fi
    Yes
    Bluetooth
    No