For budget action cameras, 4K video resolution has
traditionally been out of reach. For the < $150 range, most cameras really
only do 1080p, and occasionally offer subpar 4K (often either unusably low FPS
rates, and/or “fake” 4K resolution with interpolation tricks). The closest bet
so far for a “affordable” action camera is the Yi 4K, which I absolutely love,
priced around $200. After that, you are looking at $400 for the GoPro Hero 5 Black,
which is certainly not a bargain.
Enter the ThiEye T5E (https://tinyurl.com/thieyecam). Not only does this camera feature true 4K resolution at
30fps, it also comes in at a stunningly low price, a little over $100. When I
first heard about the camera, I was fairly skeptical, given the poor track
record of bargain cameras offering high-quality 4K footage. Thanks to Gearbest,
I was hooked up with a review sample of the ThiEye T5E and put it through its
paces. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised with its performance and I think
you will be too!
Features
Not only can the ThiEye T5E shoot 4k at 30FPS, it also offers 1080p at 60 fps
AND 120 FPS, in addition to several other resolutions. It offers a viewing LCD
on the back, WiFi connectivity with a dedicated app for remote control, and 12MP
photos. The image sensor is the IMX117, a powerful sensor that is the same as
the latest SJCam (7) model and is capable of true 4K. Here is a complete list
of the specification for ThiEye T5E:
Specification
General
| Brand: ThiEYE Model: T5e Type: Sports Camera Type of Camera: 4K Chipset Name: Ambarella Chipset: Ambarella A12LS75 Sensor: CMOS Sensor size (inch): 1/2.3 Function: WiFi,Time Lapse,Waterproof Application: Extreme Sports,Underwater,Ski |
|---|---|
Storage
| Max External Card Supported: SDHC 64G (not included) |
Display
| Screen: With Screen Screen size: 2.0inch Screen type: TFT Screen resolution: 320x240 |
Power
| Battery Type: External Battery Capacity (mAh): 1100mAh Charge way: USB charge by PC Working Time: 80min at 4K / 30fps, 100min at 1080P Standby time: 4h Charging Time: 2h |
Primary Info.
| Wide Angle: 170 degree wide angle Camera Pixel : 12MP Lens Diameter: 2.8mm |
Video/Image/Audio
| Video format: MP4 Video Resolution: 1080P (100fps),1080P(30fps), 1080P(60fps),1440P (30fps),1440P (60fps),4K (30fps),720P(200fps) Video Frame Rate: 100fps,200fps,30FPS,60FPS Image Format : JPEG Audio System: Monophony Exposure Compensation: +2EV,-2EV White Balance Mode: Auto,Cloudy,Daylight,Incandescent Microphone: Built-in |
Functions
| WIFI: Yes WiFi Function: Image Transmission,Remote Control,Sync and Sharing Albums WiFi Distance : 10m Waterproof: Yes Waterproof Rating : IP68 ( 60m, with waterproof case ) Loop-cycle Recording : Yes Loop-cycle Recording Time: 1min,2min,3min,5min Night vision : No Remote Control: Yes Camera Timer: Yes Time lapse: Yes Auto Focusing: Yes Anti-shake: Yes Aerial Photography: Yes Interface Type: HDMI,USB 2.0 Language: Arabic,Dutch,French,German, Indonesian,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Polski,Portuguese, Russian,Simplified Chinese,Spanish,Swedish,Traditional Chinese |
Dimension/Weight
| Product weight: 0.0580 kg Package weight: 0.4210 kg Product size (L x W x H): 6.00 x 4.00 x 3.00 cm / 2.36 x 1.57 x 1.18 inches Package size (L x W x H): 17.00 x 11.00 x 6.00 cm / 6.69 x 4.33 x 2.36 inches |
Package Contents
| Package Contents: 1 x T5e Action Camera, 1 x Multi-language User Manual, 1 x Wiper, 2 x 1100mAh Battery, 1 x USB Cable, 1 x Pack of Accessories, 1 x Waterproof Case |
Accessories
ThiEye T5E comes with considerably less accoessires than
many other action cameras. Just the basics, including a few adhesive pads,
charging cable, microfiber cloth, mount bracket, and instruction manuel.
Fortunately, it also comes with two nice goodies: a solid waterproof case, and
not just one but two action camera batteries! This is the first action camera
I’ve reviewed that offers a backup battery. It’s worth noting the batteries are
not cross compatible with other action cameras such as the GitUp2 or SJCam
(ThiEye T5E’s batteries are a little too large). Of note, the Yi 4K action
camera DOES NOT come with its own waterproof case (strangely).
Performance
ThiEye T5E adventured with me on a variety of recent hiking,
drone flying, and outdoor trips. Overall, it performed excellently, and helped
me get superb footage under different conditions. The audio quality (something
I don’t typically worry about as I almost always replace it with music) is also
quite good., when recording outside of the case. I recorded at several
different resolutions and found them all to look great, especially the 4K. In
fact, in head to head comparisons between the ThiEye T5E and the Yi 4K camera, I
seriously couldn’t see a major difference, certainly not one to justify the
significant price difference. In some tests, the ThiEye T5E images looked a
little bit sharper than the Yi 4k.This really impressed me, and speaks volumes
of how nice this budget 4K camera is. I notice much image quality loss, even
with uploading to YouTube. You’ll notice in my video review that it’s set to
1080p; I took all the 4K footage and rendered it down to 1080p for editing
purposes, but you can certainly keep it at 4k if you wish.
A couple of critques I did note: On my very first trip with
ThiEye T5E, I encountered a SD card formatting error, requiring me to reformat
when I returned home. That was frustrating, but after reformatting the microSD,
I haven’t had any issues.
The gyro stabilization is definitely less intense than the
SJCam S6 Legend or GitUp2. I wouldn’t rely on ThiEye T5E as your primary drone
camera if you are flying with a non-gimbal drone like the Hubsan H501s. On
land, it does a decent job though. Just like the Yi 4k camera, the EIS gyro
feature is only available at 1080p, 60 fps; not at 4K.
The menu on the ThiEye T5E is a weak point-it’s usable but
otherwise uninspired and clunky. While several action cameras have recently
offered innovative menu designs (Yi 4K, SJCam M20+, etc), the ThiEye T5E menu
is a throwback to older, less easy to navigate menus. It’s simply listed under
settings, with multiple “frames” to scroll through, requiring a lot of clicking
to edit settings. It gets the job done, but isn’t fun to navigate through it.
Photos looked very sharp and crisp, capturing both dark and
light environments well. Additionally, the WiFi dedicated app worked great. I
didn’t have crashes or problems operating it on my Android smartphone. I was
able to remotely operate the camera with ease and review playback videos
without an issue.
Video Review
Audio for on/off recording is nicely audible even through
the case. The camera boots up fairly fast, and I didn’t have issues with lost
footage (thinking I was recording when I really wasn’t due to audio errors).
The camera itself features a solid build, with a nice locking switch for the
battery. The waterproof case and other accessories have nice design and feel
high-quality. Overall, the accessories are solid, and the video quality is
excellent.
Conclusion
ThiEye T5E action camera is a relatively unknown camera on
the action camera scene, but I think you are going to see a LOT about it soon.
Once word gets out about how nice it is, for such an affordable price, you can
bet you’ll see it in YouTube videos frequently. It reminds me of the excitement
around the GitUp2, still a solid camera, from a newcomer on the camera scene,
that absolutely took off once everyone found it. ThiEye T5E’s high quality true
4K footage, plus perfect price point, almost guarantees it will be a success.
This isn’t the only ThiEye model, expect to see more innovative cameras from
these folks soon! Let me know if you have any questions about the ThiEye T5E
camera, either through my YouTube review, or below. You can buy ThiEye T5E
through Gearbest here: https://tinyurl.com/thieyecam
