ELE Explorer K RexSO Action Camera Review: Better 4K EIS at a lower price?

ELE Explorer K REXSO Action Camera Review

Almost exactly two years ago (has it been that long?) I reviewed ELE's first major action camera, the ELE Explorer. I really enjoyed using it, and even more so enjoyed using it's big brother, the ELE Explorer Pro several months later. I felt the Explorer Pro actually rivaled the very popular GitUp2 camera, surprisingly!
Fast forward to 2018. My ELE Pro stopped working after a few hard landings (my fault, not the cameras) and I don't use the ELE Explorer anymore, as its been outdated for some time. However, ELE (Elephone, such an interesting name), has since come out with a brand new action camera, the ELE REXSO Explorer K. Key feature that got me excited? 4K 30FPS footage, STABILIZED! Alright, let's see how this new, budget-priced camera works. And, how does it compare to the other brand-new 4K stabilized camera that I just reviewed, the ThiEye T5 Edge?

Specifications:

These are straight from the Elephone website. REXSO is a new "sub-brand" of ELE. A little while back, I thought ELE renamed itself as MGCool (or a sub-brand), however recently it seems to be back to ELE again. It's hard to keep track of all these different brands!

General

Model: Explorer K
Chipset: HiSilicon HI3559 (seems to be a new one, haven't seen it widely used in other action cameras)
Sensor: Panasonic MN34120 (notice this the same as the popular GitUp 2 image sensor)

Display

Screen size: 2.0inch LCD
Screen resolution: Resolution 320*240

Power

Battery Type: Lithium battery
Battery Capacity (mAh): 1200mAH
Charge way: USB2.0
Working Time: About 90 min at 1080P 30FPS
Charging Time: 2 hours

Primary Info

Wide Angle: 170 degree
Camera Pixel: 16M/12M/8M/5M
Lens Diameter: 18MM

Video/Image/Audio

Decode Format: H.265/H.264
Video format: MP4
Video Resolution: 4K@30fps/2K@60fps/1080P@60fps/1080P@30fps/720P@120fps
Microphone: Double Mics

Functions

WIFI: YES
WiFi Distance: 10M- 15M
Waterproof: YES
Water Resistant: 30M
Night vision : support
Anti-shake: Six-ais Electronic image stabilization (And this works on not just the 1080p, but also the 4K!)
Aerial Photography: support

Dimension and Weight

Product weight: 64.5g
Product size: 59*41*21.3mm

Package

1 x Waterproof case
1 x Bicycle Bracket
1 x Back clip
1 x fixed base
1 x clip
1 X Switch Support 1
1 X Switch Support 2
1 X Switch Support 3
1 x J-shaped Mount
1 X commutator
2 X Helmet pedestal
2 x bandage
4 x ribbon 2 x 3M Adhesive Tape
1 x wire cable
1 x USB Cable
1 x Cleaning Cloth
1 x User manual

Storage

Max External Card Supported: 128G
Class Rating Requirements:at least a U3(90MB/s) microSDXC memory card 32GB-64GB

Language

English, France,Espanol,Deutsch, Portugues, Italiano, Chinese,Traditional Chinese, Japan, Russian,Korea, Polski, Vietnam

Performance:
I have taken the ELE REXSO Explorer K out on a variety of recent outdoor trips, hiking, offroading, rock hounding, snorkeling, and more. Conditions ranged from quite sunny to a little overcast. The photos and video you will see below is untouched - stock settings, EIS typically on, no post-processing of the colors or contrast. 

The camera menu is pretty easy to navigate. There isn't a ton of settings, unlike the ThiEye T5 Edge, and it appears EIS is on by default (which doesn't bother me, but I couldn't find a way to turn it off if I wanted to). I never encountered any issues with the camera freezing or crashing on me, unlike the T5 Edge (happened once with it). I did end up splitting my 4K quadcopter footage into loop segments, making it easier to edit (rather than one big, slow file). The video footage on 4K with EIS is quite sharp and detailed, comparable to other popular 4K cameras. It actually looks better, more natural, than the Thi Eye T5 Edge. Additionally, the EIS is better that the T5 Edge. I'm quite pleased with the 4K footage on the Explorer K and will likely keep using it for some time. 

I also tried out the time-lapse mode -- with adjustable video/second. Looked just fine! Finally, I did extensive comparison of the 1080p footage to other popular cameras - the T5 Edge, T5E, and Firefly 8S. I don't know what it is with both the T5 Edge and the REXSO Explorer K, but the 1080p footage is not impressive at all. Both the T5E and the Firefly 8S surpass them in terms of 1080p detail and quality. It seems some of the more affordable 4K EIS cameras sacrifice 1080p video quality in their quest for better 4K EIS options. 

Photos are crisp and detailed on the Explorer K, no complaints there. Colors came out fairly natural as well. There is an older ELE app available for remote control of ELE cameras, but I'm not sure if this particular subbrand, REXSO, works with it.

Lastly, people tend to ask about audio quality - even though 99% of the time I use these action cameras in their waterproof cases. The REXSO Explorer K has very poor audio, near impossible to hear yourself on it.

Don't get the wrong impression - the REXSO is definitely a better 4K EIS camera than the other budget alternative, the T5 EDGE. It is easy to use, is at an excellent price point, and has great 4K footage.

Sample Footage:

Conclusion:

ELE has another winner on their hands with the REXSO Explorer K action camera. It seems to be better off than its nearest budget 4K competitor, the ThiEye T5 Edge, not just in terms of 4K EIS footage, but also in terms of a very affordable price. It's not a camera to rely on for 1080p footage or for audio recording, but otherwise it's an excellent, affordable action camera for 4K footage, and demonstrates just how far these cameras have come in a few short years. 

Buy ELE  Explorer K REXSO action camera online: http://bit.ly/2DteDsr

Hawkeye Firefly 8S Action Camera Review: Smooth Gyro + 4K

Hawkeye first released their Firefly 7S last year, and I was fairly impressed with it. At a very low price point, it offered premium features including a gyro and high-quality images. However, it didn't offer true 4K footage.

Fast forward to September 2017 and Hawkeye's newest model, the Firefly 8S (http://bit.ly/2x684Ix), has arrived, with true 4K footage at 30fps. Gearbest hooked me up with a review sample of this new action camera, and I'm happy to report it did a great job in a variety of environments. Read on after the jump for my take on the new 8S model. 

ODRVM 4K Action Camera Review

Photo from ODRVM Action Camera

I recently was sent an action camera from ODRVM that boasts of filming in 4K, and I took it through its paces to see how it’d do in the NorCal backcountry. The ODRVM Action Camera and its low-cost piqued my interest to see how it would hold up.

Video review:

Watch out GoPro: Xiaomi Yi 2 4K Action Camera Review

Xiaomi Yi 2 4k: http://amzn.to/2nkttF8

Few brands have dominated a market so closely as to become synonymous with the item itself-GoPro is one such example. However, as their plunging stock price attests to (from $86 down to $10 in 2 years!), the public has finally realized that yes, there are wonderful alternatives on the market today.

Sure, many of these are considerably lower quality and don't have the amazing features like true 4k 30 FPS that the GoPro Hero 4 Black offers. But what if I told you there is a action camera from a reputable company, with not only basically the same specifications as the GoPro Hero 4, but offered additional features, and sold for only ~$225 (half the price)? That's where the Xiaomi Yi 2 4K camera steps onto the stage. Stick with me as I take a look at this amazing action camera. 

Eken H8R Action Camera Review: 4K and More?

Remember the popular Eken H9 action camera I reviewed and subsequently used on many fishing videos? Eken has released another action camera, this time the upgraded Eken H8R. GearBest hooked me up with this camera and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you all. Feeling like just watching a video instead? Check out the below sample footage and video reviews!

ELE Explorer PRO Action Camera Review

Remember the ELE Explorer action camera I reviewed a few months back (review here)? It was one of my favorites of this year so far, but had a few issues with image colors in high-contrast scenes. ELE has since released a new camera, the ELE Explorer Pro, and I just got my hands on it courtesy of GearBest. Take a look at the full video with sample footage and read the review below for this hot camera:

Best Budget Bargain Action Camera: ELE Explorer Action Camera

Interested in a dirt-cheap action camera with usable 2.7k video footage? And even better 1080p footage? Stick with me for this latest review on a brand-new action camera, the ELE Explorer. I am a sucker for the latest action cameras, as I love to catch neat footage from fishing and hiking trips here in Southern California. The fantastic year-round weather (despite the current El Nino) offers excellent recreational opportunities and capturing this on a waterproof action camera to watch and share with others is a blast. Thus, when I was offered the chance to review a new camera, the ELE, I jumped at it! Recently, there has been a trend of cheaper and cheaper action cameras offering up to 4K video resolution (see my review of the nice EKEN H9 camera here), and the ELE is no exception. Let's take a look at it!

More after the jump

Dirt Cheap 4K Action Camera: Eken H9

How much should an action camera with 4k video cost? $200? $100? $60? How about $46? The Eken H9 Action Camera is simply the cheapest 4K video option on the block today. It is really shocking how the price on these action cameras has dramatically dropped just over the last year. Still, what use is a 4K camera if it doesn't hold up under use? Is the Eken H9 worth picking up? Keep reading for my full review of the Eken H9, courtesy of GearBest and check out the sample footage while fishing and hitting up local beaches in California!

Features

Right out of the box you will notice the Eken looks very similar to the SJ400 and associated clones. It utilizes the typical boxy form-factor that GoPro helped popularize, complete with a similar waterproof case. The LCD screen on the back is a little larger than the stock SJ4000 screen at 2 inches from corner to corner.

Eken on left, SJ4000 on right

The Eken comes with the usual selection of accessories: waterproof case,USB charger, wall charger, belt clip mount, handlebar mount, adhesive pads, and several other angle attachments. The case features a single spring to open and close, nice large buttons that respond easily to being pressed. The case I received had a few very minor scratches on it, not sure if this is a quality control issue or if the camera was a refurb. The camera lenses itself was fine. All the accessories and the waterproof case use the excellent GoPro mounting system, so it is compatible with the generic chest mounts, head mounts, and other mounting gear I find useful when fishing or hiking.

Battery is a standard 3.7v action camera battery, the same you will find in an SJ4000, GitUp and so on.

Eken's menu is really easy to browse through. You can select Video, Photo, Burst Photo (3 photos in 1.5 s), Time Lapse mode, Playback, and Settings. The settings are also a snap to scroll through, and unlike the SJ7000, you can actually turn off/on the date/time stamp on both the videos AND the photos (shame on SJ7000 for not including the ability to turn it off on photos!).

Now, on to the 4K option: It's neat but really not as useful as I had initially hoped, as it is only at 10FPS. Eken also offers 2.7k at a slightly better but still not very usable 15fps, then 1080p at 60/30 fps, and 720 at 120/60 fps. Really happy with the 60 fps support for 1080p and the 120fps at 720p, definitely helps set Eken ahead of other similarly priced action cameras, in addition to the 4k option. Video field of view is at a nice 170 degrees, and the camera supports WiFi control through a local app (EZ iCam App is recommended from GearBest). Under the hood, Eken uses the Sunplus 6330M OV4689 chipset, one I have not seen in other cameras.

Performance

I took the Eken out to the beach recently while fishing and bodyboarding. Conditions were initially very bright, hence the faded, washed-out look. Eken does have adjustable white-balance options, which I did not tweak with too much (used default). I then took it out on a cloudy day for bodyboarding, which you can see in the video. Video turned out reasonably good, on par if not a little better than the SJ4000 or SJ7000. However, it was not as good as the GitUp or BlackVue Sport action cameras. Details were somewhat lacking in the video. The 60fps was smooth, but the 4k was mostly unusable due to the low FPS. I also discovered there is no playback viewing mode on the camera! Duhoh! You have to rely on the app to view playback, a definite missed opportunity in my book. The case worked great underwater, no leaks, and the buttons responded easily to taps when needed.  Take at lok at the photos below, the frame-extracts definitely turned out better than the photos. Photos are shown unedited, unless otherwise noted, same with video. 

Videos

Photos

(1080p Frame)

(Edited)

(1080p Frame)

(4k Frame)

(1080p Frame)

Full video review:

Conclusion

The 4K option is neat and it is impressive that at sub $60 camera can offer it, but it's really not that useful at 10FPS, nor is the 2.7k option. However, both the 720 and 1080p work well. They aren't quite as crisp as my beloved GitUp camera, but they are better than both the SJ4000 and the SJ7000 cameras, which are closer in price range.

Overall, The Eken H9 is an amazingly affordable action camera that offers solid video, unimpressive photos, lacks a useful playback feature, neat but not as useful 4K mode, and probably one of the better deals on a budget camera at this time. You are unlikely to find the array of video recording options on any other camera + waterproof case at this price. Check it out at through GearBest here (as well as their other action cameras, on Amazon (more pricey), Banggood, or through Eken's website. Tight lines!