ThiEye T5 Edge Review: New Action Camera with 4K EIS

Last year (is it already 2018!), ThiEye jumped onto the action camera scene with the excellent T5E camera. Fast forward to this new year, and they've released yet another budget 4K camera: The T5 Edge. It's not the same camera - it has a different image sensor, offers Voice Control, and, perhaps most excitingly, supports Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) at not only 1080p but also 4K, 30fps. 

Yeah, that's one of my new bass lures for 2018. Expect a review soon.

Specifications

Videos

Resolution 4K 30fps, 2.7K 30fps, 1080P 60 / 30fps, 720P 120 / 60 / 30fps

Distortion Correction Support

Gyro Stabilizer (EIS) Support 4K & 1080P

Auto Low Light Support 1080P 60fps, 720P 120 / 60fps

Loop Recording 2 / 3 / 5min, video auto cyclic covering

Time lapse Video 1 / 3 / 5 / 10 / 30 / 60 second interval

Slow Motion Select the slow motion mode and capture slow motion footage at 720P 120fps

Screen Off Off / 30s / 1min / 2min

Auto Shutdown Off / 1 / 2min

Format MP4

Codec H.264

Photos

Resolution 14M (4320*3240) / 10M (3648*2736) / 8M (3264*2448) / 5M (2592*1944)

Long Exposure Off / 1 / 2 / 5 / 8 / 30 / 60s

Photo Burst Off / 3 P/s / 7 P/2s / 15 P/4s / 30P/8s

Self-Timer Off / 3 / 5 / 10 / 20s

Photo format JPG

Hardware

Waterproof 197 feet(60m) underwater with waterproof case

LCD Display Built-in 2.0 inch Ultra-HD IPS screen

Lens 170° super-wide view, 7G lens

Storage Micro SD / SDHC / SDXC (Support up to 128G, UHS-1 U3 required, sold separately)

Audio Input Microphone

Audio Output Speaker

Connection WiFi (iOS & Android App), Micro USB, HDM

Image Sensor MN34112

Others

Dimension 60 * 42 * 23mm (L x W x D)

Battery 1100mAh, 3.7V

Color Black

WiFi Control Yes

Voice & Remote Control Support

Language English / Simplified Chinese / Traditional Chinese / German / Italian / Spanish / Portuguese / French / Japanese

 Performance

I've used the T5 Edge in a variety of settings and it's performed well. The EIS definitely makes the footage more stable. However, the EIS could use some significant refinement - it's not at the level of GitUp or SJCam for now. Hopefully future software updates will fix this, as there was occasional shaking artifact and jello, even with EIS. 

The included waterproof case is snug and fits the camera perfectly. The menu is easy to navigate, and playback on the app or the camera itself is a breeze. The included bluetooth remote works quite well, and offers remote control features. To use the Voice Command option, you need to speak into the bluetooth remote, after its synced to the camera. Commands include "Action Start Vieo", "Action Stop Shooting", "Action Photo", "Camera Turn Off." These are only for English-and I doubt the software will pickup heavy accents very well.

There is also several of the usual accessories included with the camera, various mounts and so on.
The image sensor is the same as one of the Eken models, but different from the T5E model.

Sample photos from ThiEye T5 Edge Action Camera (unedited)

Comparison to T5E Action Camera

I really liked the T5E when I reviewed it several months back. However, the T5E doesn't have EIS, and thus I didn't use the 4K as much as I would have liked. The difference in terms of stability between no EIS and EIS on the T5Edge is quite striking - see the video below. 

Photo quality and video quality are otherwise fairly similar at 4K, but at 1080p the T5E is definitely ahead in detail. I do prefer the somewhat more saturated colors found on the ThiEye T5 Edge photos and video on stock settings over the T5E at 4K. Battery life and compatibility with the ThiEye Action Camera app are similar, no major hiccups. The Image sensor is also different on the T5 Edge. 

Conclusion

ThiEye T5 Edge is an upgrade over the prior T5E, mostly in terms of its EIS feature, although the EIS is far from perfect-in fact, it's quite weak. The different image sensor on the T5 Edge seems to produce more natural, less washed out footage over the T5E, although the difference is slight in 4K. At 1080p, the T5 Edge actually lags behind the T5E. The Voice Control and Bluetooth Remote are also both nice, but not features I'll probably use that often. Overall, this is another interesting action camera from ThiEye, with room to improve on the EIS feature. It's definitely one of the more affordable options for 4K EIS at this time, but I think the ELE Explorer K REXSO actually beats it and is cheaper. Take a look at the review video below and let me know your thoughts:

Important links: 

Buy ThiEye T5 Edge online: http://bit.ly/2lZfSUu (4K EIS + remote control + voice control)

Best BUDGET 4K Action Camera 2017? ThiEye T5E Review

 ThiEye T5E

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

4K Test

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
Other action cameras: http://bit.ly/2m6Ao4e