Olfi one.five

An action cam that’s cheap and extremely cheerful

$179.99 Manufacturer Olfi, olfi.co.uk Features 4K UHD, 240fps slow motion, gyro stabilization, waterproof case (up to 98 ft)

Olfi caused quite a storm in the action cam world last year when it unveiled a model that undercut its rivals in price, yet managed to compete, and even impress, with its picture quality. That model has been given a refresh, and it now boasts enhanced styling, improved picture quality, and a glut of additional user-friendly features.

The diminutive Olfi one.five camera sits somewhere between GoPro’s Hero5 Session and the larger Hero5 Black camera in terms of size, measuring 2.1x1.6x0.9 inches and weighing just 1.9 ounces. It has a rugged plastic housing that’s waterproof to a depth of 98 feet, plus a slimmer cage that includes a shirt-pocket clip and a screw-in connector for mounting. You also get a Micro-USB cord and a selection of flat and curved 3M adhesive mounts.

This model is not just smaller than its predecessor, it’s also neater, with a more intuitive button layout. Two small buttons at the top control power and the shutter release, while two arrow buttons at the side navigate the simple menu screens. The LCD screen at the rear is bright and clear, even in direct sunlight, and you’ll find a 900 mAh battery pack on the underside. This is less than its predecessor, but Olfi claims the one. five can deliver 1.5 hours of recording time.

The cam packs an impressive performance punch for one in this price bracket, with the ability to shoot 4K at 24fps (this actually equates to 3840x2160 pixels interpolated from 2880x2160 pixels) and 720p at 120fps – good for capturing smooth slo-mo shots.

You can also shoot simple time-lapse videos using a range of timing settings. There’s a useful Loop Record function, which continuously records in small sections; it then overwrites the oldest files when the memory card is full. This means you can use the one.five as a dash cam in your car, with an optional time and date stamp adding an extra layer of evidence.

Sadly, battery life wasn’t great during our tests. We managed to get 30 to 45 minutes of filming and general fooling about before it was time to plug in the camera, and longevity is reduced further when Wi-Fi is activated and the unit is paired with an iPhone.

On the plus side, the addition of the new back-illuminated Sony Exmor-R CMOS sensor is instantly noticeable. There’s even an option in the menu screen that lets you select how intense the color palette should be, with an option to shoot “flat” should you want to color-grade in post. Image shake is also reduced thanks to gyro stabilization.

You can play with exposure settings, three metering modes, five white balance options, and five different ISO limits. It’s also possible to reduce the fisheye effect when shooting in wide angle via a distortion correction setting. Still images can be captured at 3MP to 16MP resolution, with the option to activate HDR. Unfortunately, Olfi doesn’t offer the same array of apps and editing software as rivals, with just one simple smartphone app on offer.

the bottom line. Simple, sturdy, and with decent picture quality, the one.five is a great value action camera. Leon Poultney