THieye i60e 4K
At £44, the ThiEYE i60e 4K is one of the cheapest action cameras we’ve seen, with a decent design and a range of shooting modes.
Design
It looks like a standard action camera, with a wide-angle lens on the front, a 2in display on the rear and a smattering of buttons. There’s a slot on the side of the camera for a microSD card, a Micro-USB socket for charging and transferring files, and a mini-HDMI port.
The device is coated with textured black rubber for extra grip when not in the IP68-rated waterproof case (also supplied), and it certainly doesn’t feel or look cheap. The case allows you to submerge it up to 60ft underwater, although it adds extra bulk to the camera (an additional 75g).
Features
Unlike the GoPro Hero 5 Black (page 48), the i60e isn’t touchscreen-enabled – one of the drawbacks of a cheap action camera. You’ll need to use various buttons which, despite reading the instructions, we found confusing to navigate at first, although we got used to them after some experimentation.
One plus for the i60e is that it has an accompanying iOS and Android app that provides you with a live feed of the camera, along with controls and the option to browse recorded media via Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, we ran into errors when using the app, ranging from general connectivity issues to problems accessing media. It’s handy for starting and stopping recordings, but we’d prefer the traditional method of accessing the media – via a Micro-USB cable and a computer.
The i60e doesn’t come with any built-in storage, but has a microSD slot that accepts cards up to 128GB. It’s worth investing in a high-capacity microSD card if you plan on frequently recording in 4K, as the file sizes are much larger than standard 1080p.
The camera has several shooting modes, including 720p at 120fps, 1080p at 60fps, 2.7K at 30fps and 4K at 30fps, and is also able to take 12Mp 3:2 photos. The lens is a 170-degree wide-angle offering, with an aperture of f2.2, and provides clear video when well lit. Despite the relatively large aperture, the quality of both videos and pictures decreases as light levels drop, regardless of the video format. We
The 160e is coated with textured black rubber for extra grip when not in the IP68-rated waterproof case (also supplied), and doesn’t feel or look cheap
also noted slight distortion around the edges of recorded video clips, although it isn’t prominent enough to ruin them.
Despite the camera having 4K capabilities, we weren’t blown away by the quality of the video when viewed on a 4K TV. In fact, we’re not convinced that the ThiEYE actually records in 4K – we think it’s upscaled from a lower resolution and as such doesn’t take in four times the amount of detail as it’s supposed to. It’s not horrendous, but it isn’t up to the standards of GoPro Hero action cameras or even cheaper options. The 1080p at 60fps mode, however, provides clearer video and should be enough for most users.
The i60e can also take timelapse or slow-mo videos (using the 720p at 120fps format) and, most impressively, is able to double up as a dash cam. Simply select this option on the ThiEYE, connect it to your car and whenever the camera registers power it will start recording, only stopping once the engine is turned off (when turning off the ignition).
Verdict
The ThiEYE i60e 4K is a great action camera for those who don’t want to spend hundreds on a GoPro, and the included mount and waterproof case sweeten the deal. The 4K video quality isn’t great, but in our tests the 1080p at 60fps option produced slightly clearer results and should suffice for most. The extra features, such as time-lapse, the ability to double up as a dashcam and accompanying iOS and Android apps make the £44 price tag a bargain.