Best Budget Action Cam

[brian8989]

Hi Guys,

I am planning to buy a cheap and good Action Cam. But I do not know which of the following is the best with the latest firmware:-

1.Thieye T5e
2. Thieye T5 edge
3. Thieye E7
4. Firefly 8SE
5. SJCAM SJ7 Star Wifi
6. SJCAM SJ8 Plus Native Dual Screen WiFi


I personally think that Thieye E7 is a good Action Cam. Does anyone of you have it and how is the picture and video quality?



Thanks,
Brian

[nutsey]

I vote for number 4. Today it's going to become even better as my MOD3.0 custom firmware is on its way.

[petesimon]

brian8989

also consider Akaso V50 Pro (touch screen), and Eken H5s Plus (touch screen)

what features and resolutions are you looking for?
- good 4k EIS ?, or good 1080p/60 EIS?
- built-in camera slow-motion mode?
- high frame rate for 720p or 1080p?
- external microphone ?
- bluetooth wireless remote?, or simple RF wireless remote, or no wireless remote?
- FPV analog audio/video out?
- front LCD screen
- touch screen?
- etc ...

[massacre]

Same question here.. I want to buy a sub 120eur action cam. Between SJ8 Plus ( 115eur ) and Firefly 8SE ( 95eur ), which one has best quality at [email protected] EIS On ? Firefly 8SE has 6 axis but SJ8 Plus with his 3 axis EIS can achive good results too?

From last models ( SJ7 Star vs Firefly 8s ), both has good results with almost no differences between them.

[nutsey]

The question is not which one is better in stabilized 1080p60. It's about how deep its firmware can be customized to get maximum from the hardware.

[massacre]

First of all, let me thank you for your great work by modifying the firmware to get the best of these cameras. The image quality on Firefly 8SE with your custom firmware is amazing.

The SJ8 Plus might be more future-proof because of the new chipset that adds the capability to use EIS at 4k30 but image quality is worse ( 1080p60 ) comparing to Firefly 8SE. What do you think ?

[karRobert]

I think definitely the number 4 Firefly 8SE will be better option from the list. I've used that one before.
2-inch ips touch screen
A high sensitivity 2-inch touch screen helps accessing all action camera settings much quicker.
IPS screen provides wider viewing angle.
I found a review about best action cameras under $100 and really helpfull

[Purevector]

I'm new to this site and I've been reading a lot of posts, but I would love it if someone knowledgeable could simply answer the following question:

What camera is best for 1080p60, with EIS and touchscreen? I am looking at recording at high bitrates (35+ mbps) to minimize artifacting in difficult conditions like running through a forest.

I see that the FF8SE is recommended here. Is that the best option, or is there something cheaper with just as good 1080p60 video? If not, where is the cheapest place to get a FF8SE?

Thanks a lot.

[nutsey]

Hi,

The FF8SE looks to be the best choice for your needs.

[petesimon]

a Xiaomi Mijia action camera (A12, touch screen, EIS). scripts are usable to increase bit-rates on this camera.

maybe check posts/reviews for an Eken H5s Plus (A12, touch screen, EIS). scripts are usable to increase bit-rates on this camera.

cheap cameras do not make such good video footage.

[naturelover]

Xiaomi Mijias you can get for 69 dollars on ebay right now.

[naturelover]

I am going to try here too
Stabilisation and great bit rates are almost marginal to me. I am looking for a camera that I can use for decent stills and ok slow motion footage, and that also produces RAW. I don't need 4k. I'd like photo time lapse and the possibility to play with photo settings. Motion detection would be lovely, and even better if it works with photos (and burst).
I have been trying various cameras now (ThiEye E7, Xiaomi MiJia, SJ5000X - of those, I liked the ThiEye the best btw), with differing, yet mostly unsatisfying results for my needs.

Now I read about the Gitup Git2P that comes with a non-distortion 90° FOV lens. I know that most action cameras basically habe an infinity focus, but I would need something that is focused for about the first 10-20 inches in front of the lens. Can this camera do that or can I manipulate the lens in a way to do it? I really like the color quality I have seen in photos, so this sounds interesting to me.
So far, I have been working with Allwinner cameras, which works nicely, but I would love to step up my resolution game. Could the Gitup Git2P be what I am looking for? Thanks for any advice!

[nutsey]

hc1982 what do you think about it?

[hc1982]

I believe, most of action cameras allow to adjust focus by turning lens in holder, although, you need to remove face plate from camera body and possibly break a glue lens is fixed in place. Another possible solution is to use close-up lens, but quality could be not so good in such case.
Git2P has no support for motion detection in photo mode (same as other Novatek-based cams), and RAW is supported only in single picture drive mode, as far as I remember. But it provides other essential things like manual Shutter speed and/or ISO settings in photo mode and produces quite good stills with low ISO (100-400).
Slow motion is not very usable in Git2P, as it supports only 720p with 120fps and 640x480 with 240fps (real resolution for 240fps is even lower). Video with fine details could be obtained only for 30fps video modes (1440p in original firmware and any 25/30fps video resolutions in custom mod), as 60/120fps modes are using pixel binning which produces "staircase" artifacts on edges.
Git2p (same as many other cams) has remote shutter functionality and Gitup sells special cable for it, or you can find usb pin-out info on the Internet and make your own. I think, it could be paired somehow with motion detector, similar to ones used in surveillance systems, in order to trigger shutter in photo mode.

[hc1982]

Recently I have switched to Gitup G3 90, and quite satisfied with it, as it has same features plus much better sensor and display. As for me, original firmware has too high noise reduction settings, which result in excessive blurriness, but I have turned it down, same as artificial sharpening settings, switched sensor modes for 30fps video resolutions and now can tell that image quality in 1080p 30/48/50/60 fps video is very good even in low light, although it can record only 720p with 120fps due to hardware limitations. I have not tested nor modded photo mode yet, and it seems that JPEGs are processed in resolution lower than native one, but it should be fixable, I believe, and it has RAW support too.
So, I would prefer Gitup G3 Duo 90 to Git2P. But note, that it costs $10 more ($99 at gitup.com at the moment), has custom battery and not compatible with 3rd-party waterproof cases, as it is a bit bulkier, and resolution of sensor is 12MP (16MP in Git2P).

[naturelover]

Thanks for the thorough reply, hc1982! I am prepared to remove the face plate and turn the lens if needed. What I also liked about the Git2P is the 90° lens with no distortion. The ones I have tried so far all had way too much fisheye. Not good for what I want the camera for. The remote shutter functionality sounds very interesting! I have to admit I have a Git2P coming my way now, it just sounded so good after all I have been reading. I am sure I will be back here to inquire about the remote possibilities. Can you point out what to look for online when I want to check out that cable?

[hc1982]

Check this cable in official gitup store: https://www.gitup.com/accessories/56...t2-camera.html
or you can find the same cable on ali or somewhere else much cheaper: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Gitu...811343480.html

There is no need to limit yourself to some cam only due to lens FOV, as most of action cams are using M12 lenses, which could be acquired for ~$10-$50 separately and replaced easily. Only sensor size, resolution and camera dimension should be matched.

Also, try my firmware mod for Git2p - it has lot of changes for video, but photo mode was improved too, I hope.

[naturelover]

Thank you, hc1982! As soon as the camera arrives, I will test your mod, and probably come back for more questions. I have been reading a lot on here and the other forum in recent weeks, and tried different cameras too. The 16 MP are luring me to the GitUp, amonst other things.