ThiEYE i60 review - high resolution action cam

First impression of the ThiEYE i60

The ThiEYE i60 is delivered in a visually appealing box that presents the camera beautifully. The camera is unpacked in its waterproof housing, which can be opened without any problems. The ThiEYE i60 measures just 59x41x25mm and is a real lightweight compared to other action cams with a weight of 65g.

In terms of hardware, ThiEYE has installed the latest technology from OmniVision, which enables a resolution of up to 1440p. 1440 FPS (frames per second) is easily possible on 30p. But lower resolutions can also be set. The i1080 even manages a phenomenal 60 frames per second on the 60p usual for action cams. The number of frames can even be regulated here, so that 30 or 60 FPS are possible. A resolution of 720p is suitable for slow-motion recordings. A whopping 120 FPS are possible here. So you can generate 5x more images than the human eye (24FPS) can even perceive.

The ThiEYE i60 can shoot images with up to 12 megapixels, although 8 or 4 megapixels can also be set here. In addition, a 152° wide-angle lens was used and a 6-layer lens was installed, which has an aperture number of F2.8. The ThiEYE i60 also has a 1.5" LCD display installed. In addition, there is a USB 2.0 socket, a micro HDMI socket and a micro SD card slot on the housing. A microphone for sound recording has also been integrated.

As a further treat, the i60 has an integrated Wi-Fi module. You can connect directly to the camera via WLAN and a special app and operate it via smartphone or tablet. The camera has integrated several function keys that enable easy operation. Among other things, we have an on/off button that also toggles through the different modes at the same time, a shutter/confirm button, forward and back buttons, and a Wi-Fi button.

video quality

Here is a shot in the indoor area with a resolution of 1080p and 60 pictures-per-second. The video quality of the ThiEYE i60 is impressive!

photo quality

user interface

For commissioning the ThiEYE i60 an additional Micro SD card is required. It is important to note that the camera only supports cards up to 32GB.

The camera can be operated via the function buttons on the housing, but also via WLAN. In order to connect the camera to the smartphone or tablet, you have to activate the WLAN of the camera. The camera then sets up its own WiFi network, which you can connect to via WiFi. The camera can then be controlled with an additional app, which is available for both Android and iOS (ThiEYE APP). Within the app you can choose between the different trigger modes (video, photo, photo burst, photo time lapse and photo timer). You also have an overview of the current WLAN signal strength and the remaining battery life. In addition, video settings, photo settings and general camera settings can be made via the app and you can also view the videos and pictures you have taken directly and share them via social media.

There are numerous setting options within the Action Cam user interface. Here is a list:

Category Video

Resolution (1440p@30, 1080p@60, 1080p@30, 720p@120, 720p@60) | Video Quality (Very Good, Good, Normal) | Recording in loop | Timelapse (Off, 3, 5, 10, 30 sec, 1 min) | Exposure time (EV -0.7 -0.3 0.0 +0.3 +0.7 +1.0 +1.3 +1.7 +2.0) | motion detection | White Balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Halogen) | Car License Plate | indicator | Fast Recording | date stamp

Category photo

Resolution (12M @ 4000x3000, 8M @ 3264x2448, 4M @ 2304x1728) | Delayed recording | Quality (very good, good, normal) | Date stamp | White balance (auto, daylight, cloudy, lightbulb, halogen) | Exposure time (EV -0.7 -0.3 0.0 +0.3 +0.7 +1.0 +1.3 +1.7 +2.0) | Stabilizer | Burst mode (Off, 3, 5, 10, continuous shooting) | Timer (Off, 3, 5, 10 sec.) | ISO (Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600)

Category general settings

Auto Mode (Off, Low, Normal, High) | Sounds (key sound, volume, recording) | HDR | Energy saving mode | Date and time | Language | Gravity sensor | Image rotation | Frame rate (50, 60 Hz) | System (Reset, System Info, Card Info) | WiFi Name | WiFi password | format

field test

I've had my hands on several action cams, which were good or not so good, but the ThiEYE i60 is my current favorite. The camera is great across the board. I have never had an action cam that offers so many setting options. Almost everything can be adjusted according to personal needs. Even the integrated WLAN can be freely configured, which is usually not possible with comparable models with WLAN.

 WiFi 

Speaking of Wi-Fi. The function is extremely useful if you have the camera mounted somewhere and has no access to the display of the cam. The smartphone is usually close at hand and can easily make the most necessary camera settings or change the modes. By the way, you also have direct access to the shot video or picture material via the WLAN.

 size and case 

In terms of size, the camera corresponds to the usual consorts and should fit in all common housing, you should not be satisfied with the enclosed housing. The enclosed case is in my opinion but okay and corresponds to the usual housing types. The spring-loaded keys are easy to operate and do not seem too loose, but not too tight.

 video quality 

The video quality of the ThiEYE i60 is consistently good. It does not yet come close to a GoPro 4, but it is comparable to a GoPro 3 or Xiaomi Yi. The brightness adjustment succeeds neatly the i60. What I noticed, however, are small FPS burglaries as soon as the light conditions change during a fast movement. Here should ThiEYE, if possible, by a firmware update touch up.

The camera displays colors correctly. I didn't like the pictures that much. Many smartphones take significantly better pictures. The audio recordings are also crisp and clear without a waterproof case. With the case, the sound is barely perceptible and also seems a bit dull. The range of accessories is good. It doesn't come with as many parts as other action cams, but the parts that come with it are of higher quality. There are numerous parts that attach to selfie sticks, attach to helmets, or stick anywhere.