GitUp F1 and G3 Duo

TonyM

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GitUp sent me their new F1 and G3 Duo cameras to test and review. Whilst I have created separate discussion threads for the F1 and G3, I decided it might be interesting to see how they compare side by side.

G3-F1.jpg

Obviously they are rather different shapes, and as such are aimed towards different markets. The G3 is a GoPro style action camera with an upright stance, a touch screen and comes with a waterproof case that can attach to all sorts of mounting options. The F1 adopts a form factor similar to the Mobius and Foxeer Legend cameras, with a small frontal area and top-mounted controls that is well-suited to FPV and Radio Controlled video recording. A waterproof case for the F1 is being considered. Despite their differences, they share many common features: photo, video, time lapse video, high speed video, image stabilisation, FPV, video+photo.

For dashcam use, both cameras can auto-record when external power is applied via mini USB. They offer loop recording. The G3 screen can be rotated if the camera is hanging upside-down from a window mount. Currently, the G3 has a specific car-dvr metering mode, but not the F1. Both cameras have replaceable internal batteries - a future version of the F1 is being developed to support a supercapacitor.

The G3 has a 1/2.3" 12MP 4:3 Sony IMX117 sensor. Videos and photos can be recorded in 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, with a maximum video resolution of 2160p (2880x2160) at 24fps
The F1 has a 1/2.5" 8MP 16:9 Sony IMX317 sensor, with a maximum video resolution of 4K (3840x2160) at 30fps

In this video comparison I have used both cameras in a variety of settings:
- Time lapse video sequence into the rising sun
- Hand-held scenic video
- Mounted on an RC truck driving on the beach
- Day and night as a dashcam
The video consists of a variety of footage taken at 30fps and 60fps, from 1080p and 1440p up to 4K. I decided on using 1080p 60fps for the compilation so there is no upscaling and no dropped frames, although there are double frames in the 30fps sections.


My summary thoughts on the two cameras:

G3
- Better suited to hand-held photo and video. Obviously the screen aids composition of the scene.
- Having a waterproof case and compatibility with gopro-style mounts permits a wide range of uses. Good for action and travel photo & video.
- Looks conspicuous when used as a dashcam.
- Off-centre lens plus upright stance are not ideal for RC/FPV use, although many similar action cameras are used in this way (My toy RC truck certainly did not do well with the off-centre weight distribution - I had the lens aligned with the centre of the truck)
- Better performer in low light - more accurate metering and less video noise
- Effective video stabilisation at 1080p60

F1
- Better suited to mounting on something, where the orientation and composition can be setup in advance using the smartphone app to preview the video over W-Fi.
- Excels in good light. Struggles a bit with video grain in low light and at night.
- Good metering and dynamic range. Default sharpening and saturation are a bit high.
- 4K continuous recording possible without overheating
- Flat base, small front area and practical mounting cradle offer good options for mounting the F1 on a bike, in use as a dashcam, or attached to an RC drone / plane / car.
- Similarly effective video stabilisation at 1080p60

So, no real surprises here. Both cameras do well for their target markets and deliver high quality photo and video. They are capable of a wide range of applications, but the physical format more than anything else determines how practical and usable they are in any given situation.

Longer versions of the time lapse sequences are available below in the original resolutions:

G3 1440p 30fps

F1 4K 30fps
 
This was a big surprise that F1 didn't do much better in low light than G3 as F1 has a much better sensor that was intended to perform well in low light! Maybe it is a firmware issue and updates will fix this?
 
G3 ftw!!!

If there is a skin for it that covers front led-lights and white letters, it could be a good dashcam! Or else just tape it over....

Just to be sure: AUTO START/STOP with "igganicion"? :D
 
G3 ftw!!!

If there is a skin for it that covers front led-lights and white letters, it could be a good dashcam! Or else just tape it over....

Just to be sure: AUTO START/STOP with "igganicion"? :D
You can independently turn on or off the front and rear led lights, and have the screen stay on or turn off. And yes, on with ignition. It doesn't turn off by itself though when the engine is turned off.
 
You can independently turn on or off the front and rear led lights, and have the screen stay on or turn off. And yes, on with ignition. It doesn't turn off by itself though when the engine is turned off.
Yes, it does turn off by itself if you set the "AutoOff" to eg. "1 Minute". Currently that doesn't work on the F1, but it does on the G3.

I prefer the F1 as a dashcam, the 4K resolution is nice and it gives a sharper image in darker conditions even though there can be some noise.
 
Yes, it does turn off by itself if you set the "AutoOff" to eg. "1 Minute". Currently that doesn't work on the F1, but it does on the G3.

I prefer the F1 as a dashcam, the 4K resolution is nice and it gives a sharper image in darker conditions even though there can be some noise.
OK, it has auto off if it's not recording. But you need to stop the recording manually or else it will keep going? I can't check right now as I'm playing with the G3 in the sea.

I too prefer the F1 as a dashcam. I'm looking forward to trying the 90deg lens in it soon.
 
Auto off and delayed off, while close in name, usually do different things. Auto Off will shut the camera down after a set time if its not recording, while Delayed Off will shut down the camera after a set time after power has been removed.
 
OK, it has auto off if it's not recording. But you need to stop the recording manually or else it will keep going?
If the G3 is set to auto start recording on power on then setting auto off to 1 minute will shut it down 1 minute after loosing power even if recording at the time.
I normally set it a bit longer so that it records the full time during a fuel stop.
 
Am I to understand that the camera G3 has way better video quality than the F1, but still some prefer the F1? I mean, it's not really that big... Besides as I understand we can switch off the front leds?

Isn't it the video quality that rules our decision whether or not to buy?
 
Am I to understand that the camera G3 has way better video quality than the F1, but still some prefer the F1? I mean, it's not really that big... Besides as I understand we can switch off the front leds?

Isn't it the video quality that rules our decision whether or not to buy?
There is no way I would choose the F1 for this video:

I'd never point it in the right direction using the app on a separate phone!
I think the G3 has a better zoom and the stabilisation with zoom is really good.
The G3 has much better sound quality.
I prefer the colour from the G3.
In good light I prefer the image quality on the G3.

However the G3 is really a 1080 camera, not a 4K camera, unless you are using it for photos. The F1 does real 4K video.
Nearly all my videos are 1080 by the time they leave the editor so the 4K isn't very important, although I do like having a 4K dashcam.
 
F1 has way better form factor for an action cam use and possibly as a dashcam. F1 has way better sensor for a challenging lighting conditions and better specs so if G3 has better video quality then it must be some firmware issue and should be fixed soon by updates. Not to say that G3 isnt good camera as it shows to do good video but F1`s way better specs should do better videos than G3!
 
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F1 has way better form factor for an action cam use and possibly as a dashcam. F1 has way better sensor for a challenging lighting conditions and better specs so if G3 has better video quality then it must be some firmware issue and should be fixed soon by updates. Not to say that G3 isnt good camera as it shows to do good video but F1`s way better specs should do better videos than G3!
The differences are maybe more to do with the processors than the sensors, both have Sony 4K resolution sensors, the F1's sensor is a few years more recent and is better in low light, but the difference between Novatek's latest processor in the G3 and Amberella's not so recent A12 is much bigger, the F1 goes for resolution and detail, the G3 has great stabilisation, colour and zoom but not so much detail, especially at night, plus the G3 has much better sound:

 
The G3 does well at long exposures. This is 10s at ISO50.
dy3rtsY.jpg
 
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If the G3 is set to auto start recording on power on then setting auto off to 1 minute will shut it down 1 minute after loosing power even if recording at the time.
I normally set it a bit longer so that it records the full time during a fuel stop.
Thanks for this info. I had previously noticed that it was still recording after losing power, but did not wait to see what happened later. I tried it tonight and can see that it does perform as you said.

That's quite a good use of the internal battery, to continue recording throughout short stops. Perhaps not ideal in warmer parts of the world, but less of a concern here in the cool UK climate.
 
I recently purchased the Gitup G3 duo and got bitten by 2 major problems:
1) External Mic Issue: Even whene you connect an external mic to the camera, the camera picks up audio from both Internal & External. So it serves no purpose for motovlogging. Upon further research got to kno that this is a hardware issue and cant be fixed by software updates. Well if this is the problem, then dont GITUP tests their products before releasing. On top of that, they market it also as a USP for this camera. Will we get any fix for this problem? I think i wasted my money on this camera and the external mic i purchased for motovlogging. It would have been better if i would have gone with GoPro which is bit pricey than these but offers noise cancellation and reliability.
Does someone have any picture where we can see from where the Gitup internal mic is picking the audio from, so that we can block it through some tape or something?

2) Andorid APP wifi connectivity: If you connect the camera with the app through wifi, you can only use the camera through the controls available in the app, NOT through the buttons on the camera. The camera hardware buttons will get disabled the moment you connect it to the phone via wifi. This is very bad. If iam riding a bike and my phone is in my pockets and i wanted to start the recording while riding, then i cant do so because the buttons are disabled. I need to stop, take out the phone and then hit the record button on the app to make it work. Any fix for this?
 
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