ThiEye T5e Reviews and Video Footage

TechTronic9000

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Full product overview, unboxing, menu walkthrough with settings explained, Android APP test and usage.


Some test footage taken with the ThiEYE T5e. The video from YouTube is 4K@60fps so nothing gets downscaled or converted to a lower frame rate. Regardless of the chosen playback resolution the quality is better than a regular direct upload.


Initial impression:
I really like it's video quality, it's sharp, has good details, the colors are OK, the price is exceptional. On the bad side it overheats a lot and has some slight issues (stability), some missing features and the most annoying for now is no delay power on and I always find it running with an empty battery. I also like the fact that it has buttons / no touch screen, it's easier for me to operate it than the Yi2 / SJ6 and more usable underwater because of that.
 
ThiEye T5 vs YI2 4K taken in 2160p@30fps

 
T5 vs YI2 EIS test, both cameras are limited to lower res, while the T5 can do 1080p@60 EIS, the Yi2 can do 2.7K EIS.

 
Hey the cam looks great, but i have to ask. Whats the difference between normal and super view in T5e? Is there any distortion correction like in Xiaomi Yi?
 
Hey the cam looks great, but i have to ask. Whats the difference between normal and super view in T5e? Is there any distortion correction like in Xiaomi Yi?
The "e" refers to packing only, i call it "economic" as it has minimal accessories, just a waterproof case and a few mounts, but it does come with 2 batteries. The distortion correction is not implemented yet as like on all action cameras it's more of a gimmick than a correction. The producer **did ** mention that they are thinking of adding this option as a future firmware update. Until now it has proved to be a rather good camera as it keeps getting constant upgrades and the producer does support it :)
 
I know there are a couple on here already but here's my unboxing and operation of the camera video. Also a lot of test clips. I have read elsewhere that the latest FW update is unreliable. FW in the camera I tested was January 2017. Seems OK though it did crash once while charging and I had to remove the battery to sort it. I was very impressed with the quality of video. Compares well to the Xiaomi which I reviewed a short while ago and much better price.

Also the Xiomi yi2 bluetooth remote works with it and you can get them for a few $ on the net.

 
I know there are a couple on here already but here's my unboxing and operation of the camera video. Also a lot of test clips. I have read elsewhere that the latest FW update is unreliable. FW in the camera I tested was January 2017. Seems OK though it did crash once while charging and I had to remove the battery to sort it. I was very impressed with the quality of video. Compares well to the Xiaomi which I reviewed a short while ago and much better price.

Also the Xiomi yi2 bluetooth remote works with it and you can get them for a few $ on the net.

Hi Bobflyman,

The Feb 170211 had a bug that reset back to factory defaults apparently. Latest f/w update you would use the simple "Camera" version as you didn't install the buggy version. They include a "PC" version to correct the buggy cams in the RAR file.

LINK HERE for download March 6th 2017 revision - T5e UN5 TIUN5-170228-V5.0 20170306.rar

Changelog:

Version:TI_UN5-170228-V5.0

NOTE:The way of upgrade has changed.

Please follow the instructions enclosed with Firmware RAR.

1.Add the language Thai
2.Optimize the deformation problem within 720P 240FPS and 200FPS resolution.
3.Solved the occasional crashes.
4.Optimize Bluetooth remote control function.
5.Solved the factory reset setting problem when the camera is turned on again.
 
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WELL GUESS WHAT ... got my ThiEYE t5e. There is no UP button function. It just wabbles in/out like there is no switch soldered to the circuit board!

NOT HAPPY
.

Doing a tear down and will post pics. Figure more chance of fixing than going through the refund/replace nonsense and muck around for months getting a result.

Purchased from GearBest. I have a bad feeling from the packaging being disturbed and finger marks over the LCD screen INSIDE the Waterproof Case (no sheet of plastic like over lens either) that this was a return and GB had a quick look, packed it back up and flogged it off as new. Also the batteries were FULLY CHARGED!
Try changing from 1080P60 to 4K ... takes way too long let alone going through the bloody menu to change a setting. Fast forward on replay? Impossible.
 
A short comparison between two action cameras fixed on the same support. One is stabilized by the Feiyu Tech WG wearable gimbal (SJ6 Legend) while the other is used as a reference (ThiEye T5).

 
WELL GUESS WHAT ... got my ThiEYE t5e. There is no UP button function. It just wabbles in/out like there is no switch soldered to the circuit board!

NOT HAPPY
.

Doing a tear down and will post pics. Figure more chance of fixing than going through the refund/replace nonsense and muck around for months getting a result.

Purchased from GearBest. I have a bad feeling from the packaging being disturbed and finger marks over the LCD screen INSIDE the Waterproof Case (no sheet of plastic like over lens either) that this was a return and GB had a quick look, packed it back up and flogged it off as new. Also the batteries were FULLY CHARGED!
Try changing from 1080P60 to 4K ... takes way too long let alone going through the bloody menu to change a setting. Fast forward on replay? Impossible.

Yeah, similar problem with my purchase with GeekBuying (Danger Wil Robertson, Danger . Stay away). Obviously used and returned camera, After market service was a joke. Months of delaying tactics, then offer $5 dollar card. Saving $20 - 30 for these returned and or defective cameras is a crap shoot because it'll cost you ~$40 to return. If you read similar experiences on their site, returns are infrequently honored. Anyone else reading this should consider themselves lucky if they get a camera that works properly. Mine was in similar condition out of box except the waterproof casing wasn't included. The mic volume control was set on 100% and won't respond to changes in the settings mode, making audio painful to listen too. I purchased in December 2016 and it has taken till now to just get the case sent, and still only have a promise it'll be sent. And I even got a request to remove my complaint from thier website. I can only imagine what a dishonor it must be to work for such scam companies.
 
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Yeah, similar problem with my purchase with GeekBuying (Danger Wil Robertson, Danger . Stay away). Obviously used and returned camera, After market service was a joke. Months of delaying tactics, then offer $5 dollar card. Saving $20 - 30 for these returned and or defective cameras is a crap shoot because it'll cost you ~$40 to return. If you read similar experiences on their site, returns are infrequently honored. Anyone else reading this should consider themselves lucky if they get a camera that works properly. Mine was in similar condition out of box except the waterproof casing wasn't included. The mic volume control was set on 100% and won't respond to changes in the settings mode, making audio painful to listen too. I purchased in December 2016 and it has taken till now to just get the case sent, and still only have a promise it'll be sent. And I even got a request to remove my complaint from thier website. I can only imagine what a dishonor it must be to work for such scam companies.
I agree, happened with an Explorer Elite too, got USD $10 from GearBest or pay Registered Mail at large cost etc etc.. Now this and GearBest will start the "Send clear pics/vids" nonsense. I can only show by dismantling cam to see missing micro switch on PCB and then "Warranty Voided" and I'm NOT falling for that. Think I'll go PayPal directly as suggested by other forum users.

WARNING - The ThiEYE action cam is not good quality and you should be very pleased if you get one that is working. Buyers beware!

The waterproof housing latch breaks easily also reported by a few user groups so far.

Besides missing button, Timelapse stays faint and NOT selectable and only works on 720p30 on mine. That is when I eventually got to it with "scroll down" only, after trying numerous resolutions having to scroll through every menu page EVERY change! Extremely disappointed at this stage.
 
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these sellers are all very active, pre sale, it all falls apart if there are issue though, any of these purchases you should only spend what you're prepared to lose, if no problem then it's all good and you got a bargain, if there are issues though you're pretty much on your own and may as well give up and toss it out
 
these sellers are all very active, pre sale, it all falls apart if there are issue though, any of these purchases you should only spend what you're prepared to lose, if no problem then it's all good and you got a bargain, if there are issues though you're pretty much on your own and may as well give up and toss it out
Pretty much. GearBest are good and bad as the price goes up.
Only one Shenzhen company said NOT to send back and they would add a replacement to my next order (so I bought 2 USB cables and a $2 GoPro mount LOL). They sent a pic of the order with the replacement added!
Then a few weeks later phoned me and asked if the replacement worked. Thought it was a prank call at first, 10pm at night, this barely understandable, soft spoken woman's voice and bad connection (echo), but once I realized, all good.

Only good news is only the single pole momentary micro switch that is missing. May be hard to find one but easy fix. Upgrade to latest f/w should fix the Timelapse problem, if I bother. 1 minute upward is too long so I use one with 100ms up to 30 secs. for timelapse anyway.
 
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I agree, happened with an Explorer Elite too, got USD $10 from GearBest or pay Registered Mail at large cost etc etc.. Now this and GearBest will start the "Send clear pics/vids" nonsense. I can only show by dismantling cam to see missing micro switch on PCB and then "Warranty Voided" and I'm NOT falling for that. Think I'll go PayPal directly as suggested by other forum users.

WARNING - The ThiEYE action cam is not good quality and you should be very pleased if you get one that is working. Buyers beware!

The waterproof housing latch breaks easily also reported by a few user groups so far.

Besides missing button, Timelapse stays faint and NOT selectable and only works on 720p30 on mine. That is when I eventually got to it with "scroll down" only, after trying numerous resolutions having to scroll through every menu page EVERY change! Extremely disappointed at this stage.
As a very small time retailer, I can tell you that the bain of a brand is the resale of returned products for just this reason. It is quite possible Thieye has loss control over thier returned products. It is also possible that our cameras are knock offs, maybe last years supplier that lost Thieye's business due to poor quality control and has wip to dump, thus the poor examples.we got. I suspect this on my copy because of poor video quality compared to others I've seen. I don't work for Thieye nor intend to make excuses. I do suspect the retailer I used though is more than likely selling grey market equipment"
Pretty much. GearBest are good and bad as the price goes up.
Only one Shenzhen company said NOT to send back and they would add a replacement to my next order (2 USB cables and a $2 GoPro mount LOL). They sent a pic of the order with the replacement added! Then a few weeks later phoned me and asked if the replacement worked. Thought it was a prank call at first, 10pm at night, this barely understandable, soft spoken womens voice and bad connection (echo), but once I realized, all good.

Only good news is only the single pole momentary micro switch that is missing. May be hard to find one but easy fix. Upgrade to latest f/w should fix the Timelapse problem, if I bother. 1 minute upward is too long so I use one with 100ms up to 30 secs. for timelapse anyway.

Sorry about the response above, done on my iPad. More than likely you can find the smd micro momentary switch on Amazon. Something like this, only I'd look for one that's waterproof;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01FAJ0TA6I purchased a Yi, first model, from GearBest and it had a focus issue when it arrived. Had to learn about focusing these little buggers. The thing that bugs me the most about my T5e purchase was my disregard for what I suspected could be a problem before I pushed the buy key. Still my fault. Dang!
 
As a very small time retailer, I can tell you that the bain of a brand is the resale of returned products for just this reason. It is quite possible Thieye has loss control over thier returned products. It is also possible that our cameras are knock offs, maybe last years supplier that lost Thieye's business due to poor quality control and has wip to dump, thus the poor examples.we got. I suspect this on my copy because of poor video quality compared to others I've seen. I don't work for Thieye nor intend to make excuses. I do suspect the retailer I used though is more than likely selling grey market equipment"


Sorry about the response above, done on my iPad. More than likely you can find the smd micro momentary switch on Amazon. Something like this, only I'd look for one that's waterproof;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01FAJ0TA6I purchased a Yi, first model, from GearBest and it had a focus issue when it arrived. Had to learn about focusing these little buggers. The thing that bugs me the most about my T5e purchase was my disregard for what I suspected could be a problem before I pushed the buy key. Still my fault. Dang!
No worries, any info useful! Yes it seems that way. ThiEYE look like a pretty good company but can't see where you can order directly from them so we get stuck with these damn resellers.
Haha yeah at least I know these cams inside out now because of problems like this.
Haven't looked properly at switch yet, will try for refund 1st but if stuck with the cam at least your link is a start and helpful ... EXCEPT Amazon do not SHIP to Australia! Can you believe it!!!
Taken Front Cover off only and I can just see a little "post" on the good Down Button switch sticking out slightly but nothing on UP button. so maybe this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/B01GN79QF8Does not ship here either, in fact not much does from Amazon does, regardless if USA, UK, DE, IT etc (though sometimes Canada does) but at least an idea of sizing, type etc.
Thanks :)
 
As a very small time retailer, I can tell you that the bain of a brand is the resale of returned products for just this reason. It is quite possible Thieye has loss control over thier returned products. It is also possible that our cameras are knock offs, maybe last years supplier that lost Thieye's business due to poor quality control and has wip to dump, thus the poor examples.we got. I suspect this on my copy because of poor video quality compared to others I've seen. I don't work for Thieye nor intend to make excuses. I do suspect the retailer I used though is more than likely selling grey market equipment"


The thing that bugs me the most about my T5e purchase was my disregard for what I suspected could be a problem before I pushed the buy key. Still my fault. Dang!
I didn't think the T5e was around long enough for that but after checking, may well be. It's been out a while.
We might be getting "left overs" Same with SJ8000 parts various revision parts and PCB's dated from 2015 to 2016 were used to make Explorer Elites alone (just in a pretty new box minus the status LED's)

Looking at this vid of the ThiEYE company (I've seen tons, go back a few hours later, empty building LOL the Chinese are very got at getting things done quickly) but this actually looks ligit though obviously staged. Cold soldering iron, no cotton gloves etc.
We might be getting "left overs" same with SJ8000 parts various revisions were used to make Elephone Explorer Elites in a pretty new box (minus the status LED's)
This vid give me hope I can tear down without removing LCD screen cover to get at switches! Problem at 10:38 in vid. Look like side mount to PCB :(
 
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Hi,
I see these on aliexpress, 20 pcs for $0.70.
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...0629&SearchText=6x6x6mm+Momentary+Push+Button
I still get electrical components from Aliexpress, as I assume most companies do as well. I would assume the products on Amazon are from Aliexpress, the pictures look almost identical.
Watching the video, looks like the LCD cord snaps in, and I assume out, easliy.
Hi,
Yes there are small locking clips either side. Gently pull outward to to "unclip" and remove and press back in when flat cable slipped back in. This locks it in place. They seem to have folded the ribbon cable to give extra length to work on luckily.
 
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