In this article, we will help you choose between Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5. Many people have been wondering whether Apeman 4K is actually a good action camera. It comes with a very budget-friendly price tag. Even after the drop of GoPro Hero 5’s price, it’s still the more affordable option. Well, GoPro cameras are famous for a reason!
After reading this article, you will understand better about:
- The design, build quality, and durability of each action camera
- The features of Apeman 4K and GoPro Hero 5
- The comparison of their mobile apps
- Which action camera that has the better overall image quality
- The battery life of Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5
Apeman 4K: Design
Is Apeman 4K waterproof? Not without the additional housing. If you want to go underwater, you need to equip the additional housing on the camera, which will allow you to dive to a maximum depth of 40 meters (130 feet). The good news is, you won’t need to spend any more money for the additional housing, as it is already included with the camera. See also: Tomtom Bandit vs GoPro Hero 5
How about the bad news? Besides the fact that having to do an extra step of equipping the housing is a bit of a hassle, the housing will also dramatically reduce the audio quality of the recording. This is because the housing will stand between the internal microphone and the sound source. So, when you need to equip the housing, you may want to record the audio separately using another device.
Nevertheless, Apeman 4K is very compact and portable. Even with the additional housing, the overall size is still small enough to fit into a pocket of a jacket. The display size of Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5 is slightly smaller, but the difference is marginal. The diameter is about 1.95 inches.
The camera is controlled through buttons. Fortunately, the button control is intuitive and efficient. You can navigate through the options very quickly. There are two buttons on the right-hand side for moving up and down through the options. On the top side, there is the power button which doubles as a mode selector, and the shutter button which doubles as a recording switch.
Along the left-hand side, there is a removable cover that hides the Micro SD slot, Micro USB port, and Micro HDMI port. The cover will provide some basic protection against water splashes, but it is not truly waterproof.
In addition to the waterproof housing, Apeman 4K also comes with a case cover, a double-sided tape, several velcro straps, a wire strap, seven case mounts, three base mounts, a microfiber cleaning cloth, a spare battery, and a Micro USB charging cable. The included mounts are quite versatile; you can use them to mount the camera on your bike or helmet, or set Apeman 4K as a dash cam.
Apeman 4K: Features & Mobile App
As expected from such a budget-friendly action camera, the features of Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5 are quite limited. For example, this camera only captures still images in JPEG. It can’t capture RAW photos, and it has minimal manual controls.
Then, the mobile app, which is called YUTUPRO, is quite basic with only simple capabilities like file transfer and sharing on social media. You can’t do advanced things like fine-tuning image quality or overlaying GPS data.
This camera has a slight fisheye effect due to using a 170-degree wide-angle lens. Some people like the fisheye effect, some others don’t. Fortunately, there is a lens distortion correction (LDC) feature which will automatically process the images to remove the fisheye effect when enabled.
The LDC feature is available at resolutions of up to 16MP. The camera itself can capture still images in a maximum resolution of 20MP. However, you won’t be able to use the LDC feature in this setting.
The other features of Apeman 4K include the burst shooting, loop recording, time-lapse shooting, and timer. You can set the timer to any number, so it is quite handy for a wide variety of situations. Apeman 4K also has a built-in image stabilization system.
Apeman 4K: Image Quality
In terms of image quality, Apeman 4K is surprisingly good. It is armed with a 20MP Panasonic MN32120 image sensor and the Hisilicon Hi3559 chip. Furthermore, the lens is quite sophisticated with seven layers that provide UV protection and infrared filtering.
The seven-layered lens has been proven to be very beneficial for enhancing the image quality. It helps in removing unwanted sources of light and minimizing color dispersion. The produced images consistently come with accurate colors.
Apeman 4K is able to record a 4K footage at 30fps, which is good. The images are crisp, and the motions look quite smooth and detailed. You can also record in 1440p at 60fps if you want to enhance the fluidity of the motions. For slow-motion videos, Apeman 4K can record in 720p at 120fps.
The image stabilization is pretty good, but it is not exactly ground-breaking. It can eliminate subtle shakiness, for example when you are shooting while walking gently. However, it won’t be able to eliminate blur and shakiness caused by very fast movements or heavy impacts.
Finally, the battery life of Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5 is quite short. This camera runs on a 1350mAh lithium-ion battery. It can only last for about 30 minutes when used for recording continuously. Fortunately, there is a spare battery included in the box, and you can easily find a similar battery on the Internet if you think you need more than two batteries.
GoPro Hero 5: Design
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of GoPro Hero 5 is the fact that it is waterproof without requiring any additional housing. The camera alone can withstand rain and water splashes, and is able to dive as deep as 10 meters (30 feet) under water. So, you won’t need to be hassled by an additional housing, and the audio quality won’t be affected even when you are shooting under water.
That said, an additional housing called Super Suit is still available as a separate purchase for more extreme dives. The additional housing is waterproof up to 60 meters (196 feet) under water. It feels really solid and robust. So, GoPro Hero 5 is actually able to go into deeper waters than Apeman 4K.
The design is very good. You will find the rectangular shape familiar if you have ever used another GoPro camera, but, unlike its predecessors, GoPro Hero 5 comes with a rubberized surface. As the effect, the camera feels really comfortable to hold, and it is quite resistant to slipping.
On the rear, there is a 2-inch touchscreen which is quite bright and sharp. Accessing the features and settings is very easy and straightforward. Then, there is a small vice screen on the front which will show you essential information like recording duration and remaining battery – very useful when shooting with putting yourself in the frame. On the right, there is a button for switching modes. The shutter button is on the top.
GoPro Hero 5 only includes a flat adhesive mount, a curved adhesive mount, the mounting frame, the mounting buckle, and the USB charging cable. The other accessories, like the Super Suit housing, are sold separately.
GoPro Hero 5: Features & Mobile App
First of all, GoPro Hero 5 supports voice control. This will allow you to control the camera remotely by using voice commands. In use, the voice controls works perfectly well. The camera is able to hear your voice and perform accordingly, even when in a fairly noisy environment.
Then, GoPro Hero 5 also has a built-in feature for wind noise reduction. It is quite effective for reducing wind noise, though it sometimes can’t cut off the noise completely. Nevertheless, it is often useful for recording fast actions and sports activities with high quality audio.
This camera can shoot multiple photos in a 30-fps burst and time-lapse. The image stabilization system is really powerful and effective, though it is only available when recording in resolutions of up to 1080p.
You can connect GoPro Hero 5 to your smartphone via Wi-Fi. Then, you can use the GoPro mobile app (available for Android and iOS) to control the camera remotely via your smartphone. This mobile app also has the capability to pull high-resolution still images from your videos.
The Quik app, which is available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac, comes with some advanced editing functions. It can add titles, text overlays, soundtracks, effects, and transitions. It can also sync a video to the beat of a music. Meanwhile, the Splice app, which is only available for iOS, is able to trim and stitch clips, apply effects and transitions, mix multiple soundtracks, fine-tune audio, and play specific clips in slow-motion.
GoPro Hero 5: Image Quality
GoPro Hero 5 is able to record a 4K footage at 30fps. In this setting, the images are indeed very sharp and detailed. The colors are accurate and solid. The dynamic range is very good. Different color gradations can be reproduced quite well. Details in highlights and shadows are also preserved quite well.
However, as mentioned above, the image stabilization is not available when recording in the highest resolution. So, if you are about to record a fast action, you should limit the resolution to 1080p. In this setting, you can benefit from the 60fps frame rate, which will give smoother and more detailed motions. For slow-motion videos, GoPro Hero 5 can record in either 1080p/120fps or 720p/240fps.
The image stabilization is really good. It can eliminate most blur and shakiness that may occur when shooting while walking, running, or riding a bicycle. The stabilized footage is very smooth and stable. It only becomes ineffective when in an extreme condition, such as shooting while off-roading at a high speed.
GoPro Hero 5 is also great for photography. It can capture still images in 12MP. The main advantage is not the resolution, but the photography features.
GoPro Hero 5 provides plenty of manual controls through the Protune options. In addition, it has the Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) mode, which will enhance details in highlights and shadows. It can capture still images in the RAW format, which will allow you to fine-tune them in post-production using your favorite image processing software.
The battery life is great. GoPro Hero 5 can record in 4K continuously for about 60 minutes. Meanwhile, recording in 1080p will allow the camera to last for up to 90 minutes. Turning off the Wi-Fi will help to minimize the battery drain.
Apeman 4K vs GoPro Hero 5
Conclusion
In general, GoPro Hero 5 is the better action camera. It has more advanced features which can be very useful. It is waterproof without requiring any additional housing, so it can capture better audio. It can be controlled easily via voice commands, and it has a more powerful image stabilization. For photography, the Protune options and RAW support are beneficial.