XTU X1 Review
The XTU X1 is a new action camera model from XTU. It’s a great GoPro alternative and one of the best budget sports cams. XTU is not a very known brand to most people and this is one of their first sports cams, in this review we discover why it’s so popular.
It offers 4K video quality and 20MP pictures. The definition, focus, and detail are of high quality. The XTU X1 also comes with a multitude of accessories so you can use it to get better footage.
But before we talk about its features, what comes in the box of the XTU X1, the waterproof case, a battery, a remote control watch, bicycle, an extension mount, a long and short thumbscrew, 2 adhesive pads, J-Base, a helmet base, a sponge and dust cover, and an external microphone.
In this blog post, your gonna find out everything you need to know about this new action camera from XTU and its new features, is it better than other GoPro alternatives and GoPro sports cams?
If you are looking for the best action camera for you, check out our recommended action cameras (Click here)
Pros
≫ 4K Resolution up to 60fps
≫ Waterproof without a case
≫ MicroSD Card up to 256GB
≫ Comes with RC (Remote Control)
≫ Comes with dual screens
≫ Wifi connection
Cons
≫ Battery is not great
≫ A bit expensive
Design
The XTU X1 has an elegant modern design, it is well built with good quality plastics and it has a black color. Its design is similar to GoPro action cameras such as the Hero 9, it comes with dual screens, on the back and a smaller screen on the front.
The dimensions of the XTU X1 are 6 x 4.2 x 2.5 cm and a weight of 60 grams. On the back, we have the touchscreen where all the adjustments and controls will be made, the rear touch screen measures 2-inch (5 cm) and uses an LCD touch screen.
On the front, we can see the lens of the sports cam and the front screen, as for its buttons, there are only 3, 2 on top, to start and stop recording or to take a picture, another on the right side, through which we will turn on and off the camera, the rest of the menus and settings we can change with the 2″ rear touch screen, which really gives this camera a great simple nice design.
Technical Specifications
Its sensor allows it to record 4K 60fps and 20MP photos using a 166° wide-angle lens. For stabilization, the X1 uses an advanced EIS 6-axis gyroscope stabilization.
The XTU X1 also comes with a Wi-Fi connection with the XTU smartphone app to control the camera through your phone. Another way to use the action camera is with the remote control which comes included with the camera.
In the back we can find the IPS LCD 2″ screen of 320 x 240px resolution, the XTU X1 uses a touchscreen so you can easily change your settings and playback your videos. The screen is comfortable and the UI of the menu is easy to understand and works fluid.
The XTU X1 doesn’t come with any MicroSD card so you will need to get one separately, if you use one you already have you will need to format it. Micro SD card must be U3 or higher with 8-256GB capacity. If “SD card error” appears, format your SD card as FAT32 on your computer.
≫ Video resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160)
≫ Image quality: 20MP
≫ Battery: 1350 mAh
≫ Frame rate: 30FPS/ 60FPS/ 120FPS/ 240FPS
≫ 6-axis gyroscope EIS stabilization
≫ SD Card up to 256GB
≫ Codec h.264
≫ Language English / Français / Deutsch / Italiano / Espanol / Português / Polski / Dutch / Pусский / 日本語 / 简体 中文
≫ 40m underwater with housing
≫ 8x zoom
≫ 166° Wide Angle
≫ Power Frequency 50HZ / 60HZ
Battery
The XTU X1 uses a 1350mAh battery which is quite good. The battery can last up to 90 minutes recording 1080p Full HD video, with the WiFi turned off. In the case of capturing 4K 60fps video, battery life will drop.
The battery is situated on the bottom of the XTU, where there is a cover that gives access to the battery. The XTU X1 comes with 1 battery, I recommend getting a second battery so you can change them quickly and keep recording whenever the first one runs out.
Stabilization
The XTU X1 comes with a built-in Electronic Image Stabilizer (EIS), which will keep the footage stable and smooth while shooting sports and action scenes.
The (EIS) stabilization can go up to resolutions from 720p HD to 4K video. The X1 uses a 6-axis gyroscope that delivers pretty smooth and steady videos in situations of some movement such as going cycling and snorkeling.
Even though the stabilization does a decent job at keeping your footage stable I recommend checking out a gimbal which will massively improve the stabilization, another great option is GoPro’s new action camera the Hero 9 (Click here for review), the best action camera yet and amazing stabilization.
Photography
As for the photography, the XTU X1 can take pictures up to 20MP the same as the GoPro Hero 9, but X1 pictures achieve a bit less quality and don’t look as good.
Picture resolutions: 20MP / 16MP / 14MP / 10MP / 8MP / 5MP.
Like most action cameras the XTU X1 lets us change multiple settings such as the possibility to change the ISO, shutter speed, the exposure time, white balance, and a lot more, with patience we can work on interesting images.
The XTU X1 has different modes to take pictures: Time-lapse, timer, long exposition, Wide, Linear, and Narrow Lenses, and more. The XTU X1 shoots with JPG by default but you have the option of shooting in RAW format to get a lot more detail in post-production.
For more action shots the XTU X1 has the ability to take Burst pictures capable of shooting: 30/1, 15/3, 7/1, 3/1 Intervals, thanks to this mode you can capture the perfect moment.
Video
The XTU X1 is capable of recording up to 4K resolution with 60 frames per second, and it’s able to record as long as 90 minutes. The videos captured with this action camera are stored in .mov format under the H.264 (common codec for most cameras) or H.265 (new codec that allows greater video compression).
We also have settings for video recording and we can switch between the different resolution and framerate options, we also have shutter speed control, ISO, sharpness, exposure compensation, color profile, and other adjustments that affect the sound or stabilization.
The video quality is pretty good for its price, the quality is a bit inferior to a GoPro but it gets decent results, the colors are good, contrast pretty balanced, and the details pretty clear, if there is a big brightness difference your whites or blacks might be blown out.
Audio:
The audio of the XTU X1 is pretty average and doesn’t produce the best audio results, if you are looking for a vlogging action camera consider checking out the GoPro Hero 9.
The video resolutions of the XTU X1 are the following:
- 4K a 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 2.7K a 60fps/30fps/ 24fps
- 1080P HD a 120fps/ 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 720P HD a 240fps/ 120fps/ 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
Features
Like its predecessor, the XTU X1 has multiple features to improve your videos and stand out. The X1 comes with Diving mode, Time-lapse, Loop recording, and more.
With the Loop recording mode, the XTU X1 is able to be used as a dashcam recording loop video with a duration of 1min to 5 minutes.
Thanks to the app and the built-in Wi-Fi, XTU can connect to your mobile device and access it from the app (XTU GO), with the app we can control the camera remotely and share the videos/photos from the camera to your phone instantly.
The XTU X1 can be used as a dashcam. With the dashcam mode, you are able to record everything that happens when you are driving in your car or wherever you plan on using it, it can help protect against complaints and accidents.
The XTU X1 can shoot pictures in RAW format, with RAW format you get more detail and you are able to edit your pictures in Post-Production, you are also able to use Presets to improve your pictures fast, you can learn more about Presets and Lightroom presets by clicking here!
Should you buy it?
The XTU X1 is one of the best alternatives to GoPro action cameras right now, achieving up to 4K 60fps with the great video quality. As for stabilization, the XTU X1 uses a 6-axis gyroscope EIS stabilization which is not as good as GoPro’s Hypersmooth but better than most budget sports cam.
XTU X1 also has multiple ways of control to enjoy hands-free control such as the mobile app or the remote control by just pressing the button to take photos and video which can help if you are using it when the waterproof case is on.
The XTU X1 comes with a 19 accessories kit and other accessories such as GoPro accessories are perfectly compatible except for a few exceptions which are specifically made only for some GoPro cameras.
The XTU X1 also has the ability to go underwater without a waterproof case like GoPro’s newer action cameras up to 5m (17ft). With the waterproof case, the camera can go as deep as 40m (130ft).
The XTU X1 is a great budget-quality sports cam, being a lower budget action camera don’t expect to get high-end results. If you are looking for the best sports cam in 2021 check out the GoPro Hero 9 review (Click Here).
Review Breakdown
Video support up to 4K up to 60fps with 66-axis gyroscope EIS stabilization and pictures up to 20MP. 1350 mah battery which can last max about 90 minutes.
