Earlier in 2022 Runcam launched a only 16g and named Runcam thumb pro 4K camera. It supports gyroflow stabilized lens and 4K 30fps hd quality. I’ve been meaning to write a review about it, so here it is. Let me tell you the pros and cons of thumb pro 4K camera.Let’s check it.
You can purchase here:
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Design
This camera is tiny and impressive, just like its name: thumb pro. The camera itself does not have a built-in battery, so it needs to be plugged in all the time to work, it is powered by a 5 volt power supply from your flight controller, basically like a fpv camera with higher quality images. It uses the microUSB port instead of USB-C, so you’ll need to find the right one for the cable.
Compared with the same type of thumb camera it is lighter, only 16g. You know Insta360 GO2 weighs 26.5g, Caddx Peanut weights 27g.
For An Thumb Pro FPV Camera, How it’s Shoot Quality？
The video quality is not bad but the color saturation is not high. It is an improvement over Runcam Thumb v1. If you are shooting in daylight, you definitely need an nd filter which will make your images look the best possible.
The resolutions it supports are 4K@30fps,2.7K@60fps,1440P@60fps all the way up to 1080p@120fps and 1080p@60fps. It doesn’t have a 4K 60fps option, which is not a big deal, and 2.7K 60fps is enough. I’m sure the reason anyone would buy a Thumb Pro is for 4K and 2.7K.
It doesn’t have built-in camera stabilization, but you can do it with gyroflow. It is a desktop application that runs on your computer and it can import the data exported by runcam thumb pro and use it to stabilize the footage. So I highly recommend you to use gyroflow to stabilize the footage, it is definitely an added benefit.
When flying at low altitude without wind, the image screen is still very silky, but continue to rise in flight when encountering a gust of wind, there will be a clear jelly phenomenon.
Here is a video Lee made about 7 Tips to make your shots look more Cinematic
Applicable For Whoop Drone
Any one of the 78 to 90mm 2-3s whoops has no problem carrying the Thumb Pro. When using on whoops, do not use anything less than 3s batteries or you will not have enough power with very little flight time.
Control
Turn the camera recording on or off via the radio channel. Pro Tip: Turning off camera recording requires you to toggle your radio channel twice before it actually stops recording. This may be done for fear that you may touch it by mistake.
Software
It has its own APP program where you can change settings such as resolution, saturation and exposure. When you set these parameters in the APP, it will generate a QR code, then you need to follow its instructions, double click the button after the device is turned on to switch to the tuning mode, the button will show the green light status, then use the QR code to point at the Thumb Pro lens, the parameters you set in the APP will be synchronized to the Thumb Pro camera.
Pros
- Higher resolution than Hawkeye Naked camera
- Supports mobile app for firmware update and reference adjustment
- Light weight only 16g
Cons
- The default configuration of 3D prints does not have any physical damping effect
- Color saturation is not high
Price And Availability
This tiny fpv hd camera costs less than $100, so if you need 2.7k or 4k and stabilization and don’t want to spend $300 on a Gopro, Caddx Peanut or insta360 go 2, this might be the best for you. While the Caddx Peanut / Insta360 Go 2 is a more user-friendly option in terms of stability and image quality, it comes at a much higher price.
Runcam Thumb VS. Runcam Thumb 4k Cam
Comparison of Parameters
| Product Name | Runcam Thumb | Runcam Thumb 4k Cam |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080P@60FPS | 4K@30fps\2.7K@60fps\1440P@60fps\1080P@120fps\1080P@60fps |
| Video Format | MP4 | MP4 |
| Sensor | unknown | IMX577(12MP) |
| F.O.V | 150° | 155° |
| Gyro | Built-in Gyro (for Gyroflow) | Built-in Gyro (for Gyroflow) |
| Charging port | Micro USB Port | Micro USB Port |
| Remote Control | null | Uart |
| Support Micro SD Card Capacity | 128G Max | 256G Max |
| USB Power Input/Terminal Power Supply | DC 5.0V | DC 5.0V |
| Power Consumption | 280mA@5V | 500mA@5V Max |
| Dimension | 52mm*13mm*19mm | 54mm*25.5mm*21mm |
| Net Weight | 9.8g | 16g |
Comparison of the videos
This Thumb 4K hd camera has the dynamic range that the original thumb lacked. This is one of its most updated points. I believe you can make an informed decision after watching the review videos of these two youtubers.
