Review of the MGCool Explorer Pro Action Cam from Gearbest

[convict]

Hello guys,

This time i' m gonna review the MGCool Explorer Pro action cam from Gearbest

It is a very nice little action cam that claims it supports 4k video recording at 30 fps

It also has a Slow Motion feature up to 120 fps at 720p and up to 60 fps at 1080p

So let's see what you get in the box and how it performs




In the Box
So opening the box we get

• The Camera itself with a Waterproof Case, a Base and a Screw
• 2 x Helmet Mounts with 3m Stickers
• 1 x frame
• 1 x MicroUSB Cable
• 1 x Connector and Screw
• 1 x Bicycle Mount
• 1x Clip
• A User's Manual in English

Very generous package i must say for the price



Looks & Build Quality
The Camera fits nice and snuggly in the waterproof case and the build quality is very very good

The case is plastic and it looks and feels sturdy providing access to all the camera's buttons



The Camera feels sturdy too and well built

It is black (but you can get it on silver too) with a very nice pattern that prevents the camera from sliding around and it is made of rubbery polycarbonate plastic which is very durable and light



Technical Specs
The MGCool Explorer Pro is equipped with

• An Allwinner V3 Chip claiming to be able to record 4k videos up to 30 fps
• An IMX179 image sensor
• A 6G "sharkeye" lens with 170 degree ultra wide angle
• It Supports time-lapse and slow-motion shooting
• It has Wifi and control via smartphone with the MGCool Explorer Pro App
• It has a Removable 1050mAh Li-ion battery
• And the Waterproof Case has an ip68 rating which means that it can withstand pressure up to 30m below the sea surface

The detailed tech specs are


Specifications

General

• Brand Name: MGCOOL
• Model: Explorer Pro
• Type: Sports Camera
• Type of Camera: 4K
• Chipset Name: Allwinner
• Chipset: Allwinner V3
• Function: Time Lapse,Waterproof,WiFi,Camera Timer
• Application: Extreme Sports,Ski,Underwater
• Features: Wireless

Storage

• Max External Card Supported: TF 64G (not included)
• Class Rating Requirements: Class 10 or Above

Display

• Screen: With Screen
• Screen size: 2.0inch
• Screen type: TFT
• Screen resolution: 320x240

Power

• Battery Type: Removable
• Battery Capacity (mAh): 1050mAh
• Charge way: USB charge by PC
• Working Time: 100 minutes at 4K
• Standby time: 2h
• Charging Time: 2.5h

Primary Info

• Wide Angle: 170 degree wide angle
• Lens Diameter: 20mm

Video/Image/Audio

• Video format: MP4
• Video Resolution: 1080P (1920 x 1080),2.7K ( 2688 x 1520 ),4K (3840 x 2160),720P (1280 x 720)
• Video Frame Rate: 120fps,30FPS,60FPS
• Image Format : JPEG

Functions

• WIFI: Yes
• WiFi Distance : 13m
• Waterproof: Yes
• Waterproof Rating : IP68
• Water Resistant: 30m ( with waterproof case )
• Night vision : No
• Camera Timer: Yes
• Time lapse: Yes
• Auto Focusing: No
• Anti-shake: No
• Aerial Photography: No

Language

• English,French,German,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Poli sh,Portuguese,Russian,Simplified Chinese,Spanish,Traditional Chinese

Dimension/Weight

• Product weight: 0.0650 kg
• Package weight: 0.4800 kg
• Product size (L x W x H): 5.90 x 2.90 x 4.10 cm / 2.32 x 1.14 x 1.61 inches
• Package size (L x W x H): 11.90 x 11.90 x 11.60 cm / 4.69 x 4.69 x 4.57 inches

Buttons
On the front we see the Camera Lens and the MGCool Logo beneath it, the power button which couples as a mode switcher and the Explorer Pro logo



On the left side we have a MicroHDMI Port, a MicroUSB Port and the MicroSD Cart Slot



On the right side we have the Navigation Keys having the top one used as the Wifi Button too



On the back we have the LCD screen and a notification LED



And on the top we see the Power/Recording Button as well as a second notification LED which blinks while shooting video



Opening the bottom we find the battery rated at 1050 mah giving great battery life due to the power friendly Allwinner chip


Functionality and Smartphone App
As i mentioned before the MGCool Explorer Pro comes with an LCD screen which let you navigate through the settings and menus without the need of a Smartphone to control it



This is something very important that the original Xiaomi Yi lacks

But if you don't like the small LCD screen, you can download the MGCool Explorer Pro App from the Play Store and control the camera from your smartphone



The app is plain, simple and very easy to use and you won't have the slightest problem with it


Is the Case really Waterproof?
Well we' ve come to the part you' ve all been waiting for and kept asking yourselves

"Is the Case really Waterproof?"

The answer is "Yes, it is" and the test i did proves it, leaving the camera in the case completely dry which means that the case is safe to use doing watersports or any other water activity






Test Videos and Photos
The 4k 30fps video seems to not really 30 fps because there is some stuttering although the aquarium video came out great





Shooting at 2.7k is a lot better for both aquarium and outdoor videos





1080p 60 fps shooting came out great


Slow motion videos have very fluid motion but the picture quality is significantly decreased for both 720p 120 fps and 1080p 60 fps





The quality of the photos is very good considering the price point





Conclusion
The MGCool Explorer Pro is a great little camera to capture your outdoor activities and if you don't want to spend a fortune buying a GoPro you will be better off spending only 34 euros

For it's price point this camera is very good and it will fit your needs perfectly


Pros

• Good Battery Life
• Very Low Price
• Easy to use smartphone app
• Size
• Features
• Slow Motion function with fluid motion
• Timelapse function
• Loop Recording
• Build Quality

Cons

• Average picture quality
• Not so good viewing angles for the LCD
• Average low light performance
• Lack of Image Stabilization

Watch my Video Review
Review English
Review Greek

I hope you liked my review, stay tuned for more and as always for more unboxings, reviews and tutorials subscribe, share and follow me:

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