In this article, let me gently dissect a highly-anticipated GitUp G3 Duo camera. After the company’s great success with Git 1 and Git 2, we at Pevly have been quite excited at the chance to test the successor to a well-known pair, as soon as the G3 was announced.
The scene opens just like so many times before. The car honks outside, our doggies scream back and run to the balcony to see what’s up. And there’s our postman, first producing the receipt book to be signed, and then he hands over one big cardboard box. It is wickedly wicked in brown sellotape, adorned with stickers and crisscrossed with fiber bands for safety appearance and rough handling.
The box is rather heavy, feels like a well-packed brick. When I cut through the bands and sticking tape, I see about a year’s supply of plastic bubble sheets. Let’s unwrap and see…
What’s In The Box?
Two boxes!
The large box contains a GitUp G3 Duo camera in its protective casing and, you guessed it, one smaller box. It is filled with mounts and cables. Each of those parts is in its own ziploc® bag, and all that is in one bigger ziploc bag. Someone out there loves to pack!
The other box holds the GitUp Duo Slave camera – revealing the „duo“ hint in this cam’s name. It is a hefty, tubular camera on one end of a 5mm thick cable. The other end features a mini USB contact with the same clever shape used with SJCAM SJ6 Legend Air. One single accessory found in the package is a plastic ring that fixes the Slave cam to its base mount.
Connecting the two cameras introduces you to something… let me call it Chameleon View… since that lizard too can independently direct each of its eyes!
Build Quality
It is high, and no doubt about it whatsoever. GitUp obviously values precision in production and putting together of all components. Everything feels nice and sturdily compact to the eyes and touch as if the product is a single piece.
The camera sides are grippy with tasteful diagonal corrugation. Its front plate edges are elegantly inclined toward the body. This all-black cam with dark glass touchscreen; the whole just spells hi-tech and hi-taste.
True, the cam still appears designed from the monitor out, being boringly brick-like with the lens tube sticking out of the frontal upper corner… This is already becoming hard to grasp nowadays, as there are so many better form factors to explore! I tend to repeat myself lamenting on designers which stubbornly stick with a box-in-the-box concept, instead of building the innards right into the solid water- and pressure-proof box, et cetera. There’s a lot of ceteras, but here we are. I can only grumble until someone deigns to pay attention.
Still, this cam design details somehow compensate for a rather uninventive overall shape.
The two buttons are just slightly convex and set flush with the front and upper surface. At first, you need to feel the surface difference to locate them. The front (ON / Mode) button has a gently engraved switch symbol on its surface, which helps to locate it until you remember it’s diagonally on the other end from the lens! The top (Shutter) button is smooth, and you find it by the difference in texture amid its surrounding surface. Before you get used to this you might search for a while, especially if you’re wearing gloves.
Good things are found on the cam underside, too. There is a brass-made, six-turns-deep standard ¼“-20 tripod bushing, just slightly off the lens’ optical axis. And there is a spring-loaded battery cover that slides out to unlock. It is rather friction-resistive, and it feels safe.
Beneath the battery cover, you’ll be happy to see one fat Li-ion battery taking up about 1/3rd of the total camera volume. See more about the battery in the Specifications.
First Attempt
Using the smartphone charger with the cam’s own cable I went to charge the battery. The camera LEDs lighted red, and its screen showed an animated battery-charging symbol. In the meantime I have also downloaded the latest firmware and rummaged among my memory card stash looking for an adequate MicroSD. Which means the memory card must be rated Class 10 or UHS-1, and not over 128GB.
I unpacked the firmware zip container, formatted the SD card, and copied the firmware binary file to its root. Clicking the card into the camera, I then concentrated on the User Manual.
User Manual
I feel everyone should read the Manual right away, never mind how comfy one feels handling some new gear! It is never quite what you’d expect. Getting yourself acquainted with all the long and short pressings, taps and sweeps will save you some frustration.
The booklet included with the GitUp G3 Duo is very well made. It is rather small, measuring just about 10 x 7 centimeters. Its 32 pages contain detailed, refreshingly correctly written info on all camera functions, presented in easy, dumb-proof text and drawings. If you have old eyes like mine, the .pdf version enables page enlarging for more comfortable perusement.
In the meantime, it took just about an hour to top off the battery, as it had arrived partially charged already. So I was feeling safe to proceed and update the firmware.
Firmware
It is quite a simple process, which has seemingly been adopted by the majority of camera manufacturers. I unpacked the downloaded firmware zip container, and within there was a Changelog.txt file and GIT3FW.bin file. Making sure the camera was OFF, I took out the MicroSD card and formatted it in my laptop to FAT32. Then I transfered the .bin file to the card, and inserted the card back into the camera.
Switching the camera ON makes it go look for the card, and when it finds a .bin file, the updating process begins. All the LEDs blink in various colors and tempo, there are some short dark pauses – be patient – the lightshow occurs once more, and after maybe a minute or so, the firmware upgrading file erases itself and the camera switches itself On. Done!
There is a slightly different procedure for it, as suggested on the GitUp Firmware Updating page, and it goes like this:
Upgrade Instructions:
- Use max. 128GB card formatted by camera or on computer as FAT32
- Insert card in camera and connect it to computer using USB cable
- Copy just the GIT3FW.bin on the root of the card
- After GIT3FW.bin is copied to the card disconnect the camera from computer
- Reconnect the camera to your computer and wait about 30 seconds until you can choose Mass Storage from camera menu, the front green LED and back red LED will be blinking while upgrading. Now you can disconnect the camera from PC and enjoy new GitUp implementations.
During the firmware update, some settings will reset to their default values. So you’ll have to re-check the date/time, beeps, signals, and also some preferences related to photo and/or video resolutions, bitrates, or working modes that you might have set previously.
When you become familiar with various taps and sweeps on the camera touchscreen, you’ll easily check the latest firmware version, how to format the card in-camera, and many other things, as this camera really is rich with functions and options!
One dinky tweak relates to personalization of your camera that might save you some grief if you somehow manage to lose it.
You can modify your Startup and Shutdown screens to carry your personal information. It gives you hope that someone, upon finding your lost camera can return it to you.
Here’s a how-to:
Make a JPEG picture sized 320 x 240 px and insert your personal content as per wish. It might contain your photo, e-mail address, phone number, or more. Save the image as logo.jpg taking care it is not larger than 20KB. (Hint: 96 ppi resolution will be sufficient!)
Format the MicroSD and copy logo.jpg to the card root directory. Put the card into the camera and switch it on. There will be a message „logo updated OK“. The image is replaced in the software and erased from the card. It will appear upon the next camera startup.
You can do the same procedure for the Shutdown screen. Just name another image logo2.jpg
Main Camera
The GitUp G3 Duo is literally a dual camera. It has this curious option of a dedicated slave camera that one connects to the main camera by USB cable. As the slave camera is optional, you’d have to have some original ideas about using it along with the main cam, but action camera users shouldn’t lack in imagination department. It is not difficult to envision situations where one camera would look this way, and the other that way. You might find it interesting to record an action while recording the recording of that action, who can tell? Or maybe your video should show both the action and behavior of some detail within? Then there is the „one look front, one look back“ car scenario… How would I know? I only test dem thangs!
As always, the singular limit is one’s imagination! Me, I’d like to be able to record things both underwater and above water in the same time. By dint of my typical lack-a-luck, it’s a straight no-go, as there is no watertight option for connected cameras. The technical requirement is not insurmountable, of course. Just not possible with the current set and setup.
Back at the farm, there are numerous dry-world scenarios where dual cam system can be fun.
The main camera’s top resolution is 2160p when it operates alone. With the slave cam connected, the resolution of each is 1080p @ 30fps, and you can control what is recorded via picture-in-picture (PIP) shown on the main cam monitor. You can pick which camera will deliver the main image, and which will be revealed by the inner frame. The cameras, however, record two separate video files titled as [filename]-A and [filename]-B.
Without the slave cam, GitUp Duo primary behaves just like any other action camera.
NOTE: There’s a typo in the source specs: main cam’s FOV is 170°, not 150°.
Slave Camera
This camera adds another perspective to your recording via its 135° field of view. It is tubular in shape, with a glassed-off lens port on its „stem“, and about three meters (!) of sturdy cable emerging from its „stern“. The cable finishes in an USB mini contact of the same type that you find on data transfer, battery charging, TV, and external microphone cable. However, the slave camera (with either built-in, or a stand-alone) 10X GPS module connects to another USB point. Since various accessories connect to the main camera via the same type of USB connector, one should take care when choosing a proper connecting receptacle. Perhaps there should have been different connector types used for easier differentiation? Maybe.
The Slave Camera has a single red LED signal on its upper surface. It shows continuous light when the camera is connected, and a blinking light during the recording.
On the camera’s underside there is a ¼“ tripod bushing and that’s about all to see there. Beside the slave camera, its box contains a fixing ring that goes around its circumference, and fits the standard three-pronged swivel mount with a usual finger-tightening screw. The ring fits to another types of mounts, though, so it can also be used with third-party accessories, actually with any three-pronged swivel receptacle from the wide range of models and manufacturers. And of course, thanks to the universal tripod point, this cam’s mounting modes are practically unlimited.
Whatever resolution you have set on the GitUp G3 Duo main camera, the connection od the slave cam will reset to 1080p @ 30fps, so both cameras will share that resolution for the duration of the session. Details can be gleaned from the informative User Manual added to the slave camera package. It is the same Manual delivered with the main camera, so you’ll have two if you add the slave cam to your range of accessories.
You can’t use the Duo’s Slave cam independently. It works only connected to the main cam, for now. I wish GitUp could be challenged to perfect this Duo in several ways, one of those providing a water-resistant concept. So the slave could observe the scene under the surface, while the main camera would record the over-the-surface content!
No external commands and tubular form factor suggest it would be easy to pack the slave’s minimal electronics and optics into a waterproof case. Only the lens port and the cable would have to be sealed, and cable sealing is easy. It has already been perfected 40 years ago!
For the same purpose, the main camera’s protective encasement should be made with a sealable USB port. That way one could use the Duo underwater, but also in all adverse weather conditions. There’d be useful uses for it in many boating applications, and I’d guess many would appreciate that.
Video quality
There are ways to tweak the camera settings to achieve better results in every mode, but the best test is to let the camera do the choosing. So the optical, electronic, and firmware side have a chance to give you some insight into this three-sided collaboration.
Right off, the daylight results are acceptable – especially the color and sharpness as set to default values. Twilight results are also correct. Night-time, it gets better when Wide Dynamic Range is ON, which is understandable. In the daylight, applying WDR might reduce contrast. It will depend upon the ambiental light the camera is encountering. It works quite correctly under the Sodium and LED streetlight since there is usual sufficiency of detail. Car headlights will differ since not all cars use the light of the same temperature. The lightcone returns satisfactory results, its reflective values will tend to be a tad low.
Audio Test is included in the Night Drive footage! With my car radio set at decent loudness level and the camera audio set at Medium, all that’s to hear is there – including wind and engine noise. I for one, am very satisfied with the way this camera records ambiental sound. And external microphone just makes things better.
Let’s never forget the camera’s technical limitations reflected in the price, though. All in all, I think GitUp G3 Duo is worth every cent. Best see and hear for yourself:
Disclaimer: Video below shows Audio ON for the slave camera. Slave camera does not collect sound, so even though the audio will appear in the video, the sound you’ll hear is recorded by the main camera.
Photo Quality
In low light, and letting the camera pick the elements all by itself, the images will be a tad too dark and noisy. Shooting out of hand in low light is not recommended, so if you must take photos, find something stable to lean on, or use a tripod. These things are to be expected, considering the sensor size. On the good side, at least the JPEG engine doesn’t overly smear the details, and you have a chance to post-process the photos to your liking.
In normal daylight, the camera will enjoy the scenery, rendering attractive colors. Images will be sharp and acceptable. Against the light, there is some tonal reducement between the lightest portions of the image and its darker parts. In all, the camera manages quite well, and the overall price shouldn’t cause you to grumble at all.
Funny things happen sometimes and the reasons are hard to detect. At times, the cam seems to apply slightly different image ratio – not quite 4:3, or not exactly 16:9. I can only presume it has to do with EIS (Gyro) action that might slide some contents out of the sensor margins, retaining only the stabilized portion. I could be wrong there, since I’ve had the Gyro switched On all the time, but variation of ratio was not always there.
Battery test
Truth be said, I did most of the photo and video tests here on a first full charge. That is, the battery arrived partially charged, I topped it up in about 60 minutes using standard 5VDC/1A smartphone charger. While I fumbled with camera settings and shot some test photos in various modes, the battery symbol hardly changed at all.
After recording about 1.2GB of mixed content the battery was finally flat. Here follow some pretty good numbers for a 1200mAh capacity. I timed the battery endurance for just the main camera and also with dual camera power use; at the highest resolution, as well as at the highest fps recording.
- Recording with Main camera at 2160p = 90min, followed by 110min recharging
- Recording with Dual cameras at 1080p = 95min, followed by 112min recharging
- Recording with Main cam 720p/120fps = 105min, followed by 110min recharging
- Recording with Dual cams 720p/120fps = 100min, and fully re-charged in 110min
NOTE: these values are approximate at best since there are variables that influence the tests, such as ambiental temperature, internal temperature, usage with or without protective housing, specific charger, battery production batch, also monitor or WiFi being Off or On, or single vs. double camera employed, etc.
More Features
Built-in Gyro helps ironing out visually disturbing vibrations and shocks in a recorded video.
The camera can be used as a webcam. You will be offered such choice when you connect it via USB to your computer.
Upon the first connection as a webcam, and if you’re running Windows 7 like I do, it will go search for the latest cam driver. As the Windows secret name is „Please Wait“, that search takes until the cows come home. But the next time everything is better. Isn’t it always?
An independent GPS dongle lets you record a variety of useful external data. There is also an in-line GPS unit available with the Slave camera and features a cheaper two-in-one option.
You can’t connect an external stereo microphone, but the mono you add will work parallel with the one built into the camera. Speaking of microphones… there are no indices where the mike or a loudspeaker on the primary camera are located, not even in the Manual. But there is a row of 13 tiny holes just above the cable contacts on the cam’s left-hand side, described as „cooling holes“. 13… maybe there’s more to it than just some hot air exit!
The camera’s 2.0″ touch screen makes setting up of various functions in an intuitive and easy way. In some submenus, the touch screen responsiveness appears a bit sluggish, which is quizzical. Feels like the screen needs a different charge depending upon… hard to say what. Use it another time, and it will react normally. Maybe my finger is not equally charged every time? Anyway, it works… just that it’s not equally responsive.
Various mounts in the package cover most attaching means and needs. But then, 90% among third-party accessories and mounts will be compatible, and thus easy to acquire.
The type of mini USB connector used ranks among the most solid of the sort.You might even have such cables from decades back. These will work well – and again!
GitUp App
It is easy to control your GitUp action camera with GitUp APP, since you get full remote control of all camera functions! You can use your phone to take photos, start and stop recording, and easily adjust all the settings. And it works as advertised. Very well made and stable software, at least its Android version. I was not equipped to test it with iPhone, as there is no-one with an iOS phone in my vicinity – at least not at this time of the year.
Underwater Casing
The diveable waterproof case is built along the lines and principles usually present with almost all action cameras. It consists of acrylic (Perspex) transparent body, a lens port, the main hatch, two sealed pin-button commands, a latch & lock hatch mechanism, and a standard two-pronged swivel mount.
There are some notable differences between this GitUp case and other similar products.
The casing’s main hatch opens sidewise, with the hinge on its left-hand side and the latch/lock on the right side (with the camera held in recording position). This keeps the topside uncluttered, and the Shutter button command free. Also, when closing the case around its shorter side the hatch gasket enters its casing seat with less friction that might cause it to twist or warp.
And indeed, the casing’s hatch rim reveals a significantly thinner gasket. So the hatch can be closed with no need to force the gasket, and when it is completely closed, the latch will hold it in that position with almost zero force fighting against the closing mechanism.
In turn, it means more durability for all parts involved. The latch has no extra springy elements, because it doesn’t have to counteract forces working inside-out, such as gasket elasticity and imperfect dimensioning. GitUp G3 Duo casing is refreshingly more precisely made, and I’m looking forward to use it underwater. For now, the weather keeps me out of the water, on the dry, warm side of life.
Let me mention the case pin commands that operate the two camera buttons. These work exactly like any other action cam casing commands, transferring finger pressure via o-ring sealed metal pins. The pin is centered within its guiding well, kept in position by a biased spring under the button, and an e-clip on the end of the pin.
New to my experience is the button on each pin being finished in plastic instead of metal. These two commands sit in much shallower wells and have much shorter travel; barely two millimeters. Aside from sheer elegance considerations, pressing upon this command is easier, and also returns a very positive tactile feedback.
There is no exact data on the lens port. I could not bring myself to scratch it to check whether it’s made of glass. GitUp pages describe it as „Dual mirror surface optical and waterproof membranes with high transmittance“, which does not reveal much in common optical terminology. So I’d say it is highly polished, plan-parallel acrylic port – until I’m proven wrong. It will require careful use and maintenance to avoid scratches.
An optional skeletal case is available optionally, similar to a waterproof one, but open on its left side. This enables the attaching of various cable-connected accessories, mainly those listed as optional. It is supposed to keep the camera safe from the rain, presumably if it isn’t an aquacera, or wind-blown in from the left…
GitUp G3 Duo Specifications
[go_pricing id=”gitup_g3_duo”]
Accessories (included)
One waterproof case, one Handlebar mount, one Flat and one Curved adhesive mounts, two mount extension elements (both at 90-degree angle), two mount fastening screws, one Tripod-to-Swivel adapter, one Swivel-to-Tripod adapter, one USB data & charging cable, and one very useful Silicone lens cover.
Accessories (optional)
- A dedicated slave camera
- A dedicated slave camera with 10X GPS module (that’s its name, not quantity!)
- 10X GPS standalone module (USB-connected)
- Bluetooth Wrist Remote Control, Skeleton case (lefthand side open for cable connection)
- Extra battery, External microphone, and Connection cables (A/V, composite A/V, USB / TV, External Microphone/charging, FPV)
Summary
GitUp has that certain high-quality approach to their products and the G3 Duo is no exception. From the very first look and handling, it spells quality in both design and manufacture. Materials feel good. Components fit each other well, are put together meticulously, and the whole product appears as solid as one single piece. You might find the dual camera concept a tad sprinkled with question marks, but then the application ideas begin to appear as if provoked by the new range of possibilities. Okay, I am somewhat (er, a lot) oriented to water usage, so my regular response is an ever so slight grumble about the inability to use the tandem too close to water. Then again, there are so many dry-land possibilities for this tech… except when the weather plays up at the wrong moment! Then you’d have to pack up the gear and seek out some rain, sleet, or snow-free shelter muy pronto! Let’s hope GitUp accepts the challenge and provides the same product in a no-compromise waterproof version.
The availability of FPV connection suggests the camera usage with remotely controlled carriers, like RC planes, helicopters, quadcopters, and boats. Wouldn’t some, if not all, profit from a somewhat less optimistic approach to possible water influence and damage?
Thus, just a hint here: GitUp, please consider doing away with box-in-the-box protection, and just build the camera innards right into a properly waterproofed encasement!
That includes also the USB cable end modifications, so these can be connected in a waterproof way, which is not complicated at all. Look up the ancient Nikonos III, IVa, or V models sync cable contact watertighting! It’s high time to revive some good, old solutions.
The very concept would attract many usages that are now either too risky or plain impossible.
Otherwise, throughout its range of functions and available options, I have found both cameras operating correctly – which is as it has been advertised – which is the best you can expect! The occasional sluggish reaction of touchscreen in some setup modes is something I’ve never seen before, but I think it can be fixed in the next firmware iteration. It’s not that it wouldn’t work at all though, so I think many people will be happy with this product.
Good work, GitUp!
Good:
- The Concept!
- Build Quality
- Video Quality
- Photo Quality
- Audio Quality
- Very usable App
- Waterproof Case better than usual.
- Satisfactory accessory range included
Not So Good:
- No waterproof dual camera usage
- Slave camera not waterproofed
- Touchscreen sluggish at times
- External GPS unit required
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