OCLU 4K - Review 2023

Review in Brief

Any time an alternative action camera comes along that seeks to do something other than just being a GoPro copy, it’s worth taking a look. The Oclu 4K is definitely worth that look, a fact that the European Product Design Awards recognized by presenting the English company with a gold merit in 2017.

With a low-profile, that reminds of Wall-E’s head, this camera is instantly more aerodynamic and the simplicity of the buttons make the user experience a boon for action enthusiasts. Whereas the GoPros of the world will sometimes get in the way, the Oclu is a little more subtle and that means less instances of it getting knocked crooked by an errant arm swing.

Continuing on the strength of the design, Oclu has plenty of accessories that make using it with different sports and in different contexts as simple as switching out a camera lens. This versatility is much appreciated when going from diving to surfing to biking.

The quality of the video is not up to the same level of post 2020 action cams in general, but the slow motion mode will capture the full dramatic effect of an awesome trick or the wild and twisting movement of a body in movement. The stabilization tech is alright too. Not extraordinary, but alright.

What is amazing is the LiveCut function which allows you to keep rolling in order to capture the ONE trick, removing bits of the recording from the SD card until you succeed. Parts of the operating system and accompanying app are really nice.

The Oclu 4K is definitely a nice addition to the action camera world, deserving full marks for offering an alternative design that actually has immediate benefits from the beginning.

The Oclu Design

On top of the camera, there’s a convenient full-color display screen—for both previewing and editing—an action button for one-touch recording, as well as an isolated microphone with wind reduction.

On the left side, you’ll find two select buttons, while on the right side, you’ll find a display state toggle button as well as a speaker. This design–along with the fact of the color screen not having touch capabilities–is ostensibly to be able to operate the camera with gloves on. Having tried it during the winter, this is appreciated–especially considering it works.

On the front of the camera, there’s a LCD glass lens status screen along with another isolated microphone. On the bottom, there’s a ¼-inch threaded screw for mounting, while on the back, you’ll find a MicroSD slot, battery, and a magnetic cable connector.

The main package includes a hard-shell travel case, a micro-fiber camera bag, a mounting bracket, and a magnetic USB cable for both charging and data transfer.

Video Quality

The OCLU 4K can shoot 4k videos at 30 frames per second or 1080p at 120 fps. Video resolution is great, but we found that the stabilization is not the most reliable one, especially when it’s not mounted on something. Plus, stabilized footage is only available at 1080p up to 60fps, not in 4K.

It can also take 12-megapixel photos. And although they offer decent quality pictures, that’s not the main reason one actually buys an action camera. There’s a nice super widescreen possible for capturing macro-like stills and video. Pretty nice.

The 4x slow motion is pretty nice too. Being able to record at half speed is also great for certain activities and tricks.

Low-light recording isn’t all that impressive, but most action cameras quite frankly leave much to be desired here too. Highlights seem to over-expose a tad, but we can get over it.

Audio recording is pretty meh, but let’s face it, we’re probably going to add a suitable soundtrack to any video we make anyway.

Build Quality

The OCLU 4K also has an IPX7 rating, which means it’s water-resistant down to one meter for up to 30 minutes. It can also go down to a depth of 50 meters (165ft) with the additional OcShell waterproof case.

Accessories

Speaking of accessories, unlike other action cameras, like the Insta360 GO 2, the OCLU 4K doesn’t come with many included ones. Depending on your intended purpose, there are additional accessory bundles on their website for you to purchase.

We had a chance to test quite a few of the extra accessories. The chest mount was great for a lot of activities like paddle boarding for example, and it was easy to put on and take off. On the other hand the underwater house for diving, which is pretty standard after so many years, showed itself to be a problem. The plastic latch that closes the house broke on us after a few uses.

Except for that one, the other add-ons were pretty cool. For example, there’s the OcView, which is a compact and easy to hold extendable stick, similar to a foldable selfie-stick, the OcYou, a comfortable and flexible chest mount harness, as well as the OcBond, which is an adhesive mount. These last two are great for POV shots.

One accessory we didn’t get a chance to test, but one which looks really awesome, is the OcDock, a magnetic stand that attaches to any metallic device and allows the Oclu to swivel to any angle. It’s unique and deserves an award unto itself.

The Interface

The OCLU 4K features eight different shooting modes: photo, burst, multi-photo, motion record, time lapse, loop record, video, and LiveCut.

The burst mode lets you take a series of pictures in rapid succession, the time lapse mode captures a scene over a period of time, then play the entire sequence rapidly, the loop record mode ensures you never run out of space, and the LiveCut mode–our favorite one–allows you to delete unwanted recording on the spot during playback so it doesn’t take up valuable storage space.

There’s also a free smartphone app that gives you remote control over your camera along with the possibility to create four quick-toggle shooting modes from the eight above.

Plus, the OcSnap’s magnetic connection makes charging and transferring data a breeze—by the way, you can also record while it’s charging. And lastly, interchangeable batteries to keep your OCLU 4K powered all day long.

All in all, this is a quite decent action camera. It gets the job done nicely. It’s also easy to carry, easy to operate, solidly built, and filled with fun features. It’s also cheaper than any GoPro 7 and up.

Where it excels is in the form factor. Awards aside, we could definitely see from the start the advantages of its design and how versatile it really is when combined with all the accessories that are available.

The Oclu 4K is a good entry-level action camera and decent one for those who are tired of the GoPro sticking up and out like a sore thumb all the time. Picture quality is good enough to make some really good videos.