This post is about the latest actioncam from Korean manufacturer Crosstour. Compared to the previous model, the 4K mode has been improved once again and now offers a frame rate of 50 frames per second. I wanted to take a closer look.
Technical values:
| Video | HD 60fps / 4K 50fps |
| Photo | 20 MP |
| Lens | 170° wide angle (adjustable) |
| Image stabilization | electronic EIS + gyroscope |
| Wireless | 2.4Ghz |
| Battery | 1350mAh |
| Interfaces | HDMI, USB, WIFI |
| Exposure compensation | +2/-2 |
Unboxing – Crosstour CT9700
The Crosstour CT9700 comes with a huge accessory package. Especially good I found that two batteries including a dual charger are included. Otherwise, a corresponding adapter is supplied for almost all conceivable mounting options. There is even a frame with which you can screw the camera on a standard tripod.
Operation of the Crosstour CT9700
Like most other action cams, the Crosstour CT9700 comes with relatively few physical controls. On the one hand, these are double assigned, or you can use the touchscreen for operation. If you use the camera e.g. as a helmet camera, the small remote control is very helpful. This makes it easy to take photos and start or stop video recording.
The most important functions can also be operated well in the waterproof housing. This is also no problem under water.
Operation via smartphone or tablet
In addition to the control options on the camera itself or the simple remote control, you can also control the Crosstour Actioncam via a software app.
The software app is called YUTUPRO and is available for both Android and iOS in their respective app stores. After starting the Wi-Fi function on the camera, you can connect it to your smartphone or tablet via the app.
With the app you then have the live image from the camera, which is very helpful especially if you have mounted it as a helmet camera. However, there is a slight delay to the live image on the camera. Using the photo or video menu, you can select various functions such as slow motion or loop video.
However, I also noticed some negative points. What does not work at all is this lousy translation of the app. With me, the app was partly English and Italian. How that works is beyond me. What also doesn’t work is that the app is not adapted for tablet computers.
I also noticed negatively that when I tried to transfer multiple or particularly large video files to my smartphone, I only got blank files with sound. Or the files were not transferred at all and ended up somewhere in digital nirvana. Single videos with up to 10 min length worked. You should also make sure that a fresh battery is inserted. Such a transfer can take several minutes, depending on the size of the video. 4K video files can already reach a decent size.
Test of the photo and video quality of the Crosstour CT9700
Now we come to the most important point. The photo and video quality. What good is a great accessory pack or great specs on paper if you end up with no usable photos or videos.
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Test of the photo quality
The photo quality is good but mixed. As you can see below, I took the photos under a bright blue sky. The first two photos are okay in terms of lighting mood, but the picture with the tree looks anything but. I did it from the same location and only turned my head to the right. With the photo settings I had the max. possible setting 20MP is selected.
Crosstour CT9700 iPhone 11
Video quality test
To test the video quality, I mounted the Crosstour Actioncam on my bike helmet. For helmet attachment, I bought a GoPro strap mount* for vented helmets a while back. There are also mounts with adhesive pads, but I don’t really trust them.
This video clip was recorded with the HD setting at 60fps.
This video clip was recorded using the 4K setting at 30fps.
The above videos are streamed through a dedicated server with the original video file without any additional server-side compression. It corresponds to the result you would see with the original video file. With 4K content, it may take a few seconds for the video to start as the player buffers data. It can also be a bit jerky especially at the beginning. Alternatively you can download the file via the three point menu in the player.
Basically, I think the video quality of the Crosstour CT9700 is quite good, both in HD and 4K resolution. I noticed that at HD resolution the electronic image stabilization intervenes relatively strongly. In the video, you can see this especially at the lower edge, where the image becomes a bit blurry. It looks better at 4K resolution, where this correction is not as noticeable. From time to time you can see reflections in the video, but they are due to the protective casing. The colors and resolution in the video are good and match the lighting mood.
Underwater test in the Baltic Sea
During a short vacation at the Baltic Sea I could also test the Crosstour Actioncam. The video recording was OK, but of course there is not so much to see in the Baltic Sea.
The waterproof case that came with it was really tight. However, some condensate had formed inside. This is a known problem that you can solve with a antifog insert*.
Battery life
The battery life can be described as very good with a good hour in HD recording mode. In 4K mode, the runtime decreases to about 30min. With the two included batteries, one is already quite well equipped.
Conclusion
The Crosstour CT9700 is a thoroughly recommendable action cam in the overall package. The photo and video quality I find is fine, but there is still room for improvement. Especially the image stabilization should be readjusted. Maybe there will be a firmware update for the camera soon which will fix one or the other problem.
What I didn’t like was the software app. You can’t have a translation that bad. If you read through the reviews in the app stores, this affects both Android and iOS users and the problems have probably been around for a while.
Letzte Aktualisierung am 2023-06-06 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API
