Enlaps Tikee 4 - Best of Breed?
My thoughts and review of the new Tikee 4 long term timelapse camera just released by Enlaps.
As some of you know I’ve been taking timelapse videos for over 10 years, some of which are posted here - it was probably for this reason that Enlaps contacted me last year, to see if I wanted to take a look at their Tikee 3 camera. I did a review - see here - and have been using it for 12 months on a construction project, see the video below exported straight from the myTikee cloud platform. It did an amazing job and I never had to touch it once during the entire period - a very reliable and effective solution for long term timelapse projects or monitoring.
A few months ago Enlaps came out with a somewhat simpler version of the Tikee 3 called the Tikee Mini: another great option for timelapse projects, at a lower price point and mainly focused on shorter videos or indoor locations, as it does not feature a solar panel. See my article for a few more details.
The Tikee 4 - Enlaps’ Latest Camera
Just recently, the company launched another new camera for their Tikee ecosystem, the successor to the Tikee 3 Pro +: The Tikee 4. Once again they asked me if I wanted to try it as well, and below is my overview video (in German, but the English subtitles are pretty good) or you can read this blog to learn what I thought of the new version.
The Tikee, even in its third version, was arguably the best tool for creating long-term timelapse videos, making it as easy as possible to monitor projects, landscapes, and more over months or even years. This is complemented by the cloud platform, which simplified video editing and data analysis. But what improvements are there this time around? I had some suggestions for the Tikee 3, so let’s see if Enlaps has addressed them as we take a closer look at the Tikee 4. As a quick disclaimer, I am an ambassador for Enlaps, and I received the Tikee 4 for this video for free. However, I haven’t been paid otherwise, and my opinions here remain honest and reflect my actual impressions of the camera.
What’s New?
The Tikee 3 Pro Plus hasn’t been on the market all that long and was already delivering excellent results. I used it on a construction site for over a year in all types of weather, and it performed autonomously without any adjustments, capturing a perfect timelapse video that was ready in the cloud with no need for further post-processing. Nevertheless, Enlaps has made some improvements in the Tikee 4.
Looking at it on the outside, you might ask, “Is this really a Tikee 4?” It looks almost identical to the Tikee 3, and that’s true – there’s been no change to the external design, and I had no complaints in that area. The Tikee’s design is already quite effective, so the Tikee 4 maintains the same look. But internally, quite a bit has changed. Below are some of the most interesting updates:
1. New Sony Sensors: The Tikee 4 now integrates two updated Sony sensors, providing enhanced dynamic range and significantly improved noise reduction, especially beneficial in low-light conditions like dawn and dusk. This advancement enables clearer, more detailed images for demanding timelapse projects.
2. Upgraded LTE Module: The LTE module has been enhanced, with better signal transmission for improved connectivity. Although connectivity was reliable on the Tikee 3, this upgrade aims to further stabilize remote connections.
3. Improved Battery Performance and Charging Range: The Tikee 4 now supports charging across a wider temperature range, from -10°C to +50°C, allowing for use in more extreme environments. Battery life has also been extended by approximately 15%, which can be especially useful for projects in locations with minimal sunlight or indoors.
4. USB-C Charging Port: The outdated micro-USB port has been replaced with a USB-C port, a long-awaited and more practical improvement for faster and more reliable charging.
5. Cloud Continuity for SD Card Issues: The Tikee 4 addresses a common concern regarding SD card reliability. Now, if the SD card is full or fails, the camera can continue uploading images directly to the MyTikee cloud platform, ensuring uninterrupted project documentation.
Beyond these updates, the Tikee 4 retains many of the features of the Tikee 3 Pro Plus, such as its IP66 rating, which means it can be used in rain, snow, dust, and other outdoor conditions. The dual-lens setup provides a 220° panoramic view at 6K resolution, which remains unchanged, along with the solar panel that allows Tikee to operate autonomously – a key feature in a long-term timelapse camera like this one.
Setup
The Tikee 4’s setup process remains intuitive and aligns closely with that of the Tikee 3. After connecting via Bluetooth to the mobile app (available for both iOS and Android), users can configure their Wi-Fi or LTE settings, define the first timelapse sequence, or take test shots to ensure optimal framing. The Tikee 4 can be mounted on a standard tripod or secured with Enlaps’ metal arm, available as part of the Tikee pack, which includes additional accessories like an SD card, charging cable, lock, and carrying case.
MyTikee Cloud Platform
As with previous models, the Tikee 4 integrates fully with the Enlaps MyTikee cloud platform, enhancing the overall experience. MyTikee offers users comprehensive management of the camera, and handling of extensive image collections. Key features include organizing, sorting, and filtering thousands of images based on specific criteria like weather conditions, and generating videos with automated exposure adjustments to balance images captured across different times of the day or under varying lighting conditions. Image stabilization, exposure correction, and interval adjustments are all managed with a very simple interface, providing even beginners with high-quality, cohesive video outputs directly from the platform.
The platform is optional – you can save images only on the SD card and configure Tikee using the app, or you can use the limited free version of the platform. Personally, I find the MyTikee platform worth the investment. I understand if someone feels, “I’ve spent a lot on the hardware; I don’t want to pay monthly for software as well.” But the simplicity with which you can manage, sort, and filter tens of thousands of images on the cloud platform, like selecting only sunny days with a single click, and creating a video where exposure is automatically balanced across different times and days, is extremely difficult to find elsewhere.
Comparison of standard unedited video and the automated output of the myTikee platform.
There might be other ways to achieve this outcome, and maybe even without subscriptions or possibly even free software (I don’t know of any), but it’s going to be much more effort, there is no doubt. The simplicity and quality of the output of the integrated Tikee and MyTikee platform solution is really hard to replicate.
Summary
All in all, the Tikee 4 is a solid upgrade, enhancing several camera functions and addressing some of my critiques with the Tikee 3. Some areas that could still use improvement: it would be nice to find a way to protect the lens better from dust and rain, and, as a photographer, I sometimes wish for more control over the Tikee’s exposure settings. It currently handles everything automatically, and it does it well, but occasionally, more flexibility with shutter speed, ISO, etc., would be nice. This could be a feature for advanced users in the future. In terms of software, more flexibility in MyTikee subscription options would also be welcome – for example, to facilitate short-term timelapses at a lower cost, or a different type of subscription for sporadic use. Additionally, I’d appreciate – as with the Tikee 3 and Tikee Mini – the ability to configure multiple timelapse sequences in parallel, so I can switch between them as needed, such as a long-term sequence and a short interval sequence.
The Tikee 4 is currently available for €1,590 or in a package with the arm and other accessories for €2,298, both prices excluding VAT. With the code FLOENLAPS50, you’ll get a discount, so be sure to use it if you’re considering buying the Tikee.
In summary, the Tikee ecosystem remains perhaps the best solution for long-term timelapse. You can piece together something similar with other products and software, potentially for less money, but achieving the same results with the same simplicity and reliability is really challenging, if not impossible, and I believe the Tikee remains the best option on the market.
Enlaps Tikee Mini - A New Long-Term Timelapse Camera
My thoughts on the new Tikee Mini long term timelapse camera.
Over the years (many years in fact, my first ones were shot in 2011), I’ve enjoyed recording timelapse videos, compressing the progression of time and making resulting changes visible to the human observer.
One of my latest projects uses many different timelapse and recording techniques and combining them into a single video, documenting one of the many small Oktoberfest-like beer festivals in Germany, see below.
Last year I was contacted by Enlaps, maker of a long term imaging solution ecosystem, including timelapse projects for construction, events, nature, weather, and similar scenes that can be interesting to observe, document, and analyze many hours, days, months, or even years.
They asked me if I’d be interested in having a go at using their Tikee 3 Pro + camera, and I have been using it for 12 months on a construction project, see the video below exported straight from their platform. It did an amazing job and I never had to touch it once during the entire period - super reliable.
The Tikee Mini
Just recently Enlaps launched a new addition to their Tikee ecosystem, the Tikee Mini, and asked me if I wanted to try it as well. Below is my video (in German, but the English subtitles are pretty good) or you can read this blog to learn what I thought of this new camera.
A Recap…
Firstly, why did they launch a new camera? Well, there were a few things about the Tikee 3 Pro Plus that were a bit overkill for some use cases. For example, for short timelapse projects where I only run the camera for a few days, I don't necessarily need the built-in solar panel. Or, depending on what I want to capture, two lenses with two sensors are simply not necessary. And these features also drive the price up, which may be justified, but depending on the application, I don't need all these functions.
It’s for this reason that Enlaps introduced a brand new Tikee camera that extends the Tikee range and generally makes long-term timelapse and project monitoring of this kind accessible to more people. It's called the Tikee Mini. Especially in comparison with the Tikee 3 Pro Plus it is indeed much more compact.
Features
This is mainly due to two reasons: it does not have a built-in solar panel, and it has only one lens with one sensor at the front. Apart from these two points, the Mini is actually very, very similar to its big brother in terms of features and even has some advantages. Firstly, it is significantly smaller and lighter, weighing less than 1 kilogram. It has a huge built-in battery with 25,000 mAh. This allows me to take pictures for up to four months at an interval of 10 minutes and send them to the cloud. It has a new ambient light sensor built in, so I can configure the camera to take pictures only at a certain ambient brightness and not in the dark. This extends the battery life even further. The whole thing comes at a much lower price than the Tikee 3 Pro Plus, namely €799 before taxes. This is, of course, a much lower than what was previously necessary to enter the Enlaps ecosystem.
Apart from that, it has many of the features of the Tikee 3 Pro Plus. To summarize: it can be used indoors or outdoors in almost all conditions with an IP66 rating. It is equipped with both WiFi and 4G LTE connection. At the back, I can insert a SIM card and also a micro-SD card with up to 1 TB of storage space so that I can record the pictures locally on the Tikee. It has a Sony sensor with 12 megapixels and the wide-angle lens at the front has a very wide diagonal with a field of view of 149° and an aperture of 2.8. It also has GPS built in, so I can locate the camera anytime, anywhere. And like the Tikee 3, it has recently been equipped with a livestream function so that I can retrieve short videos directly on the Tikee cloud platform. Thus, in terms of features, it is absolutely comparable to the Tikee 3 Pro Plus.
Setup
Setting up the camera is super easy, just like with the Tikee 3 Pro Plus. After charging, you connect via Bluetooth with your smartphone and the Tikee Remote App, which is available for iOS and Android. You configure the settings there, such as the WiFi network or the SIM card, and set up your first timelapse sequence. And that's basically it. The camera then starts taking pictures and sends them directly to the Tikee cloud, or you can, of course, save them directly on the SD card. For the installation itself, there are many options: I can simply screw the camera onto a standard tripod. Enlaps also offers its own metal arm, which I used for the Tikee 3 Pro Plus. This is available separately, but also with a Tikee Mini pack that includes various other accessories, such as the SD card, charging cable, lock, and a practical case in one package.
MyTikee Cloud
Once it is running, the Tikee Mini supports the cloud platform, just like the Tikee 3. This platform is called myTikee and offers a free basic version where I can at least use some functions and still monitor. For the more advanced functions, I need to take out a subscription. In the past, I have heard people complain about needing a subscription when they have already paid for the hardware. And yes, you can edit the photos in other timelapse software. That's all correct, and you can also simply save the photos on the SD card and then process them yourself. However, based on my almost decade-long experience with timelapse videos and several long-term timelapse projects, I can say that it is really very difficult to find a solution at the same price and, above all, with the same simplicity that can compete with MyTikee. The simplicity, such as automatic exposure correction, video stabilization, automatic selection of photos based on weekdays or weather conditions, are all things that otherwise require a lot of manual time, some experience, and software from other manufacturers, which is also not free. Therefore, I can say that depending on the application and preference, the Tikee cloud platform is worth its money. It also offers some other functions, such as monitoring and remote maintenance of the Tikee camera or the AI solution for monitoring construction projects, etc. You should definitely take a look at it and consider how you want to use the Tikee and which type of subscription makes sense.
Comparison of standard unedited video and the automated output of the myTikee platform.
A few thoughts…
Based on my initial tests and my experience and expectations of how the Mini could be used in the future, I can say that Enlaps has, I believe, achieved its goal of making long-term timelapse and project monitoring even easier, more accessible, and more affordable. I have a few small points that could be improved: I can imagine that dust and rain on the lens could be a problem, and some kind of protection would be useful here. I wish you could adjust the distortion of the wide-angle lens in the MyTikee platform. Because the perspective is close to a fisheye, you don't always get straight lines, which is important for construction sites in architecture. Apart from that, as with the Tikee 3, I would like the timelapse sequences to be more flexible, such as being able to run multiple sequences simultaneously. Hopefully, these are things that can be made possible with software updates in the future. The last point is that the Tikee is, of course, battery-powered. It has limits of, say, three to four months. You can power it with an external battery via USB-C or connect a solar panel. Enlaps offers an option for this, which is relatively large and not so cheap. This makes the whole thing a bit heavier and more expensive again, but the option exists if you have projects that require monitoring or recording for longer than, say, three months.
Summary
Even though I have a few small suggestions for improvement, I can say that the Mini is really a welcome addition to the Tikee product line. It strengthens Enlaps' position as a leading provider of an ecosystem for long-term timelapse recordings or project monitoring. There is really not much comparable. You can achieve such results by combining products from other manufacturers, software and hardware, and trying to build something yourself. This is doable, I believe, but much more complicated, less reliable in my opinion, and probably not cheaper. Thus, the camera is perfect for anyone who wants to document a project like construction work or an event for a few days or weeks in an easy and relatively affordable way, and then use it for social media, internal purposes, or for monitoring construction sites, etc.
Enlaps Tikee 3 - Long Term Imaging Solution for Projects & Timelapse
My thoughts on the Tikee 3 Pro + long term imaging and Timelapse solution.
Over the years (many years in fact, my first ones were shot in 2011), I’ve enjoyed recording timelapse videos, compressing the progression of time and making resulting changes visible to the human observer.
One of my latest projects uses many different timelapse and recording techniques and combining them into a single video, documenting one of the many small Oktoberfest-like beer festivals in Germany, see below.
A few ago I was contacted by Enlaps, maker of a long term imaging solution ecosystem, including timelapse projects for construction, events, nature, weather, and similar scenes that can be interesting to observe, document, and analyze many hours, days, months, or even years.
They asked me if I’d be interested in having a go at using their camera and creating a small review. How could I say no to trying some new technology? See below the resulting (German with English subtitles) video, or read on for the English review.
Enlaps Tikee 3 Pro +
The product it's all about is a time-lapse camera called the Tikee 3 Pro +, which is the version I got from Enlaps. And this is a product that I find quite exciting, and would have liked to have had it myself a few years ago.
It didn't exist then, or rather I didn't know that the first versions already existed, so when Enlaps offered me this camera to test, I was immediately interested.
The Tikee is a time-lapse camera that can record all kinds of time-lapses, but is primarily designed for longer time-lapses, for example outdoors. That's a good thing, because my parents are currently building a new house here in Germany, and I intend to install the Tikee there on the construction site as well, to be able to test it in real life in a real operation.
Features & Cost
First, let's take a closer look at the camera - Enlaps provided me with a Tikee 3 Pro+, which is the more feature-rich and also slightly more expensive of the two available variations. The difference is particularly evident in the flexibility of the recording modes, more on that later, the exterior and the general principle of the two cameras as well as the quality is more or less identical.
The camera in this version costs 1800 euros. Also, Enlaps sent me a stainless steel mounting arm, which normally costs 180 EUR, and a mounting kit for 42 EUR. There are other useful accessories, such as an anti-theft chain and lens protectors, which I think would be particularly useful in the field.
Where we are on the subject of costs, the Tikee is available with a cloud platform. There's a free version, but the really interesting stuff starts at €59 per month per camera, or €35 per month if you buy a full year. More expensive variants for enterprise functions, such as access management and automatic person blurring can also be very useful, but are not absolutely necessary for everyone.
At first you might think that 1800 EUR plus accessories and monthly software costs is quite a handsome price, but that always depends on what you want to achieve and what you compare the whole thing to.
Personally, I don't know of any comparable product that seems so sophisticated in this simplicity, but let's take a closer look at why I think that: The Tikee itself is quite small and light, weighing less than 2kg, 20 square centimeters in size and 7cm high.
And it has some exciting built-in features: First of all, it has 2 built-in lenses with an aperture of 2.8 and a sensor of 16 MP each. This gives wide-angle panorama shots with a viewing angle of 220 degrees and a resolution of 6k.
The viewing angles of the two lenses will also be merged automatically, which means you don't have to do it manually, which can get really annoying. I've tried this before ;) With a resolution of 6k you can zoom and pan in the viewing angle and still have acceptable quality. In addition, the Tikee has a built-in directional solar panel that you can fold up and rotate and swivel here, and powers the built-in battery so that you can record your time-lapse in almost all configurations independent of a power source. Appropriately, it is also connected to the Internet either with WiFi or 4G LTE, which means you don’t necessarily need a wired Internet connection to load the pictures onto the cloud platform. The exception to this is DNG format images, if you want to use them to get more dynamic range and edit the images manually you have to save them internally and then download them from the camera, only JPGs are sent to the cloud.
On the back we find an SD card slot next to the SIM card, a power button and a manual trigger, as well as an input for an additional solar panel and a USB port that can also be used for charging. In addition, a fastening ring for the anti-theft device, as well as the possibility of screwing on the underside. The camera is IP66 ratedand also has built in GPS so you always know where it is even when you are out in the field.
MyTikee Cloud
On the myTikee Web Platform, you can view and configure the data from your Tikee camera, as well as create and group portfolios of multiple Tikees. By the way, there is also the possibility to add a normal IP camera, of course not with all the functions that the Tikee offers, but that can still be useful. If you want to generate timelapse videos, there is of course the option to only select certain days or times, such as only weekdays or working hours, but also functions with artificial intelligence, such as automatic selection of only sunny days.
Of course, this can be very exciting for long-term recordings, where you don't want to have the switch between sun and clouds all the time. The system also generates a kind of best of list of selected videos and photos of the best scenes or weather conditions, which lend themselves to further editing and direct sharing without much effort.
There are also somewhat more advanced functions such as a “before \ after” split image, i.e. different periods of time on the left and right of the image or automatic fade between different periods of time. usable eg for building site progress or winter/summer, good/bad weather, etc. For commercial purposes there is also the blur people or certain areas function to guarantee data protection. Since recently there are also AI-supported analysis functions such as recognizing people and counting them, and automatic recognition of construction equipment, vehicles, which can then be visualized etc.
The link to the feed can be shared privately and publicly and also in your own / others websites are integrated, as well as exported with up to 6k for further processing. Incidentally, the web app will soon also be available in German, says Enlaps, currently it is in English and French.
Summary
All in all, as far as I can tell, the Tikee is a very mature product, which is aimed at quite specific areas of application, but thanks to some flexibility it can be used very widely. Comparable results and functions for a similar price are difficult to find, or involve a lot of personal effort and handicraft work, even in post-processing. Of course, such options offer more flexibility, e.g. to choose a focal length, etc., but never the same simplicity and possibly more costs.
If you are looking for a camera that is easy to install and use to document projects such as construction site time-lapse, weather and wave conditions on the beach, snow in the mountains, setting up events, etc., I think you are in the right place. Little infrastructure requirements due to the built-in solar panel, battery and 4G LTE make it very easy.
If I had to criticize a few points, I would probably say that the camera delivers night shots of acceptable quality, but of course it is not suitable for things like the Milky Way etc. A small personal annoyance for me is the USB connection, which is a micro USB - most of my products have already been converted to USB-C and the extra cable is sometimes annoying, but not so dramatic as you rarely have to connect to the Tikee.
A theoretical problem that I could still see is that the lenses fog up when shooting in high humidity or frost. Some external solution with a kind of heating sleeve controlled by the Tikee, for example 10 minutes before the start of the recording, could be desirable. Of course, this has consequences for battery life, one would have to consider that.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, Enlaps has built a very exciting product that enables new recording scenarios and, above all, makes long-term time-lapse easier and more accessible. The many interesting aspects of the mytikee platform also make me positive that a lot of functions are still being developed here, so the options for data analysis are of course endless.
In any case, I am very positively impressed. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments, I will definitely create more videos in the next few weeks, particularly on setting up and configuring the Tikee.