I've had a few (angry) comments from people asking why this "Budget" camera costs so much. That's because it *Is Not A Budget Camera* and it never claims to be. This camera claims to be "the best action camera ever, period". There's nothing in that statement referring to a restricted budget.
Well you convinced me ;-) I was in doubt of buying this one but i didn't find a decent review on it. Now there is and i am going to order it! Even though it is a little expensive, it still is cheaper than the GoPro equivalent. Thanks with a big thumbs up! On a sidenote: there is a WIndows phone app available too. It'll cost a small €1,99 but it is very usefull and works like a charm.
The best (or the most widely used anyway) 4K action camera prior to this Yi, was probably the GoPro Hero 4 Black and to get a new one today, it still costs more than the Yi and the Yi costs less and has more and better features features except Protune (maybe native WB if the Yi lacks that), a way of attaching an external mic and an HDMI port, so I can see why it may actually be worth the price. There are cheaper 4K action cameras than this, but from what I have seen, the quality of the video on those isn't as good compared to the Yi which seems like the best at the price range.
Thank you for answering the PAL framerates question which people often overlook (but some of us want to know). Loved the puppets at the end as usual. Cheers.
If someone buys a HD capable compact camera in the UK, often it can only record in 25 or 50 fps, so if they buy an action camera and want to splice in the action camera footage with that of the compact camera, they'll want the frame rate to match.
Techmoan Interesting. Is that just a hold over from the days gone by from when PAL was the standard based on the electrical grid (my limited understanding of it) or is there a technical reason to still have 50 frame rate devices? I would have guess that digital did away with all of those limitations.
It's a hold over - but annoying all the same. I've imported cameras in the past from the US (like my Sony RX10ii) just so I can get a 30fps model. My UK Sony RX100ii has a NTSC mode - but when it's activated it displays an annoying "Camera is running in NTSC" message every time you switch it on or select a video mode.
Techmoan I'm constantly amazed how after this many years of virtually everything having a graphical user interface that manufacturers can still mess it up so badly. It's surprising there is any legacy support for 50Hz at all in new electronics. Is anyone really planning to wire their brand new camera into an ancient CRT? The US is a much bigger market so you would think it would save costs all around if the industry just standardized on 60hz (or multiples of) from here on out. With that said, is there any chance you can re-flash the firmware in your UK camera to the US OS? I suppose that would just be too sensible for Sony to allow. ---- It's rare that I get to the comments section early enough for you to still be active. Just thought I'd take a moment to thank you for all the excellent content and coming up with some of the fantastic stuff that you find! I really don't know how you do it. Excellent channel, sir. Keep up the good work!
Been watching you for roughly 5 years at this point, still really enjoying your channel and seeing all the improvments you've made to your channel since then. Just wanted to say thanks for the years of entertainment :)
+Techmoan congratulations on yet another great video and getting the attention of product manufacturers. I think that speaks to the quality of your videos and the amount of research and in-depth product demonstrations you perform. I like your honestly and keeping true to your opinions. Thanks and take care.
Thank you. I love your in-depth reviews. No nonsensical fancy cinematography, no sugarcoating. Have so far purchased the SJ4000 Wifi and the Yi 4k, but not before having watched your videos in full first, so I knew exactly what I'd be getting. Keep em coming!
About the part when you talked about recording in 4K, even if you're just going to upload 1080p of your videos, recording in 4K/UHD makes that look better, and it gives you the option to stabilize in post if needed, or just crop in for things, so recording in 4K is recommended even if you're not going to upload 4K.
Another great video! I'm not even one for looking at reviews of items normally unless I'm looking to buy, but I just love the way your videos are put together and presented!
I didn’t think anyone would be interested in spending money on a 4K camera then using the non-4K modes, so as the EIS was only available in these lower res modes I didn’t take time to test it out. It appears that I was wrong and there are lots of people who do want to do this. So if you want to see the EIS modes in action this great video review by MarkHawkCam of the Yi 4K ua-cam.com/video/IH-JrsWxmx4/v-deo.html demonstrates the Image Stabilisation function in the lower resolutions.
4k is a bit of a stretch for this action cameras as it was "full HD" for previous models. Having it at 2K in 50 fps is ideal, because it gives the headroom to correct lens distortion and image stabilization on 1080p timeline. And due to scaling down pixel density increases, sharpness is better, noise is less visible. Yet still there is 50% zoom-pan-tilt headroom.
I would probably be one of those people. I do have a question for you. In your bonus at the end (I love those by the way) your Mrs. Puppet says that 4k looks just like standard on his TV. I'm watching this in 1080 as that as high as my monitor goes and the 1080 didn't look as sharp as the 4k, you even mentioned that. Do you think that the lower modes are just crops of the higher mode? Would you possibly consider taking a short 4k clip of a static subject followed by a non stabilized 1080 clip of the same subject for comparison? I haven't checked your samples so forgive me if you've done that already.
+Stuart Taylor no 4k always looks better. Something do with chroma whatever and condensing pixels... the colours and details end up a lot closer to real life
I've now tested both the Yi and the GoPro Hero4 Silver and my thoughts: the Yi is not bad but has a few negatives such as no feature for an external mic, the video streaming to the app is laggy, and the built in mics sound worse than GoPro. The Yi is also a larger camera size.
Thanks for another great video, Techmoan. You sometimes post videos I don't particularly have an interest in but after watching a several minutes I am much intrigued. Thanks for pointing out all the YI's features, pros and cons. This would be a great gift to give to someone that is quite active or enjoys filming!
If you want to see another video review of this camera - then this one is very good ua-cam.com/video/IH-JrsWxmx4/v-deo.html It also shows the other resolutions I didn't test in my video and demonstrates the image stabilisation. I would always recommend watching more than one review before spending this amount of money on a camera.
As others have mentioned, when I notice you posted up a new video I make sure I have the time to watch it and put the kettle on. It's unlikely I could afford to buy most of the stuff you review, but your videos are informative, and keep me technologically up to date, it a humours way. Over the years you also have most questions covered and de troll as you speak, on the fly.
I've figured out that the weekend is a good time to release long videos. The professional gadget sites pretty much shut down on Friday, so people have time to kill on watching amateur content.
Shake will always be a problem and I imagine it's exacerbated by the lightness of the camera, but it absolutely amazes me that we can get this level of quality on a cheap, tiny, consumer camera. Absolutely nuts! And as always, your videos are fantastic! Good stuff! Cheers :)
as usual brilliant video and covered every possible question... you have a pleasing voice that makes it very watchable... as usual... top review and very impressed with all your hard work.
Why? You can turn the camera and align it in postprocessing. I understand if the lens are 90° on the side, like the Sony, but this might bring issues while assembling the unit.
Wolfox360 Exactly the reason why gopro is inferior to me in its design. It's much simpler if the video is already aligned correctly. And as I'll go back to my main point, terrible fit for helmets.
Yeah, it's something like: you have a 1080p frame and then you can fill it with 40Mbit of information every second (for example), but those 40mbit have to be distribuited for the 120 images (that are captured as the mode we use use for slow mo) so the higher the framerate and the higher the resolution, more nitrate you need as for good quality So if you're getting the same bitrate when shooting at 60fps as when shooting at 120fps, you basically get hañf the quality for 120fps
Techmoan, good to see you back on the NC700! ^_^ Also, I keep being impressed with the quality of your videos. I think this review manages to even improve on previous ones (e.g., in terms of clarity, amount of information, sample material), though the changes are small and your format remains very recognizable. :)
I'm looking for a decent but cheap sport cam for mountain biking and stumbled across a review of yours. Your presentation and unbiased views are spot on, I'm really impressed with the videos you post. Anyways, imagine my surprise when you passed our local shops! I watched on to find I knew every road you rode! Added another level of cool to your video for me. Don't worry Mr. Techmoan, I'm not a stalker! Just a neighbor, apparently! Still looking for a cam, so with all your experience, which do you think is best value? Keep up the quality vids fella.
I've just bought this and I just noticed some things. If you set video quality as "high", the bitrate for 4K videos will be higher than 60mbps. If you set it to medium, it will be around 60mbps. At medium quality, you can use a U1 sd card for 4K and personally, I've not had problems but your mileage may vary. At High quality, you can use a U1 card at 2.7K 60fps but you will get errors since the bitrate is quite high.
I ordered one a few days ago, going to be replacing my go pros in my work. I'm looking fed to getting it. The internal stabilization for me will be. Big win. I just guess il have to buy the better cards like you said. Great review, and thank you for your time and effort in making all your awesome videos.
Great video, as always accustomed us. I'm sorry to hear you were to visit my city (Lisbon - Portugal) and I did not even know. I would have been very happy to meet you personally. I hope you have been all right and you enjoyed the visit.
Another excellent review. As for editing 4k, Adobe's Premiere Pro can use low resolution proxy videos during editing, invoking the original 4k footage only for rendering the final video. It's really handy and makes editing 4k possible even with a mid end notebook.
so further enhancements could be: - add "Start recording on Power ON" option (for dashcam mode) - move the microphones to the sides - offer also a version with GPS module (for dashcam use)
Well, the sample clips have sold me. I am purchasing one of these cameras to replace my GoPro Hero4 silver. While it is a great camera the resolutions available have left me wanting more in the age of 4k. Super happy that all my gopro mounts will work with this as well. Thanks for the comprehensive review once again. Cheers. Now all I need is a gimble (spelling?) In response to all the silly people talking about it not being a "budget" camera, they really need to watch the video to the END. Besides, $250 US is quite a bit cheaper than I paid for my GoPro and after selling said GoPro on eBay this new camera won't end up costing much at all.
Just an opinion, but it appears to me the image stabilisation not being available in 4k isn't much of an issue. The general consensus with this is if the image stabilisation is employed (in cam), that the small processor inside doesn't do a good enough job. Of course once exported the data is already adjusted and cant be reverted. Much better to export the footage raw without stabilising and do the work on a dedicated PC running Adobe After Effects or similar. Great review Techmoan. I watch a lot of your videos. Keep up the good work. :)
Alright so you did the car footage, the some blank footage just to record your voice with the cam's mic .. have to say I do notice & especially appreciate all the hard work going into these : hope they let you keep it
Good stuff, I do think your reviews could cater for the more professional user also though, especially with these slightly more capable action cam devices. Example, you could check how bad the rolling shutter is in 4k, (always a good test of the speed of sensor read) you could do this by simply popping it on a tripod and panning left and right at a couple of different speeds whilst its looking at some straight vertical lines (like bricks or fencing) to see the amount of bend in the straight lines. Also someone like myself would want to see very quick example of maybe 4 different slo mo options, (I personally favour 6o fps and 120 fps conformed down to 25p) if we are to consider leaving our gopro hero 4 blacks then we want to know how it compares with the more demanding tests. Lastly I know you say you don't own a gopro, but as that is the market leader I'm surprised you don't pick one up just to do side by side comparisons. Just my tuppence worth coming from a rather demanding camera user.
By far the best and most informative review of this action camera. I specially like how you explain how 4K resolution may be the best solution for some scenarios and does not work as well when you move the camera a lot. There are also very good examples of how the different settings change the format or window you see. Looking forward to receive my own Yi 4K camera shortly :-)
Gorgeous clips - and clever features like distortion correction. I'm a fanatic with my still photography when it comes to perpendicular and parallel lines and spend way too much time Photoshop fixing them. DSLR's now have in-camera corrections by lens - but in an action camera it's unexpected.
Thanks for the review ! Still, I dont know which one to buy, if the Sony AS200V, the AS50V, or this one, the YI 4K. Would you recommend spending a little bit extra for the brand ? ( I think the sony with the live view and the flat lens case price is near 300 USD)
Got to say that after my experience with the original Yi I'd be a bit reluctant to spend good cash on the 4K version. Neither my Yi (nor any of the others I've see) produce really sharp 1080p footage. Even my crappy old Mobius produces sharper video. I really don't know why Techmoan gave the original Yi such a good write-up.
I am by no means an apple fanboy, quite the oppostie actually but when you already got the good hardware, did you consider switching to final cut Pro? That program seems to be the main reason that creative people are switching to Mac. Just wondering.
I don't comment much at all on Techmoan videos...I'm not one of these "because I can, I will" types... I only comment if I have something relevant to say. I just wanted to say a big thank you to Mat/Techmoan for all the time and effort you put into making these hugely informative videos, which I always enjoy. Keep up your brilliant work.
You're welcome. I got into watching your videos after first watching one of your videos where you were reviewing a camera and some of the example video had you riding your motorcycle very near to where I live.
Good video! I personally don't like using apps when playing with my camera so I absolutely love the touchscreen of my Yi 4K. You can easily set it to go to standby after 15 seconds or so, so it won't screw up your battery life and gives you enough time to get the composition right. Next to that, the audio is pretty fricking good for an action camera (as long as you won't use the waterproof case).
For anyone interested - both Cyberlink PowerDirector and the latest (2015.3 IIRC) Adobe Premiere Pro will use what's known as "shadow" or "proxy" files when editing. This is where the software creates a copy of the main video file in a smaller resolution that your machine can better handle - like creating a 1080p version of a 4k file for example. This copy is used to edit, but the original full 4k file is used when the video is rendered. This helps where you are editing on a laptop, or a lower end machine. You will still have some issues with space, but this is relatively cheap and you will still have to wait for longer render times. If I recall, you have to tell Adobe PP to use Proxy files for each project, but Power Director does it by default.
It seems as though the speed is at 1.5x, either that or you've had a BIG coffee and this is the most excited that I've ever seen you in a review! As always, great to watch. ;)
Great overview! what locations did you shoot? some nice views/ Was one place Trieste? Spain? Malta? On tech notes the images look great. Is it way better that Git2? esp stills? Thank you!
Techmoan, you are so awesome! I enjoyed your review and I REALLY enjoyed the bit at the end. Thank-you for a good laugh! I really have no use for a camera like this but I just enjoy watching you review them anyway. Thanks, and keep up the great work!
I wonder if those microphones are in the same place in the final version? Cos I'd totally end up blocking at least one of those with my finger while holding the camera. It seems like an amazing camera but personally I'm avoiding any camera that doesn't support an external microphone.
Fantastic Video. What's the best action camera that can have a Microphone Input Jack? I looked on your channel but I don't see where you did a review or Comparison on the Yi 4K vs Yi 4K PLUS.
I'm seen this "Loop Mode" for now i'm trying to find; Does this camera have this mode? [If YES]For how long can it record before starting the loop? [If YES]Are there options in the Loop mode? [If YES]Leaving in loop, how long those it last before the battery dies? Sorry, a bit of questions
Thank you for this excellent review. As I was watching it, my wife happened to step into the room and locked on to every detail. In the end, she requested one "for Christmas." In a round about way, win-win for me.
Only issue i'd imagine with this camera is the placement of the stereo microphones just as you mentioned toward the end of the video.. since most people are right handed and if you were to hold this camera in your hand when recording with it, I'd imagine your finger would cover or rub over those microphone holes quite often and you'll hear it in the soundtrack.
The list of resolutions that don't allow image stabilization contains all but the 2.5 k res. All the others that do allow it are in the "don't allow" list too.
Hi Techmoan, The selfie stick you use in the video has the built-in mobile phone holder. When I look for this selfie stick, it is not included in the monopod. Have you bought an "addon" to your monopod? Where did you buy this? -Soren
great video! nice review!! few questions: what photo resolutions can be used in video&photo? and can you manually take photo while recording without interval?
Great video! Can I use the camera without inserting any battery, but connecting directly to a power source via the micro usb? For example when using as a dash cam can I connect it to car charger to power on the camera, without the battery popped in? I have the original Yi cam and it supports it.
I have been waiting to see this, I have been using GoPros for the past several years and when I saw this camera, it did look quite good quality and after seeing your footage, the quality is very good and I quite like the image stabilisation and distortion correction. It would have been better to have them in 4K mode as you said, since this is a 4K camera and most people will probably want to shoot with it in 4K. Now if this only had a Protune mode like GoPros have, and maybe an uncompressed HDMI output, this camera would be even better. I can see why it could be the greatest action camera at the moment. P.S. loved the ending! I hate when my neighbours dog leaves me feedback on my front lawn!
Wellcome to Lisbon!!! I hope you have enjoyed our city. The camera is great and i think its worth the investment on a gimbal. Thank you for the review. Cheers!!!
Well the stabilizer feature as well as the distortion fix actually requires headroom beyond the resolution recorded with, hence the cropped view when on, as it moves and rotates the image to compensate the shakes, so that's why it doesn't work at max resolution.
All that effort and, to be honest, I was quite happy with just the review this time. But you still managed to - somehow - find the time to add a skit at the end (and a fairly - and I mean this completely as a compliment - long one at that by comparison to the review's length). As usual, excellent work. :) Plus I now have something else for the old wishlist! Although I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not... :P
Techmoan You are the best for explaining anything electronic in my opinion.Always love your video's.I Thank You always so much.from the USA. i have a question do you enjoy those old Hammer Studio Film like Dracula , the mummy,Frankenstein etc and.if so do you collect any type of old movie yourself.
Thanks great review as always - I bought the original Yi Action Camera based on your recommendation and have been happy with it ever since. Could you recommend a car dash holder for it so I can film through my cars windscreen. - Keep up the good work.
Thank you for this great video. You said " Bluetooth Mic is in development " where did you see this information ? Do you have another idea to record sound with external microphone ?
Great review as always. Supposedly the new OLFI camera will let you use the stabilisation in full 4k which is pretty interesting and it seems very reasonably priced. With the Old Yi I know you can add custom scripts to the camera to modify it and I believe there is one someone has written that lets you record on power up so you may be able to use it as a proper dash cam with a bit of hacking. Not sure if the Yi 4k is open to script hacking though. Does the Yi 4k have options for a flatter colour profile with less aggressive sharpening like Gopro's Protune which could be used for more robust colour grading? I know this is something that can be hacked on the old Yi, just wondered if it was something that was baked in on the Yi 4k. Would be really great to have these options open for those who want to adjust the image in post without the need to modify the firmware!
Is this better "value for money" than a Git2 ? I'm following your review from a while and let me make you some compliments , your explanations are always clear and complete. (sorry for my english, i'm italian)
You can edit 4K video in a slower computer using proxy files... the newest version of Premiere even automatizes the process... you edit 720p or 1080p files and then, when you export, the software applies every edit to the original 4K files.
I've watched many of your review videos. After looking into lens replacement to reduce FOV for bent image issues. I found that all these cameras have a dichroic IR filter stuck to the back of the lens. these filters greatly affect the ability of night vision. Similarly if the IR is removed the day time image becomes pink :S so its a compromise to get good all round images. what do you think about this?
Hey Techmoan, Joby makes this tiny little tripod, like really small, it folds up and its not intrusive at all. I always bring it when i shoot my b-roll because it allows for some stabilization as well as some angling that you couldn't achieve if you were just leaning it on some things you find (as you mentioned in the video)
I've had a few (angry) comments from people asking why this "Budget" camera costs so much. That's because it *Is Not A Budget Camera* and it never claims to be.
This camera claims to be "the best action camera ever, period". There's nothing in that statement referring to a restricted budget.
+crispybacon For high end go pro level performance, that is a very attractive price
The equivalent GoPro Hero4 Black, with the LCD screen addon, is £420 or so. This is great value in comparison.
Well you convinced me ;-) I was in doubt of buying this one but i didn't find a decent review on it. Now there is and i am going to order it! Even though it is a little expensive, it still is cheaper than the GoPro equivalent. Thanks with a big thumbs up!
On a sidenote: there is a WIndows phone app available too. It'll cost a small €1,99 but it is very usefull and works like a charm.
Out of my range I'm afraid but nothing wrong with pushing my nose against the shop window. (Unless you work for Gregg's in Rochdale apparently).
The best (or the most widely used anyway) 4K action camera prior to this Yi, was probably the GoPro Hero 4 Black and to get a new one today, it still costs more than the Yi and the Yi costs less and has more and better features features except Protune (maybe native WB if the Yi lacks that), a way of attaching an external mic and an HDMI port, so I can see why it may actually be worth the price. There are cheaper 4K action cameras than this, but from what I have seen, the quality of the video on those isn't as good compared to the Yi which seems like the best at the price range.
Perfect Sunday morning viewing, tea, toast and Techmoan !
Same here
+Jakob Danmark - Wise wise words and so eloquently and poetically said!
Peace
Thank you for answering the PAL framerates question which people often overlook (but some of us want to know). Loved the puppets at the end as usual. Cheers.
Is PAL even a relevant thing over there anymore in the HDTV era?
If someone buys a HD capable compact camera in the UK, often it can only record in 25 or 50 fps, so if they buy an action camera and want to splice in the action camera footage with that of the compact camera, they'll want the frame rate to match.
Techmoan
Interesting. Is that just a hold over from the days gone by from when PAL was the standard based on the electrical grid (my limited understanding of it) or is there a technical reason to still have 50 frame rate devices? I would have guess that digital did away with all of those limitations.
It's a hold over - but annoying all the same. I've imported cameras in the past from the US (like my Sony RX10ii) just so I can get a 30fps model. My UK Sony RX100ii has a NTSC mode - but when it's activated it displays an annoying "Camera is running in NTSC" message every time you switch it on or select a video mode.
Techmoan
I'm constantly amazed how after this many years of virtually everything having a graphical user interface that manufacturers can still mess it up so badly.
It's surprising there is any legacy support for 50Hz at all in new electronics. Is anyone really planning to wire their brand new camera into an ancient CRT? The US is a much bigger market so you would think it would save costs all around if the industry just standardized on 60hz (or multiples of) from here on out.
With that said, is there any chance you can re-flash the firmware in your UK camera to the US OS? I suppose that would just be too sensible for Sony to allow.
----
It's rare that I get to the comments section early enough for you to still be active. Just thought I'd take a moment to thank you for all the excellent content and coming up with some of the fantastic stuff that you find! I really don't know how you do it. Excellent channel, sir. Keep up the good work!
Been watching you for roughly 5 years at this point, still really enjoying your channel and seeing all the improvments you've made to your channel since then. Just wanted to say thanks for the years of entertainment :)
Comments have gone a bit weird - so I'm ducking out of them now. Off to make my next video that hopefully won't be as disruptive.
Sod em. I found it helpful and a decent price, I might buy one for a drone build. I look forward to your next video.
Is it possible to know if the screen switches OFF while recording?
And can it record while charging?
See the FAQs in the video description text box.
Thanks.... Sorry it looks like I did a useless question. I learned something new about your channel. [FAQs]
Don't worry. It's an excellent video, as always. Nothing disruptive.
Your Muppet sketches are getting better, they always give me a chuckle. I think they deserve their own channel.
+Techmoan congratulations on yet another great video and getting the attention of product manufacturers. I think that speaks to the quality of your videos and the amount of research and in-depth product demonstrations you perform. I like your honestly and keeping true to your opinions. Thanks and take care.
Thank you. I love your in-depth reviews. No nonsensical fancy cinematography, no sugarcoating. Have so far purchased the SJ4000 Wifi and the Yi 4k, but not before having watched your videos in full first, so I knew exactly what I'd be getting. Keep em coming!
About the part when you talked about recording in 4K, even if you're just going to upload 1080p of your videos, recording in 4K/UHD makes that look better, and it gives you the option to stabilize in post if needed, or just crop in for things, so recording in 4K is recommended even if you're not going to upload 4K.
Yep - those are the reasons why most of my videos this year have been in 4K.
Another great video! I'm not even one for looking at reviews of items normally unless I'm looking to buy, but I just love the way your videos are put together and presented!
I didn’t think anyone would be interested in spending money on a 4K camera then using the non-4K modes, so as the EIS was only available in these lower res modes I didn’t take time to test it out.
It appears that I was wrong and there are lots of people who do want to do this. So if you want to see the EIS modes in action this great video review by MarkHawkCam of the Yi 4K ua-cam.com/video/IH-JrsWxmx4/v-deo.html demonstrates the Image Stabilisation function in the lower resolutions.
4k is a bit of a stretch for this action cameras as it was "full HD" for previous models. Having it at 2K in 50 fps is ideal, because it gives the headroom to correct lens distortion and image stabilization on 1080p timeline. And due to scaling down pixel density increases, sharpness is better, noise is less visible. Yet still there is 50% zoom-pan-tilt headroom.
I would probably be one of those people. I do have a question for you. In your bonus at the end (I love those by the way) your Mrs. Puppet says that 4k looks just like standard on his TV. I'm watching this in 1080 as that as high as my monitor goes and the 1080 didn't look as sharp as the 4k, you even mentioned that.
Do you think that the lower modes are just crops of the higher mode? Would you possibly consider taking a short 4k clip of a static subject followed by a non stabilized 1080 clip of the same subject for comparison? I haven't checked your samples so forgive me if you've done that already.
+Stuart Taylor no 4k always looks better. Something do with chroma whatever and condensing pixels... the colours and details end up a lot closer to real life
I've now tested both the Yi and the GoPro Hero4 Silver and my thoughts: the Yi is not bad but has a few negatives such as no feature for an external mic, the video streaming to the app is laggy, and the built in mics sound worse than GoPro.
The Yi is also a larger camera size.
Excellent review, as always.
you watch these too 😁
+James C We all do
Make you wish Techmoan would review everything you are thinking of purchasing.
Thanks for another great video, Techmoan. You sometimes post videos I don't particularly have an interest in but after watching a several minutes I am much intrigued. Thanks for pointing out all the YI's features, pros and cons. This would be a great gift to give to someone that is quite active or enjoys filming!
If you want to see another video review of this camera - then this one is very good ua-cam.com/video/IH-JrsWxmx4/v-deo.html
It also shows the other resolutions I didn't test in my video and demonstrates the image stabilisation.
I would always recommend watching more than one review before spending this amount of money on a camera.
Mark is the other great reviewer for action cams. Good to see you 'share the love' Mat.
You Should review the new YI 4K+
has 4k 60fps
As others have mentioned, when I notice you posted up a new video I make sure I have the time to watch it and put the kettle on.
It's unlikely I could afford to buy most of the stuff you review, but your videos are informative, and keep me technologically up to date, it a humours way. Over the years you also have most questions covered and de troll as you speak, on the fly.
I've figured out that the weekend is a good time to release long videos. The professional gadget sites pretty much shut down on Friday, so people have time to kill on watching amateur content.
+Techmoan Don't put yourself down!
Quite simply the best action/dash camera reviewer. Ever.
Thank you! :)
The picture quality is very good. What also caught my attention is the 120 f/s on 1080p and camera did pretty well at nighttime recording. Thanks.
As normal a very comprehensive and good review well done
Shake will always be a problem and I imagine it's exacerbated by the lightness of the camera, but it absolutely amazes me that we can get this level of quality on a cheap, tiny, consumer camera. Absolutely nuts!
And as always, your videos are fantastic! Good stuff! Cheers :)
Come for the review but stay for the puppets.
as usual brilliant video and covered every possible question... you have a pleasing voice that makes it very watchable... as usual... top review and very impressed with all your hard work.
Matt what was that little French car you climbed into ? Nice video buddy, lot of work there.
That's a Renault Twizy.
+Techmoan hey. does this fit in that awesome gimbal you reviewed a while ago?
The Renault Twizy is small, but not that small.
Are you being purposefully obtuse? I was talking about the Yi.
Oh, well I don't have a tripod adaptor for the gimbal, so I haven't been able to try that yet.
i'm still using this camera and it's amazing after all these years !
How the gopro looks/design became the most popular design of all the action cameras is beyond me. It has a terrible fit on helmets
Would've been slightly better if you could turn the lens 360 degrees
Why? You can turn the camera and align it in postprocessing. I understand if the lens are 90° on the side, like the Sony, but this might bring issues while assembling the unit.
Wolfox360 Exactly the reason why gopro is inferior to me in its design.
It's much simpler if the video is already aligned correctly.
And as I'll go back to my main point, terrible fit for helmets.
That's why I went for Sony. But my next camera will be this Yi 4K for sure.
That is what the Sony Action Cam is for ;)
The clip at the end was hilarious! I also have the FDR-X1000V and had been waiting to hear your take on it.
Slo-mo looks softer/blurrier because the bit-rate is lower.
Yeah, it's something like: you have a 1080p frame and then you can fill it with 40Mbit of information every second (for example), but those 40mbit have to be distribuited for the 120 images (that are captured as the mode we use use for slow mo) so the higher the framerate and the higher the resolution, more nitrate you need as for good quality
So if you're getting the same bitrate when shooting at 60fps as when shooting at 120fps, you basically get hañf the quality for 120fps
I find your videos very interesting. I'm not a tecky or electronic person but I learn so much from your videos . thanks keep up the good work!!!!
Who else thought the muppet wife hit a little too close to home?
A show of hands, please.
I thought the muppet wife was a man! lol
Video Master
Well... Uhhh... I wasn't really prepared to address gender identity issues when I made my comment. So...
Yeah, that wife's voice was the living embodiment of erectile dysfunction...
Please keep us updated on the changes in the final product.
The puppets get funnier every time! :D
Techmoan, good to see you back on the NC700! ^_^
Also, I keep being impressed with the quality of your videos. I think this review manages to even improve on previous ones
(e.g., in terms of clarity, amount of information, sample material), though the changes are small and your format remains
very recognizable. :)
I hope that Sony watchman will get its own episode at some point :)
I'm looking for a decent but cheap sport cam for mountain biking and stumbled across a review of yours. Your presentation and unbiased views are spot on, I'm really impressed with the videos you post. Anyways, imagine my surprise when you passed our local shops! I watched on to find I knew every road you rode! Added another level of cool to your video for me.
Don't worry Mr. Techmoan, I'm not a stalker! Just a neighbor, apparently!
Still looking for a cam, so with all your experience, which do you think is best value?
Keep up the quality vids fella.
I live in Liverpool so it's nice to see it show up in your videos.
I've just bought this and I just noticed some things. If you set video quality as "high", the bitrate for 4K videos will be higher than 60mbps. If you set it to medium, it will be around 60mbps. At medium quality, you can use a U1 sd card for 4K and personally, I've not had problems but your mileage may vary. At High quality, you can use a U1 card at 2.7K 60fps but you will get errors since the bitrate is quite high.
I ordered one a few days ago, going to be replacing my go pros in my work. I'm looking fed to getting it. The internal stabilization for me will be. Big win. I just guess il have to buy the better cards like you said. Great review, and thank you for your time and effort in making all your awesome videos.
Great video, as always accustomed us. I'm sorry to hear you were to visit my city (Lisbon - Portugal) and I did not even know. I would have been very happy to meet you personally. I hope you have been all right and you enjoyed the visit.
A great in depth review as always on Techmoan, and I just loved your little animated Easter egg ... Well done!
Another excellent review.
As for editing 4k, Adobe's Premiere Pro can use low resolution proxy videos during editing, invoking the original 4k footage only for rendering the final video. It's really handy and makes editing 4k possible even with a mid end notebook.
a part of many reviewers, you are the most awaited. Thank you
you have been to Lisbon!! In my country! i hope you enjoyed your visit!
so further enhancements could be:
- add "Start recording on Power ON" option (for dashcam mode)
- move the microphones to the sides
- offer also a version with GPS module (for dashcam use)
And now Yi has released a new camera that does 4k 60FPS and also can do EIS at 4k 30FPS! I'm so excited!
Well, the sample clips have sold me. I am purchasing one of these cameras to replace my GoPro Hero4 silver. While it is a great camera the resolutions available have left me wanting more in the age of 4k. Super happy that all my gopro mounts will work with this as well. Thanks for the comprehensive review once again. Cheers. Now all I need is a gimble (spelling?)
In response to all the silly people talking about it not being a "budget" camera, they really need to watch the video to the END. Besides, $250 US is quite a bit cheaper than I paid for my GoPro and after selling said GoPro on eBay this new camera won't end up costing much at all.
Just an opinion, but it appears to me the image stabilisation not being available in 4k isn't much of an issue. The general consensus with this is if the image stabilisation is employed (in cam), that the small processor inside doesn't do a good enough job. Of course once exported the data is already adjusted and cant be reverted. Much better to export the footage raw without stabilising and do the work on a dedicated PC running Adobe After Effects or similar. Great review Techmoan. I watch a lot of your videos. Keep up the good work. :)
Alright so you did the car footage, the some blank footage just to record your voice with the cam's mic .. have to say I do notice & especially appreciate all the hard work going into these : hope they let you keep it
Good stuff, I do think your reviews could cater for the more professional user also though, especially with these slightly more capable action cam devices. Example, you could check how bad the rolling shutter is in 4k, (always a good test of the speed of sensor read) you could do this by simply popping it on a tripod and panning left and right at a couple of different speeds whilst its looking at some straight vertical lines (like bricks or fencing) to see the amount of bend in the straight lines.
Also someone like myself would want to see very quick example of maybe 4 different slo mo options, (I personally favour 6o fps and 120 fps conformed down to 25p) if we are to consider leaving our gopro hero 4 blacks then we want to know how it compares with the more demanding tests.
Lastly I know you say you don't own a gopro, but as that is the market leader I'm surprised you don't pick one up just to do side by side comparisons.
Just my tuppence worth coming from a rather demanding camera user.
Lisbon! Damn, I was there for New Year's and didn't get many pictures. I'm so jealous! Great job.
By far the best and most informative review of this action camera. I specially like how you explain how 4K resolution may be the best solution for some scenarios and does not work as well when you move the camera a lot. There are also very good examples of how the different settings change the format or window you see. Looking forward to receive my own Yi 4K camera shortly :-)
Gorgeous clips - and clever features like distortion correction. I'm a fanatic with my still photography when it comes to perpendicular and parallel lines and spend way too much time Photoshop fixing them. DSLR's now have in-camera corrections by lens - but in an action camera it's unexpected.
Thanks for the review ! Still, I dont know which one to buy, if the Sony AS200V, the AS50V, or this one, the YI 4K.
Would you recommend spending a little bit extra for the brand ? ( I think the sony with the live view and the flat lens case price is near 300 USD)
Got to say that after my experience with the original Yi I'd be a bit reluctant to spend good cash on the 4K version. Neither my Yi (nor any of the others I've see) produce really sharp 1080p footage. Even my crappy old Mobius produces sharper video. I really don't know why Techmoan gave the original Yi such a good write-up.
I'm really tempted to get one.
Now put it on a good electronic gimbal and you've got an even greater setup
I am by no means an apple fanboy, quite the oppostie actually but when you already got the good hardware, did you consider switching to final cut Pro? That program seems to be the main reason that creative people are switching to Mac. Just wondering.
I don't comment much at all on Techmoan videos...I'm not one of these "because I can, I will" types... I only comment if I have something relevant to say.
I just wanted to say a big thank you to Mat/Techmoan for all the time and effort you put into making these hugely informative videos, which I always enjoy.
Keep up your brilliant work.
Thanks for your positive words.
You're welcome.
I got into watching your videos after first watching one of your videos where you were reviewing a camera and some of the example video had you riding your motorcycle very near to where I live.
Good video! I personally don't like using apps when playing with my camera so I absolutely love the touchscreen of my Yi 4K. You can easily set it to go to standby after 15 seconds or so, so it won't screw up your battery life and gives you enough time to get the composition right. Next to that, the audio is pretty fricking good for an action camera (as long as you won't use the waterproof case).
For anyone interested - both Cyberlink PowerDirector and the latest (2015.3 IIRC) Adobe Premiere Pro will use what's known as "shadow" or "proxy" files when editing.
This is where the software creates a copy of the main video file in a smaller resolution that your machine can better handle - like creating a 1080p version of a 4k file for example. This copy is used to edit, but the original full 4k file is used when the video is rendered.
This helps where you are editing on a laptop, or a lower end machine. You will still have some issues with space, but this is relatively cheap and you will still have to wait for longer render times.
If I recall, you have to tell Adobe PP to use Proxy files for each project, but Power Director does it by default.
Kdenlive has been doing that for years now. It's free though, so you don't get to fork out big bucks.. = Better :).
It seems as though the speed is at 1.5x, either that or you've had a BIG coffee and this is the most excited that I've ever seen you in a review! As always, great to watch. ;)
Great overview! what locations did you shoot? some nice views/ Was one place Trieste? Spain? Malta? On tech notes the images look great. Is it way better that Git2? esp stills? Thank you!
absolutely love your reviews. USA here, Nebraska.
I heard this cam can even do both long exposure stills and video. Can't wait to test it out in a time lapse!
Techmoan, you are so awesome! I enjoyed your review and I REALLY enjoyed the bit at the end. Thank-you for a good laugh! I really have no use for a camera like this but I just enjoy watching you review them anyway. Thanks, and keep up the great work!
I wonder if those microphones are in the same place in the final version? Cos I'd totally end up blocking at least one of those with my finger while holding the camera. It seems like an amazing camera but personally I'm avoiding any camera that doesn't support an external microphone.
I love seeing my home city now and again.I should go home more often.
HELLO I LIVE in the United States but I enjoy watching your videos
Fantastic Video. What's the best action camera that can have a Microphone Input Jack? I looked on your channel but I don't see where you did a review or Comparison on the Yi 4K vs Yi 4K PLUS.
I finally bought a used Gopro Hero 3 and I love it. I bought an electronic gimbal as well. The combination of the 2 is incredible.
I'm seen this "Loop Mode" for now i'm trying to find;
Does this camera have this mode?
[If YES]For how long can it record before starting the loop?
[If YES]Are there options in the Loop mode?
[If YES]Leaving in loop, how long those it last before the battery dies?
Sorry, a bit of questions
Thanks for your review. After a bad experience with another action cam I am going to buy the new yi4k plus.
Thank you for this excellent review. As I was watching it, my wife happened to step into the room and locked on to every detail. In the end, she requested one "for Christmas." In a round about way, win-win for me.
Only issue i'd imagine with this camera is the placement of the stereo microphones just as you mentioned toward the end of the video.. since most people are right handed and if you were to hold this camera in your hand when recording with it, I'd imagine your finger would cover or rub over those microphone holes quite often and you'll hear it in the soundtrack.
Nice review, thanks! What material is the camera lens made of, is it glass? How scratch resistant is it?
I got one and like it a lot. I installed a non distortion lens on it so I can record in 4K without the fish-eye. It really looks good now.
Great videos, and I love the use of shots of Liverpool in some of your videos. Cheers, Dave.
The list of resolutions that don't allow image stabilization contains all but the 2.5 k res. All the others that do allow it are in the "don't allow" list too.
Hi Techmoan,
The selfie stick you use in the video has the built-in mobile phone holder. When I look for this selfie stick, it is not included in the monopod. Have you bought an "addon" to your monopod? Where did you buy this?
-Soren
I know it's silly of me, but I'm so excited to see more Muppet skits!
great video! nice review!!
few questions: what photo resolutions can be used in video&photo? and can you manually take photo while recording without interval?
Great video! Can I use the camera without inserting any battery, but connecting directly to a power source via the micro usb? For example when using as a dash cam can I connect it to car charger to power on the camera, without the battery popped in?
I have the original Yi cam and it supports it.
I have been waiting to see this, I have been using GoPros for the past several years and when I saw this camera, it did look quite good quality and after seeing your footage, the quality is very good and I quite like the image stabilisation and distortion correction. It would have been better to have them in 4K mode as you said, since this is a 4K camera and most people will probably want to shoot with it in 4K. Now if this only had a Protune mode like GoPros have, and maybe an uncompressed HDMI output, this camera would be even better. I can see why it could be the greatest action camera at the moment.
P.S. loved the ending! I hate when my neighbours dog leaves me feedback on my front lawn!
Brilliant camera,love it,just 1 question, can you turn off the loop function ? Prefer if the camera just stops when sd card is full,many thanks
Wellcome to Lisbon!!! I hope you have enjoyed our city. The camera is great and i think its worth the investment on a gimbal. Thank you for the review. Cheers!!!
Well the stabilizer feature as well as the distortion fix actually requires headroom beyond the resolution recorded with, hence the cropped view when on, as it moves and rotates the image to compensate the shakes, so that's why it doesn't work at max resolution.
See the FAQs in the video description text box for more.
Can't hardly wait for you to do a review of the 'yi 4k PLUS'... it's a new one that's out
All that effort and, to be honest, I was quite happy with just the review this time. But you still managed to - somehow - find the time to add a skit at the end (and a fairly - and I mean this completely as a compliment - long one at that by comparison to the review's length). As usual, excellent work. :)
Plus I now have something else for the old wishlist! Although I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or not... :P
Techmoan You are the best for explaining anything electronic in my opinion.Always love your video's.I Thank You always so much.from the USA. i have a question do you enjoy those old Hammer Studio Film like Dracula , the mummy,Frankenstein etc and.if so do you collect any type of old movie yourself.
Great review, one of the most in depth I've ever seen. Can it shoot RAW photos?
Thanks great review as always - I bought the original Yi Action Camera based on your recommendation and have been happy with it ever since. Could you recommend a car dash holder for it so I can film through my cars windscreen. - Keep up the good work.
This is the best and most useful review I have seen so far. Thanks
Thank you for this great video. You said " Bluetooth Mic is in development " where did you see this information ? Do you have another idea to record sound with external microphone ?
Great review as always. Supposedly the new OLFI camera will let you use the stabilisation in full 4k which is pretty interesting and it seems very reasonably priced.
With the Old Yi I know you can add custom scripts to the camera to modify it and I believe there is one someone has written that lets you record on power up so you may be able to use it as a proper dash cam with a bit of hacking. Not sure if the Yi 4k is open to script hacking though.
Does the Yi 4k have options for a flatter colour profile with less aggressive sharpening like Gopro's Protune which could be used for more robust colour grading? I know this is something that can be hacked on the old Yi, just wondered if it was something that was baked in on the Yi 4k. Would be really great to have these options open for those who want to adjust the image in post without the need to modify the firmware!
Is this better "value for money" than a Git2 ?
I'm following your review from a while and let me make you some compliments , your explanations are always clear and complete.
(sorry for my english, i'm italian)
You can edit 4K video in a slower computer using proxy files... the newest version of Premiere even automatizes the process... you edit 720p or 1080p files and then, when you export, the software applies every edit to the original 4K files.
The puppet clip at the end really made me laugh :D
And your review itself is also very informative, of course. Thanks for your work!
I've watched many of your review videos.
After looking into lens replacement to reduce FOV for bent image issues. I found that all these cameras have a dichroic IR filter stuck to the back of the lens. these filters greatly affect the ability of night vision. Similarly if the IR is removed the day time image becomes pink :S so its a compromise to get good all round images.
what do you think about this?
Hey Techmoan, Joby makes this tiny little tripod, like really small, it folds up and its not intrusive at all. I always bring it when i shoot my b-roll because it allows for some stabilization as well as some angling that you couldn't achieve if you were just leaning it on some things you find (as you mentioned in the video)
I've got a few mini tripods - inc a Joby one with magnetic feet.
I can only watch it in 1080p, but the samples look anyway much more detailed than most of the native 1080p videos I've seen.
Absolutely awesome review, I think he can make a video about paint drying and I'll still watch and enjoy it
Rods on the puppets arms are visible at the end, you can get a piece of software that will remove those and you can paint out the rods in Post