First Testing With A Yi 4k Action Camera

[gryphon1911]

I like to stress test my new gear a little when I first get it.  See what it is capable of doing at the extremes to see what limits I have to constrain myself to when using it.

So, for less than half the price of a GoPro Hero 6, I bought a Yi 4k Action Camera with waterproof housing.  I already had the DJI Osmo Mobile gimbal for smartphones and found for $20 an EVO Gimbal adapter that allows actin cameras to be mounted on the DJI Osmo.

You can see info on the gear listed above through a quick Amazon search.

I threw in a 64GB Sandisk microSD.  My playground?   The National Museum of the United Stated Airforce.

I started out in 1080p 30fps.  I want to see what the camera is capable of in every mode.  I will test the 120fps some time in the future as well as running a full set of 4k 30fps tests.

Why?
*  They allow and encourage photography and videography for personal usage.
*  Target rich environment (4 airplane hangers filled with stuff!)
*  Varying lighting conditions.  From incandescent, sodium vapor, fluorescent,  and LED lighting allow me to test the color balance.
*  Dramatic, theatrical lighting tests the dynamic range and metering of the camera.
*  Spot lights allow me to test the flair of the lens/sensor combination.
*  Different areas allow for differing perspectives so I can test the IQ while moving.  How bad is rolling shutter?  how well does the camera work in conjunction with the gimbal and adapter plate while walking, panning, zooming and climbing stairs.

Another why?  Why am I sharing?
Yes, another "gear" review...but I like to see real world tests and I'm betting others do as well.   To me, seeing what something can actually do is much better than deciphering numbers from charts and graphs.

I hope this helps someone.

https://youtu.be/1mKmoY7UEM4

The video is roughly 10min long, but feel free to skip about.  I did process the clips through Adobe Premiere Elements 14 and post to Youtube.  Did basic exposure adjustments and added a little sharpening.

My opinion.  I thought the camera did very well given the circumstances.  I do plan on using the camera in better lighting and will most likely produce another video.

If anyone has any additional questions about the camera, please feel free to ask about in this thread.

[CS]

I like it, Andrew! Reminds me of our CAF Museum here in Arizona, only on a larger and more elaborate basis then our facility. https://www.azcaf.org   

[gryphon1911]

I like it, Andrew! Reminds me of our CAF Museum here in Arizona, only on a larger and more elaborate basis then our facility. https://www.azcaf.org   

Ummm....they have vintage WWII bomber flights you can book.....hecks yes!!    I gotta make a trip to AZ sometime and check that out!!

[Akira]

Andrew, thanks for the review.

I think the footage looks fine for the price of Yi 4k so far.  In general, the lights look soft diffused by the flare, which doesn't ruin the image at all.  The ghosts seem to be very well under control.

I observe noise in the dark areas, which is just as expected but not distracting at all, considering the usage.

The footage often show purplish hue (due to the bright green spectrum emitted from the mercury vapor lamps?), which is, again, tolerable enough to me for the personal usage.

How long was the entire shooting time, and how was the battery life?

[gryphon1911]

Andrew, thanks for the review.

I think the footage looks fine for the price of Yi 4k so far.  In general, the lights look soft diffused by the flare, which doesn't ruin the image at all.  The ghosts seem to be very well under control.

I observe noise in the dark areas, which is just as expected but not distracting at all, considering the usage.

The footage often show purplish hue (due to the bright green spectrum emitted from the mercury vapor lamps?), which is, again, tolerable enough to me for the personal usage.

How long was the entire shooting time, and how was the battery life?

The purple hue is most likely from my post processing - trying to combat the color casts from the different lights.  The SOOC videos are definitely warmer.   I should go back and create another video with the same footage, just unprocessed so people can see the difference.  I made quite a few mistakes and had some bad settings...but I expected that being this was the first time that I really took the camera out for a run.

We were there for about 3 hours and I'd say that I shot roughly 4GB worth of 1080p/30 - camera "on time" was I'd say hour and a half.  After reviewing videos and recording time only 1/3 of the battery was depleted(60ish% remaining).   The battery is rated from Xiaomi for 120 minutes shooting 4k/30...so shooting the 1080p and getting this battery life seems to be just right.   Additional batteries and external chargers are plentiful on Amazon.  I believe they were running $25 for a 3 slot charger and 2 batteries.

[Akira]

Thanks for the details.  The battery life seems to be pretty good.

[gryphon1911]

Thanks for the details.  The battery life seems to be pretty good.

Yeah, I was impressed by it.

[pluton]

I like that the lens isn't the usual 150º full frame fisheye.  I couldn't find the angle of view specs in the online sales literature, but straight lines seemed straight in the pictures.
It's useful to know about this GoPro alternative, considering GoPro's increasing reputation as a somewhat overpriced item of questionable durability.

[gryphon1911]

I like that the lens isn't the usual 150º full frame fisheye.  I couldn't find the angle of view specs in the online sales literature, but straight lines seemed straight in the pictures.
It's useful to know about this GoPro alternative, considering GoPro's increasing reputation as a somewhat overpriced item of questionable durability.

If you leave the camera at base optical settings, it is a fisheye.  However, it features settings within the camera itself to correct it to something a little more rectilinear.  That is a great as i know what I'm getting while shooting and don't need to use the computing power in post for making the corrections.

[armando_m]

Thanks for noting this little camera, it seems a best value in the action camera range