YI 4K+ Action Camera

At CES 2017 in Las Vegas YI Technologies revealed their latest action camera: YI 4K+ Action Camera. YI 4K holds the latest Ambarella H2 SoC processor which allows 60fps at 4K Resolution! It is the first camera to use this new processor, which is capable of a maximum bitrate of 120 Mbps. YI also said that audio was improved with the new camera. It shares the same body size, so all YI 4K Accessories will be compatible with YI 4K+. Here’s a comparison with YI 4K Action Camera & GoPro Hero5 to give you an overview of the newly introduced features.

YI 4K+ Action Camera vs GoPro Hero6 black &

YI 4K Action Camera vs GoPro Hero5 black

Let’s start with a comparison of YI 4K+ with GoPro Hero6 black as well as YI 4K and Hero5 black, to get the specs in perspective:

YI 4K+ Action Camera



12 MP Sony

IMX377 Sensor

Ambarella H2

Body: Plastic

4K – 60fps

max. 135 Mbps

2.7K – max. 60fps

1080p – max. 120fps

720p – max. 240fps

RAW photo

Display: 2,19″ touch

Battery: 1400 mAh

Image Stabilization:

up to 4K 30fps

wifi: yes

Bluetooth: yes

Remote Control: yes

microSD: up to 128GB

USB-C port

no HDMI port

A/V out: yes

Mic in: yes

Voice Control

no GPS recording

waterproof

with case

Case & Mounts not included



Price: GoPro HERO6 black



12 MP Sony

Sensor

GP1

Body: Waterproof 10m

4K – 60fps

78 Mbps

2.7K – max. 120fps

1080p – max. 240fps

720p – max. 60fps

RAW photo

Display: 2″ touch

Battery: 1220 mAh

Image Stabilization:

up to 4K 30fps

wifi: yes

Bluetooth: yes

Remote Control: yes

microSD: up to 128GB

USB-C port

micro HDMI port

A/V out: yes

Mic in: yes

Voice Control

GPS recording

waterproof

without case

Case & Mounts not included



Price: GoPro HERO5 black



12 MP Sony

Sensor *

Ambarella A9SE

Body: Waterproof 10m

4K – 30fps

60 Mbps

2.7K – max. 60fps

1080p – max. 120fps

720p – max. 240fps

RAW photo

Display: 2″ touch

Battery: 1220 mAh

Image Stabilization:

up to 2.7K 60fps

wifi: yes

Bluetooth: yes

Remote Control: yes

microSD: up to 128GB

USB-C port

micro HDMI port

A/V out: yes

Mic in: yes

Voice Control

GPS recording

waterproof

without case

Case & Mounts not included



Price: YI 4K Action Camera





12 MP Sony

IMX377 Sensor

Ambarella A9SE

Body: Plastic

4K – 30fps

100 Mbps

2.7K – max. 60fps

1080p – max. 120fps

720p – max. 240fps

RAW photo

Display: 2.19″ touch

Battery: 1400 mAh

Image Stabilization:

up to 2.7K 60fps

wifi: yes

Bluetooth: yes

Remote Control: yes

microSD: up to 128GB

micro USB port

no HDMI port

A/V out: yes

Mic in: no

Voice Control

no GPS recording

waterproof

with case

Case & Mounts not included



Price:

* I’m not sure which sensor is used in GoPro HERO5 black, I assumed it is the same as in YI 4K – Sony IMX377. This teardown from hypoxic states it is the same IMX117 used in Hero4 black. I also heard that different sensors being used.

Retailer / Price Comparison:

(Banggood & Gearbest stopped selling YI products)

Geekbuying: 203.99 USD (EU Stock available)

(EU Stock available) Aliexpress: 219.99 USD (official YI store)

Amazon:

Check price on Amazon – there are frequently coupons to activate for lower prices!









YI 4K+ Action Camera Specs

Let’s continue with the actual review of YI 4K+ Action Camera including a detailed overview of features and settings:

Sensor:

The camera features a 12,35 MP Sony IMX377 sensor. That’s a 1/2.3″ CMOS image sensor with Exmor R ability, the same one used in YI 4K Action Camera as well as in GoPro Hero5 black.

Chip:

That’s the major change! The new Ambarella Ambarella H2 chipset with Quad-core ARM®Cortex®-A53 64-bit CPU debuts in YI 4K+ Action Camera. H2 includes 10-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) video and offers “3D electronic image stabilization”, a better electronic image stabilization now available in 4K with 30fps. YI 4K Action Camera and GoPro Hero5 black hold the older Ambarella A9 processor that limited the frame rate to 30fps in 4K resolution.

Video Resolution & Frame Rate:

4K – (3840 x 2160) – max. 6fps

2.7K – (2704 x 1520) – max. 60 fps

1080p – (1920 x 1080) – 120 / 100 / 60 / 50 / 30 / 25 fps

720p – (1280 x 720) – 240 /200 fps

Although the new chipset offers 4K in 60fps, it can’t do higher frame rates in lower resolutions compared to YI 4K.

24fps and 25 fps options are available as well. All available selections in the description below

Video Format:

.mp4 format, .h264 codec.

Photo:

12 MP resolution, so that’s a bit smaller compared to the 16MP photos of YI 1, due to the smaller sensor.

YI 4K+ is also capable of taking raw photos, same as YI 4K.

Lens:

7 layer optical glass lens with f2.8 aperture; 155° FOV

Focal length: 2.68mm

Display:

Same as YI 4K Action Camera, YI 4K+ also features a display: 2,19″ diameter, 640 x 360 pixel with 330PPI resolution. Yi Lite and Yi Discovery feature a smaller 2″ 4:3 touchscreen. GoPro Hero5 touch display is a little smaller (2″) and I think the response of the YI display is way better. Hence GoPro’s display is waterproof.

Battery:

Same battery is used as in YI 4K Action Camera which is a 1400 mAh Li-Ion battery. Battery life is a huge plus for YI! GoPro Hero5 black always ran out first when comparing them. I tested YI 4K vs Hero5 during a 3 weeks trip to Iceland. You can read about my experience in this article.

Storage:

microSD card support for cards up to 128GB; Class 10 recommended. (U3 recommended for 4K video!)

Connectivity & Ports:

Wifi

YI 4K+ Action Camera uses a dual band wifi network (2.4 & 5 GHz) to ensure faster download speeds up to 30Mbps download speed.

Bluetooth

The camera features Bluetooth 4.0 for the remote control.

Ports

Compared to YI 4K which offers microUSB, YI 4K+ comes with a USB 3.0 Type C port, which is also used in GoPro Hero5 black.

That allows the use of an external microphone, which was not possible with micro USB.

On the bottom of the camera there’s a door for the battery & microSD card, as well as

a 1/4″ standard photo tripod thread for mounting.

Image Stabilization:

Of course YI 4K+ Action Camera comes with image stabilization but compared to YI 4K and GoPro Hero5 it is available up to 4K resolution and 30fps!

Voice Control:

It’s a great feature especially for selfies. No need to connect to a remote or smartphone, just shout take a photo and you are good. Very convenient!

Dimensions & Weight:

Weight: 96g camera + battery

Dimensions: 65 x 42 x 30/21mm, same as YI 4K Action Camera.

Accessories:

In standard packaging only USB-C cable and battery are included. A set is available (as shown above) where YI 4K+ comes with underwater case. All YI 4K Accessories are compatible with YI 4K+!

YI 4K+ – Mic-in

To use YI 4K+ with an external microphone you need the USB-C to 3,5mm adapter from YI. Currently the adapter is only available on amazon US for .

Functions and Settings

Operating Modes:

YI 4K+ has the same 10 operating modes as YI 4K.

Photo – to take pictures.

Timer, where you can set a countdown before a photo is taken.

Burst, where you can set a a number of photos taken within a timeframe. Max. is 30 pictures within a minute.

Video – for video recording.

Time-Lapse Video, where a time-lapse is combined into a video file.

Slow Motion, where you can do slow motion recording without editing the footage afterwards.

Time-Lapse Photo, where individual photos are taken, which you can combine to a time-lapse afterwards.

Loop Recording, where short video sequences are recorded and overwritten once the microSD card is full. e.g. to use the camera as dashboard camera.

Video + Photo, where there are photos taken in a set interval while a video is recorded. Note: video resolution and frame rate are limited to 1080p 60fps max.

Live video for streaming was introduced with firmware 1.1.26.

Settings

In general there are 2 settings menus: The specific one for the mode you are in (e.g. video or photo – first icon on the left) and a device settings menu (second icon on the left). These menus match the new app where you first see the mode settings and then the option to proceed to the device settings.

Settings in Video Mode

Resolution

30fps vs 25fps (and a multiple of that) is depending if you set the cam to NTCS or PAL (device settings). 24 fps option was added with a later firmware update and is available when PAL or NTCS selected.

4K HD – (4000×3008) – 30 fps (= full sensor readout)

4K – (3840 x 2160) – 60 / 50 / 48 / 30 / 25 / 24 fps

4K Ultra – (3840 x 2160) – 30 / 25 fps

2.7K – (2704 x 1520) – 60 / 50 / 48 / 30 / 25 / 24 fps

2.7 K Ultra – (2704 x 2032) – 30 / 25 fps

2.7K 4:3 – (2704 x 2032) – 30 / 25 fps

1440p 4:3 – (1920 x 1440) – 60 / 50 / 48 / 30 / 25 / 24 fps

1080p – (1920 x 1080) – 120 / 100 / 60 / 50 / 48 / 30 / 25 / 24 fps

1080p Ultra – (1920 x 1080) – 90 / 60 / 50 / 30 / 25 fps

960p 4:3 – (1280 x 960) – 120 / 100 / 60 / 50 fps

720p – (1280 x 720) – 240 / 200 fps

720p Ultra – (1280 x 720) – 120 / 100 / 60 / 50 fps

480p – (848 x 480) – 240 / 200 fps

In the menu you will first see the resolution to select. After making a selection the available frame rates are shown.

“Ultra” options are similar to GoPro’s superview where the full sensor (4:3) is used and stretched to 16:9.

Field of View

You can narrow the field of view of the camera and select from: Wide, Medium or Narrow. This option is not available in 4K.

Metering Mode

To define the area where the camera is measuring exposure: Center, Spot or Average (since FW 1.0.12)

Auto Low Light

If you switch on the camera will improve low light performance and might increase shutter to get you better recordings at night. This may result in blurry videos.

Auto Low light is not available in 4K & 2.5K; but is available in 1080p 120fps.

Video Quality

Standard setting with the latest firmware is Medium. When selecting High it enables the highest available bitrate.

WB

You can select predefined settings for color correction based on the given light situation: Auto / Native / Tungsten / Daylight / Cloudy.

Color

You can choose YI Color or Flat. Flat color mode will give you a video with lower saturation for color correction in post production, similar to GoPro’s ProTune setting.

Shutter

Great to see that you can max. the shutter to 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/120s, 1/240s or auto – not many action cams offer manual shutter settings.

ISO Max

ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor and you can set the max. signal gain. The higher the ISO, the brighter but noisier your image will get. You can set a max. value which the camera won’t exceed while recording. Available settings are Auto / 400 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400.

ISO Lock

You also got the option to lock your ISO value which won’t change while recording

Sharpness

You can select High, Medium or Low sharpness. If you want to do color grading in post production, you should set it to low.

EV

is the exposure compensation. You can adjust exposure by setting up / down EV in these steps: +- 0.5 / +- 1 / +- 1.5 / +- 2.

Electronic Image Stabilization

Switched on the camera will correct shaky images to give you a smooth video. Be aware this works electronically and the image is a little zoomed in. With YI 4K+ you have the option to select EIS even in 4K with 30fps compared to max. 2.7K with YI 4K.

Time Stamp

To Display date and/or time in your video.

File Size

You can either set 4GB (the old limit according to FAT32 format) or max. We aware that if the cam stops recording (getting hit, out of battery,..) larger files might not be saved!

Settings in Photo Mode

Resolution

12 MP (4000 x 3000)

8 MP (3840 x 2160)

7 MP W (3008 x 2256)

7 MP M (3008 x 2256)

5 MP (2560 x 1920)

Shutter

to manually control shutter, which is a great new option especially for foots at night: 2s / 5s / 10s / 20s / 30s.

Metering Mode

To define the area where the camera is measuring exposure: Center, Spot or Average (since FW 1.0.12)

WB

Same as in video mode: Auto / Native / Tungsten / Daylight / Cloudy.

Color

You can choose a flat color option, when you plan to edit the photos afterwards.

ISO min / ISO max

This item was also change with a later firmware version. You can now set the min. and max. ISO the camera should use.

Sharpness

Here you can choose High, Medium or Low Sharpness.

EV

Same as in video mode: +- 0.5 / +- 1 / +- 1.5 / +- 2.

Time Stamp

To Display date and/or time in your video.

Quickview

When switched on you can define a time you captured photo will be shown on the display after you took it.

File Format

Here’s the RAW photo selection: You can choose JPG or RAW + JPG. Be aware your phone can’t display RAW photos.

Settings in other Modes:

Basically they are the same as mentioned above, matching either video or photo mode, depending on the mode. For each one there is a specific line added:

Timer

Countdown: 3s / 5s / 10s / 15s

Burst

Frequency: 3p/s – 5p/s – 10p/s – 10p/2s – 10p/3s – 30p/s – 30p/2s – 30p/3s – 30p/6s.

Time Lapse Video

Interval: 0.5s / 1s / 2s / 5s / 10s / 30 / 60s.

Video Length: Off / 6s / 8s / 10s / 20s / 30s / 60s / 120s.

Video time-lapse is currently only available in 2.5K & 4K.

Slow Motion

Slow Rate: 8 / 4 / 2

Time Lapse Photo

Interval: 0.5s / 1s / 2s / 5s / 10s / 30 / 60s.

Loop

Video Length: 5min / 20min / 60min / 120min / max

Photo+Video

Interval: 5s / 10s / 30s / 60s

Device Settings

Adjust Lens distortion

If you don’t like the fish eye effect you can electronically correct it. Previously it was labelled Lens aberration correction or lens rectification. Lens distortion adjustment does not work in 4K video mode.

WiFi

Where you can set switch wifi on and off, display the settings and switch between 2.4G and 5G. Standard password is 1234567890.

SD Card

To see info how much space is used/free and to format your microSD Card.

Camera Default Mode

You can set one of the 11 modes in which the camera powers up and additionally set it to “last mode used”.

Brightness

Which is related to the brightness of the LCD screen: Hight / Middle / Low. Higher brightness requires more energy which will result in shorter battery life.

Beeps (earlier called Volume)

Which is the volume for the buzzer sound when hitting the button: High / Low / Mute.

Mic

You can set the mic of your cam to high or low. Choose low in loud surroundings or when there is a lot of wind noise when not in case. You can also mute audio recording.

Sound Effect

You can choose between Stereo and Wind. So another option to get better audio if there is a lot of wind.

LEDs

You can choose all on, only status – front LED is turned off, record LED on top will light up during recording – and all off.

In Housing Mode

In House mode was adapted with the latest firmware version and changes the function of the shutter button when you long press it. If activated you now have a new menu where you can access all operation modes and turn off the camera. Of course when long pressing the button you can turn on the camera again.

External Microphone

You have to switch this item on if you are using an external microphone via the USB-C port.

Remote Control

Earlier called “Bluetooth pairing” there is now a sub menu where you can set the functions of the two buttons of the controller.

Voice

Here you can switch on Voice Control and record your voice commands. You need to record them first before you can use this feature.

Video Standard

You can switch between NTCS (= 30 fps and a multiple of that) or PAL (=25 fps and a multiple of that). As as side note: 24 fps and a multiple of that are not available which was offered on YI 1.

Advanced (with the sub menu items:)

Screen Auto Lock: when the screen turns off to save battery.

Auto Power Off: When the cam powers down when in standby.

Video Rotation: to flip the image.

A/V Out: for video output via USB.

Set Date & Time.

Display Battery Percentage.

Tutorial

Device Info

To display firmware version and serial number.

Camera reset

with 3 options: Reset Settings, Reset Wi-Fi and Reset Bluetooth.

Language

Now multiple languages for the menu are supported including English, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, French and Chinese.

About

Which will show you the internet domains of Yi Technology.

Demo Video

My first video with YI 4K+ recorded in 4K with 60fps:

Demo Photo

Here’s an unedited photo taken with YI 4K+. Click for full resolution. RAW photo was edited, I’ll add a comparison soon!

Some more pic I took in RAW, edited in Lightroom:

YI 4K+ Firmware Updates

Here’s a list of Firmware updates of YI 4K. Main important updates were the addition of 24fps (48fps) option (1.0.18) and the introduction of voice control and RAW photos as well as ISO control (1.1.7). This version also saw an optimisation of the red tones. Later Live Streaming followed.

Change log Firmware 1.0.1 & 1.0.4 Change Log: Both update related to battery issues Firmware 1.0.18 Change Log: Adds 24FPS/48FPS for certain resolutions

Adds SD Card Optimization

Optimizes SD card compatibility

Fixes loading time when view album files

Fixes video playback problem

Fixes the resolution settings when in time-lapse mode Firmware 1.1.7 Change Log: Added Russian & Chinese language

Added fixed ISO value when in video mode

Added RAW Image capture

Added Voice Control function

Added smart battery-save function when in time-lapse mode

Fixed issues when viewing pictures and videos

Optimized red tone of the image quality and sharpness

Optimized SD card compatibility

Optimized QuickView function

Optimized stability of system upgrade Firmware 1.1.23 Change Log: Added 1080p and 960p resolution for time lapse video

Added language support for Chinese/Russian/Spain

Added Lapse photo DNG support

Fixed a bug which made Wi-Fi 5G inaccessible in some regions

Fixed issue of image being reddish in certain environments

Adjusted “Video+Photo” mode.

Removed notifications during photo capturing

Optimized voice command algorithm and improved recognition time

Optimized user menu interface

Optimized manual white balance performance

Optimized Flatcolor mode, and it’s supports multiple AWB modes now

Improved album stability Firmware 1.1.26 Change Log: Added Live Stream feature

feature Added Slow Motion definition choices, supports 1080P/720P

Fixed the system lag issue after viewing the album

Optimized image quality regarding the red tone issue when shooting outdoors

when shooting outdoors Optimized system stability Firmware 1.2.8 Change Log: Added DNG (RAW photo) for Time Lapse Photo Mode when it is set to Continuous.

Photo Mode when it is set to Continuous. Added Mode Switch, Normal Mode, Current Mode for Bluetooth Controller.

Added shutter speed choice for Photo, Timer and Time Lapse Photo Mode, supports 1/500s, 1/125s, 1/30s, 1/8s, 1/2s and 1s.

Added the battery percentage display.

Optimized the album user experience.

Fixed the “Bluetooth pairing failure” issue Firmware 1.2.17 Change Log: Added German language.

Optimized SD card compatibility.

Optimized album feature stability.

Optimized image quality, improved the image contrast.

Optimized image effect under low light.

Optimized accuracy of battery indicator.

Fixed the issue of mode switching when connected to phone. Firmware 1.3.11 Change Log: Added Italian Language

Added French Language

Improved the speed and accuracy of voice command

Improved file system, support folder has more than 1,000 files.

Optimized file recovery function Firmware 1.3.23 Change Log: Optimized the video sound in some scenarios, such as Bar, Concert

Optimized the stability of album

Optimized the Live Streaming, fixed the problem of quality / bit rate being inoperative

Optimized the image quality under long exposure, decreases the noise

Updated IQ parameters, reduce the green highlights

Adjusted the timestamp format

Improved the reliability of SD cards

Improved the accuracy of battery indicator

Improved the probability of being able to upgrade firmware without a battery

Reduced the space lost on SD Card after deleting big recordings Firmware 1.3.29 Change Log: Optimized the problem of loop video file length is less than 5min

Optimized the problem of time intervals inaccurate when in Time Lapse Photo mode Firmware 1.4.8 Change Log: Added composition guides

Fixed the problem of stop taking pictures when covering the lens in Time Lapse Photo

Fixed the problem of unable to turn on the camera via external power when battery is less than 3%

Fixed the problem of SD card optimization failure

Latest Firmware Update

Firmware 1.4.12 Change Log:

Optimized EIS, the view of picture is more wide and the footage is more stable.

Optimized image effect, improved the saturation, the color in low-light is more rich, the image is no longer greenish in daylight and no longer yellowish in Tungsten.

Beta Version can be found here: YI Camera User Group (Facebook)

Firmware Versions are available on YI’s website

Conclusion

Yi 4K+ was the first action camera to offer 4K resolution at 60fps. YI Technology was trying to catch up with GoPro, now they set the new benchmark!

60fps in 4K resolution are great, but maybe not suitable for most users as you need a fast computer to process it. (Needless to say editing 4K 60fps on a smartphone will be an overkill). If you are already shooting in 4K the new camera will not only get you a slow motion option, but also image stabilization in 4K. And that EIS works very well! Check my comparison video with GoPro Hero5 black!

There are more features I’m also excited about – USB-C for example. Many users were asking for external microphone support, which was not possible with a microUSB port, but is with USB-C. At first I thought Voice Control is a nice gimmick when I got Hero5. But it turns out it is great for selfies: No more problems with a remote controller, setting to timer or connecting with your smartphone. Just shout “take a photo” and the camera does.

Why wasn’t 4K 60fps implemented in the new GoPro Hero5 black, which was released only 2 month ago? So many users were disappointed about the lack of “improved technology”. Maybe the H2 processor wasn’t available back then and GoPro wanted to launch a new camera before Christmas. That would be another setback for GoPro after they had to recall Karma drone. They can either upgrade GoPro Hero5, but then would disappoint all their users who recently upgraded or watch their competition to offer better specs. The current YI 4K and GoPro Hero5 black share the same Ambarella A9 chip.

Retailer / Price Comparison:

(Banggood & Gearbest stopped selling YI products)

Geekbuying: 203.99 USD (EU Stock available)

(EU Stock available) Aliexpress: 219.99 USD (official YI store)

Amazon:

Check price on Amazon – there are frequently coupons to activate for lower prices!









YI 4K Action Camera

Geekbuying: 145.99 USD (EU Stock available)

Aliexpress: 113.99 USD (official YI store)

Amazon:

Check price on Amazon – there are frequently coupons to activate for lower prices!







