Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Thanks Mark.

I had to ask, we went for a ride on a road "train", a diesel powered mock steam locomotive with a few seated cars behind. I only had the GoPro (Hero 4 Silver) handy, so I used it with the stereo Igomic, which gives better quality audio at a lower level than the cheapies, but as we passed buildings the sound level was pumping like mad. Editing is going to be fun!

I am impressed with both the video and audio from your Yi 4K+, so now I need to decide whether to replace the Hero or do without as I did before.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

I bought the Yi 4K camera a couple of weeks ago rather than the 4K+ version as I didn't need the extras and the general technical spec was pretty much identical. I am generally pleased with the overall performance of the camera compared with my GoPros and SJ4000s with one exception. Neither my 4K LG tv or my editing system Magix Media Edit Pro 7 will play any of the files from the camera. Magix will normally play absolutely anything and I frequently mix 4K footage from my Panny cams with HD footage. With footage from the Yi, Magix just locks up, although Windows media player will play it. The LG tv comes up with a message that says 'unplayable Format'.

Although the files show as MP4, I don't understand why they are not recognised by Magix or the LG. Has anyone else had this problem with the Yi or can suggest a solution?

Something else I have noticed is that in moderate low light, there is quite heavy graininess/artefacts on any movement. of the subject or the camera. Mark's low light test video is on a totally stationary subject so doesn't show it. It seems to be a common problem with all the action cams, but I expected a bit more from the Sony chip and a 4K spec.

Roger

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

This is an odd post in a thread labeled and devoted to the 4K+. The 4K+ has a processor that is twice as powerful as the one in the camera you are posting about. That is relevant not only to the ability to shoot 4K60p, which your camera cannot, but also to low light IQ, since low-light video undergoes noise-reduction processing - that is very processor intensive. So, we cannot know whether what you are seeing in terms of artifacts in low light is the result of having a processor that is too weak, a processor that is similar in power to all action cams that have come out prior to the 4K+.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Sorry to make an odd post on your thread Mark I thought there might be some advice available but my bad! I'll disappear and wear sackcloth :-)

Roger

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

On the Zhiyun Evolution gimbal.

Testing 200 Mbps 4K 60P on the Yi 4K+
 

I set the bitrate at 200 Mbps and shot for 1.25 hours, resulting in 47 GB's of video clips. The temperature was 76 F, with direct sunlight. No overheating, no frames dropped. Perfectly normal, except for somewhat higher battery draw, but I had still had 33% left when I stopped.

Here is the 200 Mbps-shot 4K 60P video:


This "hack" does not alter the firmware, it just loads the settings in memory. Doing that does not invalidate the warranty, and is easy to install.

Does 200 Mbps make a difference compared with the default of 135 Mbps (a 50% increase)? Who knows; but it does not hurt!

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Wow! - where did you get this hack from? It sounds interesting 😊.

Even without this hack, this is a little beast of a camera, which I mainly use for wideangle shots (recording 2.7k50p or 4k50p) with other cameras.

I've got a classical concert coming up this December at an Anglican-style church venue (to accomodate 500 people approx), where I'm going to use two of these little beasts (balcony shot, and audience shot from stage).

Thanks for your clips 😊

Bitrate mod
 

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Gorgeous image! I would be afraid of the hack.....just my luck that I would brick my camera.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

200 Mbps 4K 60P video:


Zhiyun Evolution gimbal.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

It would sure be nice if someone were to shoot a stage event with this great little camera to see if it would even be usable in such a senario.
The outdoor footage is very nice from this camera but even an analog sd camera looks good when shooting brightly lit outdoor scenes. The RX0 with its 1" sensor will mostlikely cut it indoors but will this super Yi4k+?

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Here's a "stage event" night-time video:

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

It's even better under stadium lights than daylight. Very impressive.
Were you in stealth mode because no one seemed aware yet the footage is so stable it looks like tripod.
The players were a tad hot, is there exposure compensation (must be). This is a very competent little 4k camera.
btw I shoot a local high school teams game video where a hundred spectators is a good crowd. lol what a great spectacle this college game must have been.
Now I have to decide between this cam and a fat tire bike lol again

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

The stadium footage is nice and sharp and very stable as has been mentioned, but not really what I would describe as low light conditions but brightly lit night time. The large stadium lights are giving maximum lighting coverage for the game which is way above the sort of lighting available at an indoor evening function or amateur stage production where I would need good low light performance. I can achieve useable and quite sharp footage from a GoPro using a small video light to bring up the level just as the stadium lights are doing, but using lighting can be distracting and annoying at wedding receptions for example.

What would be a great comparison, would be footage shot in a bar at night, or at a party, disco or theatre show to really show low light performance if you get the chance at all.

Roger

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Damn! It would be interesting to mount a Yi 4K+ at the top of a goal post on each end of the field. Field of view would be from the goal line out to thirty yards. I really would like to edit that with footage from a 4K camera that is following the play.

I know a High School coach that would go for it. Can I borrow a couple of Yi 4K+ cameras (LOL)? What is the largest card the camera can use? Can an external battery be used?

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

256GB card; yes, an external battery can be used to power the camera, even without an internal battery. The card would give 4 hours of 4K 60P video at 135Mbps.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

I'm noticing a fair amount of micro shakes in some shots, did you post any videos where you had the EIS turned on?

cheers

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Yeah me too
Camera angles all have to be more or less on the same side of the field of play otherwise everybody is coming and going willy nilly and its disorienting for a viewer so you couldn't have shots from both ends in the same play

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Can you cite some specifics? All the shots were from camera + gimbal. It is a fantasy that EIS can stabilize effectively when the camera is moving, and also does not severely impact resolution. For that reason, all the clips are gimbal shots precisely to avoid resolution loss and to minimize shakiness.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hey Mark you've prolly mentioned this somewhere so forgive the question pls: Clean hdmi output?

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi all - sorry to interrupt the thread, but this is a response to how the Yi 4k+ can perform in concert (indoor) settings (with low-ish lighting).


Here is a sample of a video of a concert I recorded last Saturday. It uses two cameras; Sony AX100 (in 4k25p, cropping in post) for the front wide shot / medium close ups shot from the back of the hall, and the Yi 4K+ (recording in 2.7k25p mode) shooting a wide-angle of the audience from the back of the stage.

(Please excuse the lighting - we don't have fill-lights yet).

I've used the 2.7k mode because it was a sort of "half-way house" between full HD and 4K (and also because you can correct the lens distortion on the camera in this mode unlike the 4K50p / 60p mode).


The Yi 4k+ was actually recording for 265 minutes non-stop, and was still warm when I turned it off. This camera was connected to the mains using a long USB cable attached to a Samsung phone charger.

Note that these clips have been colour-corrected in post, but for your information some of the settings on the Yi 4k+ were as follows:

White balance: Native
Shutter speed: 1/25
No lens correction
Sharpness: low
Video Quality: medium
ISO: 1600
EV: -0.5
Flat colour.

The hall was quite warm for such a large space (even though it was about 2/3rds full).

This camera has passed the long-recording test with flying colours :). The concert went on for about 4 hours. I really REALLY like this camera! :D

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hey Bryan, could you post a clip (just a few seconds) right out of the yi camera completely un-touched in post please and thank you

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi Bruce - Here is a raw segment from the end of the concert (unfortunately I couldn't take the cut from the clip that I originally supplied, as it would mean that I would have to re-render that section in my NLE).

The Yi 4k+ created this raw segment, as I've set the camera to record long takes as 3Gb segments, but this segment lasts about 2 minutes - Of course you don't have to watch all of it).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nztcbfjqzh...01924.MP4?dl=0

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

thanks Bryan

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

You're welcome.

One other thing to mention is that the lights were a mixture of sodium (white) and tungsten lights (the spotlights on the pulpit/stage). Also they were on constantly throughout the evening, so no changes in lighting even at the end.


PS - There is no HDMI port on this camera.

Bryan

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Thank you for the video and clip. What is "Native" white balance? And why did you use it?

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi Mark - To be honest I just chose Native because it seemed close to the colour look I was after. I suppose I could’ve chose Auto as the colours of the lights didn’t change throughout the concert.

Oddly the manual didn’t really say much about the Native setting either (it just says "the original colour" without a more detailed explanation), so if anyone knows, please enlighten us!

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

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Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

I hate to be the one to ask but did butter from the rolls or something get smeared on the lens by accident because this is so much below what I expected from this little camera. There must be some explanation.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

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Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

If 2.7k mode zoomed in is still not good for you, there's always 4k mode. I havent got any indoor examples to show - maybe someone else can chime in...?

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi Bryan
Ah zoomed in. But that is a fixed focal length lens.
By any chance did you shoot any footage without the zoom?
Thanks
Bruce

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi Bruce - check out the original raw footage. It was already shot at its widest setting (in camera).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nztcbfjqzh...01924.MP4?dl=0

The last two clips I did post (I've taken the 2nd one down now) had "zoomed" sections that were actually cropped digitally in post (I use Magix Vegas Pro as my video editing software).

The Yi 4k+ camera is a fixed focal lens camera, but it has 3 different field of view settings built-in, depending on the video mode - Narrow, Medium and Wide. These settings basically crop the sensor to "zoom" the image to the 3 field of view settings.

Still, it is a good way to simulate multiple "angles", especially when recording in higher resolutions.

BTW - I dont know if it has been mentioned before, but the lens distortion can be corrected in-camera in 4K! (but not in 4K50/60p though). Still, the fisheye isnt as much as on other action cams I use (I also have a sony X1000V and X3000).
To me this is excellent as it means I could crop the image without making it look as if it were cropped from a fisheye image (especially when cropping or"zooming" at the corners of the footage - i.e. the Livestream Mevo "look").

Regards,
Bryan

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

I switched to the Zhiyun Smooth Q gimbal. I think that other than putting the cam on a tripod and shooting long events, the best use for any action cam is on a gimbal - EIS quite visibly lowers video quality and simply does not stabilize well when moving (this is true for any camera). Still, one has to practice with a gimbal, and that is what I am doing.

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Very smooth, Mark :) - The music fits the video as well!

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Well to me Image is everything. First thing, second thing, everything and I can't get past those smeary faces. I just have an ordinary hp 4k monitor but those faces in the crowd can't be more than 240p

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Well, it is a limitation for your expectations. But, for me, because the end product would be a DVD, It's ok (Apart from that "over-zoomed clip", I've rectified it since. Also note, that hardly any in-camera sharpening was selected when recording).

I still wouldn't knock the potential for this camera. It is what it is after all.

Bryan

Re: Report on the Yi 4K+
 

Hi Bryan
I fiddle with the settings so much at times that I have to restore factory defaults to get a camera behaving properly again. Then try shooting a scene native as the camera suggests without re-fiddling just to confirm.
Bruce