Yi has launched a new version of its original 4K Action Camera, called the Yi 4K+. The company claim it is the world’s first action camera capable of recording 4K (well it’s actually UHD) at 60fps. With this announcement Yi has managed to trump anything in GoPro’s HERO lineup when it comes to 4K frame rates and the bitrate that the images are recorded in.
The camera uses a 12.3 Megapixel Sony IMX377 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, which could very well be the same one that GoPro uses in its HERO5 Black.
The 4K+ is the first action camera to run an Ambarella H2 chipset, quad-core Cortex-A53 ARM processor, which is the reason why it is able to record UHD at up to 60fps. The companies previous 4K action camera was limited to UHD 30p because it ran a slower Ambarella A9 processor.
The other new improvement over the companies original 4K action camera is that the bitrate has been increased from 60Mbps up to a maximum of 135Mbps. It is unclear though as to whether this bitrate is only used when the camera is capturing UHD 60p. For reference the GoPro HERO5 Black is only capable of 60Mbps. The 4K+ can also capture 1080p at up to 120fps and 720p at up to 240fps.
The camera also features EIS (electronic image stabilisation), live streaming capability, as well as support for virtual reality. Just like GoPro’s HERO 5 Black the 4K+ has voice control for basic commands such as start/stop recording and photo capture.
The 4K+ comes with a fully reversible USB Type-C connector and the company claims that you can offload your footage at speeds up to 40mbps, which it also claims is more than double the speed you can do with the HERO5 Black. Interestingly you can also use the USB Type-C input to attach an external compatible microphone.
If you already own the original 4K Action Camera you will be pleased to know that all the same accessories are compatible with the new model.
The Yi 4K+ Acton Camera looks to be a very interesting alternative to the GoPro HERO 5 Black as well as Sony’s FDR-X3000R. It beats both of them out in the specifications department and it almost certainly will be a lot cheaper given the companies original 4K Action Camera was only $199US.
Specifications:
Lens
7 layers of glass lens, 155° FOV, F2.8, f=2.68mm
LCD Screen
2.19” touch screen, 640*360 screen resolution at 330PPI,
250 cd/m2 brightness, 160º FOV, 16:9.
Main Processor
Ambarella H2 chipset
Quad-core ARM®Cortex®-A53 64-bit CPU
Image Sensor
SONY IMX377 1/2.3”
12 MP CMOS image sensor with Exmor R
Features
2.19” touch screen, 640*360 screen resolution at 330PPI, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 160º FOV, 16:9.
Timelapse – 4K (16:9)\2.7K(4:3) at 30, 25p
Interval:0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 60s
2.4G/5G dual band WiFi / Built-in 4.0BLE
RAW Photo capture
Size：65mm x 30mm x 42mm
Weight：3.4 ounces (camera + battery)
Video Resolutions
3840 x 2160 at 25/30/50/60p
3840 x 2160/30p features Electronic Image Stabilisation
4000 x 3000 at 30, 25p (Wide)
2.7K (16:9) at 60, 50, 30, 25p (Wide \Medium)
2.7K Ultra (2704 x 1520) at 30, 25p (Ultra Wide)
2.7K (4:3) 2704 x 1520 at 30, 25p (Wide \Medium)
1440P 1920×1440 60, 50, 30, 25 (Wide)
1080P 1920×1080 120, 100, 60, 50, 30, 25 (Wide \Medium \Narrow)
1080P 1920×1080 Ultra 90, 60, 50, 30, 25 (Ultra Wide)
960P 1280×960 120, 100, 60, 50 (Wide \Medium)
720P 1280×720 240, 200 (Wide)
Electronic Image Stabilisation
Built-in 3 axis gyroscope and 3 axis accelerometer, cross-border compensation Reduce motion changes to produce stable video quality Resolutions supported:4K fps:30\25 2.7K(16:9) fps:60\50\30\25 1080p fps:60\50\30\25 960p fps:60\50
Auto Low Light
YI 4K+ Action Camera makes it easier to shoot in low light conditions. It senses the changes of light condition with the CMOS sensor, and the ISP processor will adjust the frame rate and parameters automatically to produce the highest image quality at low light.
WB (White Balance)
Users can adjust the white balance settings to change the overall color of the video or photo.
White Balance Setting Recommended Lighting Conditions Auto (Default)
Automatically adjusts the white balance via environment, without human intervention.
Native
The original color
Tungsten
3000K, tungsten or sunrise / sunset lighting conditions
Daylight
5500K, cool fluorescent, average daylight conditions
Cloudy
6500K, cloudy environmental conditions
ISO (Level of sensitivity)
Change the camera sensitivity to light in low light conditions, in order to enhace the brightness of the videos and photos. In low light conditions, high ISO value will grant a brighter picture, but will also increase the noise level, making it grainy.
ISO-Max
Video Quality Auto (Default)
Automatically adjusts the sensitivity according to the environmental conditions
400
Darker video in low light, minimum image noise
1600
Moderately bright video in low light, moderate image noise
6400
Brighter video in low light, highest image noise
