Report on the Yi 4K+

[Mark Rosenzweig]

The Yi 4K+ uses a new processor. It has four advantages due to its being more powerful and more energy efficient:

1. One can now shoot UHD (4K) video at 60 fps.
2. One can shoot UHD at 30 fps with EIS that is very sophisticated.
3. Battery life is longer.
4. No overheating.

Why do we care about 60 fps? Actually, I can never detect the difference between video shot at 30p and 60p. The key advantage is that you can slow down the video and still have 4K, using 30p as the rendered video.

Why is slowing down useful? You can smooth out camera moves - it smooths out pans and, most importantly, smooths moving with the camera (on a gimbal) - and subject action slowed down makes that action more interesting.

I decided to test out this new camera, taking advantage of its 60p in 4K. I had a gimbal, so I could move with the camera (it also produces motorized pans). To achieve the minimum weight (125 grams) for the gimbal (Feiyu Crane M) I put the camera in its waterproof case. So, I was going to shoot on the beach, temperature over 80 degrees (F) sealed in an airtight case! Will it overheat?

The results:

1. I shot for a period of 1 hour 31 minutes, never turning off the camera in the hot sun, until the battery ran out (first charge). This is longer than any small camera I have used.

2. I shot 50 minutes of 135 Mbps “footage” taking up 51 GBs on the micro sd card during that time.

3. No overheating - again, the camera was on the whole time, and 55% of the time the camera was recording. No other small camera I have used (Sony RX100 IV, GoPro Hero 4 Black and Hero 5, Samsung 360 Gear, Kodak 360 4K) could do that, not even close. Now, overheating can shut the camera down or it can cook the sensor (hello, GoPro and Kodak and Samsung), resulting in low-resolution results. Neither happened.

And here is the edited video, shot on the gimbal - with smooth slowed pans, and slowed moving with the camera and static shots, some slowed. You are seeing 4K, a dynamic video and slow motion!

Yi 4K+ and Gimbal at Savin Rock Beach in 4K on Vimeo

Now, what about using the camera without a gimbal? How good is the EIS in 4K (30p) in eliminating shakes? Here is the 4K test video, all handheld (static shoots).

Yi 4K+ Handheld Stability Test in 4K on Vimeo

Pretty amazing, and I do not see much loss (if any) in resolution. Handheld, 4K, tiny camera - better than the Sony BOSS.

[Cary Knoop]

Concerning the first video there is a problem with skipping a frame every second or so.
How did you convert the 60p to 29.97p?

Also the video has superwhites,if you bring the superwhites into legal you can recover some highlights.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Originally Posted by Cary Knoop

Concerning the first video there is a problem with skipping a frame every second or so.
How did you convert the 60p to 29.97p?

I noticed that too. I used Vegas Pro 14: velocity envelope to 52%, then stretch, disable resample. The frame skipping (or whatever it is) ruins the idea that slowing down smooths! Allowing resample results in ghosting/

[Cary Knoop]

I do not know Vegas, can you reinterpret the footage as 29.976 in Vegas? That way it just renders the frames at a slower pace instead of changing/skipping them.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Originally Posted by Cary Knoop

I do not know Vegas, can you reinterpret the footage as 29.976 in Vegas? That way it just renders the frames at a slower pace instead of changing/skipping them.

"Reinterpret" is not a command. all the 60p frames were rendered at 30p, and the ones not slowed down are perfect.

[Cary Knoop]

Still there is something that went wrong.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Originally Posted by Cary Knoop

Still there is something that went wrong.

Yes, I agree. Perhaps someone with experience with Vegas can also help. I may play around with some settings to see. Thank you for looking, and noticing.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

I will be uploading the replacement video tonight (the fraction slowdown had slipped away from 50%).

[Bruce Dempsey]

very nice stuff
I've sworn off buying any new cameras but..
What about charging it if I don't have any usbc. I thought I did when I got a hp envy4k but it wasn't
That dramatic music blasting from some speakers somewhere around there? lol

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Originally Posted by Bruce Dempsey

very nice stuff
I've sworn off buying any new cameras but..
What about charging it if I don't have any usbc. I thought I did when I got a hp envy4k but it wasn't
That dramatic music blasting from some speakers somewhere around there? lol

The usbc port is on the camera, you get a usbc to usb A cable in the box. All a.c. adapters giving out at least 1.5 amps (5 volts) will work to charge, as they all have the standard usbc a port. The camera will work without a battery, just needs 2 amps from an external battery or ac. For $17 from Amazon you can get a charger and two extra batteries. So you can lose the cable...

Whenever people walk in slow motion there must be dramatic music :).

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Same link (but I will repeat it here). Smoother motion in the slow motion segments from fixing my glitch in the software.

Yi 4K+ and Gimbal at Savin Rock Beach in 4K on Vimeo

[Eugen Brinzoiu]

Thanks for your time,Mark
The footage looks good.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

Yi 4K+ 4K Video Time Lapse: View From East Rock on Vimeo

This was made from 4000x3000 4:2:2 jpegs.

[Mark Rosenzweig]

In and around water.

Yi 4K+ 4K Video: Whitney Woods Water Play on Vimeo

[Dave Baker]

Impressive footage from an action cam, even though I can only watch it at 1080. I checked it out, but looking at the EU model it doesn't seem to have a 25/50p option. Shame.