This has been announced a while ago but I don't know if their was a dedicated thread here. If their has, please link it here. They also have a new gimbal that works with the older 4K 30p model and the newer 60p model. Price of the 2160p60 model is said to be around $300 which isn't bad at all.
Footage from a very early prototype and it has been color graded.
I've gotten the opportunity to create a product presentation video for the CES 2017 in Las Vegas. I filmed with an action camera prototype, the new Xiaomi Yi 4K+. This camera has inside the new Ambarella H2 SoC processor, which gives you the possibility to record 4K with 60 frames per second and a bitrate with 100Mbps. All in this small size factor, really impressive.
The good thing for me is, i'm not paid to promote this product. I can say my honest opinion. Actually i'm really impressed by this product and hope they make some major improvements in the final version. The lens has some ugly vignetting which i tried to remove in post. I can not definitely evaluate the camera, because:
Filming with the prototype was really pain in the ass:
- no battery indicator
- stops recording when the battery is empty, but the diplay is still on
- no record led indicator (display is not bright enough) or sound beep
- no memory space indicator
- remove battery to power off, when the cam is in the gimbal
- i mounted the circular ring from a GoPro to avoid lens flare
Hope you guys apologies my bad english, because it's not my native language.
I guess they figure on selling these things to sports enthusiasts while ignoring the users that hack these cameras and put a flat lens on them. I have a flat lens on the way from China to try to replace the fisheye on my Naxa camera. I've seen videos of someone replacing the lens on the 30p Yi 4K camera. Not that difficult BTW.
Right, what many people hate about these camera is the distorted fisheye look. Most cropped-in FoVs, with or without electronic image stabilization are still wider than what many like (usually about 120°-130°) and still have prominent barrel distortion. Both the current Yi 4K and GoPros have an option to get true rectilinear footage either out of the camera or in post but it would have been better if there were lens options right on the camera. I think in a very near future we could see fixed, non-fisheye wide angle lenses offered as an alternative to the fisheye built into new cameras from all the major brands.
Sometimes I wonder if the contracts for the sensors come with non-compete stipulations because some do come from major companies that sell point and shoots where sales might hurt by lower cost flat lens cameras. Maybe they stipulate the lens must be fisheye? There is one flat lens camera but it is only 2K.
The flat lens arrived from China on Monday and I finally had time yesterday to attempt replacing the fisheye with the 90 degree lens. Compared to the videos on YouTube it is was relatively easy with the NAXA because dust shield just came off with an easy twist using fingers. So did the fisheye lens. Then just used fingers to twist the flat lens in place then turn the camera on and focus. Some of the videos online have people tearing down the whole camera to do this but then they may also be curious about the chips used. The sensor is 16:9 compared to the square ones I've seen in some of the videos. The only problem is there is about 1/16" space between the new lens and the dust shield. I may be able to solve with a washer from the hardware store.
So far the solution to cure this fisheye syndrome on my paid shoots as well as my vacation videos has been compact HD camcorders custom mounted on whatever platform that I have to use, motorcycle fairings, handlebars, on boats etc. for unmanned fixed PoV recording. The downside is waterproofing ability. A rectilinear lens in an action cam housing would have been safer and much easier. The current version of Yi 4K despite being able to shoot in rectilinear (software) mode can't shoot 4K with stabilization. The HD quality is poor compared to what I get from my camcorders. Not sure if the new Yi 4K+ can also do rectilinear but it will be software stabilized in-camera at 4K/30p but not 4K/60p.
Heard from my dealer that the Yi 4K+ would initially have a street price of around US$350 when it goes on sale in a few Asian markets in the next couple of weeks. The price would not include the waterproof housing though it's pretty cheap and is the same one that fits the current 4K model. A handheld 3-axis gimball designed specifically for the camera will follow later but the price is still not known. This will smoothly stabilize the new camera's 4K/60p footage in addition to the 4K/30p that will already be electronically stabilized internally.
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