We’re here with a fantastic action camera YI 4K+ that is dubbed as a GoPro clone. Giving a very tough competition in 4K video market, after listening to a word clone, you must be considering it to be yet another cheap and low-quality wannabe GoPro camera, right? But, this time, it’s not like this. This camera is becoming the favorite of every vlogger or videographer in the action camera market.
In this review of the YI 4K+ action camera, you’ll learn the essential features this product offers and why videographers are going crazy about it. We’re going to review the most recent and upgraded model of this newly-announced camera and compare it with GoPro Hero 6 so that you may know how it’s a GoPro clone.
Table of Contents
YI 4K+ Action Camera Complete Review – Features
We’ve highlighted all the outstanding features of the YI 4K+ camera down below:
- YI’s 4K+ is made up of carbon fiber, which gives a stylish & elegant look to the camera.
- 1200mAh battery that enables you to shoot lengthy videos without any difficulty.
- The camera can be powered externally using a USB-C port, so if you don’t want your batteries to get low quickly, you can use a power source.
- YI 4K+ masterpiece can shoot 4K videos at 60fps.
- Time-lapse, slow motion, loop, and video plus photo features.
- Electronic Image Stabilization can eliminate the effects of shaking while recording a video.
- The responsive touch screen in the camera can help you to play with your photo or video settings.
Design
YI 4K+ is the latest model of action camera by YI, with a strong image game. If we talk about this camera’s appearance, it’s one of the stylish and elegant-looking devices. Let’s have a look at all the design attributes:
- Stylish outside body front is made of carbon fiber.
- The capturing button is on the top of the camera.
- USB-C port on the side, and tripod screw on the button of YI 4K+ action camera.
- VI 4K+ has a battery door (The battery door contains a Micro SD card slot and batteries) on the bottom.
Battery
YI 4K+ operates on a 1200 milliamp-hour battery that can record up to 70 minutes in its maximum resolution. The battery is replaceable so that one can carry a couple of extra batteries if he/she wants to record lengthy videos. You can change every setting with a single button. No doubt, this beautiful camera is easy to operate and handle.
If your batteries are dead during recording, you can replace the battery and pick up your recording from where you left off. It’s one of the amazing features of the YI 4K+ camera that makes it unique from other cameras.
One exciting thing is that this camera can be powered externally by plugging a power source into the USB-C port. So, if you’re into time-lapse, you can save your batteries too. Attach a power source to your camera, start your video, and enjoy.
You can use a touch screen on the back to operate the camera. Also, you can review your footage or picture from the screen.
Resolution and Frame Rate
When we talk about frame rate and resolution, this camera stands out from other action cameras. Let’s have a look at the resolution and other technical stuff.
- Yi 4K+ camera can shoot at 4k at 60 frames per second. There are significantly fewer action cameras in the market that can shoot at this resolution and frame rate.
- If you want some wide-angle slow-motion recordings, YI 4K+ got a 1080p wide-angle that can shoot up to 90 frames per second, which is a fantastic option.
- Different modes of shooting videos, such as time-lapse, slow motion, loop, and video plus photo. We’re going to discuss more about the loop feature in the next section.
Loop Recording Feature
The loop recording is an exciting feature, as you can wire a power source to the camera and put it in loop mode. If anything happens, you can click on the recording button and can have that stuff saved. The loop recording options are 5, 20, 60, and 120 minutes.
There’s even a recording setting called Max that’s going to be dictated by the size of your SD card. What it’s going to do is to record continuously, and whenever you hit the record button, it’s going to save that last interval.
Image Stabilization Feature
One nice feature of the camera which stands out from other cameras is Electronic Image Stabilization. The camera will take your footage and do its best to take out all the little shaking you do in it. So, don’t worry if your hands do a little disturbance while shooting; your camera will take care of it.
While shooting for an action scenario, things are going to be shaking when they move. It’s nice that your action camera will help you get a little bit of stable footage; it’s going to make it much more watchable at the end of the day.
YI 4K+ Vs. GoPro Hero 6 Camera
Many vloggers and action video makers are shifting their way from GoPro Hero 6 to YI’s new 4K+ camera. The YI 4K+ action camera offers multiple features at a very low price compared to Hero 6. But is it worth choosing YI over GoPro? Let’s compare both cameras to get an idea of which one is suitable for you.
It’s tough to compare both action cameras, as there are very few differences between them. However, we were able to find some of the key points to compare between both products.
Microphone Comparison – YI 4K+ vs. GoPro Hero 6
We’ve been talking about all the right things YI 4K+ camera offers, but there are certain things in which the YI camera lags behind GoPro Hero 6. There is one thing that a GoPro can do that the YI cannot do yet, and that’s several microphones. The number of microphones in GoPro is 3, while in YI 4K+, there are only two microphones. A more significant number of microphones in a camera gives a better sound quality and cancels background noises.
The microphone adapter of YI cameras is a USB-C thin cable to a microphone port. The best part is, it’s not so much a big clunky thing with a giant box, and it’s definitely not $50, and they don’t require you to have it to get decent audio.
Prices of YI 4K+ Camera & GoPro Hero 6
Let’s talk pricing because it’s essential in this comparison. The YI 4k+ comes in at $299/€247/£215. I want you guys to keep in mind that the GoPro Hero 6 is the YI’s main competitor. When it comes to Hero 6, it costs $499/€412/£359. That’s a $200 difference, and it’s insane.
When you get the YI 4k+ at the regular price tag, it does not come with waterproof housing, so what you can do is buy a bundle that costs $330/€272/£237 that comes with waterproof housing.
If we talk about the YI camera and the charging cable and all that kind of stuff, it’s still a price difference of $170. But, GoPro is waterproof out of the box, and no waterproof housing is needed.
If you want to shoot water underwater in a wet environment with the YI, you will have to buy waterproof housing.
Touch Screen – YI 4K+ vs. GoPro Hero 6
Everyone loves to have a touch screen on their camera to control all the finger settings. GoPro and YI both have touch screens, but the screen size is more extensive in Yi 4K+ than in GoPro, i.e., 2.2inches and 2 inches, respectively.
It would be best to keep in mind that you cannot operate the touch screen with waterproof housing on the camera.
If you’re in the market for an action camera, as long as you’re not going to be using it for moto vlogging or plugging a microphone into it, we’d recommend you to get YI 4K+ camera.
We’ve attached a comparison of resolution and video quality of YI 4K+ and GoPro Hero 6 down below.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to buy an action camera that can work for you just like GoPro, then YI’s 4K+ is the best option for you; that’s why it is also called the GoPro clone. 4K+ is giving a tough time to GoPro action cameras in the market.
The appearance of 4K+ is stylish and robust, with capturing button at the top and a tripod slot on the bottom. The battery slot contains an SD card slot and a replaceable battery.
4K+ camera can shoot 4K videos at 60 fps, and there are very few cameras in the market that can shoot videos with this quality.
YI 4K+ is equipped with a 1200 mAh battery and can shoot for you up to 70 minutes if operated in max resolution.
The best thing which stands out 4K+ camera from other action cameras is its image stabilization and loop feature.
If we compare YI 4K+ and GoPro Hero 6, there is no significant difference between image and video quality. But still, there is an absolute difference, such as price, waterproof capabilities, and a number of microphones. The number of microphones in YI 4K+ is less than GoPro Hero 6; that’s why the camera will not give you high-quality sound when you shoot in noisy areas.
YI 4K+ is not a waterproof device, but you can use waterproof housing to protect your camera, but you won’t be able to use the touch screen because housing will cover your screen.
We’ve explained every detail about 4K+ YI’s action camera. If you think this camera can satisfy your videography requirements and vlogging, you should go for it, as it’s the best camera at a low price, compared to other cameras.
We’ve reviewed other action cameras as well! If you’re interested check our action camera review section!
