4K (3840 x 2160) 30p/24p action cam...

ST1100Y

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Alright! Now their talking :8):
With todays 4K UHD flatscreens at home, the 1080p HD format won't lure the cat from behind the couch anymore... :wink:
nice for brief YouTube clips on FB though, but that's pretty much it...

Did some research on this matter, sift out the numberless china fakes floating around... ended with two potential candidates:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1337214-REG/yi_technology_91106_4k_action_camera_with.html

and then this, which I find oh so very tempting <drool> :-o

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1278151-REG/sony_fdr_x3000_action_camera.html

narrow, aerodynamic front and optical stabilization are inviting bike use...

Any camera buffs out there with some insight?
 
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I own four of the Yi 4K+ action cameras with three of them attached to my ST1300 for a special television project that I am working on. And one additional YI 4K+ is mounted on a chase ST1300.

Here are the strong points:

1. On sale often from $249 to $299. (this is half the cost of a GoPro 6)
2. 4k/ 30p with stabilization.
3. Internal and external mic capabilities
4. Plenty of mounting options
5. Excellent setting for lighting conditions
6. The 4k /30p video is superb
7. Extra batteries can be purchased for $10-20 each
8. Remote control sold separately for $10 works great

Bad Points:

1. It has a fixed lens distance with no zoom available.
2. Effective optimal distance for main subjects need to be within a couple of hundred feet.
3. Stabilization is not available at 60p. (Shooting in 30p has not caused me much concern)

Conclusion:

The Yi 4K+ is the absolute best 4k camera for motorcycle Vlogging.

Yi 4K+ Body Worn
RTL10-16x9.jpg

RTL-011-5x7.jpg
Yi 4K+ Mounted facing rear on Dashboard. And Body worn facing forward
 
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ST1100Y

ST1100Y

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I own four of the Yi 4K+ action cameras with three of them attached to my ST1300 for a special television project that I am working on.
You you control 4 pcs of them? Actually paired 4 cams to one smartphone/app there, or using like their remotes?

Stills look good though, does video quality really (almost) qualify for broadcast (their action cams, fix focus wide angle lens, etc...)
How well does the EIS work?
Any jitter like due wheel spokes or propellers?
 
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You you control 4 pcs of them? Actually paired 4 cams to one smartphone/app there, or using like their remotes?

Stills look good though, does video quality really (almost) qualify for broadcast (their action cams, fix focus wide angle lens, etc...)
How well does the EIS work?
Any jitter like due wheel spokes or propellers?
The EIS works perfectly if the camera is not mounted on the vibrating part of the windshield.
The 4k/30p setting with EIS will slow down a propeller. Maybe better to go 60p without EIS for that.
You will need a separate remote for each paired camera. I have already asked YI to look into allowing all to pair.
The camera at 4k/30p does not like light shining in to it. Causes flair and strobing effect.
As for broadcast specs, Yes, here in the US 4k 30p is perfect for now.
4k does allow you to pan and crop in editing to bring things closer. This is especially good if the final is 1920x1080p
The fixed lens is perfect for close ups of subjects and scenic shots. A long shot of a subject/person will be small.
 
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ST1100Y

ST1100Y

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4k does allow you to pan and crop in editing to bring things closer. This is especially good if the final is 1920x1080p
Which is what I had in mind...
I do have a so called fullHD 1080p/30fps semi pro action cam (AT26, snake/wire cam with a DVR), but when I play that footage on my 4K UltraHD 3840x2160/60p Bravia the picture really sucks, its like VHS times, way below DVD... lack of EIS, poor lens... not really motivating to actually produce any on-board or other takes with it...
 
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Alright! Now their talking :8):
With todays 4K UHD flatscreens at home, the 1080p HD format won't lure the cat from behind the couch anymore... :wink:
nice for brief YouTube clips on FB though, but that's pretty much it...

Did some research on this matter, sift out the numberless china fakes floating around... ended with two potential candidates:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1337214-REG/yi_technology_91106_4k_action_camera_with.html

and then this, which I find oh so very tempting <drool> :-o

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1278151-REG/sony_fdr_x3000_action_camera.html

narrow, aerodynamic front and optical stabilization are inviting bike use...

Any camera buffs out there with some insight?
I bought dbpower, had great reviews, under $70, 2 batteries, 20 megapixels, sony sensor ( which is suppose to be the best) and comes with all the mounts . I tried it out a bit and seems to work very good. I didnt like the idea of putting a $400 camera on the bike and having something happen and loose my investment. It has most everything I need. https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Underwater-Wide-Angle-Rechargeable-Accessories/dp/B07314N12V/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517867402&sr=8-4&keywords=dbpower+4k+action+camera
 
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Which is what I had in mind...
I do have a so called fullHD 1080p/30fps semi pro action cam (AT26, snake/wire cam with a DVR), but when I play that footage on my 4K UltraHD 3840x2160/60p Bravia the picture really sucks, its like VHS times, way below DVD... lack of EIS, poor lens... not really motivating to actually produce any on-board or other takes with it...
The reason for that is the bitrate on that camera is probably around 20-35. Maybe 50 at best.
The Yi 4k+ allows you to choose settings of low, middle and high.
I use middle because it works great at about 90 Mbps. High is about 130 and is superb.
The higher the bitrate, the larger the file.
 
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I do have a so called fullHD 1080p/30fps semi pro action cam (AT26, snake/wire cam with a DVR), but when I play that footage on my 4K UltraHD 3840x2160/60p Bravia the picture really sucks, its like VHS times, way below DVD... lack of EIS, poor lens... not really motivating to actually produce any on-board or other takes with it...
FWIW, don't blame that on 1080p necessarily, there are some crappy video cameras out there that only offer low bitrates and as a result the picture quality isn't all that great. I'm not familiar with the AT26 but I googled it and it appears that it might fall into that category. When I play good quality 1080 material on my 4k TV it looks quite good, nothing like what you're describing.

Another thing to consider is since you said you will be doing some editing the rendering time for 4k is much longer than 1080. A better camera might give you 1080p footage that you actually like, and you may not feel the need to use 4k after all. But since its so common in current cameras you'll have it available either way, then its up to you to decide if the extra resolution is a benefit or not.
 
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I bought dbpower, had great reviews, under $70, 2 batteries, 20 megapixels, sony sensor ( which is suppose to be the best) and comes with all the mounts . I tried it out a bit and seems to work very good. I didnt like the idea of putting a $400 camera on the bike and having something happen and loose my investment. It has most everything I need. https://www.amazon.com/DBPOWER-Underwater-Wide-Angle-Rechargeable-Accessories/dp/B07314N12V/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517867402&sr=8-4&keywords=dbpower+4k+action+camera
This camera is not good for several reasons:

If you look at these specs, you will see that it shoots 4k only at 24p. 24p is good for slow moving action. You will need 30p or 60p for a motorcycle!
The 2.7k/30p has no place in broadcast.... But fine for Youtube...


4K Ultra-HD Action Camera: Capture your world in crystal-clear stunning HD video. Incredible photos can also be taken thanks to the 20-megapixel Sony CMOS sensor. Record the adventures and wonders of your life in 4K/24fps. Other shooting options include; 2.7K/30fps, 1080p/60fps & 720p/120fps.
 
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I did not buy it for the 4k but it had it. I think 1080 at 60 is good for what I need and I'm not broadcasting. Besides 4k take a lot of space and battery power and on my next long trip thats one thing I will not worry about.
 
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ST1100Y

ST1100Y

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I didnt like the idea of putting a $400 camera on the bike...
Well, I can't take it with me, can I... ;-)
So I decide to live a little, but if, I'd like to spent on some quality things with sustainability.
$100 for a crappy thing will spoil the mood and it will likely end up collecting dust in a shelf, whilst $700 for an excellent equipment that will be usable for like 10 years seems a 'good investment'...

The higher the bitrate, the larger the file.
Which is why I've 3 pcs 128GB 100MB/s, class 10 U3 microSD on the list... (plus the ones in the photo-cameras)
A 250GB SDD in the Netbook + a 1TB ext, portable HDD drive (USB)...
Should give sufficient storage capacity for photos and footage of a 3 weeks trip...

Another thing to consider is since you said you will be doing some editing the rendering time for 4k is much longer than 1080.
That I'm aware of, where the app/machine took like <60min to render a 1 hour cut in normal DVD format/resolution, will it surely take 4~5 hours for a decent 60 minute BlueRay edit in HD...
The program supports up to 4096x2160/25p (50 MBit/s), 3840x2160/25p (50MBit/s), etc... output in MPEG-4... will be quite a learning curve there... :lol:
 
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That I'm aware of, where the app/machine took like <60min to render a 1 hour cut in normal DVD format/resolution, will it surely take 4~5 hours for a decent 60 minute BlueRay edit in HD...
The program supports up to 4096x2160/25p (50 MBit/s), 3840x2160/25p (50MBit/s), etc... output in MPEG-4... will be quite a learning curve there... :lol:
4k has four times the resolution of blue ray, but because of compression uses maybe twice the bitrate. So at least double the blue ray time for 4k rendering.

Jay51 says the medium 4k bitrate on the camera in question is 90Mbps, but your editor only supports 50Mbps if what you posted is correct. You may need a new computer/editing s/w to even do 4k editing with any level of success.
 
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I highly recommend using Magix Vegas Pro 15 as your video editing platform.
It can handle anything and render 4 times faster than most NLE competitors.
 
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ST1100Y

ST1100Y

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Jay51 says the medium 4k bitrate on the camera in question is 90Mbps, but your editor only supports 50Mbps if what you posted is correct. You may need a new computer/editing s/w to even do 4k editing with any level of success.
There a huge number of setting to combine/choose from (besides the "standard" ones offered), will have to study some documentation, tinker and burn a few disks to find the best setup.
It also depends what the camera file offers, as most only store any "new" change/part in picture to keep the file size low, so an editing software has to perform much processing on recreating what "is not there"...

I highly recommend using Magix Vegas Pro 15 as your video editing platform.
It can handle anything and render 4 times faster than most NLE competitors.
Looks interesting, and pricey...
Currently there is an upgrade special on PowerDirector for € 52,-... (I'm still on v14, current is v16)
Back when I opted for an editing software the first time, only this (v9) and Adobe fully supported a 64 bit environment...
 

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Looks interesting, and pricey...
FWIW, he is referring to the pro version, but there's another consumer version available for about 1/10th the price. The pro version used to be called Sony Vegas, and the consumer version was called Sony Vegas Movie Studio or something like that. Magix bought them out a year or two ago, but its the same program, newer version.

I have the consumer version and prefer it over all the others I tried, but YMMV, everybody has their own preferences on this kind of thing based on how they like the user interface and controls. When I downloaded the Pro version for comparison the differences were pretty small. Since Jay does broadcasts with his video the pro version has some features that are useful for that, but that's not something you'll need.
 

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+1 on Vegas Movie Studio. I've been using version 10 or 11 (Sony badged) as it does all I need. Newest version (Vegas badged) handles up to 4 cameras for multiple points of view.
 
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ST1100Y

ST1100Y

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FWIW, the Sony arrived yesterday... sooo cute! [emoji41]
Did just a brief check (batteries down), zillions of settings, but OUTSTANDING picture quality! 20 seconds in 4K in artificial light, raw/unedited onto PC... wow, just wow...
Even in only 1080p extremely superior...

Now to check installation places on the ST, already ordered very small, CNC milled photo quick couplings for at least 3 places...
Already got a suction mount and a clamp-on for some extra positioning.

The Live-Display remote is really inviting for experiments & tinkering, WiFi phone pairing enables full settings access... playful little thing [emoji57]

... transmitted from a CAT S60 thing ...
 
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Well, quite a learning curve, still tinkering and toying around with this thing... :wink:

4K does exist and work... BUT...

In the end it boils down to:

- storage capacity
- processing power avail, and therefore
- energy consumption

... and its and-either-or ... :)

For 4K an SDXC, class 10, U3 card is "nothing"... literally... <20 minute footage require >20GB of storage, leaves barely 2 hours, 40 minutes capacity on one 128GB(!) microSD...
Power consumption increases enormously, so does processing power and data transfer required, you'll either munch down the battery charge within like 1/2 an hour, or the cam's temperature protection kicks in over having to work just really fast... uoops... either<>or, whatever occurs first ... :lol:
It is a finger cam after all, about as big as my thumb (probably like the DRIFT), not a big broadcast rig you'd hoist on your shoulder and 50 lbs of batteries on your belt :wink:
The 4K file created also just isn't something your average Netbook CPU & OS could handle with on-board tools... nah... it consist of zillions of short bursts with additional files behind, telling the (proper) processing software what to fill in... as its done best with the Sony software provided, anything else is just keeling over... managed to handle some test recording in PowerDirector, but it munches endless on a 20GB chunk, the Sony app processes that in, well, a more reasonable time frame... :8):

So, for movie/takes HD in MPEG4 it is, that works, gives closely 6 hours lifespan on battery and microSD, can be handled with Windows tools and due the excellent lens/chip assy the results are in superior quality (which later might even be enhanced in production by editing software...)
The picture stabilizer is fantastic, one can carry this thing around in your hand, pan left right, no jerking, no jitter... brilliant... should work nicely on the bike...

Time laps is interesting, there I'll keep it in 4K (possible night sky shots?), again the Sony program is the better choice for raw import and stitching due smoothing the transitions better... got me a small motorized pano-rig as well, will get interesting... :8):

Another brilliant feature is that little Live-View remote, full settings access, real time display of camera view-field, waterproof to 3m/9ft... so is the cam BTW, the UW housing included withstands even depths of 60m/200ft... in case one decides to pick up scuba again... :)
Camera flip (180° upside down) is done with a few pushes of the remote buttons, like for attaching the cam underneath the headlight or such...

While keep on practicing, the quick couplings (have to check where to nail those onto the ST then ;-)) and extra batteries & charger are on the way...
 
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didn't want to spoil your enthusiasm for 4k video earlier, but I'm not surprised at what you found. The cameras support it, the TVs support it, but its a lot more hassle for a little better picture quality. Given some of your earlier image quality comments I think your previous 1080 camera had poor image quality, so you probably saw more image quality difference between the two 1080 cameras than you did between 1080 and 4k.
 
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