Everybody wants to have a versatile camera and an action cam is offering so much capabilities in a tiny body which makes it even more convenient to carry and utilize. Apeman 4K Vs Xiaomi Yi are two great choices for those who want to get a good video quality and useful features to ease your application. However, sometimes we must consider the price as well and if you are looking forward to own one of these cameras, see which model will serve your activity better below.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
- Why Purchasing an Action Camera
- What to Look at an Action Camera
- What are Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi
- What Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi Look Like
- How are the Camera in Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi
- What else Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi can offer
- How are the Video Quality of Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi
- Apeman 4K Vs Xiaomi Yi
Action Camera Pros
Photography camera and video camera have been available for us end consumer since quite a long time ago and chances all of us ever used one or even both of them before so in general we understand how the tools work. As technology is getting more advanced day by day, those tools are made to be more capable to take better result or the usability in an attempt to enhance the convenient. After the hype of compact, pocket camera and handycam that we can carry easily, now comes action camera.
Overall, an action camera is just a video camera or camcorder we used to own back in the day or some of us may still have one today, but it is much smaller with less control and most of the time smaller sensor as well compared to a full-fledged video camera. The reason why so many of us are moving along to this new device is not only because it is fairly new in the market by being introduced in early 2000s but also because of its convenient feature.
As we all know, compact camera is small, most of them are just +/- 100 grams and as big or wide as your credit card which makes it easier to mount in various objects like helmet that we know doesn’t supposed to be installed with anything. Despite the teeny tiny body, an action cam is packing so much capabilities from advanced processor, big sensor, various useful features, and then there is image stabilization function that in the higher models can beat entry level camcorders with ease.
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi
However, like many other things, an expensive action camera will do much better in general than its lower price range so it is wise to set up a budget before going to shop for one. Those below $100 will not be able to provide the same quality of those in $300 range but, the choice should be made based on your intention whether it is for more serious hobby or just to play around for the result can be night and day here.
What you may want to know first is their video or image quality along with audio performance but shopping without testing it first can be more complicated yet, we can check the type of processor, sensor size used on the model as well as its effective pixel. Another important feature is their image stabilization and if you plan to shoot in UHD all the time, make sure the stabilization is also working at the top resolution because some models can only use it at 1080p or 720p.
About Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi
If you are also going to record the activity whether it is just as accompaniment of the main smartphone camera or to mount in a dirt bike, an action camera will be a very ideal choice to go. However, since the device is getting more popular in the last several years, it is also harder to pick one for we used to have only one or two options and today there are a bunch more companies offering the same action camera but with different price ranges and different features.
Of course the option is all yours and for those who wonder whether the budget version can be as good as the higher-end market, Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi are two nice choices to see because they are equally coming from the lower budget range as an alternatives to its high-end rivals. We are sure most people are familiar already with Yi because they used to be paired with Xiaomi but since the company separate itself, now we called it only as Yi.
Yi is a very popular camera similar to its used to be smartphone sibling and the reason why we love them as well is because it is not only friendlier with our budget but also offering quite reliable video footage for the price point. We do know several other cameras with similar shining points but overall Yi is one of the best choices for the budget especially those less than $100. But, we can’t say that a starter model like Xiaomi Yi is comparable to let’s say those newer Hero series from GoPro.
They do have the upper model that in our opinion can be the real opponent of Hero and you can check it on our Yi 4K Plus Vs GoPro Hero 7 here. The Apeman 4K on the other hand is also called A80 so both of them are the same camera and like many other budget friendly units out there, we don’t hope to see much here yet, many people seem to be satisfied with the performance which makes us curious as well.
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi Design
As similarly budget camera, both of Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi are quite identical to each other because as you can see on the sample picture above, they are still coming with the “old” design of pointy edges and combined with a textured sides which meant to support the grip when the user is holding the camera without mounting system or case. The US version of Yi camera is white but some people do have different fashion of this camera as well aside from black.
They are still placing the power or mode button at the face part near the lens cover and navigation buttons on the side. As budget alternatives, the main display in these cameras are not yet touch-sensitive so we still need to utilize the navigation buttons available. Additionally, none of them are natively waterproof so make sure to also put the protective case first before entering the water or recording at the pool.
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi Camera
As it has been mentioned above, the most important thing to consider when looking for a camera including an action camera is the image and video footage and both of them are affected by the processor and sensor put inside. Apeman is coming with lower end Novatek 96660 chipset while Xiaomi Yi is paired with Ambarella A7LS chipset which is also used in GoPro older cameras before they moved to their own custom chipset and many other capable action cameras out there.
Sensor is also playing an important role but we can’t find what size they used in this camera besides claimed that they are using Sony IMX078 sensor with effective pixel of 20MP. On the other hand, Xiaomi Yi is providing us with 1/2.3–inch Sony Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor with an effective pixel of 16MP. This combination will allow Apeman to record 4K at 25fps while Yi is not capable yet of offering the UHD option and topping its footage at 1080p 60fps which is quite unfortunate.
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi Features
On the additional features part, the most important in our opinion is their image stabilization and thankfully Apeman 4K is already offering us a good stabilization system with gyroscope inside which acts as an electronic stabilizer but, it can’t be used yet with 4K or QHD videos so we are left with 1080p when wishing to use the function. The first generation of Yi doesn’t have EIS but both of them have WiFi for instant connectivity with your smartphone to control and view footage.
The angle of Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi are 170-degree and 155-degree so we can capture more from whatever presented in front of your lens but, Apeman is offering more by being adjustable so we can set the camera in full 170-degree, 140-degree, 110-degree, or narrower at 70-degree.
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi Performance
Coming into the performance part, both of these cameras are easy to understand and the menu is familiar as well. For the video footage, both are showing a nice colors but since Apeman can do image stabilization, the video shown are more stable and less shaking compared to Yi. In outdoor shooting, Apeman is also showing better results because details are prominently presented while Yi somehow washed out its contrast. Night shooting is not good but in comparison Yi performs better by giving fairly less noise.
Comparison
Apeman 4K and Xiaomi Yi are a good option for the budget and they are delivering a very reliable quality for the price range as well but in comparison, Apeman 4K will wins in various parts such as image stabilization and the option to record at UHD despite its higher chance of actually interpolating it and another favorite is a choice to adjust the angle which is fixed in Xiaomi Yi. The footage also seems better in Apeman when used with adequate light but night shooting shows Yi to perform better.
Apeman 4K vs Xiaomi Yi
Conclusion
Action camera is a great companion for your adventure and many budget versions today are working very well but, among all of them, we do see Apeman 4K as one of the best choices in this entry-level compared to Yi.