We knew it was only a matter of time before YI Technology stepped into the world of 360° cameras. Hot on the heels of the GoPro Fusion, YI Technology have now announced their own, new YI 360 VR camera. Housing a pair of 12MP Sony CMOS IMX377 1/2.3″ sensors, each side has a 220° f/2.0 lens. The YI 360 VR is capable of producing 5.7K (5760×2880) 360° footage at 30fps. Slightly higher resolution than the GoPro Fusion. If you want to speed it up to 60fps, you’ll have to drop down to 2.5K (2560×1280). Stills capture is also at 5760×2880. THiNK Media TV got a chance to check them out in person at NAB and posted a first look video.
So, a quick run down of the specs…
Video Resolutions5.7K(5760×2880)/30FPS4K(4096×2048)/30FPS2.5K(2560×1280)/60FPS2.5K(2560×1280)/30FPS1.9K(1920×960)/60FPSISO : Auto / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400White Balance : Auto / Daylight (5300K) / Cloudy (6200K) / Tungsten (2800K) / Native (4000K)Flat colour profile availableStereo microphones : Front and backSelf-timer for stillsTimelapse modeAuto StitchingPAL (25fps) or NTSC (30fps)Live Streaming : Available at 2.5K resolutionBluetooth 4.2100Mbps Wi-Fi1400mAh battery (About 75 minutes usage)USB-CHDMI Socket
It’s a fairly impressive looking unit on paper. Of course, the proof will be in the footage once we see it getting out in the wild. A flat colour profile will certainly be welcome for those serious about 360 video.
Size wise, it just looks like an extra chunky cellphone. It’s about as wide as an iPhone SE, a couple of cm shorter in height, but substantially thicker. Although, that’s not surprise. It’s got to house lenses on the front and back.
An LCD on the top shows you your settings and other information including battery life. There doesn’t seem to be an LCD for playback of video or browsing stills on the device, although there is a mobile companion app. So, you’ll have to sift through things from your phone. But, this is quite typical for 360° cameras, so not too unexpected. At this price point and resolution, it’s certainly going to raise a few eyebrows. Personally, I can’t wait to see some sample footage. The release date is set for June with a price of $399, and you can pre-order now through the YI Technology website.
