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Budget Action Camera for Photography
  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    I need several action camera fora a scientific research. I do not need shoot video. Only photos. I will have to modify them for a wired remote shutter.

    • GoPro, DJI & Insta360 are too expensive
    • All other budget action camera out there seems exactly the same HW & SW with (sometimes) different housing and terrible video compartment.
    • It seems impossible to find a honest review nor a review of the photographic capabilities. I get the impression that many of them don't even have the 12-megapixel sensor they boast of having.
    • Discontinued YI cameras seemed to be the only really apart from the other.

    Based on the above, could you suggest me some budget action camera?

    Thank you in advance

  • 6 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @LongJohnSilver

    You told solution yourself - Discontinued YI cameras.

    Look for used top models.

    Otherwise can check aliexpress and such searching by images sensor name and also looking for ones that can shoot raw.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Thanks. So nothing new under the sun.

    Which sensor name I should check on Ali?

  • hardimpacthardimpact

    stay away from yi "lite"(older cmos). the 4k regular and 4k+ use the newer one. there's a picture hack you can download that uses the full sensor and can change the shutter speed.

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    @hardimpact Thanks, I will grab a couple of "regular" YI 4K tomorrow.

    Is this the hack you are speaking of?

    https://github.com/irungentoo/Xiaomi_Yi_4k_Camera

    I don't see hacks about photo mode. I will dig into it better tomorrow with the actual camera in my hand. It's a shame nobody hacked the USB port for remote control as CHDK.

  • hardimpacthardimpact

    yes. picture manual exposure example: t ia2 -ae off t cal -me 1 448 1099 0 4096 it will give you ISO100 with 1\48 shutter speed.

    these cameras also have an undocumented free wifi server engine to transfer files wirelessly to your computer. 192.168.42.1. The user ID is "root", and there is no password. access the ip in your web browser. I think you have to change your network card to be be in same subnet, like 192.168.42.2 255.255.255.0 gateway is the camera .1 (unless you setup a router in your network)

    The unpacker.bat script will unpack firmware.bin. Get the 1530090026314_fw.bin (firmware_1.5.8-beta2.bin)

    There's also a deleted phone app you can still download YI Action 3.9.4.apk

  • LongJohnSilverLongJohnSilver

    Wow thanks. I will dig into it

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