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Verdict
How often do you take an action cam underwater? Most people never will, and YI clearly thinks that scuba divers will be happy to stump up for a waterproof casing whatever brand of action cam they choose. So in some regard the YI 4K ActionCam is about some cutting corners, but what it leaves out – GPS, voice control, auto-upload, and raw shooting – are hardly core features. In fact, it gives as much as it takes, with a large and responsive touchscreen, a big battery and a fast file transfers all good reasons to consider the YI 4K.
It may lack a few niceties – and we would include lens distortion correction and image stabilisation in that list – but the YI 4K Action Cam remains a great value addition to any adventurer's kit bag.
Competition
GoPro Hero5 Black
The Hero5 Black is a great reminder of why the name GoPro is so revered and why it's still our top action camera pick. Simple to use, the addition of a rear touchscreen, voice control and GPS make it one of the most feature-packed cams currently available.
Read the full review: GoPro Hero5 Black
Olfi one.five
If may lack GPS, voice activation and the ability to link external sensors, but for those who simply want to capture good-looking footage without breaking the bank, there's very little to complain about.
Read the full review: Olfi one.five
Jamie is a freelance tech, travel and space journalist based in the UK. He’s been writing regularly for Techradar since it was launched in 2008 and also writes regularly for Forbes, The Telegraph, the South China Morning Post, Sky & Telescope and the Sky At Night magazine as well as other Future titles T3, Digital Camera World, All About Space and Space.com. He also edits two of his own websites, TravGear.com and WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com that reflect his obsession with travel gear and solar eclipse travel. He is the author of A Stargazing Program For Beginners (Springer, 2015),