Have they got this thing's infinity focus (i.e. focussed at a point slightly further from the camera than the hyperfocal distance, so objects at "infinity" are a little sharper than just "acceptably" sharp) sorted out yet, or are they still stuck with the idea that selfies are where the "action" is and zero understanding of hyperfocal distance?
We have two Yi "Action" Cameras. The first, from a Chinese online seller, rendered distant objects as a featureless mush until I scraped a ton of totally stuck hot glue off the lens barrel and refocussed it, after which it provided excellent images until the HDMI stage (which enabled them to be far more accurately recorded on an external recorder than on the SD card) crapped out. Still very good images, but no longer amazing for the cost.
Looking for better luck and preferring black to garish, we got another, this time the US version. Its infinity focus was better but still too soft, so I did the refocussing trick again. This time the hot glue practically fell off but the lens mount had started out displaced relative to the sensor plane and had been held in optical alignment by the glue. So the all-over slight infinity defocus became good and sharp over 5/6 of the frame but, especially by the immediate on-screen comparison, obviously out of whack on the other 1/6. At least the HDMI stage held up, but the accurate images it transfers are useless.
Send it back for service? Say what? Using it to jam the doors and hold the lift would a more time and energy efficient use for it, given that removing the hot glue cover up of a bodged assembly isn't going to pass any Chinese replacement or warranty criteria on either camera.
I know the 4k model has no HDMI stage, but neither has our original now, so getting one would be a third time lucky or kissoff-forever shot at getting along with this nice concept but crap QC build quality little device.
So any reports on out-of-the box infinity focus and/or ease of refocussing duff lens assemblies to render distant objects optimally (compared to refocussing the original Yi) would be much appreciated.
We have two Yi "Action" Cameras. The first, from a Chinese online seller, rendered distant objects as a featureless mush until I scraped a ton of totally stuck hot glue off the lens barrel and refocussed it, after which it provided excellent images until the HDMI stage (which enabled them to be far more accurately recorded on an external recorder than on the SD card) crapped out. Still very good images, but no longer amazing for the cost.
Looking for better luck and preferring black to garish, we got another, this time the US version. Its infinity focus was better but still too soft, so I did the refocussing trick again. This time the hot glue practically fell off but the lens mount had started out displaced relative to the sensor plane and had been held in optical alignment by the glue. So the all-over slight infinity defocus became good and sharp over 5/6 of the frame but, especially by the immediate on-screen comparison, obviously out of whack on the other 1/6. At least the HDMI stage held up, but the accurate images it transfers are useless.
Send it back for service? Say what? Using it to jam the doors and hold the lift would a more time and energy efficient use for it, given that removing the hot glue cover up of a bodged assembly isn't going to pass any Chinese replacement or warranty criteria on either camera.
I know the 4k model has no HDMI stage, but neither has our original now, so getting one would be a third time lucky or kissoff-forever shot at getting along with this nice concept but crap QC build quality little device.
So any reports on out-of-the box infinity focus and/or ease of refocussing duff lens assemblies to render distant objects optimally (compared to refocussing the original Yi) would be much appreciated.