Yi Nightscape vs Blueskysea B1W?

[eastwestsider]

I know these are entry-level cameras, but they're what I'm ready for right now. Wondering if anyone has experience with both? Yi has a screen, but since they both have wifi and a phone app, I'm not sure if that's should be a deciding factor if the Blueskysea is better in other ways?

 

[jokiin]

support will be better with the Blueskysea, @estore009 is an active member here and looks after those

the Yi is more a case of 'you get what you get, and don't get upset' getting support for the Yi outside of China is a challenge

 

[kamkar]

Yeah.
Blueskysea while small and newcomers, they do appear to have the heart in the right place, and try, and you cant ask much more than that of people.
And so far they have dont alright with their cameras, the two new ones ( B2K and B4K ) also seem to be alright cameras.

TBH i do prefer a screen on cameras, even if i dont use it much, and thank god the damn things go out pretty fast so not really a nuisance.

I used my B1W test camera for a good 6 months, and it gave gave me no grief.
The B2W i also tested also lasted well, and in the end running 24/7 for months in my living room windowsill as it was a challenging form factor in the car + i get new cameras to test.
Stopped testing it when it had killed a memory card, or rather the memory card in it died as those things do now and then / sooner or later.

Not sure how the prices stack up, but i think i would go with the B2K instead.

 

[eastwestsider]

support will be better with the Blueskysea, @estore009 is an active member here and looks after those

the Yi is more a case of 'you get what you get, and don't get upset' getting support for the Yi outside of China is a challenge

Thanks for the response! Operating under the assumption that the Y1 I got has no defects, how do you see the feature comparison between the two? It seems like the B1W has parking mode (which I don't really plan to use, since I'll just be plugging into my cig lighter) and 30fps while the Yi has 60fps and no parking mode.

 

[eastwestsider]

Yeah.
Blueskysea while small and newcomers, they do appear to have the heart in the right place, and try, and you cant ask much more than that of people.
And so far they have dont alright with their cameras, the two new ones ( B2K and B4K ) also seem to be alright cameras.

TBH i do prefer a screen on cameras, even if i dont use it much, and thank god the damn things go out pretty fast so not really a nuisance.

I used my B1W test camera for a good 6 months, and it gave gave me no grief.
The B2W i also tested also lasted well, and in the end running 24/7 for months in my living room windowsill as it was a challenging form factor in the car + i get new cameras to test.
Stopped testing it when it had killed a memory card, or rather the memory card in it died as those things do now and then / sooner or later.

Not sure how the prices stack up, but i think i would go with the B2K instead.

Looks like the B2K is only a few bucks more. As far as detail, I'm a bit confused between fps and resolution. The Y1 has 60fps @ 1080p. The B2K has 30fps @ 4K. Which one would be optimal?

 

[jokiin]

60fps is no advantage unless you're doing track days

 

[eastwestsider]

60fps is no advantage unless you're doing track days

As in...the racetrack? I wouldn't be able to see much, anyway, with all the dirt the other cars are spitting in my Volt's face...

 

[estore009]

I am here and welcome to tag me for help if any questions to use our dashcam!

 

[eastwestsider]

I am here and welcome to tag me for help if any questions to use our dashcam!

Thank you!

 

[SawMaster]

Don't get too hung up on specs like resolution and FPS- they're only part of the story. Lens and FW tuning play just as big a role with the viewed images and there's no rating scale for them. Look at the vids for each cam you're considering day, night, cloudy, sunny, city and countryside. One camera will look better to you than the other(s) in the circumstances you expect to use it in

I'll admit to having not seen much of the Yi- just a few clips on YouTube which does no video recording justice- but I've used a B1W and I've seen plenty of vids and clips from plenty of other 1080p cams so I know what can be done with them. And I'm currently doing testing and review of the B2K for the manufacturer so I'm quite familiar with it. Hands down the B2K is going to have the best daytime images of the cams mentioned here and it will match or better the B1W at night too. IMHO it's the best in this price range today for image quality and that's what you want most from a cam.

But do look at vids to compare these cams and make your own choice based on that- you are the best judge in knowing what you like best

Phil

 

[Nigel]

Looks like the B2K is only a few bucks more. As far as detail, I'm a bit confused between fps and resolution. The Y1 has 60fps @ 1080p. The B2K has 30fps @ 4K. Which one would be optimal?

fps is the number of image updates per second, 30 is sufficient for normal driving, even 24 will work OK, the only real benefit of 60 is that it looks smoother so is nicer to watch if you are making movies. For evidence purposes only, even on the race track it is not necessary unless you intend to have accidents at Formula 1 speeds, in most racetrack accidents you are hitting another vehicle going almost the same speed as you, and that doesn't need many fps!

Resolution is the amount of detail, and with small USA plates you really want more than 1080 resolution. The B2K with its 2K resolution records twice the detail of a 1080 camera, well worth the upgrade.

Also you should consider motion blur, a high resolution is of no use if the image is blurred because of slow exposure times. The sensor in the B2K is far more sensitive than the one in the B1W, not sure what is in the Y1, as a result it has far less motion blur in lower light levels and at night, which gives far more chance of being able to read a plate.

If the B2K is available at "only a few bucks more" then out of the three, that is definitely the one to go for, it gives a very good image although a bit basic in other features.

 

[jokiin]

not sure what is in the Y1,

IMX307

 

[Nigel]

IMX307

Good sensor when used well, maybe that is the reason for the name "Nightscape". But it is only 1080 resolution, so I would still put the BK2 as the best of the three. The Y1 should be able to beat the B1W with that sensor, but I haven't tested the Y1 and Blueskysea does do a good job with its cameras.

 

[SawMaster]

The B1W and it's IMX323 sensor is a bit outdated now- I wish they'd update it as I do like the form-factor. The high-res sensors work for you daytime but work against you at night. Daytime the increased pixel count captures more detail but at night each pixel receives less light, making the cam struggle to give bright enough images.

Most people drive much more in the daytime so a high-res cam is usually the better choice given equally good FW and lenses for the cams being considered. It's 'buyers choice' so just know and understand how things work, then decide what you need more: daytime or nighttime IQ

Phil

 

[richx]

I'd say given the OP's considerations, the factor of IMX323 vs IMX307 Starvis cannot be downplayed especially night recordings. Having said that, I've seen many IMX323 (because of maturity and popularity) tuned very well delivering good IQ - and I've also seen one IMX307 paired with limited bitrate SOC and probably poor lens QC delivering absolutely poor IQ (yes I'm looking at you DDPai Mini One Night Vision). However that DDPai Mini One could just be a lemon on my hands, I didn't bother to pursue a second unit to verify if it's systemic or random.

 

[SawMaster]

Not so long ago the A119/s with the IMX323 and modified FW was the night-video champ in the dashcam arena. It's still no slouch, but you can get better now. The B1W with that same sensor wasn't/isn't as capable which is understandable costing half as much. A good basic cam anyway, but none of these is as capable at night as good cams with the IMX291 for night-time use; technology marches on...

Phil

 

[jokiin]

Not so long ago the A119/s with the IMX323 and modified FW was the night-video champ in the dashcam arena.

Phil

it's IMX291

to your point though an IMX323 sensor together with a good processor and well sorted firmware can outperform the IMX291 when the other two factors are not there, plenty of poor performing examples out there

 

[eastwestsider]

I'd say given the OP's considerations, the factor of IMX323 vs IMX307 Starvis cannot be downplayed especially night recordings. Having said that, I've seen many IMX323 (because of maturity and popularity) tuned very well delivering good IQ - and I've also seen one IMX307 paired with limited bitrate SOC and probably poor lens QC delivering absolutely poor IQ (yes I'm looking at you DDPai Mini One Night Vision). However that DDPai Mini One could just be a lemon on my hands, I didn't bother to pursue a second unit to verify if it's systemic or random.

I’m now leaning toward the Blueskysea B2K. I’d reckon that’s better than the B1W, since it’s a step up from the same company, but how would you gauge it in regards to the Y1?

 

[eastwestsider]

The B1W and it's IMX323 sensor is a bit outdated now- I wish they'd update it as I do like the form-factor. The high-res sensors work for you daytime but work against you at night. Daytime the increased pixel count captures more detail but at night each pixel receives less light, making the cam struggle to give bright enough images.

Most people drive much more in the daytime so a high-res cam is usually the better choice given equally good FW and lenses for the cams being considered. It's 'buyers choice' so just know and understand how things work, then decide what you need more: daytime or nighttime IQ

Phil

I agree: I definitely usually drive a lot more during the day than night. I thought Y1 and B1W have the same resolution, don’t they?

What are your thoughts on Y1 vs B2K?

 

[jokiin]

I’m now leaning toward the Blueskysea B2K. I’d reckon that’s better than the B1W, since it’s a step up from the same company, but how would you gauge it in regards to the Y1?

the B2K is a newer product built on better spec hardware, better support available also