Xiaomi Yi vs GitUp Git2.

Left: Xiaomi Yi FW 1.2.13, $10 4.35mm lens, 1296p, all defaults but bitrate set by autoexec.ash script to match Git2. Stabilized using Deshaker v3.1 plugin for VirtualDub (rolling shutter set to 47%). Cropped to 1080p to mask edge artifacts.

Right: GitUp Git2 FW 1.4, $10 4.35mm lens, 1296p, bitrate low, GYRO ON, WDR OFF, FOV W. Resized to 1080p.

Click to watch or download.

GitUp default lens vs Yi lens vs 4.35mm cheapo comparison. Git2 lens replacing tips.

Got another $10 4.35mm lens and made a quick test of it comparing with the default GitUp Git2 lens and default Xiaomi Yi Z22 series lens. All three were mounted on Git2 cam.

Note these when replacing GitUp Git2 lens:
1. You'll need a 1.5mm (metric) hex bit or key to unscrew 4 bolts on the front panel.
2. Remove MicroSD card and start disassembling the front panel from its slot slowly going to the middle of it. There are two strong massive latches inside so you'll have to put some force on them.
3. Git2 lens is hot-glued in its M12 mount (S-mount). Don't rush removing the glue because there are lots of tiny fragile parts around the lens. Scrub it away by small pieces using a sharp tool with fine tip.
4. Focus the lens using HDMI connected display or wifi livestream - rtsp://192.168.1.254:554.

GitUp Git2 action camera.

Got my Git2 cam today. At first glance it seems to be a pretty nice piece of hardware.

• It has a tiny screen on its back. Rather small, but still useful.
• It has Sony IMX206 sensor exactly like so much popular Xiaomi Yi cam has.
• It's powered by Novatek NT96660 chipset and it doesn't "overprocess" the picture like Ambarella A7 does.
• Git2's h264 video encoder is quite tricky. Comparing to Yi (defaults @1296p30) it provides slightly greater bitrate but twice higher keyframe interval leading to visible blocking artifacts. 
• Using p60/p120/p240 modes with indoor/low light is useless because the cam records 30 fps duplicating frames to the target framerate. 
• The lens is just great. It provides impressive resolution and colors though having some issue concerning lens flare and chromatic aberration effects.
• Due to its case design Git2 is compatible with GoPro accessories, moreover it has mini-usb connector for those of you who prefer to record audio with an external mic (supporting both mono and stereo).

UPD 2016-06-14: Git2 cam greatly strode towards (as one Git1 cam did) with actual FW updates. Seems like GitUp is going to get its maximum from HW and I'm pretty glad to take a feasible part in this process. Well done things are still here and need me to do some stuff.

Xiaomi Yi rolling shutter.

I measured rolling shutter for 1296p30 mode, so it's 47%. May be useful when using stabilization software like Deshaker plugin for VirtualDub.

Briefly about the Xiaomi Yi lens replacement for special needs.

For FOV and distorsion demonstration only.

New YiMax-movie script.

Click image to enlarge.

Finally I managed to get rid of "watercolor"-looking leaves in videos. Check for the new YiMax-movie script here. Please leave feedback on using this script.

Bluetooth is running on my Xiaomi Yi camera.

So as for now we have: telnet, ftp, station mode wifi and now it's time for bluetooth to run in full force.

Let's name the beast: GoPrawn here it comes.

UPD: Welcome to my action camera forum: GoPrawn.com

How to enable FTP server for Xiaomi Yi camera.

First of all enable telnet (put an empty file named "enable_info_display.script" to the root of microsd and reboot). Login with root using your favorite telnet client.
Then run this command to start FTP server (thanx to nikulin for update):
nohup tcpsvd -u root -vE 0.0.0.0 21 ftpd -w / >> /dev/null 2>&1 &

Connect using FTP. Works in both AP and STA modes.
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PROFIT:

File transfer speed via FTP is up to 1MB/s.

Xiaomi Yi camera firmware v 1.2.0 released. Noise filter is off.

Xiaomi has released 1.2.0 firmware for Yi camera. I found one interesting thing not listed in official change log (left - 1.1.0, right - 1.2.0):

Noise filter is disabled by default in LOW ISO mode (more about Yi camera modes in future posts).