Reddit mentions of YI 4K Action and Sports Camera, 4K/30fps Video 12MP Raw Image with EIS, Live Stream, Voice Control - Black

Knock off might not be the right word, more like competitors.

Depending on your needs, something like a $100 Xiaomi YI is probably all you need. Can be controlled via wifi, and can do 1080p at 60fps. This is way more camera than the average joe needs.

And $100 is a crap deal. You can get the YI for like $65 from Chinese sites.

Or if you want something that can do 4K, Xiaomi just came out with a $250 action cam that is very comparable to the GoPro Hero Black.

Yup:

YI 4K Action and Sports Camera, 4K/30fps Video 12MP Raw Image with EIS, Live Stream, Voice Control - Black for 160$

Their site.

I've got a Contour Roam as well, which I like as a helmet cam because I'm a terrible, vain creature and think conventional action cams stuck to the top of helmets look awfully silly.

If you're less vain -- or if you can find a Contour Roam at a reasonable price point, or you want better video quality more than you want to look cool -- I'd also recommend a Yi 4K (presently $170 on Amazon, but you'll probably want a ~$15 - $40 waterproof housing, and also some way to mount it). I've got one that I've mounted under my handlebars (in addition to wearing the Contour on my helmet) and I'm very impressed by it. It's got a removable battery, too, and you can get extra batteries real cheap.

One final option, if you're inclined to the action cam form factor but don't want to shell out $170 for a Yi 4k (or even more for a GoPro or what-have-you) is the recently-announced and very well-reviewed Yi Discovery, which as far as I can tell (though I don't own one, so no guarantees) is more-or-less the same thing as the Yi 4k, sans the mostly-useless image stabilization feature and with slightly slower frame rates (4k @ 20fps, 1080p60), but it's only $60, which is a steal. It uses the same batteries and other accessories as Yi 4k.

EDIT
Also: r/bikecammers is a good place to ask for advice on this stuff.

Yi 4k

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Sports-Action-Video-Camera/dp/B01FU9ZIMU

save some more cash and get yourself on of these.
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Camera-Night-Black/dp/B01FU9ZIMU

great reviews. go pro killer

Is that the 4K one?

If so that's $250 compared to $99. For most action sports 4K is totally unnecessary.

You can get the Xiami Mi 4K for $250 on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Camera-Night-Black/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1478741824&sr=1-4&keywords=xiaomi+yi

I've been thinking about trying out the Yi 4K "Action Camera". It's cheaper than the GoPro and supposedly looks just as good.

Plenty of options out there for me-too GoPro's, here's the $200 one that The Wirecutter recommends as a cheaper alternative, their vetting is usually pretty thorough.
(unclear if it has a video-out, or if you'd be stuck using just the wifi connectivity...could work well if you had a iPad or tablet to dedicate to viewing the action-cam...)
Looks like there's also a regular HD version for half the price....hmmmm.....

The competition easily buys one and tears it down so it doesnt really protect anything....it probably is like the YI4K which is sold for 279 with a diving case

GoPro has to buy their sensors from other companies so there is only a limited number of sensors they can use

http://www.yitechnology.com/actioncamera/specs/id/5.html

http://reviewmeta.com/amazon/B01FU9ZIMU Yi 4K

http://reviewmeta.com/amazon/B00NIYNUF2 GoPro Hero 4 Black

The Yi camera is actually a fairly good option to go with. Check out this video comparing it to a GoPro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28k7uBDojb8&t=486s I trust reviews by Linus Tech Tips since they have been brutally honest about a lot of products, so for them to recommend this as a cheap camera is worth something.

The nice thing is it also accepts standard GoPro accessories, so you're not as limited as a lot of the other action cams that only have a few accessories.

Just be careful which one you get, you need to get this version and not the Lite, since it records at a higher frame rate. You can often get some cool slow motion shots with cameras like this, and it also makes for smoother video when slowed down.

It does have 4K support, but you're better off with shooting at 1080p and using the electronic image stabilization (not available at 4K, unless its been updated).

The xiaomi yi camera is an actually QUALITY gopro replacement with 4K. Here is a good review of the camera. If you are looking for something different, let me know what budget you are working with.

Xiaomi Yi 4k You have to buy the waterproof case separately for another $30, but it's a great product. The camera, the waterproof case, and a kit of generic attachments/peripherals and you're set. All for around $300.

If you want something cheaper, the regular Xiaomi Yi is only $100 and still works great. I gave this to my 10-year old son last year for Christmas and it's held up great.

I personally have a Hero3 I won five years ago in a video contest, Crosstour Action Camera I use for my rear on my commuter (when I remember to charge it). And for my race bike I have my Fly6(ce), but I will use it on my commuter if I forget to charge my other rear camera.

Here is a list of common ones:

Inexpensive (< $100)

1. AKASO Action Camera 1080P HD EK5000 amazon link
   
   

• Handlebar and Helmet Mount included, very low quality video
  
  

2. Drift Stealth 2 amazon link
   
   

• Low light is not great, otherwise fine camera
  
  

3. Crosstour Action Camera amazon link
   
   
4. Yi Lite amazon link
   
   

   Mid Range ($100-250)
   

   
   

5. Contour ROAM2 Waterproof Video Camera amazon link
   
   
6. Yi 4K Action Camera amazon link
   
   
7. Garmin Virb Elite amazon link
   
   
8. Sony HDRAS100V/W amazon link
   
   
9. GoPro Session amazon link
   
   

   High End ($250+)
   

   
   

10. GoPro HERO5 Black amazon link
    
    

• Really, any of the GoPros will probably do very well. They aren't know to have the best battery life, though
  
  

2. Fly12(ce) camera and front light amazon link
   
   
3. Xiaomi Yi 4K Action Camera 2 NIS Store link
   
   
4. Fly6(ce) Amazon link

Xiaomi Yi Action cam is way better than anything else I have seen for the cost. $70 gets you one hell of an action cam that I have used for USPSA and couldnt be happier with it. Personally I would get the 4k version but thats up to you.

I put a lot of research into my recent GoPro purchase. I actually ended up going with a different camera, the YI Action camera. Its a better camera for a better price.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Sports-Camera-Control/dp/B01FU9ZIMU#nav-search-keywords

Extra batteries and a charger are a must in my opinion.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01HM8L0Z6/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1518590419&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=yi+action+camera+accessories&dpPl=1&dpID=51CLAbP-ksL&ref=plSrch

GoPro accessories fit it as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XHSKKXE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1518590526&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=gopro+accessories+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=61v4Wvt6YjL&ref=plSrch

I bought everything above and love it. Good luck to you in your purchase and even more luck with fatherhood!

If by "shop" you mean like a woodworking shop. Assuming you want 4k... I would suggest something like a panasonic G7 plus an external recorder like a videoassist or Atomos. Or if you have a spare computer, you can get a blackmagic mini recorder 4k and capture as much as you like. If you want something more like a GoPro, you probably can't get 8 hours, but you can go for 4 or 5 hours at a crack with the Yi 4k action cam and a 128GB sd card (just as good as a gopro).

If you are on a tight budget getting a Yi or Yi 4k is not a bad decision at all.

Most people simply replace/overlay the original audio with music later.

If you though want to do a Vlog-style travel video a X3000 will not only give you better audio but also a high quality and stabilized video.

One advantage, which bith the Yi-cameras don't have is, that the Sony is splashproof and dustproof, which means you can use it without the case during rain/ at the beach without the risk of damaging your camera and still get good audio. With the Yi you nearly always have to use the case when you are outdoor, so it would render the already bad audio useless anyways.

It is your money, your choice. I hope I could help you with the decision with this reply.

If you have further questions, just reply to this comment.

• Nic
  
  P.S.: Don't forget, that you have to get a SD card (I recommend this for the X3000) for either camera.
  
  Also you might want to get additional batteries or a powerbank to exchange an empty one and charge on the go.

Yi 4k! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FU9ZIMU Cheaper than when I bought it right now too!

edit: at the bottom of the page it shows "Frequently purchased together" extra batteries and accessory kit. I actually picked that up and am super happy with everything.

If you're not looking to save footage but instead just want a record of what happened in case there's an incident, you don't really need stabilization, and in fact you might want to turn that off if the camera does have it in that case for a wider field of view.

As for what to buy on a budget, I was really impressed with the quality of this and the price was only about $100 USD. That said, it shares the GoPro's short battery life, so ... add an external battery.

Definitely way more competition now. Check out the Xiaomi Yi Camera with a waterproof case. It's basically a straight up Chinese version at a generous discount.

I personally have the HTC Re which isn't so much waterproof, but can be submerged for brief periods, but that's probably not what you had in mind.

For more traditional cameras, Sony makes a line of waterproof cameras. A friend of mine has an older one of those that we took rafting in Colorado with and it performed very well.

Yeah, if you're just getting into it, I'd say the GoPro is a good choice. Nice and light, can capture the scenery in beautiful spots thanks to the super wide angle, plus they can do timelapses (I think, never actually tried that feature), cool POV stuff, etc.

Plus if in the future you decide you want to upgrade to a DSLR, the GoPro will still be useful. I have this thing (GoPro knockoff, but it's actually quite good IMO) and I use it for POV action stuff, and also as a "B-camera" for some shoots so that I can get two angles of the same thing.

There's that yi 4k camera, which if I had to buy again I would go for...
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Camera-Night-Black/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1495209104&sr=1-3&keywords=yi+4k
It's 200 bucks USD. I currently use a hero 5

you should be able to find it for less. In like 70-80USD range
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Camera-US-White/dp/B016EIGEGU

The Yi 4K is one of the best action cams overall, but over your budget:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=psdc_7161074011_t1_B016EIGEGU

Check http://www.techmoan.com/ for action cam reviews

The Firefly 8SE is close to $300 on Amazon, looking for something a little bit cheaper if possible. $100-$200 ideally. If this sounds wrong then can you supply the link to the camera on Amazon or another sellers site?

I found this on Amazon for the Xiaomi Yi - https://www.amazon.ca/YI-Action-Sports-Camera-Control/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Xiaomi+Yi&qid=1564248482&s=electronics&sr=1-8

It looks like a good camera for it’s price, it just doesn’t seem to come with an underwater housing. I’m sure you can buy it separate as well. Is this the camera you were talking about?

Yup he's right. Here's a link to amazon, https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Camera-Night-Black/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1467602030&sr=8-2&keywords=yi+technology+action+camera.

Get 2x Yi 4K action cameras.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Sports-Camera-Control/dp/B01FU9ZIMU

Buy two of this: https://www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Sports-Camera-Control/dp/B01FU9ZIMU