Today we invite you to look at GoPro’s main competitor among budget action cameras – the Xiaomi Yi camera. We will also learn how to set up the camera on Xiaomi and how to control it.
Even before it officially went on sale, this unit caused a lot of noise among users, because the manufacturer stated that it would have the same characteristics as GoPro, but at a very ridiculous price. The price was previously announced at $60, which, you see, is very, very tempting.
Almost all camera functions from Xiaomi can be controlled through special applications on a smartphone, which can be pre-installed via links and Remote Video. So far there are not very many of them, however, it is possible that with the update of the gadget’s firmware its functionality will expand. So far, the program allows you to make settings for photo and video modes, select the quality of shooting and configure the operation of the camera itself, as well as select the ability to visually display images from the matrix.
In the photo mode in the application we see the following picture: most of the display is occupied by the area for previewing the image from the camera matrix, and the selected resolution for shooting is written below. At the bottom are keys for controlling the action camera, and even lower is a status bar with the current battery charge of the phone, camera and Wi-Fi signal level. In video mode, the program looks almost the same. In addition, there is a Snapshot mode for creating quick snapshots in 640x480 resolution.
Setting up the Xiaomi Yi Action Camera is done through a special application, which we wrote about above, but here there is important point– the application is only available for smartphones running Android OS, and owners of Apple products are still out of work. So, let's look at some of the modes with which I configure the camera. They are divided into several blocks.
In general, we briefly got acquainted with the capabilities of the acclaimed Xioami Yi action camera and found out what each item in the settings means. In general, the camera shows very good results for its price, but the functionality could be expanded. We hope that the manufacturer will take into account the wishes of users and in the new firmware version will present us with new capabilities of such a small and bright unit.
Extreme sports are getting closer to the average consumer. Ten years ago, to get impressive footage of a skydive, you had to use very expensive equipment. Now all you need is a GoPro! And it's still expensive. Xiaomi has gone further and made extreme video shooting even more accessible thanks to a camera called Yi. Let's talk in detail about the device in review.
All products Chinese company supplied in a box made of very thick cardboard without any bright, identifying features. The packaging is made simply and tastefully - from recycled materials. And an adult can safely stand on the box. Why all this? Probably to reach the jar of jam on the top shelf. In general, I personally tested it - the packaging easily withstood 85 kg, just like the box from the fitness bracelet.
In nature, there are two types of equipment: regular and tourist. We acquired the latter to tell you not only about the device itself, but also about the branded monopod included in the extended delivery kit.
Inside the package, the gadget itself is neatly laid out, and next to it is a telescopic monopod. Hidden under the cardboard layer is a Micro USB cable for charging the device from computer ports (the power supply is not included), a battery with a very modest capacity of 1010 mAh, and a battery compartment cover.
No additional holders, mounts or underwater cases are provided by the manufacturer. All this is sold separately, or rather, will be sold in the near future. By the way, due to the lens and power button slightly shifted to the middle, cases from GoPro or Chinese cameras from Alibaba for 70 bucks will not fit. Yi has its own way and don’t be confused by the fact that this is also a Chinese camera for 70 bucks. This is Xiaomi, which means a separate conversation.
The buyer can choose from only two color variations: all-white and bright green shades. Since at the time of ordering from Aliexpress the Travel version of the camera was only available in white, there was no question of choice for me: I need a monopod, I need to tell you everything.
The body of the gadget is entirely plastic. There is a matte finish on the front and back, and a ribbed finish around the perimeter, which is clearly a design solution.
In front, above the front surface, a 24 mm lens in diameter seriously protrudes. Of course, it is not covered with anything, and the rim around the convex glass is made of dark plastic. And then I immediately want to scold the company. Yes, protective cases are sold separately, but what if I don't need them or can't buy them?
An uncovered lens can easily get scratched, and the Chinese didn’t even bother to add some kind of case, even a bad one, to the gadget. You can't do that, you can't.
On the front side there is a wide mechanical power button. One press switches the shooting mode from photo to video and back. A long press turns off the camera. The button has a round LED built into it that glows blue, purple or red depending on the battery level. When connected to a power source, the power button is always illuminated with a red halo.
In addition, four more indicator lights can be found around the perimeter of the case. The top, bottom and rear reflect the selected shooting mode, the side is responsible for wireless activity. The backlight can be turned off completely in the settings or left active only at the time of shooting.
On the top edge there is a shutter button. It is single-section, since the Yi does not have autofocus. On the bottom side there is a standard screw mount for a tripod, monopod, selfie stick and the like. The hole is unified and suitable for any accessory. By the way, we’ll talk about them later.
On the right side there is a key to activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There is no division. I would like to point out that the camera is very thoughtful. After turning on and establishing a stable connection with the smartphone, about 10-15 seconds pass. Previously, the gadget would not be able to be found by the phone.
Retardation is also present at the moment of photographing. I pressed the shutter release and the photo was ready, but the device thought for another second or two before hanging its head from the process of creating a photo.
Of course, the camera is equipped with a microphone. There is a hole for it in the top part of the device. We'll talk about audio recording later.
On the back side there is a battery compartment cover, as well as all the gadget’s connectors, hidden under a plastic plug. It’s strange that the plug is not attached to the body in any way and it doesn’t cost anything to get lost. Be careful. Available ports include Micro USB, Micro HDMI and a slot for a memory card.
The device can also be controlled blindly, without connecting to a smartphone. The reference will be the top, bottom and rear LEDs, which light up red when video recording is activated and go out when set to photographing.
Now let's talk about what users overpay their money for when receiving the Travel package - the monopod. The latter gives the impression of a high-quality and reliable thing. Perhaps even more reliable than the camera itself.
Indeed, the accessory is made entirely of metal, and the handle is made of a soft, very grippy and pleasant to the touch material. The total weight of the stick is 183 grams. The camera itself, by the way, has a mass of 71 grams.
The head is attached to the telescopic body of the monopod due to a spherical bone. The lever on the right tightens or loosens the turning mechanism. Due to all this design, the head can rotate 360 degrees.
The base structure consists of five metal elbows, which are opened and secured by turning them to the left or right, respectively. At first, the opening mechanism works quite poorly, but after a dozen or two opening-folding cycles everything returns to normal.
For fastening, there is a tight clasp on the belt and a rope loop at the very end of the holder. The latter tends to unwind and at one point the loop may remain on your wrist, and the monopod with the gadget may fall to the ground. Not a very well thought out moment.
The entire device is based on a 16-megapixel Sony Exmore R matrix. Above it is a lens with aspherical lenses and an aperture of F 2.8. The latter does not in any way affect the appearance of beautiful blur (bokeh), because the focus is set to infinity, starting from 20 cm. Accordingly, it will not be possible to take real macro photographs. I tried and it didn't work. You can see the result below.
Of course, the lens used here is wide-angle and can capture 155 degrees of space in front of it. And thanks to the use of aspherical lenses, this is a real Fisheye. Some people will definitely like it, but others won't. Let's talk about this in a little more detail later.
The maximum image resolution is 4608 x 3456 pixels. You can set the resolution to 13, 8 or 5 megapixels.
I don't know what good things can be said about the photo part. Yes, the photos are good, but not impressive.
The quality of the images lags behind modern flagship smartphones and more or less passable digital point-and-shoot cameras.
Let's start with detailing. The examples of 100% crop below show that the Yi Action camera cannot be compared with the image it produces Sony Xperia Z3 is one of the best camera phones of 2014-2015. Bluriness, digital noise - all this is present in the brainchild of the Chinese digital industry.
I suggest taking a little more look at the pictures taken with the Sony Xperia Z3 (left) and Xiaomi Yi (right) smartphones.
There are generally big problems with image clarity in the corners of photographs.
This is especially noticeable when distortion suppression (kick drum effect) is turned on. At this moment, the system, using its own algorithms, removes the excessive roundness of images, which is characteristic of fisheye lenses. Together with this operation, the photograph around the edges is blurred in one hundred percent of cases. Below, as an example, I have given a piece of a photograph with the original image (on the left) and a piece of a photograph on which the system has already managed to work its magic, removing lens distortions (on the right).
Notice how blurry the picture on the right is. When activating this function (Lens rectification), be prepared that the photo will be clear only in the center of the frame - the rest will float.
As an example, I will give several original fisheye photographs (on the left) and images with distortion suppression (on the right).
I didn't like the work of the exhibition. In most photographs, the machine makes mistakes and instead of rich and bright colors, the image becomes yellow-green.
Attempts to change the exposure metering did not lead to anything. The system makes mistakes and everything continues to turn yellow, like in the desert. Of course, later, on a computer, the photographic materials can be straightened and the result will be something like this (on the left is the original, on the right is the simplest color correction).
On the other hand, taking into account the affordability of the camera and its versatility, provided that protective cases are used, we get a very good photographic solution for active life. Still, you won’t be able to dive into the Red Sea with a smartphone, but with Xiaomi Yi it’s easy and even relatively inexpensive.
Let's look at examples of all the other photographs.
The originals of all photographs can be downloaded in one archive from here.
Additional modes include timer shooting, Burst mode (up to 7 frames per second) or Timelapses. In the latter, the time between shutter releases can be set from 0.5 to 60 seconds. As a result, you will get several hundred pictures, which can later be combined into one video using special programs.
By the way, some specifications declared by the manufacturer on the official website do not correspond to the real state of affairs.
Thus, it was initially indicated that the time intervals when shooting Timelaps range from 3 to 15 seconds, although in reality they are completely different. The same goes for video shooting: real 50 frames per second in maximum quality, instead of the declared 60 or 240 at 420p resolution (it’s not in the parameters at all). The Chinese are so Chinese.
Camera Can only shoot horizontally. Despite the fact that the manufacturer declares support for the accelerometer, it is clearly not intended for automatic orientation rotation here.
Of course, there is optical stabilization, thanks to which the picture does not shake so much even if you hold the monopod with the gadget at arm's length. In this kind of devices, you can’t do without it.
The maximum possible video recording quality is 1920 x 1080 pixels at 50 frames (16:9) per second. Below is a list of other supported resolutions:
Videos are recorded with a maximum length of 5 minutes. This cannot be changed, but you can set the memory to be continuously filled in such five-minute segments until the space on the card runs out.
Full HD resolution at 50 frames is perhaps the most optimal setting for recording video on a device. At 25 or 24 frames, objects in the video move jerkily. An example of such a video is below.
In addition, recording 100 and even 200 frames per second is possible. However, the image resolution drops noticeably to 1280 x 720 pixels and 848 x 480, respectively. Example of 100-frame shooting below this sentence.
Now about audio recording. The camera records sound poorly. Even at a distance of an open monopod, it is very difficult to distinguish a voice on the street, where the wind often blows. In addition, the sound is dull and sounds completely unflattering. Setting the Buzzer volume does not correct the situation in any way, in fact, neither does some 3D noise reduction declared by the manufacturer. You can listen to the sound in the example video below.
And again, the action camera is not designed to record an audio stream. This is not its main function. The focus is on the video, not on how you scream while riding a roller coaster. Plus, you can always put some cool music in the background.
However, some craftsmen have already found a way out of the situation. Here in the video you can see how to improve the quality of recording an audio stream yourself and using a screwdriver.
To work with the device you need a special application. For now there is only a version for Android. The developers promise to add iOS support in the future.
Don't bother looking for the utility on Google Play. At the moment it simply isn't there. To install the program, you need to scan the QR code from the instructions and follow the link recognized by the scanner.
It’s a good idea, of course, to also get your own account on mi.com. The system will definitely prompt you to do this.
Those who complete the entire quest will be rewarded with an installed application in English-Chinese. The thing is that part of the menu was translated into English, while the other half remained in native Chinese. It all looks especially funny when you try to activate some function, and the application instead displays an inscription with hieroglyphs.
In reality, there is no inconvenience from crookedly translated software. 80% of the required parameters have been made publicly available English language, and the rest is clear as is.
The main feature of the application is the Lifeview mode, that is, the smartphone screen acts as a viewfinder for the camera. The picture transferred from the device to the phone is slightly delayed (by about 0.5 seconds) and its quality leaves much to be desired. On the other hand, the main thing is to compose the frame and the image quality is sufficient for this to be fully possible.
The connection range does not exceed 100 meters. In reality, approximately 20 meters or a couple of rooms with relatively thick walls are enough to transmit a picture without interruptions.
The company claims that the utility also has a built-in image editor, but I did not find it. Maybe it is securely hidden behind various buttons in Chinese, or maybe it is available exclusively on branded Xiaomi phones.
In conclusion, I will still provide a link so that you can download the Yi Camera application. For Android devices, download from here. Owners of iOS devices, look for your application, but later.
The built-in Panasonic battery has a capacity of 1010 mAh (3.7 V and 3.74 Wh). I want to say right away that batteries from GoPro or Chinese counterfeits from Alibaba are not supported. Xiaomi has closed a loophole for sly users who want to save on consumables.
Continuous shooting of Full HD video (25 fps) consumed the entire 100% battery charge in one hour and fifty minutes. At the same time, only a quarter of the time the device was connected via Wi-Fi to the smartphone.
In Timelapse mode (photos every 60 seconds), the camera worked for only 1 hour and 41 minutes when connected to a smartphone. By the way, Lifeview is not available in this mode.
Full charging from a 2A power supply takes 1 hour 40 minutes, which is quite a lot. When recharging from a computer's USB connector, it will take even longer.
Which ones will be available? accessories directly from Xiaomi - is still unknown. Judging by the available official photos and videos, the list is so far limited only to an underwater case (dive to 40 meters) and special straps for attaching the device to a pet. Perhaps the company will come up with something else interesting or go down the beaten path, completely copying accessories from GoPro.
A little more about what we have in stock. The only inconvenience in a standard monopod is the absence of a shutter button. It is assumed that a connected smartphone can be used as a control panel or the camera can be controlled blindly. This is the only way and it somewhat limits the user.
However, the Bluetooth button is found on other third-party selfie sticks that are actively sold on the Internet. We have already reviewed a couple of these. Yi made friends with them easily and naturally, but again not without a crutch. The latter is played by a smartphone, to which you need to connect a Bluetooth monopod. The Xiaomi application easily recognizes accessories such as a regular Bluetooth keyboard, with which you can shoot. Thus, we get three devices at once that need to be actively used when shooting: the Yi itself, mobile phone and a selfie stick with a built-in shutter key. It's just a pity that we only have two hands.
In the photographs, and in reality, the camera looks very decent. The paper characteristics are also impressive and make you reach for your wallet for money or a credit card in order to place an order as soon as possible.
In reality, the device has enough big list shortcomings. These are the design nuances that we have already discussed, and the quality of photographs and videos, of course.
Of course, it is slightly behind the popular GoPro Hero 3 in terms of capabilities and settings. The latter has a huge range of accessories and greater freedom when setting up video recording. Comparing Xiaomi Yi Camera with Hero 4 is incorrect. These are products from different categories, both price and quality.
Xiaomi Yi seems to me to be a kind of starter device for those who want to try and understand for themselves what an action camera is. Do you travel a lot? Do you like snorkeling or even scuba diving? Do you climb mountains and jump with a parachute? So why not try this thing for yourself? What if he gets hooked and has to go to court? Further - more. Open a channel on Youtube and become a famous extreme sports enthusiast. Separately, we can highlight shooting from a multicopter. For a relatively small amount (copters come in different varieties), you can take stunning aerial footage at home.
Thinking about purchasing Yi Camera, you must definitely keep its cost in mind. This is the main and most advantageous advantage of the new product. Price at 399 and 499 Chinese yuan, which at the current exchange rate (1 yuan = 8.23 rubles) is about 3281.85 rubles for the basic configuration and 4104.37 rubles for the extended configuration (with a monopod). However, you can immediately relax, since it is almost impossible to buy Yi for this price. And it’s not even that the purchase requires a real Chinese address and a Chinese bank card. All batches periodically released by the manufacturer into the online store are bought up by resellers and sold at various online auctions or in their stores directly in China. Domestic consumers should look towards Aliexpress, as I did.
Release date: already on sale from resellers from China Price: 399 and 499 yuan
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Let's skip the history of Xiaomi itself, although it is quite interesting. We will talk about the Xiaomi Yi action camera; this is the first experience of a Chinese manufacturer in the manufacture of such products.
When buying a gadget, the first thing we pay attention to is the packaging. Let’s face it, the box of a Chinese gadget made of unpainted cardboard with the “Yi” logo brings certain doubts into the soul of a Russian person. Manufacturers do not provide any additional protective plastic cases. The safety of the camera during long-term storage or transportation is a big question.
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The basic configuration of the Xiaomi Yi Basic Edition action camera will baffle even such recognized supporters of minimalism as GoPro. In the cardboard box we will find only a USB cable, battery, and instructions.
However, the manufacturer corrected itself by assembling a kit for the Xiaomi Yi Travel Edition camera: it is supplemented with a control panel and a metal tripod.
Xiaomi Yi camera package However, one cannot say that this is some kind of achievement. This is a normal set that should come with the gadget. The included protective case would have been much more useful, but there isn't one. It is assumed that the operator will purchase it if necessary. Xiaomi is not alone in this regard; Apple and GoPro are following the same path.
The shape of the camera resembles a similar gadget from GoPro i.e. it is a small rectangle with a protruding lens. The Chinese manufacturer offers its action cameras in white and green. However, the front plate is removable and can be replaced without much difficulty. Face plates are available in very unusual colors, and their prices are quite affordable. The body is made of rough plastic, while the side edge has a ribbed surface, which makes it easier to fix the camera by hand.
Action camera Xiaomi Yi There is a large button on the front of the camera, next to the lens. It turns the gadget on/off and switches shooting modes. There is no monochrome or color display. Therefore, you will have to control the camera using mobile application, which you will definitely have to install on your smartphone or tablet.
The camera is equipped with three LEDs that inform the operator about the camera's status. The first of them borders the power key and informs the user about the battery charge level. The indicator can light in three colors: blue (charge level 50-100%), purple (15-49%) and red (less than 15%).
Blue indicator is on On the top edge of the gadget there is a button responsible for starting shooting, next to which there is a round indicator. Similar control sensors are located on the bottom plane and on the back of the gadget. They glow exclusively red, but in different modes. A switched off indicator indicates that the camera is in camera mode, blinking indicates that recording is on, and a steady glow indicates that video mode is on. This method of control cannot be called intuitive, but it is quite possible to master it.
On the right side of the action camera, there is a button that turns on Wi-Fi, next to it there is another indicator, its blue glow indicates that the wireless connection is turned on.
Unlike, the Chinese manufacturer has provided the possibility of standard mounting of a tripod to the camera. In the lower plane of the device, there is a thread that allows you to attach various types of fasteners to it. However, it should be noted that only a standard monopod fits ideally into this thread; you will have to try to fix other accessories.
On back side There are two covers on the device. One of them covers the connectors for connecting a USB cable, miniHDMI and a slot for a memory card. The battery is hidden behind the second one (battery with a capacity of 1010 mAh). Unfortunately, there is no additional fastening of the covers to the body, which increases the risk of losing them.
The camera is turned on using a large button located on its front plate. By default, the gadget starts working in camera mode. However, this can be changed in the settings.
Xiaomi Yi is equipped with an Ambarella A7LS processor and a 1/2.3-inch Sony Exmor R matrix. The camera has a “power” of 16 megapixels, which exceeds that of fourth-generation GoPro gadgets. Image stabilization is provided by an accelerometer.
In principle, the stated characteristics allow shooting in 4K mode, but the manufacturer decided to limit itself to Full HD, at which the frame rate is 60 per second. It is also possible to record video in 480p and 720p (200 and 100 frames per second, respectively).
The use of wide-format optics makes its own adjustments to the quality of photos and video images - a “fish-eye” effect is created, which, however, can be easily corrected using software. However, do not be surprised, after correction the quality of the images will be reduced.
The main purpose of the camera is to shoot dynamic videos. Despite this, the gadget is not equipped with either software or optical stabilization. There are no special complaints about the quality of the images. However, there are certain disadvantages when filming video, and it would be stupid to deny them.
Things are much better with photography. Photos taken with the Xiaomi Yi Basic Edition action camera are highly detailed. The quality of the images is practically flawless; there are some minor problems with the white color, but they can be solved. The camera allows for continuous or interval shooting. The resulting photos can be converted to GIF or MP4 format directly in the application.
The standard battery of the device has a capacity of 1010 mAh; with the wireless connection turned off, it allows you to shoot for two hours. Disabled Wi-Fi prevents you from using the viewfinder or controlling the camera using the mobile app. Enabled Wi-Fi in Full HD mode will reduce the operating time of the gadget to one hour. This is a little more than similar cameras from other manufacturers, but still not that much. However, a solution to this problem has long been found, this is the use of an external battery to recharge the batteries or a replacement set of them.
It will be possible to record your voice on camera only in the calmest weather. This is due to excessive protection of the microphone from the wind. The problem can only be solved by disassembling the camera and removing the protective cloth from the microphone. However, the real need for such actions is questionable.
Lack of full camera control mechanically, makes installing a mobile application on your smartphone a necessity. Software allows you to view images from the gadget in real time, adjust settings and switch shooting modes. The application interface is not complicated, and understanding it will not be difficult.
Of course, the camera is not perfect, but you need to take into account its price category. For example, prices for similar cameras from GoPro do not fall below 25,000 rubles. The Chinese analogue will cost you a maximum of 10,000 rubles, and this already includes the cost of the protective case.
The shortcomings identified during the test are offset by the positive features of the camera. Controlling the device only using a mobile application is, of course, a negative point. The shortcomings are the quality of the sound and some features of the video recording. However, it is worth taking into account that the camera costs at least half as much as a similar gadget from GoPro. At the same time, photographs and video recording are of quite decent quality, the device is quite attractive in appearance and has acceptable dimensions.
You shouldn’t position the Chinese action camera as a full-fledged competitor to GoPro. Especially if the user is focused on processing videos in high quality. However, the majority of users immediately send the videos they shoot to the Internet, without really thinking about their processing.
The scope of application of Xiaomi Yi Basic Edition is not only for shooting tricks, it is quite appropriate when walking, at parties, etc. By and large, the camera was created for taking photos or videos in extreme conditions, and it copes with the tasks. Most of the shortcomings do not relate to the quality of filming, but to the comfortable use of the camera.
Gone are the days when Chinese products caused a smile. Today, goods from the Middle Kingdom make up the lion's share of any market. You can talk as much as you like about the product’s non-compliance with some mythical norms and requirements. The main indicator is demand, and as practice shows, it is only growing for Xiaomi products.
Testing the Xiaomi Yi action camera - the camera was mounted on a Syma x8w quadcopter. Let's see what came out of this:
XIAOMI Yi Action Camera is a worthy representative of action cameras. After the appearance of this camera on sale, almost immediately there was talk that the popularity of the device could not only equal that of GoPro, but even surpass it. The camera has a similar appearance and similar photo and video capabilities. At the same time, the cost is several times lower, which also increases its popularity. It is perfect for recording your flights and for its intended purpose, as an action camera.
Let's start the review with the appearance. The camera can be selected in two colors, one of which is white and the other is bright yellow-green. Lovers of variety can additionally purchase panels of a wide variety of colors. The body is made of durable matte plastic, ribbed around the perimeter of the camera. A lens with a diameter of 24 millimeters protrudes from the front. It is important to note that the lens glass is not covered with anything and is slightly higher than the protective ring, so scratches are guaranteed.
Xiaomi Yi does not have a display and contains the minimum required number of buttons for control. There are only three of them:
On the back wall there are micro USB, Micro HDMI ports and a memory card slot, covered with a flap.
Be careful, the plug is not attached to the camera in any way, it is very easy to lose it.
All settings of the Yi action camera are performed using a smartphone through the application. There is a threaded hole for attaching a tripod. LEDs on the body will help you navigate when controlling the camera without using a smartphone.
In this matter, the principle of minimalism is observed. Just as the device box itself does not contain any information other than the name, its contents are also limited to the camera, battery, USB cable and instruction documents. Compared to other analogues, the equipment is quite modest. This is typical for the XIAOMI Yi Basic Edition (First photo below). There is another configuration option - Travel Edition, the cost will be slightly higher than the first. This is due to the presence of a monopod. It is strong, metal, of good quality, and is mounted according to the tripod principle. The monopod can also be purchased separately if you want to supplement the basic package with it. In addition, as an additional accessory, the camera comes with a special sealed box for shooting underwater. It can also act as additional camera protection.
The camera weighs only 72 grams, and the dimensions of the device are 60.4x42x21.2 mm. Its lightness and small size make it easy to use the Yi as a flight camera. It is worth noting that a fully charged camera battery allows video recording. high quality within an hour with working WiFi. The recording is saved to a micro SD/SDHC/SDXC card.
XIAOMI Yi Action Camera Specifications:
The camera takes photos with a maximum resolution of 4608x3456. In this case, the resolution can be adjusted to a choice of 13 MP, 8 MP or 5 MP. In general, the quality of the photos is not bad, but most modern smartphones with good quality cameras will take a better photo. In fact, the pictures come out with noise and slightly blurry.
Timer shooting allows you to take pictures at a rate of 7 pictures per second. The result of such shooting will be many photos that can be combined into a video. Used for photography wide angle lens with environmental capture at 155 degrees. But the edges of the pictures turn out blurry, which spoils the whole impression.
As stated by the developers, the Xiaomi action camera has an automatic accelerometer for automatic rotation and orientation. Unfortunately, in reality the camera can only shoot horizontally. Optical stabilization allows you to shoot video in shaking conditions. This is especially true for action cameras. The maximum recording quality is 1920x1080 at 50 frames per second. In this case, the setting allows you to select the desired recording quality from the list of available ones.
It is most effective to use the camera in combination with 2 or 3-axis gimbals.
Recording is done in short segments of 5 minutes. There's no way to change this in the settings, but you can set it to record short sequences in a continuous sequence until the memory card runs out of space.
Supported Resolutions:
Sound recording leaves much to be desired. In windy weather, it is difficult to distinguish a person’s speech even at a short distance. Adjusting the sound doesn't help the situation at all, nor does the 3D noise reduction feature. However, it is worth remembering that audio recording is not a priority for an action camera.
Video recording example
In order to connect the camera and phone, you need to activate Wi-Fi on the camera and launch the application on the phone. After a few seconds of waiting, the phone finds the access point and makes a connection.
Application Yi Action for iOS
Application Yi Action for Android
XIAOMI Yi has a pleasant stylish appearance and many advantages stated by the creators and described in the accompanying documentation. Questions arise about the quality of the photo; as for the video, it is more than worthy. It is important not to forget that the price of this device is in a category from which you should not expect stunning quality indicators. In terms of price-quality ratio, the camera is fully consistent with its category and will be an excellent solution for flights.
The cost of the camera is 4500 rubles.
