All buyers know that a monopoly in the electronics market is not welcome. Therefore, it is not surprising that the world famous action camera Hero GoPro has a worthy competitor, which will be discussed in this article. Xiaomi Yi, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer, has unveiled its product to the public, which claims to push the world's best camera for shooting under extreme conditions. It's not for nothing that Xiaomi Yi action cameras are called the “killers” of Hero GoPro.
Company pricing policy
Better to start with the fact that Xiaomi is considered a serious Chinese brand. For comparison: the world famous manufacturer Lenovo is inferior in quality and price to all products released under the Xiaomi brand. Therefore, the opinion that the digital camera for shooting under extreme conditions, released by the Chinese, is of poor quality, is mistaken.
All Xiaomi products are manufactured at the Foxconn factory. This company produces high-quality computer and network equipment. One of the lines of the enterprise produces world famous Apple products: Iphone, Ipad, Iwatch and Ipod.
As for the affordable cost of all Xiaomi products, everything is simple - experts assure that in the pricing of Chinese goods there are no expenses for advertising and brand maintenance. The company is young (on the market since 2010), so the attraction of purchasing power is due to lower costs for high-quality goods.
Xiaomi Yi action cameras: first introduction
The Chinese somehow strangely decided to remove their competitor Hero GoPro from the market. Having recreated the device in a rugged case, endowed with enormous functionality and affordable cost, the manufacturer did not bother to complete the action camera. An ordinary cardboard box of gray color, without any identification marks, causes strange feelings among all customers. And the equipment is completely capable of upsetting the future owner: a camera, a battery, a monopod tripod, an interface cable and instructions in Chinese.
No fasteners or boxes for underwater shooting, not to mention the usual strap for transporting a digital device. Naturally, the manufacturer promises to correct the defect, but this statement is unlikely to help the owner of the camera. On the other hand, many users believe that additional accessories are superfluous, because most athletes already have reliable mounts and no one wants to overpay for additional equipment.
Appearance
The Xiaomi Yi action camera, the price of which in the Russian market is 5500 rubles, has miniature dimensions (two matchboxes stacked on top of each other). But even such a small device, the manufacturer managed to provide external beauty and create all the amenities for the user. On the main panel of the camera, the owner will find a built-in lens and a large power button. Just one click is enough to switch the photo and video modes. Around the button there are LEDs that inform the user about the battery charge.
On one of the ends of the camera there is a Wi-Fi module power button with an activity indicator. Below, the manufacturer placed a mount that has a threaded connection and is adapted for a monopod tripod. On the back of the device, the user will find a compartment for installing the battery, as well as a panel for installing a memory card and connecting interface cables.
Work autonomy
The built-in lithium battery with a capacity of 1010 mAh is enough for an hour and a half of video shooting. The indicator is small, but, taking into account the physical dimensions of a portable camera, it still causes respect from others, judging by the reviews of the owners. It's funny that it also takes 1.5 hours to charge the battery. Naturally, in order to extend the shooting, the user will need a spare battery. It’s only embarrassing to take underwater photography - it will not be possible to replace the battery without lifting it to the surface, and the gadget does not have a secure interface for connecting additional power.
Create high quality photos
A 16 megapixel sensor guarantees the future owner the creation of worthy photographs, and the wide-angle lens of the built-in lens (155 degrees) provides an excellent choice of exposure both outdoors and in a darkened room. In addition, the manufacturer installed a Sony Exmor photosensitive CMOS matrix , which will positively affect the photo and video shooting of objects in low light. In fact, Xiaomi Yi camera is a high-quality digital camera, only reduced by several times. The matrix, sensor, control buttons and lens are a complete set for creating a conventional camera.
Full movie shooting
Xiaomi Yi Sport action camera can shoot video in HD and FullHD. This serious statement by the manufacturer is confirmed by all device owners in their reviews. However, there are disadvantages that future owners should know about. Firstly, the manufacturer kept silent about the frame rate when shooting video. So, in FullHD format, the gadget can shoot at a frequency not exceeding 50 frames per second. For ordinary shooting of dynamic objects, this is quite enough, but for a photographer who himself is in motion, this frame rate will not be enough to get a high-quality video.
Xiaomi Yi action cameras support H.264 codec and save video in MP4 format. In fact, the manufacturer managed to achieve a middle ground in processing the video stream - to receive a small file without loss of quality. Judging by the reviews of the owners, this is one of the main advantages in this device.
Handheld camera display
It may seem strange to many users that the action camera does not have a liquid crystal screen. At first it looks wild and from the outside resembles shooting with an old film camera, where you can get acquainted with the results of work only after developing photos. Okay, underwater shooting - you can’t see anything through the protective box , but how to choose the right exposure in the open air?
All is very simple. It’s enough to recall the other products of the company - most of them are controlled using the Android operating system (Xiaomi fitness bracelet, watches, speakers, headphones). A digital camera is no exception, the user only needs to connect the device via Wi-Fi to any phone. Naturally, for management you will need proprietary software that can be downloaded from the Play Market store for free.
Covert surveillance camera
Xiaomi Yi's product - camera - will be of interest not only to fans of extreme sports, but also to people whose work or hobby is inextricably linked with observation. A miniature camera can be placed anywhere and quietly observe any living organisms. The captured material does not have to be downloaded from a memory card or transferred to a computer via an interface cable. Wireless connection allows not only controlling the action camera and observing the subject, but also downloading the footage directly to the device running the Android operating system. To solve the issue with the device’s autonomous power supply, the camera would not have a price at all. At least, all owners think so, judging by their reviews.
System performance
No need to think that a small processor is installed in the miniature device. Xiaomi Yi action cameras are equipped with a powerful crystal, because it takes a lot of resources of the mobile platform to save the video stream in high quality. The same applies to RAM with a video adapter and a wireless module - in terms of performance, the action camera is not much inferior to a modern mobile phone.
It is worth noting that the sound adapter present in the camera has its own processor for processing sound, which positively affects the operation of the entire system. The sound card has a built-in noise reduction system, is able to automatically adjust the microphone sensitivity and records sound in stereo.
Professional use
The lack of optical stabilization in the Xiaomi Yi device causes dissatisfaction among many buyers. After all, using the camera as a video recorder in a car or when driving off-road in a two-wheeled vehicle is simply impossible. This is a serious manufacturer flaw. Let the camera test in extreme conditions (cycling, parachuting or ice skating) and demonstrate acceptable shooting in high resolution video, but camera shake is still noticeable.
Quite strange action camera behaves in winter conditions. The plastic case of the device does not protect the battery from cold. As a result, instead of an hour and a half clip, users manage to shoot only 30-40 minutes of video material in a twenty-degree frost. This is a very low rate.
Finally
Xiaomi Yi action cameras are a welcome purchase for many users who decide to capture the pleasant moments of their life in extreme conditions. Low cost, portability, convenient functionality and a wide range of features can attract many buyers to the new product. There are, of course, flaws, but many camera owners simply turn a blind eye to them, because Xiaomi Yi has not so many competitors in the electronics market - the closest Hero GoPro costs 5 times more and differs little in functionality from the Chinese product.