Xiaomi Yi Action Cameras: review, test, reviews

All buyers know that the monopoly in the electronics market is not welcome. Therefore it is not surprising that the famous for the whole world of the action camera Hero GoPro appeared a worthy competitor, which will be discussed in this article. The Chinese mobile equipment manufacturer Xiaomi Yi presented its product to the public, which claims to drive out the world's best camera for shooting under extreme conditions. It's not for nothing that the Xiaomi Yi action cameras are called the "killers" of Hero GoPro.

Price policy of the company

It's better to start with the fact that Xiaomi is considered a serious Chinese brand. For comparison: the world-renowned manufacturer Lenovo is inferior in quality and price to all products released under the brand Xiaomi. Therefore, the view that the digital camera for shooting under extreme conditions, released by the Chinese, is substandard, is mistaken.

All Xiaomi products are manufactured at the Foxconn plant. This enterprise produces computer and network equipment of high quality. On one of the lines of the company, Apple products known all over the world are produced: Iphone, Ipad, Iwatch and Ipod.

As for the affordable price of all Xiaomi products, everything is simple here - experts assure that there are no expenses for advertising and brand maintenance in the pricing of Chinese goods. The company is young (on the market since 2010), so attracting purchasing power is due to lower costs for high-quality goods.

Xiaomi Yi action cameras: first acquaintance

The Chinese somehow decided to remove the competitor Hero GoPro from the market. Recreating the device in a sturdy casing, endowing it with huge functionality and affordable cost, the manufacturer did not take care of the completion of the action camera. A regular cardboard box in gray, without any identification marks, causes strange feelings for all customers. And the bundle is quite capable of upsetting the future owner: the camera, the battery, the monopod tripod, the interface cable and the instruction 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 fix the flaw, but this statement is unlikely to help the camera owner. On the other hand, many users believe that additional accessories are unnecessary, because most athletes already have reliable attachments and do not want to overpay for additional equipment.

Appearance

Action Camera Xiaomi Yi, whose price in the Russian market is 5500 rubles, has a miniature size (two matchboxes superimposed on each other). But even such a small device the manufacturer has managed to provide with external beauty and create all the amenities for the user. On the main camera panel, the owner will detect the built-in lens and a large power button. Just one click is enough to switch the modes of photo and video. Around the button are placed LEDs, which inform the user about the battery charge.

At one end of the camera there is a Wi-Fi power button with an activity indicator. From the bottom, the manufacturer placed a fastener, which has a threaded connection and is adapted for a monopod stand. On the back of the device, the user will find the battery compartment, as well as a panel for installing the memory card and connecting the interface cables.

Autonomy of work

Built-in lithium battery capacity of 1010 mAh is enough for an hour and a half of video. The indicator is small, but, given the physical dimensions of the portable camera, still causes respect from others, judging by the feedback of the owners. It's funny that it takes 1.5 hours to charge the battery. Naturally, in order to extend the shooting, the user will need a spare battery. Confuses only underwater shooting - to replace the battery without lifting to the surface will not succeed, and there is no secure interface for connecting the additional power supply to the gadget.

Create high-quality photos

The 16-megapixel sensor guarantees the future owner the creation of decent photos, and the wide-angle lens of the built-in lens (155 degrees) is an excellent choice of exposure both in nature and in a darkened room. In addition, the manufacturer installed a light-sensitive CMOS matrix Sony Exmor, which will positively affect the photo and video of objects in poor lighting. In fact, Xiaomi Yi camera is a high-quality digital camera, only reduced by several times. Matrix, sensor, control buttons and lens - a complete set for creating a conventional camera.

Full video shooting

Action Camera Xiaomi Yi Sport can shoot videos in HD and FullHD. This serious statement of the manufacturer is confirmed by all owners of the device in their reviews. However, there are shortcomings that should be known to future owners. Firstly, the manufacturer did not mention the frame rate when shooting a video. So, in FullHD format, the gadget can be shot at a frequency not exceeding 50 frames per second. For normal shooting of dynamic objects, this is quite enough, but for a photographer who is himself in motion, this frame rate will not be enough to get a high-quality video.

Xiaomi Yi action cameras support the H.264 codec and save video in MP4 format. In fact, the manufacturer managed to achieve a golden mean in the processing of the video stream - to get a small file at the output without loss of quality. Judging by the feedback of the owners, this is one of the main advantages in this device.

Portable Camera Display

Many users may find it strange that the action camera does not have a liquid crystal display. At first it looks wild and from the side it resembles shooting with an old film camera, where you can see the results of the work only after developing the photos. Okay, underwater shooting - nothing can be seen through the protective box, but how to choose the right exposure in the bosom of nature?

All very simple. Suffice it to recall other products of the company - most of them are controlled by the operating system "Android" (fitness bracelet Xiaomi, clock, acoustics, headphones). The digital camera is no exception, the user just connect the device via Wi-Fi to any phone. Naturally, the management software will require branded software, which can be downloaded from the Play Market store for free.

Hidden surveillance camera

The Xiaomi Yi - camera product will be of interest not only to lovers of extreme sports, but to people whose work or hobby is inextricably linked with observation. A miniature camera can be placed anywhere and unnoticed to observe any living organisms. The footage can not necessarily be downloaded from a memory card or transferred to a computer via an interface cable. Wireless connection allows you not only to control the action camera and watch the subject of shooting, but also to download the footage directly to the device operating under the Android operating system. Solve the issue with the autonomous power of the device, the camera generally would not be priced. At least, that's what all the owners think, judging by their feedback.

System Performance

Do not think that a small processor is installed in a small device. Xiaomi Yi action cameras are equipped with a powerful crystal, because to save video stream in high quality requires a lot of mobile platform resources. The same goes for RAM with a video adapter and a wireless module - in performance, the action camera is not much inferior to a modern mobile phone.

It is worth noting that the sound adapter that is present in the camera has its own processor for sound processing, which positively affects the operation of the entire system. The sound card has a built-in noise reduction system, can automatically adjust the sensitivity of the microphone and record the sound in stereo mode.

Professional use

The absence of optical stabilization in the Xiaomi Yi device causes discontent among many buyers. After all, using a camera as a video recorder in the car or while traveling off-road on a two-wheeled vehicle is simply impossible. This is a serious defect in the manufacturer. Let the camera test under extreme conditions (cycling, parachuting or skating) and demonstrates an acceptable shooting of the video in high resolution, but the camera shake is still noticeable.

Strangely enough, the 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 video, users manage to shoot in a twenty-degree frost only 30-40 minutes of video. This is a very low rate.

Finally

Action Camera Xiaomi Yi is a welcome purchase for many users who have decided to capture the pleasant moments of their lives in extreme conditions. Low cost, portability, convenient functionality and a wide range of capabilities are able to attract many new customers to the novelty. There are, of course, flaws, but on them many camera owners just turn a blind eye, because competitors in Xiaomi Yi are not so much in the electronics market - the nearest Hero GoPro is 5 times more expensive and not much different in functionality from the Chinese product.